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Lane will not seek new contract as superintendent VOL. 106, NO. 36

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SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Saying she wants to give the board as much time as possible to find a replacement, Pittsburgh Superintendent of Schools Linda Lane has announced she will let her current contract expire in June and will not seek a new one.

“This is a bittersweet decision for me, as there is so

much about this job that I truly love and will definitely miss,” she said in a Sept. 4 press announcement.

“After 44 years in public education, I believe I have more chapters left in me where I hope to utilize my experience in education and my pas-

sion for promoting learning for Pittsburgh’s children that might include college-level teach-

LINDA LANE

ing, writing, and work in support and development of school leaders.”

Lane was recruited by former superintendent Mark Roosevelt in 2007 and served as deputy superintendent until he left for another position in 2010. The school board named her superintendent the following year.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said Lane was more

than an able leader she was a mentor and an inspiration.

“As much as the city has been blessed to have Dr. Lane as a leader and advocate, I personally have been blessed to have her as a partner during my first two years in office,” he said. “She has been both a mentor and an inspiration to me on the importance of education. Together we have worked to

break down the walls between City Hall and the public schools, and focused on one agenda for the betterment of Pittsburgh’s children.”

During her tenure, Lane is credited with increasing graduation rates by nearly 10 percent, from 68.5 in 2011 to 77.4 in 2013. She also secured more than $80 SEE LANE A4

Walker-Montgomery loses Authority chair

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

PEACE RIDE—Motorcyclists from Iron Cross Ministries, The Crusaders and the Afro Brothers approaching the end of the Bike Ride for Peace at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. (Photos by Rossano P. Stewart)

More than 200 ride for unity and peace

by Ashley Johnson Courier Staff Writer

Motorcycle riders are often stereotyped as being hell raisers, but on Aug. 29, more than 150 bikers united to be peace-raisers as they rode from Cycle Gear in Allison Park to Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Liberty in honor of stopping violence and promoting unity.

While Iron Cross Ministries’ annual Bike Ride & Rally for Peace has taken place for seven years, this year’s event was a little more special. Not only was there record participation, it also had

the most diverse participation, all in the name of peace.

“It was a beautiful day, probably the best one we’ve had. Driving through the neighborhoods and really just seeing people busting out of their houses and waving, people jumping up and down because they were excited; it was all really cool,” said organizer Rev. Cornell Jones of Iron Cross Ministries.

“What was also cool was that motorcyclists on the side ended up getting involved, jumping into the ride… Usually you have Black rides or White rides, but this was probably the most integrated ride that I’ve ever seen, as

far as people coming together.”

He was joined by participants that included riders who used to be in 1 percent clubs, which is like an outlaw type club, as well as Christian riders, Black urban motorcycle club members and individual riders; all in accord.

The ride, which Rev. Jones said started with almost 200 riders and ended with more than 200, took place through neighborhoods that have been impacted by senseless violence, especially Black on Black violence.

He said the specific route was chosen SEE PEACE A4

McKeesport Councilwoman V. Fawn WalkerMontgomery, who has earned praise for her work trying to reduce gun violence in the community, has been removed as chair of the McKeesport Business District Authority.

Council voted her out at the request of Mayor Michael Cherepko who recommended her removal at the July City Council meeting in a resolution replacing her with city Community Development Director A.J. Tedesco. His resolution said her replacement and the retention of two other members were requested by the Authority.

V. FAWN WALKER-MONTGOMERY Walker-Montgomery said she was blind-sided by the mayor.

“I had five minutes notice. I SEE AUTHORITY A4

Floyd donates company services to rebuild church

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

In November 2014, the stone façade on the St. James AME Church in Larimer collapsed, leaving the structure exposed and destroying the front porch roof in the process. On Sept.

15, the church will host a five-day conference of its regional district, and celebrate the building’s restoration.

But that would not have been possible without people like Chris Floyd who do-

nated his Rug Lab company’s manpower and equipment to steam clean all the carpet in the 30,000 square-foot church. For Floyd, it’s about giving back to the community.

“It’s one thing to claim to be a citizen of the community, it’s another thing to actually take ownership and use the resources you have to help the community,” he said. “If you’re not doing that, as far as I’m concerned, you can’t claim citiSEE FLOYD A4

Horne appointed to lead Pittsburgh Milliones Chambers call for EPA to suspend new ozone rules

by Merecedes J. Howze For New Pittsburgh Courier

Christopher Horne was appointed at a special legislative meeting in late July to become the newest principal of Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12. Nestled in Sugar Top, UPrep, as it’s called, is home to approximately 600 students.

But, it’s Horne’s deep ties to the community and knowledge of the students that made it an easy decision to place him back at the Hill District school after a five year leave from the school district.

Horne previously served as associate principal of Penn Hills High School.

During his tenure in Penn Hills, Horne said the school

NEW MILLIONES LEADERS—Christopher Horne, left, and Timothy Freeman were appointed by the Board of Education to serve as principal and director respectively at Pittsburgh Milliones at University Prep 6-12. (Photo by Merecedes J. Howze)

Pittsburgh Courier NEW

To subscribe, call 412-481-8302 ext. 134 or FAX 412-481-1360

district helped him “become a better instructional leader” by preparing him through experiences in building operations, academics and school culture.

Prior to joining Penn Hills High School, Horne served the Pittsburgh Public Schools as a Mathematics Teacher (2000-2009) and a Mathematics Curriculum Coach (2009-10) at Schenley High School, and at Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12.

In 2009, Horne was among the original team of teachers that opened Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12. Serving as the Youth Pastor of Macedonia Church in the Hill District from 20052010, Horne has become a SEE HORNE A4

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

In 2008 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a new standard for ground level ozone concentrations of 75 parts per billion. Now, as most states have attained, or are nearing attainment of the standard, the agency has released a new standard: 65 parts per billion.

On Sept. 2 a business advocates meeting in Pittsburgh said that 5-parts-perbillion difference would translate into trillions of dollars lost in gross domes-

tic production, primarily due to increased compliance costs and higher energy cost. It would also mean massive job losses.

“And Pittsburgh is right in the crosshairs,” said Keynote speaker and National Black Chamber of Commerce President Harry Alford.

“We’re talking about one of the most expensive, damaging, and unnecessary regulatory proposals in recent memory. And what do we get for this new standard, when Black unemployment SEE CHAMBERS A5

Bill Fletcher Jr. says

Gun violence is not the same as a video game Opinion A6

Young nurse asked to adopt newborn after mom dies of Ebola

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SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

by Krista Larson

Associated Press Writer

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP)—The 19-yearold mother clutched her newborn son as she arrived at the Ebola holding center.

The child’s father was gone, and she had no family to help her. She knew she was dying.

Nurse Donnell Tholley, 25, had seen hundreds like Fatu Turay in his work at Ebola clinics around the country. He knew to keep his distance—most patients would not make it, and any emotional connection would make the work even harder.

But taken by her plight, he stopped to ask the name of her baby, who was just over a week old.

“Bobo,” she replied faintly—a term of endearment that translates as “my sweet boy.”

“That’s not a real name, though,” Tholley replied.

Impulsively, he grabbed a scrap of paper, wrote down his name and phone number, and gave it to her.

Tholley moved on to other patients, and soon the woman was gone, whisked off to a treatment center along with the little boy.

About a week later, he received a phone call from a number he didn’t recognize.

A nurse was on the line.

Your wife is dying, she said.

You must come to see her right away. There isn’t much time left.

Tholley insisted he had no wife. But he recalled the woman he had met and thought: Could this be Fatu Turay?

By the time he got to the treatment center, her body had already been removed for burial. The baby boy was nowhere to be found.

In the nurses’ hands, though, was the sheet of paper with Tholley’s information on it; Fatu Turay had clutched it as she lay dying, alone.

The Ebola epidemic killed nearly 4,000 Sierra Leoneans and left thousands of orphans. Some were placed with other family members or with neighbors who took them in. The rush to isolate and treat the sick, though, meant many were too fearful to take in the children whose parents had succumbed to the deadly virus.

Baby Turay, now only about 2 weeks old, was brought to a hospital in the

Elaine Effort

This Week In Black History

INTERNATIONAL

NEW FATHER—In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 18, nurse Donnell Tholley, 25, holds his adopted son Donnell Junior at their apartment in Freetown, Sierra Leone. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) capital, free of Ebola but still fighting for his life. He had no mother to nurse him and no one had money to buy him formula. When he wailed out of hunger, the nurses would inflate empty surgical gloves and tie them shut so he could suck on the fingers for comfort.

Tholley eventually located the boy and went to see him. The nurses pleaded with him: If not you, then who will take this child?

Without a parent, he will die.

Tholley was working long hours. How could he care for a sick child? And yet the little boy’s fragility stuck with him even as he continued to treat other patients.

The little boy’s ribs protruded through his skin.

His tiny feet bore scars from the harsh disinfectant used to clean the Ebola wards where he got his start in life.

“I kept thinking of this boy and how at his young age he had no one else,” he says.

He approached his own mother, Josephine Kadie Bangura, a former maternity ward nurse. Could he become a father? At first, she was frightened. Had the boy tested negative? Was it possible he had contracted the virus from his mother?

She had raised two sons

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and two daughters of her own, and knew a thing or two about babies. Her heart melted.

With his family’s support, Tholley decided to adopt the boy. He left the nurses at the hospital with about $200 to care for the child until arrangements could be made.

On Jan. 13, Donnell turned 26. A week later, the nurses brought the now 6week-old baby to the family apartment in Freetown. He was greeted by his new grandmother and his greatgrandmother, Marie, who calls him her “little husband.”

“He had been crying so long at the hospital that at first he would open his mouth to cry and no sound would come out,” says Bangura, 53.

There were no adoption lawyers, no home studies done. The family still carefully keeps the only proof of their story—a well-worn piece of notebook paper on which a nurse from the hospital wrote in blue ballpoint pen the names of all who witnessed the baby’s arrival at his new home: “The following nurses brought Donnell Emmanuel Sallieu Tholley home to me on the above date together with his father Donnell S. Tholley,” it says. Bangura signed the piece of paper.

They call the boy Junior.

He’s 8 months old now.

Tholley’s cell phone displays a picture of the two of them. Tholley, whose working hours have diminished as the epidemic has waned, wants to get married and have more children someday so his son will have brothers and sisters.

“People say I made a brave decision,” he says.

“The task is very hard, but God being our helper, up ‘til now it is going very well.”

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For the Week of September 9-15 September 9 1739—The so-called Stono, S.C., slave revolt begins. It was led by a slave from Angola named Jemmy. The group gathered near the Stono River about 20 miles from Charleston and began a march and insurrection, which resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Whites. Marching under a banner proclaiming “Liberty,” it took a couple of hundred armed Whites to put down the revolt.

1817—Merchant, anti-slavery activist and “Back to Africa” advocate Paul Cuffee dies on this day in 1817. Cuffee had been born free in Massachusetts in 1759. Shortly after America’s war for independence from Britain, Cuffee and his brother built a boat and started a trading business. Overtime, Cuffee became a wealthy man. However, he grew frustrated with America’s injustices against Blacks and became a “Back to Africa” advocate. On Dec. 10, 1815, he sailed a group of free Blacks to the West African nation of Sierra Leone to establish a settlement. The settlement rapidly became successful but on a return trip to the U.S. in 1817, he died.

1817—This is the day that Alexander Lucius Twilight received his B.A. degree from Middlebury College and thus became the first African-American college graduate. Twilight, born free in Vermont, would go on to become a Presbyterian minister and pastor at several churches.

1915—The “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson, leads the founding of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History during a meeting in CARTER G. WOODSON Chicago. It was originally called the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The organization became the nation’s leading organizing center for the dissemination of information on Black history. Woodson was also the founder of Negro History Week, which grew into the current day Black History Month.

1934—Renowned poet Sonia Sanchez was born Wilsonia Benita Driver on this day in Birmingham, Ala. She has authored more than a dozen books of poetry and has been a professor at several American universities. Sanchez joined the Nation of Islam in 1972, but left in 1975 following a dispute over the issue of women’s rights.

September 10 1847—John Roy Lynch is born into slavery on this day near Vidalia, La. Lynch would be among the first group of Blacks to serve in the United States Congress after slavery. He represented the state of Mississippi. Lynch would even serve as temporary chairman of the Republican Party National Convention. During this period, the Republicans were the more progressive and friendly-to-Blacks party. But as the period of Reconstruction faded and Southern politicians made it virtually impossible for Blacks to remain in political office, Lynch moved to Chicago and practiced law. He died in 1939 at the age of 92.

1965—Father Divine dies in Philadelphia, Pa. From about 1910 to his death in 1965, Father Divine was Black America’s foremost spiritual and cult leader. Indeed, he claimed to be God and his full self-given name was Rev. General Jealous Divine. Critics called him a charlatan and a religious scam artist. But initially as a traveling preacher and then from a base in New York City, Divine built his FATHER DIVINE small church into the International Peace Mission—a large mass congregation with members and churches throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Little is known about his background, but he was probably born in Georgia and his real given name was probably George Baker. During his heyday, Divine’s only serious competition was another Black spiritual-cult leader by the name of Daddy Grace.

1976—Mordecai Johnson, the first Black president of historic Howard University in Washington, D.C., dies. He was one of the nation’s foremost educational leaders. He was 86 when he died.

September 11 1740—Was he America’s first Black doctor and or dentist? It is unclear but on this day in 1740 the Philadelphia Gazette carries a report of a “Negro” named Simon who was skilled in the abilities to “bleed and draw teeth.” During the colonial period, such a phrase was normally used in reference to doctors and dentists.

1851—In a fairly unusual development, a group of Blacks on this MORDECAI JOHNSON day in 1851 rout a group of slave catchers who had come to Christiana, Pa., to re-capture runaway slaves. One White was killed and a second one was seriously wounded.

September 12 1913—Track and field athletic legend Jesse Owens is born on this day in Oakville, Ala. Owens would achieve international fame when he won four gold medals at the 1936 summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. His feat helped undermine Adolph Hitler’s myth of Aryan or White superiority.

1977—One of the greatest unsung heroes of the struggle against then White-ruled South Africa’s system of racial suppression known as apartheid is murdered on this day by South African law enforcement officials. Steve Biko was a leader of the country’s Black Consciousness Movement. He believed that one of the most destructive attitudes undermining Black JESSE OWENS progress throughout the world was that Blacks were not truly proud to be Black.

1992—Dr. Mae Jemison becomes the first African-American woman in space when she was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on this day as part of a joint U.S.-Japanese mission. Since resigning from NASA, the multi-talented Jemison has started a company which aims to improve health care in Africa. In addition to her native English, Jemison speaks Russian, Japanese and the East African language of Swahili.

September 13 1663—The first documented slave rebellion in America is set to take place. The revolt in Gloucester County, Va., involved Black slaves and White indentured servants. However, it was betrayed by a White indentured servant.

1885—Alain L. Locke, philosopher and the first Black Rhodes scholar is born. He became a professor at Howard UniDR. MAE JEMISON versity and one of Black America’s leading intellectual figures.

1962—In an event which demonstrated the tenacity of racism, especially in the South, Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett pledged to defy the federal government and block the court ordered admission of a Black man—James Meredith—to the University of Mississippi. He made his declaration during a statewide television and radio address. Barnett said he would go to jail to prevent integration, arguing, “There is no case in history where the Caucasian race has survived social integration.” Despite his talk, Barnett would eventually relent and Meredith (with the aid of U.S. Marshals) was allowed to attend the university.

1971—Approximately 1,500 state troopers are ordered by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller to storm New York’s Attica prison to breakup a takeover of the prison by Black inmates demanding better conditions. When the dust settled, the storming of the prison resulted in the deaths of 32 inmates and 10 guards who had been held hostage.

1996—Pioneering rapper Tupac Shakur dies from his wounds after being shot in Las Vegas, Nev. He was only 25. Shakur has now become a near cult figure among rappers. His killers were never brought to justice.

GOV. ROSS BARNETT September 14 1940—Blacks are allowed for the first time to enter all branches of the U.S. military when President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on this day, signs the Selective Service Act. September 15 1830—The First National Negro Convention takes place in Philadelphia, Pa. Top on the agenda were the better organizing of anti-slave activities and whether or not free Blacks should return to Africa.

1881—Inventor Jan E. Matzeilger is born in Dutch Guyana. He came to the United States in 1878 and by 1880 had patented a shoe lacing machine.

1889—One of Black America’s most outstanding poets, Claude McKay, is born. He would become a leading figure during the Black Cultural Revolution known as the Harlem Renaissance.

1963—In one of the most heartless terrorist attacks of the Civil Rights Movement, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., is 16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH GIRLS bombed by White supremacists and Ku Klux Klan members. Four little Black girls are killed. But instead of scaring African-Americans into backing away from their demands, the act actually inspired the Civil Rights Movement.

Obama offended by attacks on Jews who back Iran deal

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

WASHINGTON (AP)—President Barack Obama said people who attack Jews who support the Iran nuclear deal are like African Americans who differ with him on policy and then conclude he’s “not Black enough.”

Obama, in an interview with the Jewish newspaper Forward, was asked whether it hurt him personally when people say he’s anti-Semitic.

“Oh, of course,” Obama said. “And there’s not a smidgeon of evidence for it, other than the fact that there have been times when I’ve disagreed with a particular Israeli government’s position on a particular issue.”

The president added, though, that he’s “probably more offended when I hear members of my administration who themselves are Jewish being attacked. You saw this historically sometimes in the African American community, where there’s a difference on policy and somebody starts talking about, ‘Well, you’re not Black enough,’ or ‘You’re selling out.’ And that, I think, is always a dangerous place to go.”

Obama didn’t mention any specific critics or targets by name.

Asked to whom the president was referring, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Aug. 31 mentioned former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s charge that the nuclear deal was like “marching the Israelis to the door of the oven,” a ref-

NATIONAL

SALUTE—President Barack Obama returns a salute as he walks off of Marine One to head to Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Md., Aug. 31. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) erence to the Holocaust. Earnest added: “It’s certainly not the only example of the kind of political rhetoric that certainly the

president and others find objectionable.”

Obama’s Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who is Jewish, was heckled this summer

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

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at a Jewish-themed conference in New York when he defended the nuclear deal and spoke of the administration’s support for Israel. Dan Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, has received “threatening letters related to the Iran deal,” according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the issue and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Obama, in the Forward interview, said that while those who care about Israel have an obligation to be honest about what they think, “you don’t win the debate by suggesting that the other person has bad motives. That’s, I think, not just consistent with fair play; I think it’s consistent with the best of the Jewish tradition.”

Secretary of State John Kerry, the chief U.S. diplomat in the negotiations with Iran, was to make a speech in Philadelphia on Sept. 2 on the importance of the agreement to U.S. national security, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Aug. 31.

On a lighter note, Obama was asked about his bagel of choice.

He described himself as “always a big poppy seed guy.” As for toppings, he added: “lox and capers OK, but generally just your basic schmear,” referring to a smear of cream cheese on the bread.

The interview was conducted on Aug. 28 and released Aug. 31.

Truancy takes a higher toll on Black families

by Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON (NNPA)—Truancy among Black students has far-ranging consequences, not just as a predictor for low academic achievement, but also for the long-term cost to American taxpayers, according to a new report by the Center of American Progress, a Washington, D.C.based nonpartisan think tank.

Blacks students are twice as likely to be chronically absent from school than their White peers, and “because absenteeism often leads to dropping out of high school, it is not surprising that high school graduation rates have a similar pattern of racial gaps as absenteeism rates.”

The report titled, “The High Cost of Truancy,” detailed the consequences of chronic absenteeism, identified students most at-risk and offered a number of state-level policies that demonstrated the ability to reduce truancy and keep students in the classroom.

Carmel Martin, executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress, said that as students across the country prepare to go back to school, the public needs to recognize that too many children aren’t showing up to school and many more who attend the first days of school won’t attend on a regular basis.

“The lifelong impact of truancy is alarming,” explained Martin. “It is a predictor of low student achievement, increased school drop out rates and can be a gateway to the school-to-prison pipeline. ” Truant students often have little control over financial and medical issues or a stressful home life that can impact their ability to attend school on a regular basis.

The report listed a number of family or community conditions that contribute to chronic absenteeism including: “parents who do not highly value education; child abuse or neglect; siblings who performed poorly in school; a large number of household members; chronically ill parents; low parental education attainment; foreignborn parents; providing child care for younger siblings; teen pregnancy or par-

TAKING A TOLL—Schools that fail to address bullying, have poor record-keeping, or lackluster school attendance policies can also make it harder for troubled students to stay connected to the classroom. (Stock Photo) enthood; violence near one’s home or school; homelessness; unreliable transportation; and having a family criminal history or an incarcerated parent.”

Schools that fail to address bullying, have poor recordkeeping, or lackluster school attendance policies can also make it harder for troubled students to stay connected to the classroom.

“In a recent study, one in five students who were excessively absent from school – missing seven days or more – were victims of bullying,” the report said. “For victims of bullying, missing school is an understandable defense mechanism that is within their control, particularly when bullying goes unnoticed by school officials.”

Kamala D. Harris, California’s attorney general, said that truancy and absenteeism come at a high cost not only to our children’s education, but also to the na-

tion’s economy and public safety.

Harris said that in California alone high school dropouts cost the state $46 billion a year as a result of the burden they place on public safety systems, public health systems, social services and lost revenue from taxable income contributions to tax base.

The Los Angeles Unified School District worked to reform school policies on truancy when they found that their system of issuing truancy tickets and fines not only had an adverse effect on low-income and minority students in the school district, but also “deterred students who are running late from going to school due to fears of interacting with law enforcement.”

The CAP report said that: “Enforcement of this policy led to a disproportionate amount of students of color being ticketed compared to their White counterparts, as

well as disproportionate ticketing of lowincome students who relied largely on unreliable public transportation to get to school.”

The report continued: “In LAUSD, during the same time period in which officers issued 47,000 tickets, the truancy rate in LAUSD increased from 5 percent to 28 percent. A truancy ticket issued for $250 could engender $1,000 in additional court fees and missed days of work for parents and guardians in order to attend court hearings, totaling a heavy price to pay for low-income families.”

Following a successful campaign to cut down on excessive ticketing that “reduced student ticketing for truancy and tardiness by 80 percent,” students now receive counseling and other services designed to keep them in the classroom instead of court dates.

Similarly, in Washington, D.C., school administrators work with K-8 students with poor attendance records to craft individualized plans that include “wraparound services such as help with job searches, single parenting, transportation, filling out paper work, and parental education.”

Still, researchers found that states such as Pennsylvania and Texas rely too heavily on a ticketing system to address truancy, despite research that shows its disparate impact on students of color.

The CAP report recommended the adoption of a national definition for truancy, early warning systems to identify students at-risk for falling behind in the classroom, and policies that work to increase parental and guardian engagement in the educational process at school and at home.

Harris said in a statement that the debates about the public education system in the United States are moot if our children are not in class.

“Truancy is a major problem in California and nationwide, with significant economic and public safety costs,” said Harris. “This report should serve as a call to action, because every child deserves an equal education.”

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SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

METRO

More than 200 ride for peace CONTINUED FROM A1

THE OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH— Crew members of Liokareas Construction Company work on the exterior of the church. (Photos by J.L. Martello)

Floyd donates services to rebuild church CONTINUED FROM A1

zenship.”

Floyd said he donates the company’s services to two entities every year. He had cleaned St. James once before, but when Rev. Rodrecus Johnson Jr. called and told him about the collapse, he immediately volunteered his services again, bringing three trucks and six men to the church Sept. 4 to clean the building’s carpet and as well as the seat fabric in the main sanctuary.

“I think it’s a shame that a lot of Black businesses don’t give back to the people who helped them succeed,” he said. “I started with one truck, working 18-hour days. Now I have 17 trucks and 47 employees. It’s actually bigger than I remember; we’ll be here longer than I thought. Normally,

this would be about an $8,000-job.”

Reverend Johnson said he was very grateful that Floyd agreed to help, especially since the church’s insurance carrier would only pay to replace the porch roof.

“They said it wasn’t an Act of God, that it was deterioration and age, which they wouldn’t cover,” said Rev. Johnson. “Thankfully, we received donations from parishioners, from the Pittsburgh AME Conference and from the Third Episcopal District of the AME Church. When it’s all said and done the repairs will cost more than $100,000. And it will all be done by next week in time for our district conference with our Bishop McKinley Young.

NEXT TO GODLINESS—Cleaning Crew member Che Johnson and Rug Lab owner Chris Floyd, left, cleaning the carpets of the St James AME Church on Lincoln Avenue.

One of the donating parishioners is architect Marvin Miller, who in addition to designing the remodel also employed a forensic engineer to analyze the structural integrity of the other three walls and the apex of the architecturally unique vaulted sanctuary.

“We decided to rebuild the exterior façade using a manufactured stone veneer panels. They have a metal flange on the back, and you nail them like up like siding. It’s a lot less weight,” said Miller. “It was a crime what (the insurance company) gave us. But we also have a great contractor, who gave us a substantial break.

I’ve worked with them before, and they have worked with this material before.”

As part of its crew finished the exterior stone façade, others, high on a scaffold, filled cavities between wooden support beams with insulation from the roof to just below the wall’s stained-glass rose window.

They will then cover the support structure with drywall and paint the entire wall.

After the scaffolding is disassembled, Floyd will come back and clean the carpet he couldn’t reach.

Reverend Johnson said it will be nice to get the congregation back into the sanctuary.

“We’ve been holding our two Sunday services in the chapel since January,” he said. “We lost a few members right after the collapse, but since then we gained 20 new members.”

For information on the activities surrounding the Annual Conference, call the church at 412-441-9706.

Horne appointed to lead Milliones CONTINUED FROM A1

familiar face to many children and families of the Hill District.

“It’s an honor and privilege to have been selected to lead the students in the Hill District. My heart is in the Hill and coming back to the community that my family is from, where I began my teaching career and, now to lead the school where I once was a founding teacher is a dream come true.”

Horne has three main goals as principal: “realizing our vision” by creating a positive learning environment that holds students and staff to high expectations for teaching and learning; “staying committed to our mission” by trusting the process, utilizing the team and focusing on what he can control; and “focusing on our core values of respect, accountability and performance” with all students, staff, families, community and school partners.

Additionally, Horne plans to focus on effectively implementing the school’s Collective Impact Process, transforming school and community culture, and empowering staff and students to lead.

“The Collective Impact Process brings together school, staff, family and the community with the focus

on solving an issue and establishing clear communication. Our goal is that through this collaborative process, there will be a culture shift that leads to academic success,” he said.

The position opened when former principal Derrick Hardy resigned as of July 31. His plans are not known. He has moved out of the city a spokesperson for the school district said.

The Board additionally approved the appointment of Timothy Freeman as Director at Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12. As Director,

Freeman will work collaboratively with the school’s principal to execute all aspects of school management and leadership. In his most recent post, Freeman was principal at the STEAM Academy of Warren, Ohio.

“Our new director Tim Freeman is a product of the Hill District also and he shares my sentiments about education. Together, we are committed to transforming the way our students think about school/education and the great opportunities that await them,“ said Horne.

so that the cause could not only be seen and well spread, but so that riders were also safe. With so many riders, many of various levels, Iron Cross wanted to make sure it had very few twists and sharp curves so that no accidents would occur.

Following the hour-long ride, riders and community members assembled at Eastminster Presbyterian Church for a rally that included testimonies from individuals who lost loved ones to violence, food and a special recognition of individuals and ministries doing things in the community.

Those honored were police officer Alphonso Sloan, who not only serves and protects the community, but also produces art with a message; Adoration Boyd of Bikes Up Guns Down and who works diligently in the Homewood community; firefighter and East End

million in grant funding for the financially stressed district from local and national foundations to support various initiatives.

School Board President Thomas Sumpter also thanked her and praised her dedication.

“She has been at the forefront of many new initiatives and programs that have taken place in our Pittsburgh Public Schools during her tenure as superintendent for nearly five years,” he said. “Some of her initiatives have gained recognition from other districts in the country.”

Allies for Children Executive Director Patrick Dowd, a former teacher, school board member and Pittsburgh Councilman, called her a champion for the district’s students.

“Dr. Lane has dedicated herself to giving the students in Pittsburgh a great shot at success,” he said. “Her tenure has been

shows unity amongst ourselves, number one, as bikers, and it’s good for people to see different races, cultures and ages come together for the cause of peace. To see all these different people together for a worthy cause, definitely is important for the community to witness.”

MINISTRY OF PEACE—Iron Cross Ministry and its members taking a stand for peace.

HONOREES—Pastor Dan Lawrence, of Murraysville Alliance Church, and supporters receiving a community peace award. (Photos by Rossano P. Stewart) coach Ron “Ron Ron” Johnson, who also protects the community and works with youths; and Murrysville Alliance Church who, according to Rev. Jones, holds one of, if not the, largest bike blessings in Pennsylvania.

“This was an opportunity to honor those in the biker community, but who are also serving and loving on the community,” said Rev. Jones.

“Bikers are often stereotyped. All are still hard core bikers, but they also love the community, serve the community and bring resources to the community.”

Sloan, an officer of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police who has participated in the rides for three years and plans to continue, said he was honored to receive the award. “It’s one thing to receive an award, but once you receive it from your peers, it’s definitely a great thing,” he said. “(The ride)

Lane will not seek new contract CONTINUED FROM A1

A CALL FOR PEACE—Rev. Cornell Jones delivers a prayer for peace.

all agree with the brutalitytaking place. “Most people think we stick together and condone that type of behavior, but we all don’t. It lets people know that I took a stance against those things that had occurred.”

As many experienced, the day was a success. Reverend Jones credits it to not only the riders, but also the many partnerships that were formed. They included East End Cooperative Ministries, Eastminster Church, the POISE Foundation, Nationwide insurance agent Rich Garland, Valerie Dixon and the P.A.C.T. (Prevent Another Crime Today) Initiative and the many other volunteers. “(The ride) brings people together, riding in unity, and sets a standard of what we’re supposed to be doing as a community and leaders. At the end everyone played a part,” he said.

When asked what he hopes people took away

dedicated and focused exclusively on what is in the best interest of students.

With that in mind, Lane said she plans to make her last year another productive one, focusing on: •Integrating cultural relevancy throughput the curriculum; •Strengthening the district’s early reading program; •Rolling out new STEAM programs, a collective impact pilot at Pittsburgh Milliones and the restorative practices program at 22 schools; and •Solidifying the District’s promise-readiness programs, with a special focus on providing direct support to help African American male students improve their rate of eligibility for a Promise scholarship.

“For me,” she said. “It has always been about staying focused on the needs of our students and we’ve got a lot more to do before my work is completed.”

One of Sloan’s latest pieces, “I Can’t Breathe,” was featured in the SPACE gallery exhibit “Wall Paintings” which was displayed through the end of August.

The piece was an acrylic painting that was done over eight hours on the gallery’s wall and that spoke out against police brutality through its depictions of recent incidents that occurred “where cops had gone overboard and killed people unjustifiably.” His art not only received positive feedback from other officers, but from police chief Cameron McLay as well.

He said his piece was created to show that police officers are human and not

from his event, Rev. Jones said for them to get involved with the community and its various initiatives. “Everybody finding their piece to the puzzle and really seeing how powerful we are when we get on one accord.”

While he is already getting correspondence about next year’s event, Rev. Jones said he is working on putting together action events, such as community cleanups and painting houses, for those who want to get involved. If the community can come together for one day and take it over, he said, then everyone can come together everyday to work together to help people and transform the community.

Walker-Montgomery loses Authority chair CONTINUED FROM A1

didn’t even get a courtesy call,” she said. “As chair of the Authority, I was able to develop sustainable partnerships and began an entrepreneurial class. While this was unfortunate, I am not surprised by these political maneuvers.”

Councilman Keith Soles, the only other council member voting against her replacement, agreed that Wa l k e r - M o n t g o m e r y should, at least, have gotten a call from the mayor.

“I think she has done a good job,” he said.

It is the mayor’s prerogative to appoint or remove members of city authorities, subject to the approval of council.

Walker-Montgomery said she will move on and continue working on youth and

public safety initiatives. For two years, she has been the sole Black representative on council, and she did it without the Democratic Party endorsement.

But barring write-in upsets two more African Americans will join her after the November general election. Corry Sanders and Timothy Brown both beat out Democratic Party-endorsed council candidates in the May Primary election.

Brown’s older brother also won a primary battle— again unendorsed—for McKeesport Area School Board. If he prevails in a six-way race in November, there would be two African Americans on the school board for the first time since the 1990s.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

METRO

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Centre Ave. retail promoted Vice President Biden visits Pgh.

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Building on momentum following the June release of its Centre Avenue Redevelopment and Design Plan, The Hill Community Development Corporation closed out the summer with a series of seminars and events promoting business opportunities along the Centre Avenue corridor.

The August on the Avenue events included luncheon presentations: one for business owners outlining the CDC’s support programs and services, and another designed to make sure vendors and contractors complete all the required Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise paperwork to immediately bid on development work in the corridor and at the former Civic Arena site.

The series concluded Aug. 31 with a business financing session that brought community business owners and entrepreneurs together with representatives from varied funding entities including Citizens Bank, Dollar Bank, Urban Innovations21 and Kiva Zip. The CDC also held several outdoor events showcasing local entrepreneurs, featuring music and food, all of which were highlighted by the unveiling of micro-business venue constructed on an Urban Redevelopment Authority-owned lot next to the CDC’s building.

The “tiny retail” venue made three small business spaces available local entrepreneurs who do not, as yet, have a brick-and-mortar business address. The temporary wooden structure was erected by 84 Lumber, which also donated the materials.

“Tiny retail is one of the ways we can—right away—simultaneously impact business and vacant lots,” said CDC Program Associate Di-

amonte Walker. “Because it’s a temporary structure using our electricity with no heating or plumbing, it didn’t require lengthy zoning or building code approvals.”

The business owners taking advantage of the opportunity included Damien Grayson, nephew of Wesley Center AMEZ Pastor Rev. Glenn Grayson, who presented his New York City-based Riche Threads clothing line, Dana Harris-Yates’ Cultural Oasis, featuring massage therapy, essential oils and clothing, Shakelah Knox, whose KISS (Keep It Sweet by Shakelah) offers deluxe chocolate creations including cookies and dipped fruits, and Terina Hicks whose Cobbler World brought its signature desserts, some of which are already sold at Shop ‘n Save locations in McKeesport, Wilkins Township and the Hill, and at the Consol Energy Center during hockey season.

“It’s really worked out well for us, it gave us more exposure,” said Hicks. “The residents have been very receptive and I’m ahead of my projections. I would definitely consider the Hill as a permanent location when I get to that stage.”

Marimba Milliones, executive director of the CDC, said the entire series of events was well received, both by the community and by the business owners who participated in the meetings.

“We thought the tiny retail was innovate and creative way to spur retail, but didn’t know how excited the community would be. The vendors learned a lot about the Hill, and said the interface was very positive,” she said. “And those who attended our seminars said they were all excited about the training and about being part of the initiative to build biz from within the community. Too frequently, they are the ones left out when communities go through development.”

WESTSIDE STORY FASHION BOUTIQUE—Natasha Slade assists customer Janay with her purchase.

Damien Grayson, nephew of Rev. Glenn Grayson, is the business owner. (Photo by Rossano P. Stewart)

Community Calendar Health and Wellness Weekend SEPT. 11—The People’s Office will host the 3rd Annual Health & Wellness Weekend “Celebration of Life.” This is an opportunity to build stronger, healthier communities by providing resources and teaching concepts that focus on our four areas of health. The three-day event will include a Family Fun Day and Opening Reception at the Thelma Lovette YMCA; an uphill 5k Run & Community Appreciation Day at Kennard Field; and a Health Expo for African American Living at the Thelma Lovette YMCA. For more information, call The People’s Office at 412-471-7760.

We Are One SEPT. 12—Mothers With A Voice and Jamar Place of Peace in partnership with the YMCA will host We Are One from 12-4 p.m. at the Penn Hills YMCA, 11817 Frankstown Rd., Penn Hills. The theme is “Navigating the present to protect our future.” This day of unity will address crime and violence in the community and the importance of youth education and development. The afternoon will include activities, entertainment, free food and drinks for children. For more information, call Leonard Hammonds II at 412-452-7385.

Open House SEPT. 17—Vintage Senior Community Center will host an Open House from 1-3 p.m. at the Vintage Senior Community Center, 401 N. Highland Ave., East Liberty. This is an opportunity for individuals to learn about the wide array of fitness, wellness, arts, recreation and trip programs that the center offers. Reservations are requested. For more information, call 412-361-5003.

Awards Gala SEPT. 17—Vision Towards Peace will host the 2nd Annual Passion Meets the Road Awards Gala at 5 p.m. at the UPMC Cancer Pavilion, the Herberman Conference Center, 5150 Centre Ave., Hill District. This event will honor those who work in mental health and are enriching the community. The mistress of ceremonies will be Tene Croom and the keynote speaker will be Dr. Jacqueline Wilson, CEO of Three

Rivers Adoption Council. For more information, call 412-2414673 or visit www.visiontowardspeace.com.

Operation Home SEPT. 19—The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh will host its Operation Home Program from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Urban League, 2nd floor, 610 Wood St., Downtown. This intense monthly seminar on homeownership is designed to educate prospective homebuyers and arm them with the basic knowledge to navigate the path to mortgage qualification and maintaining homeownership.

The program includes one eighthour workshop and a follow-up one on one counseling session.

Registration is requested. For more information, call Paulette Tarrant at 412-227-4815.

Power of Laughter SEPT. 19—The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association will host the 4th annual Power of Laughter Workshop & Luncheon from 11 a.m.2 p.m. at the Westin Convention Center Hotel, 1000 Penn Ave., Downtown. Attendees will learn how stroke, the #1 disabler for all Americans, is treatable, preventable and beatable. The luncheon will include health screenings, vendors and exhibitors, a heart healthy lunch, workshops, and more. The host will be comedian and actress Kim Coles.

Pre-registration is required. For more information, call Cindy Shambley at 412-208-3606.

New Voices/New Visions Awards Deadline ONGOING—Submissions are being accepted for the LEE & LOW Books’ New Voices and New Visions Awards 2015 Writing Contests. These are awards open to unpublished authors of color. The New Voices Award is given for a children’s picture book manuscript and the New Visions Award is given for a middle grade or young adult manuscript. Award winners will receive a cash grant and a standard publication contract.

Manuscripts for the New Voices Award are due Sept. 30 and Oct. 31 for the New Visions Award.

For more information, visit www.leeandlow.com.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN takes a selfie with a union member at the Labor Day Parade. The vice president generally comes to Pittsburgh for the Labor Day Parade. (Photo by J. L. Martello)

Chambers call for EPA to drop ozone rules CONTINUED FROM A1

is at an all-time high? In the Keystone state alone, we lose 100,000 jobs, $98 billion lost in gross state production, and $10 billion lost in compliance costs.”

Alford, joined by members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the American Petroleum Institute—and hosted by the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania—called for the EPA to halt implementation of the new standard, at least until states and counties had met the current standard.

The reason the EPA regulates ground-level ozone is that at higher levels, it can exacerbate breathing problems for some. But as William Kovacks of the U.S. Chamber noted during his PowerPoint presentation, nationally the 75 ppb standard is nearly met.

“Since 1980, ozone-forming emissions have been cut 50 percent and ozone concentrations are down 33 percent,” he said. “And they will go down another 36 percent, as is. We are quickly approaching ‘back-

ground levels.’”

Certain areas, like Las Vegas, Nev., have so much naturally occurring ozone that they are “out of attainment” already. And as Gene Barr, business and industry chamber president noted, “They call them the Smokey Mountains for a reason.”

In Pennsylvania, currently only a few counties in and around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are out of attainment with respect to the 75 ppb standard, but they are close enough that the more onerous effects of EPA regulation have not been applied. Under the proposed 65 ppb standard, only five counties would be in attainment.

In all the others, economic activity and development would grind to a halt as manufacturing firms, concrete plants, energy and steel companies spend their capital trying to meet the standard.

Robert Agbede, chairman of Chester Group, which specializes in environmental engineering, said under the new standard all the development going on in Pittsburgh now could not be done.

“For every new business, plant, hotel that goes up, one would have to come down,”

he said. “And no new business would locate here because the first thing they ask about is its EPA attainment.

So forget that ethane cracker plant and all the plastic manufacturing industry that would grow around it.”

In summary, Alford pointed out that The EPA has admitted the technology required to meet the new standard has not been invented.

“That’s right. It does not exist,” he said.

He also added that the $1,400 average annual increase in family energy costs would disproportionally hurt African Americans.

“We all know job losses and higher energy prices— both inevitable consequences of the proposed tightening of the ozone standard—tend to disproportionately impact minorities,” he said. “Minorities typically spend more of their disposable income on utility bills, so the combination of higher energy prices and higher unemployment can be particularly devastating.”

The EPA is scheduled to finalize its new standard by the end of October.

(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.

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SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

OPINION

Linda Lane a big plus for Pittsburgh Public Schools

Guest Editorial

‘Black Lives Matter’ didn’t kill anyone African Americans have endured the heavy hands of non-African Americans since slavery.

We have lifted our voices in hope, and now need to lift them with strong demands for opportunity and advancement.

Because of our experiences, other races are not qualified to speak for or think for Black people.

And, that includes one sheriff’s response to the motive behind the slaying of a deputy sheriff and 47-year-old father of two in suburban Houston last Friday.

While saying, “We have not been able to extract any details regarding a motive at this point,” Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman nevertheless volunteered one. He blamed rhetoric from the Black Lives Matter movement.

“At any point when the rhetoric ramps up to the point where calculated, cold-blooded assassinations of police officers happen, this rhetoric has gotten out of control,” said the sheriff. “We’ve heard ‘Black lives matter.’ All lives matter. Well, cops’ lives matter, too. So why don’t we just drop the qualifier and just say ‘lives matter,’ and take that to the bank.”

The sheriff got ahead of himself with own rhetoric and speculation. Little hurts an investigation more than jumping to a conclusion that then poison the waters from which actual evidence and witness accounts must be cleanly drawn.

Also worth noting is that the intent of the Black Lives Matter movement was never to discount other lives, or to call for their violent execution.

The point of singling out “Black” lives in the Black Lives Matter movement was to bring attention to the historic omission of Black lives from the ones whose safety police were sworn to protect, or the court system that was designed to fairly distribute justice.

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson’s call for the “silent majority” to rise in support of law enforcement rings a bit like a dog whistle for the “take-back-our-country types.”

Anderson argued that, “There are a few bad apples in every profession. That does not mean that there should be open warfare declared on law enforcement.”

Well, the relatives of more than a few Black people—particularly Black males like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice—might say the same.

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

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John H. Sengstacke Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

Linda Lane, only the third Black person to be superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, announced that she would be stepping down at the end of this school year. However she stated on the KD-PG Sunday morning program last weekend that she still had some major goals she would like to accomplish before she leaves. And that she’s stepping down, not retiring.

She said her major goal before leaving is to bridge the reading gap by students at the third grade level. Currently kids are behind in reading and she said that in order for kids to function in any walk of life or in other classes they must be able to not only read but also think.

Reading, Science and Algebra she said are the three areas needing the most work.

That’s not just a Pittsburgh problem these three are the most needed across the country in urban and rural schools.

She stated that teachers and school administrators have to find ways to educate our kids in these areas and emphasize just how important they are.

She also touched on discipline. She said that it’s very important to teach students how to work with others, even when they disagree without fighting or causing a disturbance. It’s also important for teachers and the school to find out why a student is disruptive, because sending them home, or kicking them out, is not working. This is only taking them away from learning.

She said that this is a serious problem that teachers and administrators must work toward solving. I agree one hundred percent. There is generally a reason a child is disruptive, but I also say that if they can’t find out why a child is disruptive, they still shouldn’t let that child disrupt the rest of the class from learning.

She made it very clear that she’s not retiring but simply stepping down as Superintendent at the end of the school year when her contract expires. She said there are still things she wants to accomplish outside the School Board, but she didn’t go into what her future plans are.

Ulish Carter

Just Sayin’ I think she has been a very good Superintendent, and I think she’s stepping down because she doesn’t totally agree with the direction the new board is going. What the specifics are I don’t know. But I think she will stay in the education field because it’s really hard to just walk away from something you’ve been doing for 40 years. Plus she has a lot of knowledge she needs to share with anyone who will listen.

I hope she does stay in an area where she can be more vocal as a leader instead of having to do what the board, and politicians say do. I think she is very concerned with the education of our children, Black and White; whatever she decides to do after this school year ends will be geared toward that. *** Fox Sunday Morning program had an interview with the Philadelphia and Milwaukee police chiefs on police Black community relations. They were very different in how they expressed their views but had many of the same concerns about community police relations and the “Black Lives Matter” theme that is sweeping the country.

Both dealt with the issue of Black on Black violence being their major concern and is also what the average working class resident of the Black community is concerned with. Because as we, the New Pittsburgh Courier, have been saying for years. “Black Lives Matter” just as much when a Black person takes that life as it does when a White person or police takes that life. But many of these “Black Lives Matter” people across the country are only dealing with White police killing Blacks.

The Philadelphia police chief is Black,

and the Milwaukee Chief is White. Both felt that police community relations were good but could use improving, but that many of the people pushing the “Black Lives Matter” are not really helping curve the violence in the community, especially if it leads to less police presence in the Black community.

I agree. Police are needed in the Black community because of the high crime and violence in the streets by Blacks to Blacks. Criminals are not stupid. Some of them are behind this “Black Lives Matter” only when a White policeman kills, so that they can continue to do what they are doing in the streets, selling drugs, using drugs, selling sex, stealing and anything else to make a quick buck. As Curtis Mayfield said on the “Super Fly” album “We are loving one brother while killing the other.”

In our monthly Homicide report 54 of 64 homicides in Allegheny County this year have been Black. And even though most of the killers haven’t been caught, almost all have been Black. *** The people at Computer Camp BioE are to be commended for making science fun while exposing inner city kids to advance science and computers.

Now that’s what I’ve been talking about for years. Why can’t education be fun? Why don’t we show our kids why they need to know certain things before shoving it down their throats and saying “you better learn this because I say so, because I say it’s going to be good for you later in your life,” or “I learned this way, why can’t you?”

There needs to be more programs like this one. My hat’s off to Juel Smith and others in this program who are opening the doors to young urban Blacks.

Great job, keep opening the doors.

Congratulations to Rashad Byrdsong for doing another great job with the Black Family Reunion in the East End. It’s really great to see this many Black people come together for something positive. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who attended with no major incidents of fights or shootings.

The value of labor (NNPA)—“It is necessary to reaffirm that employment is necessary for society, for families and for individuals.

Its primary value is the good of the human person, as it allows the individual to be fully realised…Therefore, it follows that work has not only the economic objective of profit, but above all a purpose that regards man and his dignity. And if there is no work, this dignity is wounded. Indeed, the unemployed and underemployed risk being relegated to the margins of society, becoming victims of social exclusion.”—Pope Francis, March 20, 2014 Despite the dizzying array of clearance sales and bargains to be found in our nation’s malls and department stores, Labor Day is no creation of our retail industry. It is our nation’s annual tribute to the working class, American worker whose physical, and largely manual labor, built this country’s infrastructure and built a labor movement that spurred social and economic achievements for all American workers—regardless of job sector.

As we celebrate labor and America’s slow but steady climb to newfound economic prosperity during its most sustained period of job creation this century, we discover a dark cloud inside the silver lining of our recovery: the prosperity of the American economy is not being shared equally. Too many people are working harder, but are falling further behind. Too many people remain at the distant margins of the job market—particularly in our communities of color, where unemployment remains at crisis level, even as our economy continues to rebound.

The unemployment rate in our country currently sits at 5.3 percent, its lowest rate since May 2008. But take a deeper dive into those numbers and the

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal

Urban Youth Empowerment Program; •Develop a dynamic, national publicprivate jobs initiative to create jobs, train urban residents and stimulate economic growth in the areas of technology and broadband, health care, manufacturing, transportation, public infrastructure and clean energy; •Boost minority participation in information and communication technology industries; Reform, revise and reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act to prepare and retrain workers for 21st century jobs; •Create Green Empowerment Zones; •Expand small business lending; •Initiate tax reform that reduces rates across the board and eliminates tax loopholes; •Establish and promote multilateral international trade policies that expand the market for American goods and services; •Enact the Urban Jobs Act (H.R. 5708); •Expand the hiring of housing counselors nationwide; and •Fund direct job creation in cities and states.

We continue to urge Congress and the White House to adopt these measures without delay. The standard of living many of us take for granted today was won for us through the determination and organized protests of the American worker. The solidarity of the workers of the past must be reborn in our political discourse today as we collectively strive to open blocked pathways to work, success and the American dream of economic mobility. We must all work together—individuals, politicians and corporations—to ensure the possibility of work for fair wages for all who seek it.

tale of two recoveries is clear and unmistakable. While the unemployment rate for Whites is at 4.6 percent, the Hispanic unemployment rate is at 6.8 percent and the Black unemployment rate is 9.1 percent—double that of White job seekers. The unemployment rates for Blacks and Hispanics are nothing if not discouraging and telling.

These communities, especially hard hit during the last recession, are not benefiting from our economy’s rebound.

The ability to secure work that provides a fair, living wage—regardless of gender—is an asset to the worker, the worker’s family, neighborhood, community, and ultimately, our nation. We are an immensely stronger America when access to work is not excluded to some, but rather, extended to all.

That is why the National Urban League has proposed a 12-point Blueprint for Quality Job Creation.

Our plan offers a dozen dynamic and imaginative measures to benefit those most profoundly affected by recession but left out of the ensuing recovery, while also remedying many of the underlying causes behind the recession’s inordinate and amplified impact on the communities we serve: •Restore the Summer Youth Jobs (Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New OrProgram as a stand-alone program; •Create 100 Urban Jobs Academies leans, is president and CEO of the National to implement an expansion of the Urban League.)

Gun violence is not the same as a video game

by Bill Fletcher Jr. (NNPA)—I used to play video games.

I would play various video games, including those involving warfare and shooting. I would take pride if I could get my score up. I was thrilled when I was not ambushed. I would walk away and think very little more about it. The one thing about them, however, is that no one got killed.

Particularly in the case of young men, we have grown up playing “war,” or enjoying video games. In each case, no one dies. If we are playing “war” and someone is “killed,” they may need to sit out the rest of the game, go home and then we see them again the following day. In other words, there is no way to appreciate the consequences of the bullet in the games that we play.

I have found myself thinking about this as reports of escalating gun violence between African Americans spreads across the media. Some people have used this in order to avoid discussing police lynchings of African Americans, as if Black-on-Black murder somehow should neutralize any discussion of police killings of Blacks.

But that is not the point of this column.

There is a finality to death that I have come to believe that most young people do not appreciate. That finality is masked by games of “war,” video games, movies and television shows that, all too often, promote glory, honor and courage, but rarely, to paraphrase the words of General George S. Patton, display the goo, which only a few minutes earlier had been the face of your best friend, now shattered by a bullet.

While there are those who believe that this problem will be terminated through stronger gun control laws, I believe that that is only one part of the answer. The deeper answer rests with an approach toward community organizing that seems to have largely eluded us. The National Rifle Association is correct, to that extent, when it says that guns do not kill people; people kill people. But at the same time, easy access to guns, lack of discipline, and a failure to appreciate the finality of death link together in what appears to be an unbreakable chain. To break it we must address the factors that lead anyone to believe that pulling that trigger will resolve a problem, restore honor, or bring about dignity.

To all of these, of course, there is a very fundamental problem of frustration that flows from the depressed conditions in which Black America finds itself. Lack of opportunity, the feeling of being trapped like a rat in a labyrinth, all contribute to a situation out of which there appears no escape.

In order to address this crisis, what Deborah Prothrow-Stith has called a “public health crisis,” we need to start thinking outside of the box.

Perhaps we need to engage in mass community education about safe gun usage, including the various ramifications that arise from shooting. Perhaps we need to develop martial arts programs on a significant scale that orient our youth towards ways of channeling aggression, but equally ways of handling conflict. Perhaps we need to build real movements for quality jobs to put young people to work in a way that they are part of constructing the future, rather than terminating it.

And more than anything else, we cannot afford to lose hope.

(Bill Fletcher Jr. is the host of The Global African on Telesur-English. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.)

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Demonizing ‘Black ‘Hop’ Kendrick thanks Lives Matter’ NABHI Christian Ministries (NNPA)—Led by Fox News, conservatives are trying to discredit the #Black Lives Matter Movement by claiming incorrectly that it is a Black hate group that encourages the killing of police officers.

On the Aug. 31 edition of Fox & Friends, Elizabeth Hasselbeck asked, “Why has the Black Lives Movement—Black Lives Matter Movement—not been classified yet as a hate group? I mean, how much more has to go in this direction before someone actually labels it as such?”

Conservative pundit Katie Pavlich, without a thread of evidence, told Fox’s Megyn Kelly on Sept. 2 that Black Lives Matter is “a movement that promotes the execution of police officers.”

At a news conference on Aug. 30, the Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman acknowledged that no motive had been established for the previous day’s fatal shooting of Deputy Sheriff Darren H. Goforth outside of Houston. But that did not prevent him from linking the brutal cop murder to the grassroots group dedicated to curtailing violence.

He said, “This rhetoric has gotten out of control.” So much so, he said, “to the point where calculated, cold-blooded assassination of police officers happen.” Hickman added, “We’ve heard Black lives matter, all lives matter.

Well, cops’ lives matter, too. So, how about we drop the qualifier and just say lives matter?”

Of course, there is not a scintilla of evidence that the Black Lives Matter Movement has at any point remotely supported the killing of law enforcement officers. Rather, they have highlighted the troubling number of unarmed African Americans killed by police officers.

And for that, they should be commended, not condemned.

After studying FBI data, USAToday found, “Nearly two times a week in the United

George E. Curry

Commentary States, a White police officer killed a Black person during a seven-year period ending in 2012…The reports show that 18 percent of the Blacks killed during those seven years were under age 21, compared to 8.7 percent of Whites.”

Despite the highly-publicized killing of police officers in Texas and Illinois, the number of law enforcement officers killed over the first eight months of 2015 is 16 percent lower than it was over a similar period in 2014, according to FBI figures compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

So far, 26 officers have been killed this year by firearms, down from 31 over a similar period last year. More officers—38—died this year in traffic-related incidents than by gunfire and another 21 died from other causes.

Felony killings of law enforcement officers decreased by 50 percent from 1992 to 2013, from 10,000 to 5,000 annually.

In an attempt to shift the emphasis from the unjustified police killing of unarmed African Americans, conservatives are raising the issue of so-called Black-on-Black crime—as if that’s an issue that truly concerns them.

Fox reporter Doug McKelway said on Sept.

1, “The often heard mantra that ‘Black Lives Matter,’ some say, falls flat when you consider just how many Blacks are killing other Blacks. That remains the majority of homicides across the country.”

Larry Elder, a Black conservative, made the same point, the same day on the same network: “This is about people whining and bitching and moaning about nonsense. If they really want to talk about Black Lives Matter, the fact is that last year 6,000 Black people murdered other Black people. Where are they on that? And the number one preventable cause of death for young Black men is homicide at the hands of other Black men.”

If Elder and McKelway wanted to be accurate, they would have pointed out that just as most Blacks kill other Blacks, most Whites kill other Whites. Yet, there is no mention of White-on-White crime.

According to 2013 figures compiled by the FBI, of the 3,005 White homicide victims, 2,509—83 percent—were killed by Whites. Of the 2,491 Black homicides that year, 2,245— 90 percent—were committed by Black assailants.

It’s not just a matter of Blacks killing other Blacks and Whites killing other Whites— most homicides are committed by people who know their victim. The assailant is usually an acquaintance, spouse, or other family member.

In its annual report on Black homicides, issued in January, the Washington-based Violence Policy Center found that in cases where the relationship between the killer and victim was known, 70 percent of the victims were killed by someone they knew; only 30 percent were killed by strangers.

Furthermore, 52 percent of the homicides involved an argument between the victim and the offender.

In an editorial, the New York Times accused “the Republican Party and its acolytes in the news media” of trying to demonize the Black Lives Matter Movement.

It said, “They [Black Lives Matter] are not asserting that Black lives are more precious than White lives. They are underlining an indisputable fact—that the lives of Black citizens in this country historically have not mattered, and have been discounted and devalued.”

(George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National NNPA and BlackPressUSA.com. He can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com.)

Life has been that I had left a long and fulbehind, but I Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick filling journey was more mafor me. It ture and betstarted in 1949 ter prepared to as a teenager face them. who had just Many Blacks graduated from and Whites the former often ask me, Fifth Avenue “Don’t you get High School. As tired?” My ana youngster it was apparent to me swer is simply “I do the best I can” that the system in “Up South Pittsand “I wish I could do more.” burgh” had relegated Blacks to secIt was surprising, but gratifying ond class citizenship, and something when I received a letter and then a motivated me to make the three Cs phone call from NABHI Christian an integral part of my life—caring, Ministries that they wanted to compassion and concern. honor me with the Lifetime Award In November 1952 during the Korean for Excellence in Public Service. The Conflict I was drafted into the army chairperson continued by explaining where I encountered acts of racism. I the affair was being held at the was like millions of youngsters away Rivers Club located in One Oxford from home for the first time, and there Center, 301 Grant St. The date is were no parents to call or lean on.

Oct. 9, 2015 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. After Often I have looked back on those expenses all remaining proceeds will years and asked myself what was I be donated to the Kingsley Associathinking about during my military ca- tion. If you have any questions reer that I challenged some of the isabout the affair please call 412-661sues that I did and often alone.

1919, ext. 1.

In November 1954 I returned (Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick is a weekly contributor to the Forum page.) home to face the same situations

To Tell The Truth

Inheriting a racial bias Hulk Hogan so it’s acceptJ. Pharoah Doss is no longer able? The employed by child also conthe WWE cludes Blacks (World must not be Wrestling Enable to offend tertainment) other Blacks because he with the nsaid the Nword? word in a priAs the child vate conversaponders the tion eight years ago. Hogan was complexity of adult logic and wonrecorded without his knowledge and ders if Hogan’s use of the n-word rethe tape was recently released to ally offended anyone (besides the the public. percentage that could possibly be ofOn Good Morning America Hogan fended according to the marketing apologized, asked for forgiveness, department of the WWE) the adult and said, “I’m not a racist. I never conversation changed to politics, should have said what I said. It was specifically the Republican presidenwrong.” tial primary.

When asked if he inherited a racial Now the child doesn’t know anybias Hogan nodded and mentioned thing about politics except housethe neighborhood he grew up in was hold basics, Blacks are Democrats rough and very low income. He also and Republicans are rich, and the said, “People need to realize that word Republican is more inappropriyou inherit things from your enviate than the n-word. ronment …The word was just Then the adults mention Ben Carthrown around like it was nothing.” son.

The interview ended with Hogan The child pays closer attention. dedicating himself to raising aware- The child knows Ben Carson from ness of the impact of racial slurs.

Black history month. This is the With that said imagine a Black first time the child finds out a man child eavesdropping on an adult con- from Black history month is running versation. The adults mention for president. It is also the first Hogan. The child, not a wrestling time the child finds out that Ben fan, never heard of Hogan, but real- Carson is a Republican, and even izes Hogan was popular when the worse, Ben Carson is called an adults were young.

Uncle Tom. Hogan has no defenders. He is And the adults continue demeanuniversally condemned, not because ing Carson in ways that would make his actions contributed to any disHogan’s use of the n-word a complicriminatory practice by the WWE, ment. his childhood fans were disapNow the child is even more conpointed. fused than it was about the n-word.

But the child is confused.

But the adults change the subject The adults use the word freagain. This time they praise the quently. The child even uses the movie Straight Out of Compton and word but not in front of adults. The the cultural contributions of the child knows there’s something inap- group N-words with an attitude. propriate about the word but its difQuestion: When this child becomes ferent meanings in dialogue remains an adult do you think it will inherit a mystery. a racial bias, but which racial slur Then the adults make a distincwill have the most impact? tion.

Another question: What’s worse They didn’t accept Hogan’s claim of than being discriminated against by inheritance. Hogan didn’t use the another race? word like it was nothing. Hogan Answer: To be ostracized by your used the word to degrade and it was own. unacceptable because Hogan’s Proverb: A wise man leaves an inWhite. heritance to his children’s children.

So the child concludes the n-word Unfortunately so do fools.

(J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the can be used in a disrespectful way New Pittsburgh Courier. He blogs at by other races but when it’s used jpharoahdoss@blogspot.com) among Blacks no harm is intended,

Commentary

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015 A7

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary

‘Angry Black’ gunmen (NNPA)—Alison Parker, a rookie news reporter at WDJB, the Roanoke, Va. CBS affiliate, had turned 24 just days before she was murdered on Aug. 26. Her work partner, cameraman Adam Ward, was about to move to Charlotte, N.C. because his fiancé, a producer at WDJB, had a new job.

Both Parker and Ward were described in superlative terms by their bosses, she as a “star” who lit up the screen and had a limitless future, he as a capable and thorough cameraman, dedicated to his jobs. By now, most have still photographs or footage of them being murdered on camera as Parker was interviewing Vicki Gardner, who led the local chamber of commerce. She was shot in the back, and has survived.

These on-air murders are about as grisly as they come, and there can be no explanation, except insanity, to account for them.

What was wrong with Bryce Williams, whose real name was Vester Flanagan?

Why did he stalk and then kill two of his former colleagues? He’d sued his former employer for racial discrimination and had his claim rebuffed. Still, he maintained a sense of outrage because he felt he was treated unfairly.

You probably have never heard of Lonnie Gilchrist, a Wharton MBA, who was dismissed, he said, because of racism. He walked into the Merrill Lynch office in Boston and shot his boss, George Cook, saying, “No billionaire is going to ruin my life.”

He worked on commission, and according to many, was treated more like an office boy than a professional.

Charles Ogletree, now a Harvard Law professor, defended him in 1988-89, along with two other attorneys. Gilchrist pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his lawyers used “racial rage” as one of the reasons that Gilchrist killed Cook. The jury took five days and nearly 30 hours, and deadlocked before reaching a conclusion. The case might have been a slam-dunk, but the jury obviously found at least some merit in the racial rage defense.

Nobody deserves to be massacred at any stage of their life. The folks at Mother Emanuel AME Church had their lives cut short.

The little children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newton, Conn. had full lives ahead of them. Anyone who picks up a gun and decides to fire at a group of people publicly has clearly taken leave of their senses.

Yet, there is a difference in the way crazed people are discussed in the media. Vester Flanagan was immediately described as angry and crazed, a judgment the media did not rush to when Dylann Roof, the shooter at Mother Emmanuel in Charleston and Adam Lanza, the shooter at Sandy Hook, embarked on insane massacre activity.

Can race be a factor? What happens when mental illness collides with racial rage?

The man who shot Alison Parker and Adam Ward either experienced or perceived racial slights. The station manager Jeff Marks said Flanagan was “a man with a lot of anger.” If even a fraction of the slights Flanagan said he’d experienced were true, he had a right to be angry. Watermelon jokes? Monkey slurs? In the 21st century?

Come on people.

Some of us can turn the slur around or ignore it. White folks might find this funny and some African Americans might find themselves profoundly offended. Those who already feel beleaguered might feel so offended that they’d respond angrily enough to be labeled “hostile” by a human resource manager.

Lonnie Gilchrist was also labeled an “angry” man. One of his bosses said he got so angry at criticism that he reacted with such an outburst that “we were very frightened.” How much stereotyping goes into labeling some Black men as frightening? Do they have to be taller? Larger? Or, simply blacker? Descriptions of Flanagan as an angry Black man need to be contextualized.

Some describe him as an arrogant man with a chip on his shoulder. Some of those terms are subjective.

How many African Americans have been described as “angry” when they simply attempt to hold their own in a mostly White space? One coworker said Flanagan was angry because he responded crisply when she described him as “too quiet.” I guess if he laughed aloud he may have been considered “too boisterous.”

Even as we mourn Alison Parker and Adam Ward, we have to ask why their murderer snapped. We have to ask why there are so many “angry Black men.” They don’t all scream, they don’t all shout, they don’t all shoot; most let their corrosive anger swallow them from inside. Many of those outwardly functioning Black men die a decade earlier than their White counterparts because of the anger they’ve internalized.

What happens to a dream deferred, wrote Langston Hughes? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Does it fester like a sore and then run. Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or, does it explode?

Lonnie Gilchrist exploded. Flanagan exploded. We can call them deranged, disturbed, or simply angry. Yet, we do ourselves a disservice if we fail to examine race as one source of their explosion.

(Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, DC. She can be reached at www.juliannemalveaux.com)

A8

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NATIONAL

Racial rage in St. Louis reflects history of region

by J.A. Salaam For New Pittsburgh Courier

ST. LOUIS (NNPA)— After the death of Michael Brown Jr., last August, this city and the surrounding communities like Ferguson, Mo., became the epicenter for racial tensions, police militarization and resistance.

But was this a new phenomenon or were police brutality, killings and mistreatment of Blacks at the hands of White law enforcement steeped in the history of St. Louis and was a racial explosion inevitable? In a 1943 book written by Gustavus Myers, “History of Bigotry in the United States,” the author referred to St. Louis as a city that had never had a riot or uprising at that time except the Riots of East St. Louis in 1917. Those riots targeted Black people.

It’s been 98 years since the East St. Louis riots and Mike Brown’s death in 2014 on the streets of Ferguson, Mo., represented the straw that broke the camel’s back for Blacks in St. Louis. Just 10 days after the one-year anniversary of Brown’s death, there was to be a memorial Aug. 19 for Kajieme Powell, 25. He was shot and killed for allegedly pulling a knife on two White St. Louis police officers last August. A candlelight vigil for young Powell was being held when accounts of another young Black man shot and killed

by White police officers in St. Louis came across social media.

Several hundred protestors arrived at the scene where 18-year-old Mansur Ball-Bey of the Moorish Science Temple was fatally shot Aug. 19 by a White police officer in mid-town St. Louis. The shooting happened after the teen fled from two plainclothes officers issuing a search warrant at a family’s residence, said the authorities. St. Louis police reported that the teen and another youth ran out the back door and the victim pointed a gun at the officers but didn’t fire a shot. Family members of the teen insisted he didn’t have a gun. He had just got off his new job at FedEx and was still wearing his uniform, they said.

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson reported in a press conference that the teen pointed a gun at the officers and a weapon was found at the scene. An autopsy found young Ball-Bey died from a single wound in the back, police officials said.

“Here’s a young kid from zero to 18 who did what he was supposed to do as you would want a young man to do. He grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, stayed in school, graduated from high school had good grades and was a model, respectful young man. He never had a criminal record, not even a driving ticket, and got a good paying job. He was taught by his parents who also did what parents are supposed to do by teaching and guiding their son to stay out of trouble and make good choices. Unfortunately, while visiting his family he was shot down and killed,” said family attorney Jermaine Wooden Protestors marched through the streets blocking traffic and chanting, “F–k the police!” Chief Dotson and over 30 police SUVs and the Military Tactic Unit arrived to disburse the crowd.

When officers arrived and stood off with protestors, bricks and other objects fell at a line of officers. Some felt the police in riot gear were overly aggressive.

Tear gas and non-lethal projectiles flew through the air.

“People are angry and mostly want answers. I think that if there was more transparency people wouldn’t be out here trying to figure out what the police is trying to hide. But more than that, I’m frustrated by the fact that there are White people who aren’t from this neighborhood that’s coming in burning things down then get to leave and go back to their White neighborhoods.

That’s not cool,” said Destiny Crockett, a 20-year-old St. Louis resident.

“You don’t get to come and burn up the ’hood and cause destruction and make it look like it’s us doing this.

It’s a lot of White people. We saw definitely more White people doing it who aren’t from here like Black people.

It’s different. If it was Black people because they have

12-year-old boy cited for hate crime, battery in Modesto MODESTO, Calif. (AP)— A 12-year-old Modesto boy has been cited for a hate crime and battery after allegedly attacking his classmate with sticks and using racial slurs while they waited for the school bus.

The Modesto Bee reports eighth-grader NuPhaeya Hassen says the boy approached her Aug. 24, holding the sticks while saying he was a Ku Klux Klan member and raised as a “skinhead.’’ He then hit her with the sticks.

NuPhaeya says she responded by slapping the boy, who then threw rocks at her. The boy’s older sister also assaulted NuPhaeya that day after school.

A police spokeswoman says the sister will also be cited.

The incident has garnered the attention of the local NAACP chapter, which has questioned the Modesto City Schools district’s handling of the matter.

by Cain Burdeau

The commission governs aesthetics and bylaws in the historic district.

The City Council must approve the removal.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu has called for the removal of the monument and three other prominent statues of Confederate leaders.

New Orleans joined a number of other Southern cities moving to eradicate Confederate and White supremacist symbols after the killings of nine worshippers at a Black church in Charleston, S.C., in June.

French Quarter agency backs removal of White League monument

Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP)— A French Quarter commission has voted to remove a 124-year-old obelisk monument dedicated to the White League’s brief, and bloody, overthrow of a biracial Reconstruction government after the Civil War. On Sept. 2, the Vieux Carre Commission voted 51 to remove the 35-foothigh obelisk monument which stands on the edge of the old historic district.

FIERY SCENE—Car set on fire the night of Mansur Ball-Bey’s killing. (J.A. Salaam/The Final Call) pain here, they have frustration and rage here,” she added.

Black people in St. Louis have always been strategically moved around the region and kept in a powerless position for years. The mass relocation of Blacks to small municipalities in north St. Louis County, such as Ferguson-Florissant, Delwood, Normandy, Wellston, Kinloch and others produced major White flight and increased racial hatred and anger toward Blacks.

Today the relationships between Blacks and Whites in St. Louis has not gotten

better but rather has deteriorated. Since the Brown killing, law enforcement is clearly seen as enemy of the Black community and not the protectors and servants they swore to be.

“The problem we are having won’t stop until we change the system where those that have and the have nots get on an even playing field, or it won’t be right. It’s the powers that be that has the police killing those without the means to defend themselves,” said Larry Miller of Ferguson Freedom Fighters.

“The people are angry and

feel as if they aren’t heard and this is a way to be heard. For everyone who says, ‘oh they are tearing up and burning their community or destroying their community.’ It’s difficult to tell people who are hurt, who are angry, how to act in different situations and there needs to be change. So for people to say they are animals for rioting, people have rioted for less—for baseball games and things of that nature. I feel people are angry and it’s not right to look down on them for being angry,” said Kielah Harbert, a 19-year-old student at Washington Univer-

sity in St. Louis.

St. Louis is where the Dred Scott decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857 was the culmination of more than a decade of litigation over freedom for slaves Dred and Harriet Scott. The legal battle began in St. Louis where the Scotts won an initial victory. However, the verdict was appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court, where the ruling went against the Scotts. Some legal maneuvering brought the case to America’s highest court, where the institution of slavery was upheld by denying Dred Scott the rights of citizenship. The ruling laid some of the groundwork for the Civil War and put St. Louis in the forefront of discussions about race and rights.

“I feel that there should be an explanation why. How much tension is coming off from Black kids being killed, and with no explanation, people just start getting riled up. That’s why stuff like this happens. I understand a peaceful protest is good but at the same time, standing, looking in (police) faces, isn’t doing anything. They don’t care about that. They still get paid standing out here.

So why not cause some hell, make some noise while we are standing out here, and make them understand how we feel?” asked Malik Johnson, 19.

New Pittsburgh Courier

LIFESTYLES

from Jill Scott, Nelly B5

New music

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Our Ministryʼ B2

‘Maximizing

B

Debbie Norrell

Lifestyles Report

Paying your respects August 30 is my mother’s birthday; she would have been 93. My sister and I thought this would be a good day to visit her gravesite. I had tried to go and see it on my own birthday, but I could not find it. When I purchased the plot it was to be close to my father’s and I thought I knew where that was, but I was totally lost.

On that Saturday morning, we stopped in the offices of the Homewood Cemetery and got directions and a map. It seemed very simple; we had pine trees and small buildings as landmarks, but we drove around and around with no luck. We kept going back to the starting point until we finally found the area my father was in. We counted the rows and finally found his grave; his marker is flat and had almost disappeared.

Once we found his our mom’s was not hard to find. Her marker was much more prominent.

Now that we know the location we are sure our next visit will be a breeze.

Cemeteries are interesting places and depending on your budget, you can select some beautiful headstones. I don’t see myself spending a lot of time in the cemetery, I am in favor of cremation for myself; visits to the cemetery can be very sad. I noticed people had left balloons and artificial flowers behind at their loved ones graves.

Some families make an annual visit to the cemetery on holidays and birthdays and then some don’t go to the cemetery at all.

Some people prefer to create a “make-shift” memorial at the location of the death. I’m sure you have seen them, maybe on television; when people are found dead the make shift memorial begins to take shape. I noticed one on Frankstown Road, Allegheny River Blvd and on Bennett Street. They normally consist of flowers, pictures, candles and balloons. In some cases people will refresh the memorial with fresh flowers and balloons. When I see them on the side of the road I hope people are careful as they add to the memorial.

Other memorials consist of empty liquor bottles, candles and beer cans; it no longer looks nice, it looks like a pile of trash.

After our visit to the cemetery, I wondered to myself if the people who create the makeshift memorials could not afford a plot at the cemetery or maybe they could not get transportation to and from.

As we drove around and around the Homewood Cemetery, we came up with a lot of ideas to help people find the gravesites.

On the families first visit it would be nice if someone escorted you to the site; not all funerals include a gravesite visit. We chose to have the final service in the chapel so we had never been to the grave. We also thought street signs would be a good idea. I can’t see how that would hurt. If you do elect a “makeshift” memorial please be considerate of the surrounding neighbors.

(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com.)

THE HAYNES FAMILY—Deshawn, Dustin, Leon, Annita and Jabari

HOSANNA STAFFERS—Leon Haynes, executive director of Hosanna House Inc., with Gloria Nelson.

Hosanna House Summer Nights 2015

by Debbie Norrell For New Pittsburgh Courier

August 7 was a beautiful summer night and the Sherwood Road location of Hosanna House Inc. was the perfect venue for the 11th Annual Hosanna House Summer Nights.

Hosanna House Inc. supporters, board members and those who enjoy great music, enjoyed an evening of great entertainment while gathered at the newly renovated Sherwood property tucked into a corner of Wilkinsburg.

Guests enjoyed Pittsburgh’s number one R&B band, House of Soul; three cellists and a drummer known as Cello Fury; one of Pittsburgh’s great Salsa bands, Guaracha; and the Stemtecs a Jazz band, which was started in 2013 by Calvin Stemley.

In between the great music was a skit performed by the Hosanna

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY (Photos by Debbie Norrell)

House summer camp program. The program serves 150-300 children daily. Activities include robotics, computer classes, field trips, arts, deck hockey, tennis and a “learn to swim” program.

Summer Nights serves as a fundraiser for Hosanna House’s mission which is to help people who are facing difficult life issues that they cannot resolve on their own, to help people discover, acknowledge and develop their maximum potential physically, spiritually and economically.

Today, Hosanna House impacts the lives of more than 40,000 people each year in its Wallace Avenue and Sherwood Road locations.

The staff and volunteers of Hosanna House continue to work hard to sustain the foundation of work that has impacted Wilkinsburg and the surrounding community for more than two decades.

ENJOYING SUMMER NIGHTS—Ulysses Winn, Lauren Winn and Judge Cheryl Allen, the Hosanna House Inc. board of director.

LOVING THE JAZZ—Lou Alexander, Duane Butler and Tyrone C. Alexander

VIPS—Ted Cataldi, Susan Cataldi, Ron Hrebinko, Ann Hrebinko, Al Merritt, Christine Pawlik and Mitch Pawlik

ON THE GROUNDS OF HOSANNA—Jewell Harliss and Terrin Belser

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SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

RELIGION

Praise & Worship

Church Circuit S.H.O. Time Revival

HILLCREST SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

SEPT. 11—The Women of Power & Purpose of Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, 6111 Rodman St., East Liberty, will host its S.H.O. (Sistahs Hanging Out) Time Revival at 7 p.m. The theme is “Moving Forward.” For three Fridays in September, a special guest female preacher will bring a word of inspiration. The evening’s guest preacher will be Rev. Patrice L. Fowler-Searcy of East Liberty Presbyterian Church. There will also be a collection of toiletries for the residents of Naomi’s Place Transitional Housing. For more information, call 412-363-8082 or visit www.rodmanstreet.org.

2340 Wylie Ave., Pgh., PA 15219 412-391-4334 412-566-8757

“Be Encouraged”

Elder Christopher C. Thompson Power Hour Sabbath..............8:15 A.M. Sabbath School.......................9:00 A.M. Divine Worship.....................11:00 A.M. AYS One Hour Before Sunset Prayer Meeting Wednesday....7:30 P.M.

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141

Men’s Conference

Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & Noon Sunday (Gospel Choir Mass) Noon www.stbtmchurch.org

METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH 22 Sampsonia Street, Northside Pittsburgh., PA 15212 412-231-2554 FAX 412-231-6395 Rev. Lacy F. Richardson, Ph.D., Pastor Church School.....................................9:30 A.M. Worship Service.....................8:00 & 10:45 A.M. Bible Study/ Prayer Wednesday.......................6:30/7:30 P.M. www.metropolitanbaptistchurchpgh.com metropolitanbaptist2224@gmail0.com

SOUNDS OF PENTECOST (Photos by Jackie McDonald)

‘MaximizingOurMinistry’themeofCOGICHoly Convocation

SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH 6556 Shetland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (412) 441-7839 Church School 9:00 a.m.

Worship Service 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study 6:00 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800

BISHOP CORBY BUSH

BISHOP HENRY DAVENPORT

PASTOR LINWOOD DILLARD

PASTER ANDREW SINGLETON

www.cathedralofhope.org

Journey Worship.........8:45 a.m.

Sanctuary Worship........11 a.m.

Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext 40.

We are looking to

feature our positive youth in the church communities. You can e-mail, fax or mail their bios and photo to:

Men’s Day Celebration SEPT. 12—The Men of Jerusalem Baptist Church, 123 Steuben St., Pittsburgh, will host a Prayer Breakfast at 9 a.m. The theme is “God is Able.” The breakfast is part of the Men’s Day Celebration. Reverend Dr. Christopher Conti of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Rankin will be the guest speaker. On Sept. 13, there will be a Men’s Day Worship Service at 11 a.m. with guest preacher Min. Julian Hunt of First Baptist Church Penn Hills. For more information, call 412-921-0822.

Pastoral Anniversary

East Liberty PresbyterianChurch

116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

SEPT. 11—Bethlehem Baptist Church, 716 Walnut St., McKeesport, will host the ”Mighty Men of Valor” Conference. Men of the community are invited to this conference that offers three days of powerful, anointed preaching and singing. The guest preacher will be Rev. Pedro Williams of Jericho Baptist Church of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. For more information, call 412-664-7272.

SEPT. 12—Northside Institutional COGIC, 302 W. North Ave., North Side, will host its 2015 Pastoral Anniversary at 12 p.m. The theme is “We Remember You, Pastor Lola.”

Pastor Dr. Lola Thorpe will be celebrated for her years of dedicated service to the church and the community.

The guest speaker will be Bishop J. Delano Ellis of Cleveland, Ohio. For more information, call 412-231-5683.

Rally Day SEPT. 13—East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty, will host a Rally Day Event at 9:30 a.m. This is the beginning of the Fall Church School that will include classes for all ages. To kick off the event there will be a light breakfast. All are welcome. For more information, call 412-441-3800 or visit www.cathedralofhope.org.

Church Anniversary SEPT. 13—Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 36 Meade St., Bellevue, will host the annual Homecoming and 117th Church Anniversary at 10:45 a.m. The morning’s guest speaker will be Rev. Canard Grisgby Jr. of Central Baptist Church.

There will also be an afternoon service at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. Daniel C. Page, and his choir and congregation. For more information, call 412-766-8382.

BISHOP LORAN MANN praying for the sick.

by Jackie McDonald For New Pittsburgh Courier

“Maximizing Our Ministry” (Luke 5:2, II Corinthians 4:1) was the theme of the week long Holy Convocation recently held at Pentecostal Temple COGIC at 6300 East Liberty Blvd., in East Liberty.

The Annual convention has become a citywide revival that Pittsburgh church leaders look forward to attending. Each day of the event began with an 11 a.m. Morning Glory service conducted by Prophetess Mother Judy Hines of

Nyack, N.Y., and concluded with the 6 p.m. Xtreme Xperience Youth Hour conducted by the Jurisdictional Youth Department leaders.

The week’s special guest speakers began with two Memphis, Tenn., preachers, Pastor Andrew Singleton who inspired the city youth in their walk with the Lord, followed by National Auxiliaries In Ministry President (COGIC) Superintendent Linwood Dillard who’s powerful sermon created high praise practically to the point of the night’s benediction.

EVERYBODY PRAISE DANCING Televangelist Bishop Corby Bush of Dallas headlined the Thursday night service. His gospel message excited an atmosphere of spiritual healing that transcended to holy dancing that gave new meaning to the phrase “a Holy Ghost party don’t stop.”

New precedence was set on Friday evening as Bishop Loran Mann welcomed Apostolic Bishop Henry Davenport, Pastor of Solomon Temple Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of Detroit.

The orthodox denomination, known for their conservative religious practices, arrived in great numbers with anticipation of worship and new fellowship in the beauty of holiness, dispelling the belief that the denominations are incom-

patible.

Those who attended the Official Day Saturday service were delighted to experience the music of Gospel recording artist, Douglas Miller as well as the Sounds of Pentecost Choir accompanied by renown music keyboard artist and former Pittsburgher now living in Baltimore, Howard “Buddy” Lakins.

The sermonic solo, led by Tiana Mann, set the atmosphere for the dynamic gospel Word to follow by Bishop Loran Mann. His message based on the theme and delivered in rhythmic Pentecostal style, brought the rejoicing crowd to their feet.

This was the 21st Holy Convocation of the Vermont Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church Of God In Christ.

New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Fax: 412-481-1360 e-mail:

egaines@newpittsburghcourier.com TIANA MANN’S sermonic solo

FIRST LADY BARBARA MANN

Spiritual Renewal/ Missions Conference SEPT. 13—Bethany Baptist Church, 7745 Tioga St., Homewood, will host its 55th annual Spiritual Renewal/ Missions Conference. The theme is “Ignite My Fire.”

The six-day conference will include guest speakers Rev. Emiel Glaze, Rev. James Ford Jr. and Rev. Otis Lockhart Jr. The event will include guest missionaries, panel discussions and more. For more information, call 412-242-3255 or visit www.bethanybaptist-pgh.org.

Macedonia Baptist Church SEPT. 16—Macedonia Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, 2225 Bedford Ave., Hill District, will host its Code R.E.D.D. (Recruit, Equip, Deploy, Develop) Revival at 7 p.m. Every Wednesday in September, special guest preachers will give a word on the theme. The evening’s special guest will be Pastor Gina Stewart of Memphis, Tenn. For more information, call 412-281-8437.

College Fair SEPT. 19—The Scholarship Ministry of Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, 6111 Rodman St., East Liberty, will host a College Fair from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy-International School, 515 N. Highland Ave., East Liberty. Representatives from colleges and universities from across the state of Pennsylvania, and Ohio and Virginia have been invited to attend. All high school students, families and friends are welcome to attend. For more information, call 412-3638082 or visit www.rodmanstreetchurch.org.

(To have items listed on the Church Circuit, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412481-1360 or e-mail: newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

PEOPLE

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Fun, Fit, Fabulous back in Pittsburgh…

An educational day with a focus on women’s health

by Renee P. Aldrich For New Pittsburgh Courier

Fun, Fit and Fabulous, the signature Woman’s Health Conference from Highmark rained down on the David L. Lawrence Conference Center in downtown Pittsburgh. More than 1000 participants from all parts of Pennsylvania took part in workshops of every type imaginable.

Every topic from how to handle the stress and pain associated with a loss of a loved one by Jennifer Antkowiak; to restoring your financial health by Sara Mohsin, co-founder of Mohsin Mortgage Corporation and everything in between. Some of these included Autoimmunity—diseases of self sabotage, What Women Need to Know; Matters of the Heart—Are Women Wired Differently?; Insanity—pushing past the limits; Tai Chi for Health; and Smoothies and Juicing—Are they the Secrets to Staying Healthy, Young and beautiful? just to list a few.

The conference, which is 13 years old, previously was held only in Hershey, Pa., but beginning in 2013, the hosting alternately switched between Pitts-

HIGHMARK HAVING FUN—Employees Alex Matthews and Atiya Abdelmalik with her daughter. from Yvonne Cook, president of Highmark Foundation, and Abdelmalik, attendees were welcomed, encouraged and challenged to look inside themselves for the answers they were seeking all along.

The conference was themed around the “Wiz-

we are always looking for creative ways to engage women and men as well as helping them develop a sense of personal empowerment around their health.”

Friends Marlana ParkerEdge, 68, of the Hill District, and 56-year-old

THE GOOD WITCH—Atiya Abdelmalik as Glinda the Good Witch, right, with keynote speaker Valorie Burton. (Photos by Renee Aldrich) burgh and Hershey. This is the second time it has been held in Pittsburgh.

According to Atiya Abdelmalik, director of Community Programs & Employee Volunteerism at Highmark Health, the day is designed to help women find their “fabulous self” through the inspiring workshops and present them with the tools and education on how to manage chronic conditions like heart diseases and diabetes as well as how to prevent them.

With opening remarks

ard of Oz.” In the outfit of Glinda the Good Witch, Abdelmalik spoke to the audience during the opening session. She urged them to use the day to find their own “yellow brick road” experience to create and redefine their personal journey to health.

In regards to this year’s event, Evan Frazier, senior vice president Community Affairs with Highmark, said, “This is how we continue to be a part of the community and it serves as a demonstration of how

Aretha Meggett, of the North Side, have traveled previously to the conference in Hershey. They shared that they were first invited to go by a friend, so a group from their church, Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, got together and went on the bus together. Edge said, “It was a fabulous experience in Hershey—completely worth the trip.”

Bonita Penn, a poet who resides on the North Side and was attending her second Fun, Fit, Fabulous Conference, said, “I knew I was

EVERYONE SHARING A HEALTHY DRINK

coming again today because I always enjoy the camaraderie that flows among women as we all partake in getting ourselves together emotionally, physically and spiritually.

“A highlight for me was taking the Insanity fitness class; the challenge of the class was that it pushed you to where you think you really couldn’t go. I felt it later that night, but I got through it and that was the bonus.”

Forty-two-year-old Latiffa Miller, of Greenfield, the executive director of a program for girls called Daughters of Zion, shared that this was her ninth conference. She traveled to Hershey to attend the conference until it came to

Pittsburgh.

She shares, “The sessions I attended keep me reminded of how crucial it is to be my best self and not be stuck. I thoroughly enjoyed them all especially FAB-U with Denise!!!”

The keynote presentation was made by best selling author, certified personal & executive coach, Valorie Burton; her talk was immediately followed with a conversation between her, Abdelmalik and the audi-

ence.

In keeping with the theme of the day, Burton’s address urged attendees to get unstuck and become unstoppable. Burton who has been a frequent guest on CNN, the “TODAY” show, and many more media outlets, shared the recipe for making life happier even when beset by challenges, for speaking up with confidence rather than settling for less, and navigating through set backs and disappointments in a way that make life better not bitter. Penn shared, “a highlight of her talk for me was her instruction to not spend money because of insecurity or to self soothe—that in particular is an issue for me.”

The conference concluded with continued movement down the Yellow Brick Road with line dancing led by Roland Ford along with door prizes and closing remarks.

ATTENDEES—Marlana Parker-Edge and Aretha Meggett

New Pittsburgh Courier

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ENTERTAINER SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Cover To Cover

‘Household Workers Unite’

by Terri Schlichenmeyer For New Pittsburgh Courier

There is not a speck of dust in your home.

The floors gleam, the kitchen shines, the bathroom sparkles, and rugs are fluffy again. You’ve changed bedsheets and you even washed windows. You’re ready for fall and thankful for the help you had getting this way; if that help was paid, read “Household Workers Unite” by Premilla Nadasen, and you’ll be thankful for even more.

Picture this: a white reporter encourages African American maids to “speak out about their hardship” and the women who employ them. You know the movie, but did you recognize the “victimization theme”? Yes, says Nadasen, “The Help” “reinforces dominant stereotypes of passive household workers,” even though there was historically nothing passive about them…

In the years following the Civil War, the “Mammy” figure took hold in white America, becoming somewhat of a cult based on the idea of a loyal, maternal female slave.

That vestige of slavery (and inherent racism) generally affected how African American domestic workers were treated by white female employers then, but “new ideas were germinating.”

In 1881, Black laundresses formed a “Washing Society” and eventually went on strike for higher wages. Activism never stopped, but there was a setback in the fledgling movement during the Depression, when black domestics found day-work by sitting in a street corner “slave market,” and that didn’t go unnoticed. By 1934, journalists, activists, and other black feminists threw their support behind Dora Jones, who led the Domestic Workers Union (founded in 1934) in New York.

Nurse, midwife, and housekeeper Georgia Gilmore used her cooking skills to raise money for “The Club from Nowhere,” a group supporting activists and organizers both financially and with food. Undoubtedly, the Civil Rights Movement spurred Atlanta’s Dorothy Bolden to work with Dr. King on behalf of household workers. Cleveland’s Geraldine Roberts founded the Domestic Workers of America. Edith Barksdale Sloan pushed the movement along when she became head of the National Committee on Household Employment.

Other influential women bore their share of the movement, just as today’s activists help protect the workplace rights of caregivers, personal helpers, and domestic workers of all races.

Imagine seeing a federally-funded monument to the “Black mammy,” standing in our nation’s capital.

Yep, in 1924, the United Daughters of the Confederacy tried to build exactly that, and it was “furiously opposed.”

That’s just one of the stories you’ll read inside “Household Workers Unite.”

This book is powerful and inspiring, but the voices and their memories are what matters.

This isn’t your curl-up-infront-of-a-fireplace read but it is a pleasure.

‘Empire’ season 2 debuts Sept. 23 with new original songs (New York, NY) Columbia Records, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) have officially debuted two new original songs from the highly an-

JUSSIE SMOLLET

ticipated Season 2 of EMPIRE. The upbeat party song “No Doubt About It,” features Jussie Smollett (Jamal Lyon) and award winning rapper Pitbull, who wrote the song with Grammy® Award winner Ne-Yo. “No Doubt About It” premiered across iHeartMedia RCHR radio stations nationwide and across iHeartRadio.com. The talented Lyon brothers, Jussie Smollett (Jamal Lyon) and Yazz (Hakeem Lyon), reunite on the track “Ain’t About The Money.” Both songs are available on iTunes and Spotify tomorrow.

“No Doubt About It” and “Ain’t About The Money” serve as the first taste of music from Empire: Original Soundtrack from Season 2 Volume 1, which will be released later this year.

The soundtrack will feature music from the recordbreaking series’ new season, which is set to premiere on Wednesday, September 23 at 9:00-10:00

PM ET/PT on FOX. Season 2 will pick up three months after Lucious’ shocking arrest and incarceration at the end of last season. Knowing Lucious won’t be held much longer in prison, Cookie and her allies within the Lyon family make a desperate attempt to seize control of the company.

But as the Lyons continue to battle each other, a bigger external threat emerges that could force them to unite.

Empire: Original Soundtrack from Season 1 was released in March 2015, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and made history as the first soundtrack to debut atop the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart. To date, it has sold more than 1.8 million singles and 423k albums. Having taken TV audiences by storm in its record-setting first season, EMPIRE enters Season 2 as the No. 1 series on broadcast television. From its jaw-dropping storylines to its chart-top-

ping hip-hop soundtrack, EMPIRE instantly gained a legion of die-hard fans, creating social media frenzy and making “Cookie” a household name.

PITBULL

‘In The Cut’ becomes Bounce TV’s #1 ATLANTA,PRNewswire/ —The premiere of the new Bounce TV Original Series ”In The Cut” has become the network’s number one series premiere in the delivery of Adults 18-49 to date while also posting strong numbers and increases across the board.

“In The Cut‘s” series premiered on Tuesday. Aug. 25 at 9 p.m. delivered 172,000 Adults 18-49, which more than doubled (+102 percent) the time period average* and edged out Bounce TV’s premiere of “Off The Chain: Rodney Perry” as the network’s previous number one premiere in the key demographic. In The

(+46 percent) In The Cut stars Dorien Wilson (The Parkers, Dream On), Ken Lawson (The Parkers) and also features Jackee Harry (Sister,

Sister) and John Marshall Jones (The Smart Guy).

The show centers on Jay Weaver (Wilson) who owns several businesses in a strip mall in San Diego and spends most of his time working in his barbershop, Jay’s Chop Shop. Jay also co-owns a beauty salon a few doors away—Nadine’s Shop—named for his ex-wife (Harry) who still runs it. One day, a young man named ‘IN THE CUT’ JACKEE HARRY AND DORIEN WILSON Kenny Clark

Cut’s successful debut also delivered: 233,000 Households (+42 percent over the time period average*) 308,000 Persons 2+ (+53 percent) 137,000 A25-54

(Lawson) shows up out of nowhere claiming to be Jay’s 31-year-old illegitimate son from a short-lived fling.

Kenny sticks around and begins to take on a role in the family business as he and Jay start to bond. Jay’s longtime sidekick Clevon “Smitty” Smith (Jones) also works at the barber shop and adds to the comedy—as well as the occasional drama— that comes into their lives.

The series was created by Bentley Kyle Evans and is produced by Evans and partner Trenton Gumbs, both of whom produce the current Bounce TV hit original series “Family Time.”

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

September Thursday 10 Jewelry in the Space Age The Carnegie Museum of Natural History presents “Out of This World! Jewelry in the Space Age” at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Wertz Gallery, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. The fine jewelry exhibit brings together scientific fact and pop culture in a showcase of wearable and decorative arts related to outer space, space travel, the space age and the powerful influence these topics have had on human civilization. This exhibit runs through Jan. 4, 2016. For more information, call 412622-3131 or visit www.carnegiemnh.org.

Pittsburgh Improv Jam The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents its Pittsburgh Improv Jam at 10 p.m. at Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District. Every Thursday patrons can enjoy a night of spontaneous, comedic scenes inspired by audience suggestions and performed by experienced improvisers. This is a 21 and older event. For more information, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.trustarts.org.

Friday 11 Jazz at Andys Andys Wine Bar at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel presents Jazz at Andys from 5-7:30 p.m. at 510 Market St., Downtown.

Special guest DJ Malls will be spinning the vinyl as part of the VINYL Happy Hour. There will also be a musical performance by jazz vocalist Dane Vannetter.

It is open to the public. For more information, visit www.andyswinebar.com.

Saturday 12 Diana Ross Steve Litman Presents LLC presents Diana Ross and the In the Name of Love Tour at 8 p.m. at the Benedum Center, 7th Street, Cultural District.

Icon Diana Ross has a legendary career that spans five decades that includes many awards and musical milestones.

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

She will be in the ‘Burgh for one night, singing some of her greatest hits. For more information, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.trustarts.org.

Sunday 13 Second Sunday Andys Wine Bar will host its Second Sunday Session from 710 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Fairmont Hotel, 510 Market St., Downtown. The evening will feature a “September Songs-Open Mic.” For more information, visit www.andyswinebar.com.

Monday 14 Savoy Jazz Savoy Restaurant presents Savoy Jazz Mondays from 5-9 p.m. at 2623 Penn Ave., Strip District. Every Monday guests can enjoy live jazz in a sophisticated atmosphere by some of the city’s most talented jazz performers. The attire is business casual. For more information, call 412-281-0660 or visit www.savoypgh.com.

Tuesday 15 JazzLive The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents JazzLive at 5 p.m. at the Backstage Bar at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District. Every Tuesday, guests can enjoy a free live jazz series that showcases some of the region’s finest jazz musicians. For more information, call 412456-6666 or visit www.trustarts.org.

New Music from Jill Scott, Nelly Jill Scott fifth studio album ‘WOMAN’ (NEW YORK, N.Y.)—The wait is finally over!!! The fifth studio album, “WOMAN” from Grammy award-winner singer-songwriter Jill Scott is now available for purchase in stores and on ITunes. The follow up to the 2011 critically acclaimed, “The Light of Sun,” is composed of 16 eclectic and soulful tracks.

Rolling Stone proclaims that Jill “has never sounded as authoritative as she does on her fifth album” and Us Weekly hails it as “spirit-enriching” music. Jill is describing the sound of this album as “classic Philly soul meets country rhythm served with captivating storytelling.” The thought provoking titled album is coming off the heels of Jill’s latest singles, “Fool’s Gold” that debuted on May 11 and is currently #3 on Billboard R&B charts and the critically acclaimed, “You Don’t Know.”

In addition to the new album, Jill embarked on a summer tour with sold out shows throughout the country. The tour—playing in a combination of theaters and amphitheaters in more than 25 cities—kicked off July 9 in St Louis and fin-

NELLY, CENTER, WITH ‘NELLYVILLE’ CAST ished Aug. 28 in Phoenix, Ariz. She performed new music from “WOMAN,” along with her classic hits.

The songstress is thrilling audiences all over, proving that R&B is not dead and further solidifying her place as one of the most powerful and prominent voices of our time and a torchbearer for R&B music.

Nelly’s ‘The Fix’ (New York)—Grammy award-winning and multiplatinum selling artist, Nelly, launched his new single, “The Fix,” featuring

Wednesday 16 Jazz Wednesdays City of Asylum presents “Jazz Wednesdays: Summer on Sampsonia” from 7-9 p.m. at the Alphabet City Tent, 318 Sampsonia Way, North Side. Every Wednesday, through Sept. 16, a series of free jazz concerts will be held featuring icon Roger Humphries and his band, RH Factor. Performances are free, open to the public and BYOB. Reservations are not required, but strongly encouraged. For more information, visit www.cityofasylum.org/events.

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JILL SCOTT

platinum R&B artist Jeremih. “The Fix” includes a taste of Marvin Gaye’s 1982 classic hit song, “Sexual Healing,” and production from multi-platinum producers DJ Mustard and Mike Free. The single re-

leased on August 14th and is available for download and streaming across all digital service providers via RECORDS. You can purchase the single on iTunes h e r e : http://apple.co/1J8Qd2d

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SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

THE 2015 GRADUATING CLASS from the PBMF media workshop with Chris Moore and Olga George. (Photos by J. L. Martello)

PBMF Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop graduation OLGA GEORGE speaking about the program and the great job the kids did.

The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation held its 32nd annual Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop Aug. 1-8 at the Point Park University campus in downtown Pittsburgh.

High school and college students interested in journalism participated in a

week-long workshop that included hands on training, discussions with media professionals and student-produced projects.

The event culminated with a graduation ceremony that included a presentation of the student’s projects.

CHRIS MOORE like you never seen him, with a camera.

New Pittsburgh Courier

BUSINESS

Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing C4-C5

Classifieds

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5 simple things you can do to advance your career C3

Inside Conditions

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

by Rashida Maples Esq. For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—Complacency in the workforce should be avoided at all costs. Though some employees tend to settle into a work routine that is predictable and on cruise control, those who set short term and long term goals know that advancement in their career has to be thought out, planned and properly implemented to make it to the next level.

If we are going to spend so much time seeking work, at work, doing work and/or thinking about work, we should strive to make this whole employment thing beneficial for us via positive matriculation through the ranks with our employers, and also obtaining and maintaining clients and wealth as en-

trepreneurs as well.

If you are seeking to further your career, no matter what stage you are in, here are five tips to implement into your everyday work life to do so: 1. Sit With Your Vision and Make a Plan If you are seeking to make a return to the workforce, coveting the corner office along with a promotion and a raise, or even thinking about making a move to another company or a different industry from which you are currently working in, writing down your vision and making a plan will kick start the road to achieving your goals. You can’t keep your dreams bottled up without acting on them, therefore you should write them down and get to moving.

2. Network

I prefer networking in an organic fashion. Meeting people at a barbecue, wedding, conference and just letting the conversation flow until we realize we may be an asset to and for one another and acting on that has worked wonders for me. Even if you prefer the standard networking tactics of attending receptions and conferences, with the strict goal of networking with potential clients and employers, this angle continues to serve as a great way to broaden your network for future work related considerations.

3. Know Your Worth Even if you are not looking to make a move, continue to apply for new positions and interview so you know what the going rate is for people with your experiSEE THINGS C2

Engineering firm strives for satisfaction

by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier

Focused on assuring that all his clients are pleased with services they receive from his civil, environmental, and geotechnical engineering firm, Charles R. Toran Jr. said their mission is to provide services and solutions in a manner which delights the customers.

“Our employees specialize in meeting clients’ needs expeditiously and efficiently, adding value to clients’ organizations and to our society. All employees adhere to the highest standards of integrity, ethics, trust, and respect for the environment and the economic and social interests of all parties,” he said.

For close to 20 years and after completing an estimated 700 projects in the private and public sectors, Toran has operated SciTek Consultants, Inc. under the precepts that it offers its clients deep experience and broad expertise.

“We provide a lot of capabilities and qualifications of a large firm from a small packages,” he described.

A certified Minority Business Enterprise qualified to do business throughout the eastern United States, Sci-Tek is based in Pittsburgh with a second location in Philadelphia. They operate with at least 40 staff inclusive of engineers and geologists with professional registrations, and experienced and certified environmental scientists, planners, technicians and interns. The company boosts annual revenues of roughly $4 million.

Toran defines his company’s expertise as design engineering services for infrastructure such as airports, water and wastewater treatment and collection facilities, roads, bridges, and other transportation systems. Site civil design, surveying, lighting design, water resources engineering and planning, transportation engineering, environmental site assessment and remediation services, NEPA assessments, environmental permitting and compliance services, geotechnical subsurface investigations, geotechnical analysis of dams, foundations, structures, and properties impacted by landslides, subsidence, settlement and acid mine drainage and construction materials testing.

Sci-Teks’ principal markets are; aviation, education, healthcare, housing, industrial, natural gas, transportation, water and sewer, and urban renewal. Clients include architectural and engineering firms, local, county, state and federal government entities, contractors and developers, commercial and institutional as well as manufacturers and industrial.

Toran, a Baltimore native is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M.

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, or back to my hometown,” he said indicating that Atlanta is also a possibility. Sci-Tek expanded into the Philadelphia market in 2011.

Toran recently announced two developments he considers to have significantly expanded their capabilities to provide services. “We now offer in-house surveying services. A staff person has been hired to oversee our survey group, which consists of two licensed surveyors and a field technician.”

A person also has been appointed Environmental Projects Manager to oversee all of Sci-Teks’ environmental site assessment, NEPA and remediation projects.

Locally, Toran has an interest in receiving and maintaining steady work in the Marcellus Shale project.

“Early on the Natural Gas related projects we completed included construction NETWORKING IS KEY—During the recent Eastern Minority Supplier Diversity Council trade fair Sci-Teks’ marketing materials testing, pipeline person Maria Atkinson shares a moment with President Charles R. Toran Jr. design, permitting, and subsurface investigations,” he Katz Graduate School of Business with a work toward their goal and never to give said.

M.B.A in Marketing and Marketing Man- up. He also noted that it is wise to have a In 2012 Sci-Tek served as an educational agement and he received his Bachelors of value proposition and to know ones niche resource for businesses interested in the Science Degree from the University of market. regulatory aspect of the Natural Gas busiThe other two minority engineerPittsburgh in Mechanical Engineering. A ness in Pennsylvania. His firm particiformer employee of Chambers Develop- ing firms in the area are Chester pated in the Three Rivers Chapter of the ment Corporation and the Westinghouse Engineers owned by Robert O. Academy of Certified Hazardous MateriElectric Company he decided to step out on Agbede and slated as the largest als Managers Professional Development his own to gain more control of the work he in the country and Cosmos TechSeminar. Discussion took place about was doing. “I put together a business plan, nologies, Inc. owned by Frederick the technical and regulatory issues received some funding and started Sci-Tek Douglas Jr. confronting the Oil and Gas ExploToran pointed out that upon sevConsultants, Inc. in the Uptown section of ration, especially highlighting Act eral occasions he has collaborated Pittsburgh in a one room suite,” he said.

13; the new Oil and Gas Act in PA Looking back over his career, and pointing with each of the firms on various and the Erosion and Sediment out that there is a need for more minority projects.

Control General Permit-2. DurExcited about the future of owned engineering firms in the region, ing the presentation an inToran credits the success of his firm to the his firm, expanding the busidepth lesson on the history, expertise and dedication of his employees. ness into other cities is a purpose, and challenges of the “The first two to three years were tough goal of Toran’s. “Possiregulatory process made attenbut I worked hard and persevered,” he said bilities could be dees aware of the enforcement suggesting to potential procedures and upcoming entrepreneurs to training opportunities.

Not as involved in the Marcellus Shale developments as he once was, Toran has a belief that there is still a need for educational and training programs for small businesses in the field. Pressure has to come from business advocacy A BLUE PRINT OF SUCCESS—Charles R. Toran Jr.; President of Sci-Tek Consultants, Inc. knows all angles of his business. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels) SEE ENGINEERING C2

Fifth Third Bank to sell its 17 Pittsburgh-area branches PITTSBURGH (AP)—A Cincinnati-based retail bank is selling its 17 Pittsburgh-area branches.

Fifth Third Bank announced Thursday it’s selling the branches to First National Bank of Pennsylvania. The sale is expected to close in early 2016 and is part of a larger consolidation.

Fifth Third Bank had announced plans in June to shutter or sell about 100 of its 1,300 branches nationwide because of a customer-shift toward electronic banking.

Spokeswoman Laura Trujillo tells the Pittsburgh Tribune Review they aspire to be significant market players, but they thought the investment required to do that in Pittsburgh was too high.

First National Bank of Pennsylvania is a subsidiary of FNB Corp. and has been expanding its reach in recent years.

Customers will be contacted about GRAND OPENING—In this Oct. 15, 2009 file photo Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, prepares for the ribbon cutting at the new Fifth Third Bank branch in the the transfer of their accounts in the Hill District. Joining him, from left: James M. Ferguson III, Jada Grandy, Lloyd Wright, Tonya Payne, Jill Sandilla, Mark Jones, Will Moody, Ralph Parks and Norman Marraccini. (Courier Photo/File) coming months.

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BUSINESS

BUSINESS CALENDAR

Back to work after retirement:

Lunch and Learn Series

How Social Security, taxes, and health care are affected The old notions about retirement have, well, retired.

Rather than leaving work at age 65 and going fishing or focusing on gardening, many retirees celebrate retirement by going back to work.

According to a January 2015 Gallup poll, 80 percent of baby boomers in their 50s are in the workforce; 50 percent of boomers in their 60s are in the workforce; and 30 percent of boomers ages 67 to 68 are working. Either by design or out of financial need, boomers are working longer. Not all of them, however, want or need to maintain full-time positions. One in 10 baby boomers works part-time, a statistic that may increase as employers discover the magical mix of benefits that will keep high-performing boomers contributing to their bottom lines. Additionally, Gallup reports that boomers are one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs because many look for an encore career after retirement.

Regardless of the reason, it’s important to understand how going back to work can affect retirement benefits and taxes.

Individuals thinking about returning to the workforce after retiring need to learn how Social Security benefits, health insurance, and taxes will be affected so they don’t lose benefits or end up in a higher tax bracket.

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants reminds Pennsylvanians to keep the following in mind when considering employment after retirement.

•Social Security Benefits: If you’re 62 or older, you may have already decided to start receiving retirement benefits. However, if you get a new job and expect your income to increase, you’re required to notify the Social Security Administration. If you receive benefits, but are not yet at full retirement age (as defined by the SSA), some of your benefits may be reduced if you earn more than the annual income limit (which is $15,720 in 2015).

Generally, for every two dollars you earn above the annual limit, your benefits are reduced by one dollar.

The SSA full retirement age has been gradually increasing, but it’s currently between 65 and 67 years old, depending on the year you were born (it is age 67 for everyone born in 1960 and later).

If you’re at the year when you will reach your full retirement age, but haven’t had your birthday yet, your benefits will decrease, but not by as much. Benefits will be reduced by one dollar for every three dollars you earn above the annual limit ($41,880 in 2015), until your birthday.

You can estimate how much your annual benefits will be reduced by using the SSA’s online Retirement Earnings Test Calculator at www.ssa.gov.

Once you reach full retirement age, your benefits will no longer be reduced, no matter how much money you earn.

If you return to work after starting to receive benefits, you may be able to receive a higher benefit based on those earnings. The SSA automatically recalculates your benefit amount after the additional earnings are credited to your earnings record. Moreover, you can repay all SSA benefits collected to date with no interest, and the benefits will be reset to a higher number based on your current age and past earnings.

•Income Tax: Going back to work might mean more money, but it also might bump you into a higher tax bracket. In addition, extra distributions or benefits received on top of your salary may count as additional income. You could also find yourself in a higher tax bracket by taking pension distributions on top of a regular salary or by collecting Social Security benefits while you continue working. Crunch the numbers to see how close your current income is to the next tax bracket.

As much as 85 percent of your Social Security benefits can be taxable if your other income, including tax exempt interest plus half of your Social Security, exceeds the threshold. Thresholds are $25,000 for single or head of household, $32,000 for married filing jointly, and zero for married filing separately.

•Health Care: Health insurance is one of the biggest reasons many people under age 65 remain employed or return to the workforce. If you’re 65 or older and already covered by Medicare, check with your employer’s human resources department about how the insurance coverage would work with your Medicare. You can also view the online publication Medicare and Other Health Benefits: Your Guide to Who Pays First at www.medicare.gov.

According to Medicare’s website, Medicare Part B insurance premiums range from $104.50 to $335.70 per month as adjusted gross income ranges from $85,000 (single filers or married filing single) or $170,000 (married filing jointly) to $214,000 (single filers), $129,000 (married filing single), or $428,000 (married filing jointly).

Some people might find themselves paying for Part A hospital insurance, which is $407 a month, if they apply for Medicare before they are eligible for Social Security.

If you have private health insurance, carefully compare your benefits and coverage to what might be available from your new employer. Although group plans tend to be cheaper than individual policies, it might make sense to keep what you have rather than cancelling and reapplying at a later date. This is especially true if you have retiree health insurance from a former employer. * Pension Plans and Retirement Accounts: Returning to work will likely ease your financial situation and allow you to delay accessing your 401(k) account. If you have a traditional pension plan or IRA, rules will vary.

Check with your pension plan provider and the human resources department at your company to see if returning to work will affect your benefits, especially if you’re returning to the same employer. The 401(k) rules get more restrictive for business owners with ownership interest exceeding 5 percent.

Working past age 70 ? doesn’t affect the required minimum distribution rules for traditional IRAs—required minimum distributions are still required and will generally be taxed as ordinary income. There are no required minimum distribution requirements for Roth IRAs. There are many variables involved in returning to work and evaluating the short- and long-term impact on taxes, Social Security benefits, and health care. A CPA can help you analyze your current situation and determine the best course of action with regard to your personal financial plan.

(For more retirement planning resources, including PICPA’s CPA Locator tool, visit www.picpa.org/moneyandlife)

WINEMAKER—Bertony Faustin poses for a photo while working in his vineyard in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Aug. 25. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Black winemakers look to change industry’s stereotypes

by Gosia Wozniacka Associated Press Writer

NORTH PLAINS, Ore. (AP)—Bertony Faustin didn’t set out to be Oregon’s first Black winemaker. He just wanted to make good wine. But the disbelief that often comes when customers realize a Black man owns the winery has worn on him.

“People are always surprised. Everybody assumes that … I am not the winemaker,” said the 43-year-old, who four years ago opened Abbey Creek Winery about 20 miles northwest of Portland. “The image of the winemaker is an old White guy. To see that it’s a Black man, it takes people aback.”

The industry’s stereotype, Faustin said, is one of status and racial homogeneity _ photographs in wine publications feature manicured homes, expensive tasting rooms and white families touting well-bred pedigrees.

Yet, more African-Americans and other minorities are increasingly making and drinking fine wine and wine-tasting clubs for African -Americans have proliferated.

The shift, many experts say, is making the industry less elitist and attracting a diversity of customers, but comes with its own challenges.

Just last month, the Napa Valley Wine Train in California kicked a book club composed mostly of Black women off a tasting tour. The women said it was because of their race; the train spokesman said employees repeatedly asked the women to quiet down. The company later apologized and promised to train employees on cultural diversity and sensitivity.

In the hopes of debunking myths, Faustin is making a documentary film about breaking the racial barrier, with the goals of giving more visibility to African-American, Latino, Asian and gay vintners and empowering the next generation to drink and pursue wine-related jobs.

For generations, social class _ and, hence, wealth and race _ limited Americans’ access to fine wine.

“The reality is, we’ve been kept out of the industry for a long time. Civil rights is just 50 years old and for us to even have opportunities to dine out at established restaurants is fairly new,” said Marcia Jones, an African-American who hosts the syndicated weekly radio show “Wine Talk,” on which she interviews Blacks in the industry. “To share wine for generations to come, a comprehensive story needs to be told.”

Despite African-Americans’ strong historical ties to farming _ 14 percent of the nation’s farmers in 1920 _ they abandoned the work mostly due to the legacies of slavery and discriminatory policies. Today, just 1 percent of all farm operators are Black, according to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture.

In the wine industry, there are only a few

dozen Black vintners across the country, about 20 of them in Napa Valley. But their inroads into winemaking reflect the country’s massive social changes and increasing economic mobility.

Theodora Lee founded Theopolis Vineyards in 2003 in California’s Mendocino County. The law partner and trial lawyer bottles and markets her wine and is on course to sell about 800 cases this year.

“I’m returning to my family’s farming roots,” said Lee, whose grandfather was a sharecropper in Texas. “The only difference is, I own the land.”

Jerry Bias, a Virginia vintner who grew up in inner-city Baltimore and later became a Wall Street trader, was inspired by a wealthy African-American businessman to “to take the shackles off of my own thinking and do whatever my dreams call me to do.” He planted vines in 2001 and runs Wisdom Oak Winery, a 153-acre estate and vineyard just south of Charlottesville. He produces about 2,500 cases a year, and says his focus is quality.

“Excellence is colorless,” he said.

The Oregon Wine Board spokeswoman Michelle Kaufmann admits the images it promotes are of White winemakers, though she said the organization welcomes everyone and has seen a 40 percent growth after the recession that’s more diverse. But of the state’s nearly 700 wineries, the board knows of one African-American winemaker: Faustin.

He’s a winemaker by accident. After moving from Brooklyn, New York, to Portland 15 years ago to be an anesthesia technician, he met his wife and the couple moved to the city’s outskirts on her parents’ property, which is planted in 12 acres of grapes.

With his in-laws’ blessing, Faustin took over the vineyard in 2008, found a mentor and enrolled in a viticulture program. He honed his skills for five years as the tasting room supervisor at a sake brewery and made wine under his own label on the side.

Abbey Creek Winery’s tasting room opened in 2011. The work is hard: Faustin and his assistant, Ocean Yap Powell, do it all _ planting and pruning, crushing grapes and bottling, tastings and sales. Faustin sells about 800 to 1,000 cases a year directly to customers and he’s sold out of every vintage, he said.

His documentary, “Red, White and Black,” will feature several people of color and a lesbian couple; their stories, he says, prove that despite financial barriers and lack of vintner lineage—himself included—first-generation minority winemakers can succeed.

He also wants the movie to help the industry reflect the consumer population’s shift. “We don’t shun history, but we also need to shape the future of Oregon wine,” Faustin said, “so that Latinos, Blacks and gay people can participate.”

Things to do to advance your career

CONTINUED FROM C1 Having access to someone who has been in ence and background. Understanding your shoes and can help guide you to the where you are in your career, and how next phase will work wonders for goals. other employers view you as a contribution 7. Ask to their company may give you insight into If you want more responsibilities on your how/if you need to make any adjustments. job, then just ask for it. Proving to your boss 4. Volunteer that you can effectively handle new jobs If your employer, client or local not-for- and responsibilities in the workplace will profit organization is seeking assistance, definitely set you on a path to more recogoffer it. As long as you are not overextend- nition and eventually more opportunities. ing yourself, or spreading yourself far too (Rashida Maples, Esq. Special to the NNPA from thin, putting your name out there will The Chicago Defender) allow others to see what you have to offer and may open doors you never knew existed.

5. Revisit Your Education This includes going to back to school to finish CONTINUED FROM C1 is to advance the profesyour undergrad degree, groups to get more minori- sions of engineering, artaking a few courses at ties involved. chitecture, and applied your community college, or “That is why it is impor- sciences through technitaking continuing educa- tant for minority busi- cal activities, public sertion course in your particu- nesses to become certified vice participation and solar field. As long as you can MBEs and to be members cial organizations. He is make yourself more mar- of organizations like the the first African American ketable by acquiring new African American Chamber to hold the presidency poskill sets and knowledge, of Commerce of Western sition. then by all means, do so !

Sci-Tek has been named Pennsylvania and the East6. Get a Mentor or ern Minority Supplier Di- by the Pittsburgh Business Coach versity Council,” said the Times as one of the Top 100 There is nothing like lis- former Marcellus Shale growth firms for 2015, its tening to wisdom. This Coalition member. fifth time making the list. holds true in the workforce A strong believer in de- In 2014 it was honored as as well. Some ropes you veloping and nurturing one of the Top 100 Minority should skip, and some young engineers, Toren is Business Enterprises in the ropes you should know in President of the Engi- Mid-Atlantic region at the order to be both effective neer’s Society of PA, a pro- 8th Annual Top 100 MBE and efficient in matriculat- fessional society char- Awards Event held in Baltiing through your career. tered in 1880. Its purpose more.

Engineering firm

SEPT. 10— The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host its Lunch & Learn Series at 12:15 p.m. at the Downtown & Business Branch, 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. The topic will be “How to Use the Census Data to Start to Grow Your Business.”

Noemi Mendez Eliasen, of the U.S. Census Bureau, will talk to attendees about how to grow their business from the information reported by the U.S. Economic Census, which provides vital five-year statistical information on American business and industry performance. For more information, call 412-281-7141 or visit www.carnegielibrary.org.

Advancing Entrepreneurship SEPT. 10—The University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the University Center for Social Change will host its Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley series from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. The topic is “Making It Happen in the Mon Valley.” This free program offers educational programs and consulting services to new, emerging and existing entrepreneurs in the Mon Valley.

Registration is required. For more information, call 412-624-3095 or visit www.monvalleyentrepreneur.pitt.edu.

Women Business Breakfast Series SEPT. 11—Chatham University’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship will host its Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series from 8-9:30 a.m. at Chatham University, James Laughlin Music Hall, Woodland Road, Shadyside. Meredith Meyer Grelli, co-owner and co-founder of Wigley Whiskey, will discuss the methods implemented by her company to breed innovation, filling its new product pipeline with compelling services, products and programs to meet consumer’s needs and grow the business each year. Breakfast will be served starting at 7:30 a.m.

Reservations are required. For more information, visit www.chatham.edu/cwe/events/w blbseries.

The First Step SEPT. 15—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host “The First Step: Business Startup Essentials” from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Duquesne University, Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown.

This session is designed for new business startups and entrepreneurs. Attendees will learn about business structure and formation, insurance, government procurement, financing options, major components of the business plan, taxation requirements and more. Registration is required. For more information, call 412-396-1633 or visit www.duq.edu/sbdc.

MWDBE Department Open House SEPT. 17—The Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will host the MWDBE Department Open House from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Two Chatham Center, 112 Washington Place, Hill District. Dollar Bank Vice President and credit counselor Judith Mason will give tips on how small business owners can use and protect their credit. Refreshments will be provided and registration is required. For more information, call 412-350-4309 or email RSVP-MBE@alleghenycounty.us.

PowerBreakfast Meeting SEPT. 18—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania will host its PowerBreakfast Meeting at 7:30 a.m. at One Oxford Centre.

301 Grant St., Downtown. The guest speaker will be Frank Coonelly, president of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The chamber’s corporate sponsor will update the audience on procurement opportunities within the Pirates’ organization. Reservations are required

by Sept. 16. For more information, call 412-392-0610 or email information@aaccwp.com.

ALCOSAN Open House SEPT. 19—ALCOSAN will host an Open House from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at 3300 Preble Ave., North Side. This is the region’s largest watershed and environmental festival. The daylong event will include a guided tour of the treatment plant and laboratory; a microbiology, watershed life presentation; hands-on activities and exhibits; and more. This event will take place rain or shine, and it’s free and open to the public. For more information, call 412-732-8002 or visit www.alcosan.org.

New Pittsburgh Courier

SPORTS

C3

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

by Bill Neal For New Pittsburgh Courier

:10—SPECIAL EDITION—ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! After six months of painstaking deliberation, here are the final “86” nominees for the 2nd Annual 2015 Pittsburgh City League AllSports Hall of Fame Inductions. Bill Herdon, Brian Irwin, Frank Dobbs, Rod Rutherford, Ricky Cannon, Tanya Stevens, Soloman Page, Wesley Garnett, Joann Warner, Arnie Sowell, Charles Hefflin, Jim “Big Cat” Williams, Shawn Yancey, Tank Harrison, Bill Graham, Mike Booth, Joe DiFiore (coach), Joe Slipo (coach), John Brewer, Dominic Kelly, Horace Nelson, Francis Peay, Carmen Bruce, Mark Hogan, Mark Penicks, Hosea Holder, John Istic, Ed. Flynn (coach), Spencer Watkins (coach), Ron Howard, Brian Salter, Alvin Turner, Orlando McGroman, Russell Freeman, Eric Wicks, Larry Anderson (SH), Larry Anderson (Sch), Larry Brown, Chuck Griffy Sr.,

Overtime

Michael Williams, Ed Peoples, Tomika Hunter, Renea Henderson, Bill Clark Sr., Bill Clark Jr., Tim Hefflin, Amber Plowden, Mario Joiner, Frank Duck, Al Jacks, Eugene Ashley, Lynn Harris, Reggie Dukes, Darrin Walls Sr., Darrin Walls Jr., Kevin Parker, Shawn Gibson, David Kennedy Sr., D.J. Kenndy Jr., Katelyn Brown, Mark Ellison, Gene Turner, Joe Parker, Tony Liscio, Herb Douglas, Curt Hefflin, Cathy Jacobson Guzzy, Edna Campbell, Henry Chatman, Mike Barnes, Mel Bennett, Angie Cox, Henry Ford, Shawn Crosby, Frank Boyd, Domonic Duck, Mike Barns, Calvin Fowler, Kevan Barlow, Eddie Benton, Margo Hinton, Carlita Jones, Will Macon, Gene Harris, Ralph Eckles, Keith Edmunds, and Ahmad Sharif. With a starting list of more than “300” nominees, these are the names to be considered for the final “20 inductees.” This year’s event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2 p.m.at the Wyndham Hotel in Oakland (not Downtown) 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. event, 8

p.m. awards presentation, 10 p.m. post-reception. M.C.’s for the event will be local film, T.V., radio and fashion star Debbie Norrell and KDKA T.V. news reporter Bob Allen. Keynote Speaker will be Schenley and Pitt grad and Super Bowl champion D.J. Dinkins. Special guests include Councilman Dan Gilman, Superintendent Linda Lane, School Board President Tom Sumpter and Steeler Super Bowl champions Judge Dwayne Woodruff and Robin Cole. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door.

(Please be reminded that last year…the first year was a sell-out, standing room only event of 250 plus. This year there are only 275 seats available…Don’t be standing at the door saying…Neal, hey, Bill Neal, Neal over here…not gonna happen this year!!!) Also featuring the new Diamond Models, venders, door prizes, 50/50 and your chance to reconnect

dium in McKeesport.

The YMCA-sponsored camp for youth, was Stuvaints’s third installment of the clinic. The first was held in 2006 and again in 2014.

“I would like to make it better every year. I believe it can be as good as most other camps simply because of the quality of support that I

have,” said Stuvaints.

In attendance were former Bengals fullback and Woodland Hills grad Chris Edmunds; former Ravens linebacker Tim Johnson, who once was a teammate of Stuvaints’ at Youngstown State, and undrafted cornerback Kevin Johnson, another McKeesport product who at-

with the City League. Call 412-628-4856, 412-901-8495, 412-352-5304 or 412-9997664 for information. :09—Your Pittsburgh Steelers got slapped around by Carolina last week. For as much as I continue to endorse what Chuck Noll believed…“That all games mattered or they wouldn’t play them!” I have to give you what the Steelers and Coach Tomlin want: pre-season games don’t matter. That being said, “LET’S GET READY TO RUUUMMMBBBLLLEEE!” :08—That being said…Tom Terrific, a/k/a Tom Brady, is back baby. Brady will suit up against the black and gold in the opener, Thursday night at their joint. I don’t know about the boys, but I don’t sweat Brady and the Pats. “You wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best!” Buckle up boys…“Don’t nobody give me my guns and tell me to ride!”

(James Coburn, a/k/a Britt, “The Magnificent Seven.”) :07—The Pirates got

swept by the Brewers, but you have to let it go. It’s time to get along and get it on in St. Louis, but I’ll tell you again that’s why this team can’t win a world series now. You have to win the games you’re supposed to win and this jinx in Milwaukee has got to stop. :06—High school football is here.“Let’s Get It On!” Parents and all others, support our student athletes. Remember they’re called student athletes (student first) for a reason. Be safe in the streets. Be careful going and coming to the game.

And please sit down, shut up, watch the game and remember your time is up. (I’m talking to you dad!) :05—Football…a good cowboy flick…one in the same. That being said, I watched the “The Magnificent Seven” for the 99th time. Here are two things for ya.

Can you name the real names of the seven without cheating?

(ANSWER BELOW) and here’s your Top 10 Reminder of the best shoot-em ups of all time: #1 “The Magnificent Seven,” #2 “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” #3 “The Wild Bunch,” #4 “Rio Bravo,” #5 “Unforgiven,” #6

“High Plains Drifter,” #7 “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” #8 “Young Guns,” #9 “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly,” #10 “The Long Riders.” (Got a better list? You know how to text me.

412-628-4856) :04—By the time you read this, it means Pitt beat Youngstown State, Penn State beat Temple and West Virginia beat Georgia Southern. You’re welcome! :03—Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Tebow man, but tell me again why Tebow can be an NFL quarterback and Terrell Pryor who has twice as much athletic talent can’t be? I’m just askin’! :02—While you’re dozing on the couch, remember Ms. Serena is about to make history at the U.S. Open. :01—Here are the Seven: Yul Brynner (Chris), Steve McQueen (Vin), Charles Bronson (Bernardo), James Coburn (Britt), Robert Vaughn (Lee), Brad Dexter (Harry Luck), and the one you never know, Horst Buchholz (Chico)…“RIDE ON, WE DEAL IN LEAD FRIEND!” ~ GAME OVER ~

tended Eastern Michigan and trained with the Steelers minicamp in May. There were detailed instructions for drills, and a strong message of accomplishment given to all. Stuvaints, 34, who was undrafted out of Youngstown State in 2003, played mainly on special teams for the Steel-

ers from 03-05 and was a member of their Super Bowl XL championship team.

Earning a degree in communications from Youngstown State he is considering taking online courses at Drexel to work towards a Master’s in physical education. A father of two sons, Valdez, 9 and Jordan, 6, he currently lives in

White Oak. Hoping to inspire youngsters to stay on the right path and make the best of opportunities when they come.

“Whether it’s becoming a professional sports player or getting that college degree, I hope to instill in them a belief that all things are possible,” he said.

YMCA Russell Stuvaints Youth Football Camp

by Rossano P. Stewart For New Pittsburgh Courier

McKeesport native and ex-Steeler defensive back, Russell Stuvaints, along with the support of the Wilmerding/McKeesport YMCA, organized a youth football camp for kids 6-13, at the Weigle-Schaeffer Sta-

ALL SMILES—Coaches and players enjoyed the day after learning through drills. (Photos by Rossano P. Stewart)

DRILLS—Coach Todd Blackwell runs youth athlete through forward and back sprints

TEAM CONCEPT—Former Steelers defensive back Russell Stuvaints encouraging players to do their best

Inside Conditions—Scapegoat

by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier

A few years ago, I wrote a story about the cheating and other illicit activity of the New England Patriots titled: “cheaters almost always win.” I talked about missing videotapes and other issues that were crucial in regards to the underhandedness of the team from the land of “Boston” baked beans.

The Patriots for all intents and purposes got away with it because to date none of their five Super Bowl victories have asterisk’s beside them as a result of their il-

legal activity. The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell was used as a scapegoat then and his head is once again on the chopping block. He has once again become the sacrificial lamb for what could historically be one of the most corrupt sports franchises in the new millennium. Now everyone wants to blame the commissioner for taking action not because many fans believe Tom Brady is not guilty but because Roger Goodell lost the case, at least for now.

Now talks are swirling around the commissioner wielding too much power.

He may have had too much power in the cases of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson because their offenses should have been only adjudicated indirectly and directly in a court of law because the acts that they committed, did not affect the competitive nature of the game until they were suspended.

Mark Maske from the Washington Post wrote: “The collective bargaining agreement between the league and union gives Goodell the authority to hear and resolve appeals in player disciplinary cases involving the integrity of the

sport, such as Brady’s, and in cases under the personal conduct policy. In recent months, the union has successfully challenged discipline imposed by the league under the personal conduct policy in cases involving Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy.

Eric Winston, the Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman who is the president of the union, said in training camp that he cannot foresee players agreeing to another CBA without curbing Goodell’s authority to resolve appeals in disciplinary cases. The current labor deal runs through

2020.” How can anyone challenge the authority of the commissioner when it comes to offenses that affect the outcome of the game?

Personal conduct is not professional conduct. It has been alleged by former Indianapolis Colts now Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning that the visitors’ locker room at Gillette Stadium may have even been bugged. So to circumvent any potential eavesdropping the Colts would always step outside of the locker room to discuss any offensive strategy that they were considering implementing for the second half

of the contest. For over a decade, this bunch of scurrilous demagogues’ have elevated the dishonor of cheating to a different level.

The commissioner of the NFL should not even be in this conversation.

The conversation should be centered around those that committed the penalties not anyone who is charged with the responsibility to judge and penalize the offenders.

(Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741. He is also a contributing columnist for urbanmediatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter@ultrascribe.)

New Pittsburgh Courier

CLASSIFIED

C4

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

SONNY BOY

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

FIRE DEPARTMENT CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE POSITION OF FIREFIGHTER FOR THE ALTOONA FIRE DEPARTMENT Applications for Firefighter for the City of Altoona can be obtained from the Human Resources Office in City Hall, 1301 – 12th Street, Suite 301, Altoona, PA, between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, August 31, 2015.

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE NO LATER THAN NOON ON THURSDAY, October 8, 2015. All previous applications and eligibility lists are void. Individuals on the previous eligibility list must reapply to be considered for employment.

REQUIREMENTS: Must pass a Physical Agility Test to be held in Altoona on Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, 2015 at 9:00 A.M. Must pass a written Civil Service Test to be held in Altoona on Saturday, October 24, 2015, at 9:00 A.M., with a score of 70% or better.

Must become a resident of the City of Altoona within six (6) months of date of employment and must remain a resident of the City during the tenure of employment.

•Must be at least 18 years of age at time of application.

•Must have a valid Pennsylvania driverʼs license.

•Must be a high school graduate or possess a GED equivalent.

•Must be of high moral character and free of any felony or misdemeanor convictions.

Applications must be accompanied by a $25.00 check or money order made payable to “The City of Altoona” and must include a legible copy of valid driverʼs license; birth certificate or other appropriate proof of age; proof of U.S. citizenship or naturalization; high school diploma or GED certificate; and DD-214 showing proof of honorable discharge if veteranʼs preference is requested. Veteranʼs preference will be given if a passing score of 70% or better is achieved on the Civil Service Test.

The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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

Applications for Police Officer for the City of Altoona may be obtained from the Human Resources Department at City Hall, 1301 – 12th Street, Suite 301, Altoona, PA, weekdays between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Applicants or their designees must file completed, NOTARIZED applications with accompanying documentation NO LATER THAN NOON ON THURSDAY, September 24, 2015. Return IN PERSON OR BY MAIL to: Human Resources Department Altoona City Hall 1301 - 12th Street, Suite 301 Altoona, PA 16601-3491 A $25.00 processing fee (check or money order) must be paid at the time the application is filed. Applications that are incomplete for any reason will not be accepted, and will be returned to the applicant. Falsification, concealment or misrepresentation of material fact on the application form may result in disqualification.

All previous applicants will be required to reapply and repeat the entire application process in order to be considered for employment.

REQUIREMENTS: •Must pass a physical agility test scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2015, at 8:00 A.M., in Altoona.

•Must pass a written Civil Service Test to be administered on Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 8:30 A.M., in Altoona.

•Must have successfully completed a Pennsylvania Act 120 basic training program prior to the end of 2015.

•Must be 21 years of age on or before the date of employment.

•Must be a United States citizen.

•Must have graduated from an accredited high school or have a Graduate Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.) acceptable to the Commission.

•Must be licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

•Must be of high moral character and free of felony or misdemeanor convictions.

•Must be physically and mentally fit for the full duties of a Police Officer.

•Must submit to a Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA).

•Must agree to psychological and physical examinations if offered employment.

Starting salary: $41,047.92 The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer

KEYBOARD PLAYER

Local Pittsburgh Church is seeking a keyboard player or pianist for an immediate position 2 Sundays per month. If interested call 724-519-2574 for additional information.

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

Robert Morris University seeks applicants for several employment opportunities. Visit RMU.EDU/JOBS for details. Email resume to jobs@rmu.edu or mail to: Robert Morris University, Human Resources 6001 University Blvd., Moon Twp., PA 15108 or fax to 412-397-2555.

RMU believes institutional equity reflects our continued commitment to a community where everyone is both valued and respected. We are dedicated to developing a diverse population and strive to be an inclusive community that celebrates and embraces differences.

EOE

SENIOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYST (Multiple Openings)

SDLC Management, Inc. (Greater Pittsburgh, PA area) analyze clientsʼ businss needs & procss & translte them into formt that can be understd & acted on by techncl team. Apply analytcl skills to businss requsts & communcte these businss needs in clear & unambguous mannr; ensre consistncy & alignmnt of all businss requsts or reqs; identfy opprtnties to imprve businss procsses; assist in gatherng & definng clientʼs businss reqs; analyze & map procsses in both currnt & futre states; analyze data; utilze all componnts of projct methodlgy & app devʼt lifecycle; & draft reprts & techncl materls. Reqs: Masterʼs degree in MIS or relatd field. 2 yrs previous exp in the positn offerd or relatd positn using MS Suite, SQL Servr, Cognos BI, JDA Assortmnt Planning, JDA Enterprse Planning, SDLC, Waterfall, RUP, Agile, Caliber RM, MS Visio, & UML; generatng reqs for Cognos BI team to supprt reprt devʼt; creatng businss use cases & diagrms; docmntng test scenarios, test scripts, data mappng & systm diagrms; adherng to SDLC procss of projct devʼt through strong IT practces & change contrl; continsly evaluatng currnt systm states & propsed enhncemnts & needs for both IT & Businss Teams; supprtng businss data view needs through workspce advncemnt; servng as liaison betwn businss users & IT resrces; supprtng projct planning & servng in projct mgmt roles for EP integratn; condctng cost/beneft analyss; supprtng integratn of JDA tools (Assortmnt planning & Enterprse planning). Send resume to Ms. Terri Nicholls, HR Specialist, SDLC Management, Inc., 2790 Mosside Blvd, Ste 705, Monroeville, PA 15146 & refer to “Sr. Business Intelligence Analyst”.

MANAGER OF CAPITAL PROGRAMS - STRUCTURES

Port Authority is seeking an experienced Manger of Capital Programs Structures to be responsible for the structural engineering and inspection functions related to capital improvements, maintenance and state of good repair of the Authorityʼs bridges, tunnels, walls, radio towers, inclines, busways and trackway.

Provides support on structural related aspects of Authority structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, busways and light rail transit system.

Job requirements include: •BS Degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering field.

•Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in design and/or construction management of bridges and structures, i.e. managing capital projects and professional service contracts, quality control, dispute resolution, financial and schedule control. Four (4) of the seven (7) years must be in a project lead role.

•Two (2) years in a management supervisory role.

•Professional and effective communication skills.

•Valid PA driverʼs license.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows.

Preferred attributes: •Registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

•Certification by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Certified Bridge Safety Inspection (CBSI) and Fracture Critical Inspection or comparable certifications from another state.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Bridge Inspection Management Software.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Robyn Taylor Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 RTaylor@portauthority.org EOE

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Legal Notices

DRIVER

The Allegheny County Airport Authority has a position opening for Driver at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Complete information about this position is available at http://www.flypittsburgh.com/ACAA_ employment The advertisement period ends on September 16, 2015.

EOE / M / F / D / V

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Non-profit community-based organization representing the 14 neighborhoods of Pittsburghʼs Northside is seeking candidates for: •AGH-Northside Partnership Coordinator A minimum 2 Yrs experience in community development or related field is required. Details can be found at www.pittsburghnorthside.com.

Resumes and cover letters due 9/11/2015 via email only to resumes@pittsburghnorthside.com

PROJECT ARCHITECT

Port Authority is seeking an experienced Project Architect to be responsible for all architectural and building code related aspects of Authority structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, roadways, busways and light rail transit system.

Ensures projects are within scope, schedules work and monitors budgets as well as interfaces with consultants, contractors and external stakeholder representatives. Provides support to other departments related to transit oriented development projects and other private developments near Authority rights-ofway.

Job requirements include: •BS in Architecture, Architectural Engineering, or related Degree from an accredited school or Associate Degree in Architectural Technology, or Computer Aided Drafting, or related Degree from an accredited school plus licensure as a Registered Architect.

•Six (6) years of experience in the design and/or construction of facilities and/or public infrastructure and systems.

•Professional and effective communications skills.

•Valid PA driverʼs license.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows.

Preferred attributes: •Experience in construction, maintenance and construction management.

•Registered Architect in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the ability to obtain such registration through reciprocity within one year of appointment.

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

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Missy Ramsey Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 MRamsey@portauthority.org EOE JOB OPPORTUNITIES Health Care

LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE ALLEGHENY COUNTY JAIL

Allegheny County is accepting applications for Licensed Practical Nurse positions at the Jail. Full-time, parttime, and PRN status-per diem positions are available. For application requirements and job description check our website at www.allegheny county.us/jobs or visit us at our Human Resources office at 102 County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA. America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

MANAGER, MAJOR GIVING

United Way of Westmoreland County, a part of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania The United Way of Westmoreland County, located in Greensburg, is seeking an individual to be responsible for growing our major gifts program, building relationships and soliciting major donors and prospects in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties. The Manager, Major Giving will be accountable for generating new and increased contributions via the annual campaign and special initiatives, and for addressing the custom interests of selected donors. This individual will evaluate the current leadership/major giving portfolio (gifts of $1,000 plus) and develop a comprehensive major giving strategic plan and timeline, leading from plan to results, including growing the Womenʼs Leadership Council, De Tocqueville Society, and Business Council for Community Building affinity groups.

Visit our website at http://united waypittsburgh.org/careers to view the job description and apply for this position. Submissions will only be accepted electronically.

United Way of Westmoreland County, a part of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity, serving Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette and Southern Armstrong Counties.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate Notices

Letters have been granted on the estate of each of the following decedents to the personal representative named who request all persons having claims against the estate of the decedent to make known the same in writing to him or his attorney, and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment to him without delay:

Estate of ANDREWS, JON PHILIP, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA, No. 02-15-05038, Jon Philip Andrews, Jr., Executor c/o Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, PC, One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to Nancy L. Rackoff, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AREA AGENCY ON AGING PUBLIC HEARING The Advisory Council of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging (AAA) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 10 a.m., at 2100 Wharton Street, 2nd floor, Frick Conference Rooms. The purpose of the hearing is to solicit public comment on the 2015-2016 Budget Prospectus.

Persons wishing to give testimony may pre-register by calling 412-3501323 for an assigned 5-minute slot.

Speakers may also register the day of the hearing and provide testimony as time permits.

The hearing is also an opportunity for older adults, caregivers and other interested individuals to ask questions and offer comments on aging services in general. All oral or written comments will be recorded in the official proceedings of the hearing.

The week of the public hearing, the budget prospectus will be posted on the DHS website www.allegheny county.us/dhs/plansbudgets.aspx.

To request a copy, call 412-350-1323 or contact Erin Cosgrove by email at Erin.Cosgrove@alleghenycounty.us.

Written testimony will be accepted at or after the hearing. All testimony must be received no later than Wednesday, September 23, 2015 either by email to the above contact, or mailed to the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, 2100 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203.

Marc Cherna Director

To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA CDBG, HOME, AND ESG PROGRAMS FY 2014 CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT (CAPER)

Notice is hereby given that Allegheny County intends to submit its Fiscal Year 2014 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on or before September 28, 2015.

In accordance with Title I of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended, Allegheny County has prepared its FY 2014 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Programs. This report describes the level of housing assistance, community development and economic development activities designed to benefit low- and moderate-income persons and households in Allegheny County through various federal funding programs during FY 2014 (July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015).

Copies of this FY 2014 CAPER are available for public inspection at the following locations beginning September 9, 2015 through September 24, 2015: •Office of Allegheny County Department of Economic Development (ACED) One Chatham Center, Suite 900, 112 Washington Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 •Allegheny County Managerʼs Office, County Courthouse 436 Grant Street, Room 119, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 All interested persons are encouraged to review the FY 2014 CAPER. Written comments may be addressed to Mr. Bud Schubel, Manager of Operations, One Chatham Center, Suite 900, 112 Washington Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, or by email at howard.schubel@ alleghenycounty.us. Oral comments may be made by calling (412) 350-1044. All comments on the CAPER will be considered until September 24, 2015.

Mr. Bud Schubel ACED, Manager of Operations LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

NOTICE TO BIDDERS CAPITAL FUND PROJECT PARKING LOT REHABILITATION CONTRACT RESURFACING – SEALCOAT – LINE STRIPPING LOCATED AT PA 18 WESTMORELAND COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY VARIOUS RENTAL HOUSING SITES – WESTMORELAND COUNTY •SITE CONSTRUCTION – CONTRACT: 18-2015-1-SC

The Westmoreland County Housing Authority (WCHA) is requesting construction bids for asphalt parking lot rehabilitation located at various locations within Westmoreland County.

Sealed bids will be received by the WCHA, until September 21, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. Bids shall be deposited at the Administrative Office of the WCHA, 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601. Bids received will then be opened publically.

A Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled for September 14, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. Meeting location will be at Westmoreland County Administration Office, address identified above. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended.

Interested respondents shall obtain electronic bid documents at no cost via the internet at www.wchaonline.com, hard copy bid documents can be secured by contacting Erik Spiegel – WCHA Director of A&E Services at 724-832-7248-3056. Inquiries and plan holder registration can be emailed to eriks@wchaonline.com. Plan holders shall register with WCHA via email in accordance with the bid requirements.

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LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny Countyʼs Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).

The submission date for all proposals is 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 and read at 11:15 AM., the same day, at the Port Authority, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org) Bid Number Bid Name B150532 Driver Protection Shield System B150744A Snow & Ice Removal: Park & Ride Lots B150746 Operator, Supervisor, & Fare Collector Uniforms B150747 Maintenance Personnel Uniforms B150748A Janitorial Supplies B150749A Wiping Cloths B150852A Diesel Exhaust Fluid B150854A Processed Stone Q1412108RR Refrigerants No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on each of the above items at 9:00am on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 in the Port Authorityʼs Public Meeting Room, 345 Sixth Avenue, Fifth Floor at 345 Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within 48 hours of the scheduled bid opening.

These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

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

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

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

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR TREE AND SHRUB REMOVAL AUTHORITY WIDE IFB#300-28-15

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): TREE AND SHRUB REMOVAL AUTHORITY WIDE IFB#300-28-15 The documents will be available no later than September 8, 2015 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 A.M., September 25, 2015 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

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

Questions or inquires should be directed to: Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116 Opt 1 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Thursday, September 17, 2015 10:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACPʼs has revised their website.

As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 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.

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INVITATION TO BID

Sealed bids for Thompson Run Interceptor Protection project will be received by The Municipality of Penn Hills until 10:30 A.M. local prevailing time, on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at the Municipality of Penn Hills Municipal Building, 12245 Frankstown Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235, at which time such Bids will be opened and read publicly. The work shall be performed under one contract. Bidders may submit proposals for the respective contract as follows: The excavation of approximately 250 cubic yards of unclassified on-site excavation, the placement of approximately 40 cubic yards of foreign borrow material, the installation of approximately 210 square yards of riprap, 20 cubic yards of large boulders to construct one (1) rock vane and the associated erosion control and site restoration to provide protection of the interceptor sewer by realigning Thompson Run located at the Penn Hills and Monroeville municipal boundary at the intersection of Old William Penn Highway and Thompson Run Road.

The Contract Document is on file and open for public inspection at the office of the Engineer, Levine Engineering, LLC, 1108 13th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16603. The Contract Document may be obtained at the office of the Engineer between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday, except Holidays (Telephone 814-946-4859). There will be a handling charge of Twenty Dollars ($20.00) per copy of the Contract Document forwarded by mail to a prospective Bidder. Addenda, if any, will be issued to only those persons whose name and address are on record with the Engineer as having obtained the Contract Document.

A Pre-Bid conference (for prospective bidders only) will be held at the Penn Hills Public Works Department located at 6600 Leechburg Road, Penn Hills, Pennsylvania 15147 on Friday, September 11, 2015 at 10:30 A.M. The attention of the Bidders is directed to the Minority Business, Womenʼs Business and Small Business DBE, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) requirements for construction projects funded under the program. The lowest qualified Bidder will be required to submit documentation showing compliance with the DBE requirements. Bidders must submit documentary evidence of DBEʼs who have been contacted and to whom commitments have been made. Documentation of such solicitations and commitments shall be submitted with the Bid. The Successful Bidder will be expected to seek Minority Business, Womenʼs Business and Small Business Participation in obtaining supplies as well as in subcontracting work.

Notice is given that not less than the minimum wage rates set forth in the Contract Document must be paid to employees on this project in accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prevailing wage rates.

Bidders are advised that this project may be financed, in part, by the EPA. The attention of the Bidders is directed to the federal requirements and certifications E.O. No. 11246 and 11375.

Each bid must be accompanied by a Certified or Bank Check; or Bid Bond naming as payee or obligee, as applicable, The Municipality of Penn Hills, in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the bid as security for proper execution of the Agreement and submitting other documents as required by the Bidding Document.

The Successful Bidder will be required to execute the Agreement and to furnish a performance and payment bonds, each of said bonds to be in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, all in the respective forms provided in the Bidding Document. The Contractor also will be required to furnish evidence of insurance coverage as required by the Bidding Document.

All bonds shall be executed by sureties named in the current list, “Companies Holding Certificates of Authority as Acceptable Sureties in Federal Bonds and as Acceptable Reinsuring Companies” as published in Circular 570 (as amended) by the Audit Staff, Bureau of Government Financial Operations, U.S. Treasury Department and shall be acceptable to The Municipality of Penn Hills.

All Bids shall be in a sealed envelope and plainly marked as follows: THE MUNICIPALITY OF PENN HILLS MUNICIPAL BUILDING 12245 FRANKSTOWN ROAD PITTSBURGH, PA 15235 BID FOR: Thompson Run Interceptor Protection Contract No. PH-1 The Municipality of Penn Hills reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof or items therein, to waive any defects or irregularities in the Bids, and to accept any Bid which, in its judgement, is for its best interest.

Bids shall remain open for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of Bid opening unless award is delayed by a required approval from a governmental agency, the sale of bonds, or the award of a grant or grants, in which event the Bids shall remain open for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of Bid opening.

The Municipality of Penn Hills Mohammad F. Rayan, Manager

SONNY BOY

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed bids will be received in the Office Of The Chief Operations Officer, Room 251, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 and will be opened at the same hour for the purchase of the following equipment and supplies: ROCK SALT & ICE MELT General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Office of the Purchasing Agent, Service Center, 1305 Muriel Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. The bid documents are available on the School Districtʼs Purchasing web site at: http://www.pghboe.net/pps/site/ default.asp Click on Bid Opportunities 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.

Leon Webb Purchasing Agent We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

The Washington County Housing Authority will receive separate sealed bids for a single prime contract with the Authority for BUILDING DEMOLITION at FREDERICK TERRACE, FREDERICKTOWN, PA. A certified check or bank draft payable to the Washington County Housing Authority, a US Government Bond or satisfactory Bid Bond executed by the bidder and acceptable sureties in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the bid shall be submitted with each bid.

Bids will be received no later than 2:00PM PREVAILING TIME ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015 at the Washington County Housing Authority, 100 Crumrine Tower, Franklin Street, Washington, PA 15301 at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids will be held by the Housing Authority for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days prior to contract award.

A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at 9:30AM PREVAILING TIME ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015.

Interested parties are to meet at the Project Site, 747 Crawford Road, Fredericktown, PA 15333.

Plans, specifications and contract documents may be examined at the following locations: The Builders Exchange 1813 North Franklin Street Pittsburgh, PA 15233 Ohio Valley Construction Employers Council 21 Armory Drive Wheeling, WV 26003 and obtained through the office of the Architect, Shaeffer & Madama, Inc., 57 Fourteenth Street, Wheeling, WV 26003 upon receipt of a One Hundred Dollar ($100) deposit. Any unsuccessful bidder, upon returning the complete set in good, reusable condition to the Architect within ten (10) days following the bid opening will be refunded their deposit less postage. Non-bidders will not receive a refund.

The work to be performed under this contract is a Section 3 Project under provisions of the Housing & Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, and must, to the greatest extent feasible, provide opportunities for training and employment for lower-income residents of the project and contracts for work in connection with the project be awarded to business concerns which are located in, or owned by, Washington County residents. Particular attention is directed to requirements of Executive Order 11246, 11625 and 12138, as well as Section 3 requirements, as set forth in the Specifications The Washington County Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids or waive any informality in the bidding.

STEPHEN K. HALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

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Pick up your Courier at these locations WESTERN AREA: CRAFTON BEVERAGE CRAFTON/INGRAM SHOPPING CENTER GIANT EAGLE CRAFTON/INGRAM SHOPPING CENTER SHEETZ #353 5400 CAMPBELL’S RUN RD SHOP N’ SAVE #1686 2103 NOBLESTOWN RD SAFRANS SUPER MKT 429 WALNUT ST GIANT EAGLE #74 PARKWAY CENTER MALL SOUTHERN AREA: KEN’S 216 BELTZHOOVER AVE NELSON’S 92 SYLVANIA AVE GIANT EAGLE #61 2021 WHARTON AVE COGO’S 2400 EAST CARSON ST COGO’S 925 EAST CARSON ST DAILY MART 1125 ARLINGTON AVE SHOP N SAVE CARRICK SOUTH EASTERN AREA: SUPER STOP 403 KENMAWR AVE CARL’S CAFE 337 FIFTH AVE COMET NEWS 540 BRADDOCK AVE PUFFS DISCOUNT TOBACCO 1722 GREENSBUR AVE A-PLUS SUNOCO 7403 WASHINGTON ST COGO’S 1050 BRINTON RD COGO’S 2003 S BRADDOCK AVE EDGEWOOD EXPRESS 253 EDGEWOOD AVE BRAD EXPRESS 1101 S BRADDOCK AVE GIANT EAGLE #619 1705 S. BRADDOCK AVE CVS 7406 CHURCH ST HANINI MARKET 1105 SWISSVALE AVE DUKE’S SUNOCO 825 DUQUESNE BLVD 7-11 818 N. DUQUESNE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #6379 420 EAST WATERFRONT DR GIANT EAGLE—MCKEESPORT 3812 O’NEILL BLVD J & S FOOD MART 625 W GRANT AVE RITE AID PHARMACY 100 WILLIAM MARKS DR GIANT EAGLE 1356 HOFFMAN BLVD BP GAS STATION LYSLE & WALNUT DS FOODMART 929 UNION ST RITE AID PHARMACY 725 LYSLE BLVD CHARLIE’S CORNER STORE 500 LOCUST ST NEIGHBORHOOD DOLLAR 333 5TH AVE GIANT EAGLE #38 1901 MURRAY AVE JACK’S E 8TH AVE EASTERN AREA: WATERWORKS GIANT EAGLE #72 1005 FREEPORT RD— DIVINE HAIR STUDIO 10 DUFF RD GIANT EAGLE 9001 FRANKSTOWN RD GIANT EAGLE #78 230 RODI RD SHELL GAS STATION 11835 FRANKSTOWN RD THE SPOT 11675 FRANKSTOWN RD MASH MINI MART 4341 OLD WM. PENN HWY GIANT EAGLE #60 4004 MONROEVILLE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #76 AMES PLAZA, ROUTE

22 GET IT QUICK 500 GARDEN CITY JT RIB SHACK 1 RAQUET LANE DESTINY’S HAIR SALON 408 RODI RD PUFF’S DISCOUNT TOBACCO 10991 FRANKSTOWN RD MIKE’S SPOT 815 UNIVERSAL RD CREAMY CREATIONS 144B JEFFERSON RD SHOP N SAVE 3335 WILLIAM PENN HWY SHEETZ 3457 WILLIAM PENN HWY GETGO 10525 FRANKSTOWN RD CVS PHARMACY 10600 FRANKSTOWN RD SHELL OIL 7619 BAUM BLVD KIWI SUNOCO FRANKSTOWN AVE WILLIAM PENN SMOKE SHOP II 132 NORTH HIGHLAND AVE MARATHON GAS 6680 FRANKSTOWN AVE PENN AIKEN DAIRY 5401 PENN AVE GIANT EAGLE #17 6320 SHAKESPEARE ST HOMEWOOD MARKET 7201 FRANKSTOWN AVE SALIK HARDWARE 607 NORTH HOMEWOOD AVE NEGLEY A PLUS 123 NORTH NEGLEY AVE BAKER’S 7203 HAMILTON & STERRETT AVES DORSEY’S RECORDS 7614 FRANKSTOWN AVE HOSPITAL CORNER 4201 PENN AVE PEOPLES GROCERY 5136 PENN AVE A&M MARKET 5224 PENN AVE A-PLUS MINI MART 7701 PENN AVE WOOD & PENN 902 WOOD ST AL’S FISH & CHICKEN 1000 PENN AVE SAVE A LOT 725 ROSS AVE CVS PHARMACY 520 PENN AVE GETGO 408 PENN AVE QUICK STOP LIBERTY 3349 LIBERTY AVE K-2 CONVENIENT STORE 4900 PENN AVE SHUR SAVE 4120 MAIN ST SHELL GAS 6701 FRANKSTOWN RD UNIMART 5724 ELLSWORTH AVE GIANT EAGLE #77 254 YOST BLVD PUFF’S DISCOUNT TOBACCO 234 YOST BLVD SPEEDY MART 2131 ARDMORE BLVD SQUIRREL HILL NEWS 5804 FORBES AVE MURRAY AVE. NEWS 2024 MURRAY AVE GIANT EAGLE MURRAY AVE & LORETTA ST DISCOUNT TOBACCO & NEWS 1929 MURRAY AVE UNIVERSITY OF PGH BOOKSTORE 4000 5TH AVE DANA’S BAKERY 720 N. HOMEWOOD AVE DA STORE 606 & 1/2 N. HOMEWOOD AVE FLOSSYS HAIR DESIGNS 5927 PENN AVE BONUS TIRE SERVICE 4349 VERONA RD KANDY CAFE 4291 VERONA RD GIANT EAGLE SHADYSIDE 550 CENTRE AVE MARATHON GAS 4010 PENN AVE

STANTON NEGLEY DRUG 804 N. NEGLEY AVE RON’S CORNER DRUG MT. CARMEL RD CENTRAL AREA: GET GO #64 4924 BAUM BLVD SCHWARTZ MARKET 1901 5TH AVE SMOKER FRIENDLY 906 5TH AVE HILL DISTRICT: WONG’S MARKET 2170 CENTRE AVE ANN’S MARKET 2316 WEBSTER AVE A-PLUS MINI MART 2350 CENTRE AVE UJAMMA BOUTIQUE 1901 CENTRE AVE K LEROY IRVIS TOWERS 715 MERCER ST SHOP & SAVE SUPERMARKET 1850 CENTRE AVE ABE’S MARKET 1860 CENTRE AVE WYLIE TOBACCO 2152 WYLIE AVE DOWNTOWN: KWIK-E-MART 212-10TH ST 7-11 #167 643 LIBERTY AVE 7-11 #165 SIXTH & PENN AVE 7-11 #170 429 WOOD ST ESTER’S SNAX FEDERAL BUILDING, 2ND FL SMITHFIELD NEWS 115 SMITHFIELD ST CITY NEWS & ARCADE 422 WOOD ST FABER COE & GREGG 500 GRANT ST FABER COE & GREGG FIFTH AVE. PLACE FABER COE & GREGG 600 GRANT ST NIELSEN’S STORES #09 301 GRANT ST— ONE OXFORD CENTER NIELSEN’S STORES #13 437 SEVENTH AVE— KOPPERS BUILDING 9TH & PENN NEWS-NUMBERS 136 PENN AVE EXTRA EXTRA NEWS 413 SEVENTH AVE NEAL NEWS 400 CHERRY WAY CVS PHARMACY #4120 610-612 WOOD ST C&C NEWS 2 PPG PLACE NEWSTAND SIXTH & WOOD ONE STOP 300 SIXTH & WOOD EDDIE’S SNACKS 262 5TH AVE BIG DADDY 465 FORBES AVE 711 SMITHFIELD 420 SMITHFIELD ST NORTHERN AREA: W. N. GROCERY 1018 NORTH AVE. NORTH SIDE BEER & BEVERAGE 1304 FEDERAL ST ALLEGHENY GIFT SHOP—AGH HOSPITAL 320 EAST NORTH AVE GIANT EAGLE #652 318 CEDAR AVE 7-11 #158 1001 WESTERN AVE RICHEY’S BARBER SHOP 1207 N. FRANKLIN ST QUIK-IT 820 PENNSYLVANIA AVE RITE AID #3459 802 PENNSYLVANIA AVE MARSHALL SHELL 1500 SPRING GARDEN AVE SWINKO’S MARKET 2535 PERYSVILLE AVE MERCY STREET EXPRESS 6 MERCY ST HARV’S EXXON 2501 BRIGHTON RD QUICK SCHWARTZ 3235 BRIGHTON RD HANINI MARKET 3245 BRIGHTON RD

C6

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

PEOPLE

POISE stays focused on strengthening Black families

by Paige Mitchell For New Pittsburgh Courier

POISE Foundation is the future, and the evolution of the participation of Black Philanthropists in the economic and social development of the Black community.

Whereas other groups and organizations focus on single issues affecting Blacks, the POISE Foundation is focusing on strengthening the entire family.

“POISE foundation has been a part of the Pittsburgh community for 35 years,” said Mark Lewis, CEO of POISE Foundation.

“During that time, we have supported over 300 organizations that provide critical services to Black families.

We have also provided over $1 million in scholarships to families seeking private school alternatives and $9 million in grants to organizations and post secondary scholarships.

“However, it has only been over the last three years that POISE developed in-

MARK LEWIS ternally a philosophy of Strengthening the Black Families.”

“Strengthening Black Families: A Case for Philanthropic Investment” is POISE’s family-centered program that was strategically set in place to support our fellow families, Lewis said.

The program strategy used to strengthen families is community engagement, local and national philanthropic partnerships, research and policy, and

thought leadership.

POISE realizes the importance of new and transformative approaches to impact community change, Lewis said.

“It is our hope this position paper stimulates conversation and encourages the philanthropic community to leverage one of the most critical assets in the Black community—the Black Family,” said POISE Vice President Karris Jackson.

“Strengthening Black Families is the core work that POISE does and supports must be done through a family lens. We will not have the level of impact our community needs to reduce racial disparities in nearly every category measured, by separating and segregating individual family members in order to provide services. The family is the first and most core institution in our society,” Lewis said.

POISE was designed to lift up and support the Black family as a core social institution. It is centered around families and in-

KARRIS JACKSON vested in seeing them grow.

The program was actually launched in 2012.

“We realize we must develop a strategic plan and commitment that determines how our collective dollars will be invested to generate the greatest return for our community.

The heart of this plan must focus on strengthening Black families,” Lewis said.

As of December 2014, POISE managed more than 150 funds with a balance of

$6,500,000. The foundation’s grants are mainly small, yet over the years of its grant making history it has made an incredible impact in Black communities in Greater Pittsburgh.

POISE’s mission statement is to assist the Pittsburgh Region’s Black community in achieving selfsustaining practices through strategic leadership, collective giving, grant making, and advocacy.

POISE envisions a Pittsburgh region in which all members of the Black community are empowered and self- sufficient, Lewis said.

The POISE Foundation was founded in December of 1980 by Bernard H. Jones as the first public foundation in the state of Pennsylvania organized and managed by African Americans.

The POISE Foundation employs collective giving to enable donors to realize their philanthropic goals, pooling resources to provide funding to worthy organizations and causes. Donors give to the foundation’s general

unrestricted endowment, where funds are used to make a greater impact on the Pittsburgh region.

For 35 years, the foundation has been supporting programs that add value to the quality of life of Black Pittsburgh and its surrounding regions; and has expanded its services to impact Black families and their communities.

“Because of organizations like the POISE Foundation, our youth, neighborhoods, and families are getting the help and support they need.

Thank you POISE Foundation for dedicating to the enhancement of our people for years,” said Rachel Smith, a supporter of POISE. “POISE is committed to seeing an advancement in the Black community through policy, research, and investments. What the POISE Foundation has established has helped countless Black families, and will for years to come,” said Feneé Winston, another POISE supporter.

Gainey heads back to school backpack giveaway

EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS—Supporters of Ed Gainey, Connie Moore and Nacel Hunter help give the kids a good start to the new school year.

CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION—Touch Of Class, of Homewood, brought several children out to the giveaway to receive backpacks. (Photos by Rossano P. Stewart)

SUPPORT GOES A LONG WAY—Volunteers, from left: Stephanie Wilkes, Joan Howard, Tomar Lindsey, Candice Williams and Barbara Brown.

State Rep. Ed Gainey hosted a Back to School Giveaway at Destiny International Ministry, located at 7061 Lemington Ave., Lincoln-Lemington.

This event was held to help Pittsburgh students

start the 2015 school year off right, Gainey said.

Students in grades K-5 received a backpack and school supplies. They had to be present to receive a backpack.

READY TO START—State Rep. Ed Gainey gives a backpack to young Tyjan Gault, 9, at Destiny International Ministry.

A GREAT TURNOUT