January 13, 2021 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

INSIDE: COLUMNIST TERENEH IDIA REACTS TO WATCHING THE SIEGE ON THE NATION’S CAPITOL PITTSBURGH’S ALTERNATIVE FOR NEWS, ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT SINCE 1991

“I would want to see the judges or people in power openly acknowledge that cash bail doesn’t work and that it criminalizes poverty.” — MAN-E

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JAN. 13-20, 2021 VOLUME 30 + ISSUE 2 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD News Editor RYAN DETO Senior Writer AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writer HANNAH LYNN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Art Director ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designers JOSIE NORTON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Sales Representatives ZACK DURKIN, OWEN GABBEY, NICKI MULVIHILL Operations Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

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AN-E WAS 16 YEARS OLD when he was ﬁrst arrested. While he wasn’t found guilty of that charge, he and his family still suffered consequences. MAN-E, who uses a pseudonym but provided Pittsburgh City Paper his legal name, says the bail set from that charge was $25,000. He says he was fortunate enough that his family could raise enough money to secure the funds through a bail bondsman, but his family still had to forfeit a percentage — thousands of dollars, in this case — to the bondsman. MAN-E, who is part of the BUKIT Bail Fund, a local collective of volunteers who raise money “for supporting the release of incarcerated individuals and the campaign to end cash bail,” according to its website, has been charged three other times since, and each time was given a cash bail. Even though he was never found guilty of these charges, and some were dropped by prosecutors, he says he still had incurred more than $100,000 in total bail. That means he either has to hold large sums of cash to provide to courts, which will then be refunded once he appears for his hearing and/or trial, or he has to provide a percentage or that to a bail bondsman, who will then make the bail payment. “In one case, my mother had to put our house up to a bail bondsman, and if I didn’t show up to the court, then they could take her house,” says MAN-E. This system of cash bail is common in Allegheny County, and in most of the United States. The justiﬁcation of assigning large sums of money

With Allegheny County magistrate races this year, advocates highlight their importance in the fight to end cash bail BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

bail to the accused is to encourage them to return to trial and hearings. If they don’t show up, they forfeit the money and an arrest warrant is issued. If bail is not met, the accused are incarcerated in the Allegheny County Jail, which, like many jails, has documentation of unsafe conditions. This happens even if a person is eventually deemed not guilty or charges are dropped. MAN-E says he has spent a total of a few weeks in jail, even though he has never been convicted of any crime. Cash bail is not just assigned to people accused of serious crimes. This summer, cash bail was often assigned to Black Lives Matter protesters, who were largely charged with misdemeanors like disorderly conduct or failure to disperse. According to the Pittsburgh PostGazette, 32 protesters were ordered to pay 10% of a cash amount between $1,000 and $5,000, and eight were required to pay 10% of $10,000, in connection to arrests in summer 2020. Criminal justice advocates have been trying to end the use of cash bail for years, and efforts have been successful in some states and jurisdictions. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, those held for pretrial are four times more likely to be sentenced to prison than defendants released prior to trial, due in part to defendants making hurried decisions to plea to lower charges just to get out of jail. Those who can’t make the cash payment risk being exposed to the negative mental effects incarceration can have on individuals, and the subpar mental health care provided at jails. On top of that, some studies show that cash bail has little to no effect on court appearance

rates or public safety. Academics at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed Philadelphia data in 2018, and showed that failure-to-appear rates and arrests didn’t increase after cash bail was not assigned. Advocates in Pennsylvania have tried to get county District Attorneys on board, tried to get the state legislature to pass laws, and other noble, yet difficult, efforts. But there are other, arguably, more direct levels of advocacy here in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania’s second largest county. In Allegheny County, bail is set by a Magisterial District Judge at a preliminary arraignment, often before prosecutors are involved. That means Magisterial District Judges have discretion in how they set bail, and this relatively obscure public office can actually have the power to end the use of cash bail entirely. With about 20 magisterial district judges races on the ballot this year, a lot can change in districts across Allegheny County. “I would want to see the judges or people in power openly acknowledge that cash bail doesn’t work and that it criminalizes poverty,” says MAN-E. “It’s not based on public safety, it is only focused on finances.” Late last year, Allegheny County had an opportunity to see what kind of effect wide-scale prohibition on cash bail would have, but many district judges failed to participate. According to Allegheny County Councilor Bethany Hallam (D-Ross), who also sits on the county’s Jail Oversight Board, Allegheny County President Judge Kim Clark stated that she had recently asked magistrates to stop using cash bail at a Jail OverCONTINUES ON PG. 6

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MAN-E poses for a portrait on the South Side on Sat., Jan. 9, 2021.

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Judge Mik Pappas poses for a portrait inside his East Liberty office on Thu., Jan. 7, 2021.

sight Board meeting in December 2020. The criminal-justice advocacy group Abolitionist Law Center tracked how much cash bail was assigned across districts after Clark’s request. Eleven judges complied and eliminated using cash bail in the aftermath of the meeting, but most didn’t. Some lowered their average amounts of cash bail issued, but 13 judges actually increased how much they used cashing bail, on average. “The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing,” says Autumn Redcross of ALC. “We get to see the randomness of bail hearings from judge to judge. There are some that just charge higher bails than others, that is part of the arbitrariness of this and part of the problem.” This arbitrary nature has disproportionate effects on Black people in Allegheny County. According to an ALC report that tracked court reports from May 11

through June 8, 2020, just nine zip codes with a disproportionate Black population accounted for 38% of the dollar value of all monetary bail bail issued in Allegheny County over that period. Only about 13% of Allegheny County residents are Black. According to 2015 statistics from the Bureau of Justice, an estimated 450,000 people are sitting in jail awaiting trial on an average day, mostly because they can’t afford bail. In Allegheny County, a large plurality of inmates in the jail are held because of parole/probation violations, another issue advocates want to reform. A much smaller percentage of Allegheny County inmates are held solely because they can’t pay cash bail, says Redcross, but she believes the practice is still overly punitive. “If they want to take responsibility for those in jail, then the cash bail system makes no sense,” says Redcross. “What are we protecting?”

Redcross says many local judges have been using “unsecured cash bail,” which means defendants don’t have to provide money upfront, and only have to pay if they fail to show up to their court dates. She says unsecured cash bail is a stepping stone and a good thing, but it is not the ultimate goal. She says a more effective, and fair, method to get defendants to meet their court dates is just providing resources to remind them. Redcross says ALC and other advocacy groups have been dedicating efforts to do just that, providing text and mail reminders of court dates, but she says the county or the courts could be doing this, too. “There is no system to remind people about their hearings. A lot of people that there are warrants for them, had no idea,” says Redcross. “They might be housing insecure, don’t receive mail, or they just forget.”

City Paper listened in on one arraignment session on Jan. 6 in an Allegheny County magistrate court. Out of ﬁve defendants seen over less than an hour, only one was assigned cash bail: 10% of a $25,000 bond for summary and misdemeanor charges. Others were assigned unsecured cash bail. For the majority of the defendants, there wasn’t a lot of dialogue between them and the judge. The judge didn’t explain to most defendants why he was assigning the bail, and mostly just read off the charges and the defendants’ upcoming court dates. For one defendant, who can be heard audibly yelling before seeing the judge, the judge did calmly, and thoroughly, explain why he was setting three separate unsecured cash bonds of $1,000 each. “This is just a formality, you are going to get released today, just be quiet and listen,” said the Allegheny County judge on Jan. 6. CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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More than twenty cars blocked Second Avenue outside of the Allegheny County Jail as people protested conditions for Black women, calling for the release of inmates and ending the use of cash bail on Tue., May 12, 2020.

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One Allegheny County magistrate judge who says he has eliminated cash bail in his district is Mik Pappas. He has served since 2018 in District 05-02-31, which comprises several East End neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh. Pappas says there are some ﬁxes that Magisterial District Judges can do to eliminate cash bail, and still assign conditions that defendants must meet to address any public safety concerns. “There are a variety of options out there,” says Pappas. “Because of the unsecured bail option, do we really need professional bail bondsmen at all? … They want to know that a community is going to be safe. I think if there were more options in place, than they would be willing to listen.” During his 2017 campaign, he openly ran on eliminating cash bail, and he believes other candidates can too. He says large foundations, like MacArther and Heinz, have become increasingly involved in trying to eliminate cash bail. Pappas says large majorities of Americans back criminal justice reforms and believe that rich Americans get better outcomes in courts than the poor. “We have a responsibility to report to the public,” says Pappas. “When I think of

how much we rely on incarceration and arrest, and I see how much it impacts people’s lives, we need to think of opportunities of diversion.” Pappas says he has relied on several different strategies to divert defendants from cash bail in his courtroom, including community-sponsored release, which provides services like helping to ﬁnd housing, employment, and rides to court for defendants whose judges determine they might not show up to their court date. The Community Release Project created by advocacy group Silicon Valley De-Bug has been practicing this in Santa Clara County, Calif. and says communitysponsored release has resulted in a non-monetary release or signiﬁcant bail reduction in 76% of all the cases it reviewed. He says he can also deny cash bail, so that the bail decision is automatically pushed up to the higher Common Pleas Court Judge, who has more discretion to assign electronic monitoring and other policies that avoid cash bail. Pappas says he will really only assign unsecure cash bail or assign a non-contact condition to a defendant if there are certain risks he assesses, like in domestic violence cases. MAN-E says it’s crucial for magistrate judges in Allegheny County to do everyFollow news editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

thing in their power to keep defendants out of jail, and hopes eliminating cash bail is part of that. He says one of his cousins sat in jail for four years before he went to court. “A lot of people get lost in the wind. A lot of inmates say they are ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ A lot of people really feel abandoned,” says MAN-E. One big issue Pappas says that advocacy groups and foundations could initially fund is getting family members, social workers, lawyers, and/or members of advocacy groups at every preliminary arraignment. Basically, Pappas uses several different rules afforded to him as a judge to avoid assigning cash bail. This is why he is bullish on judges and candidates following suit. He acknowledges that Magisterial District Judges can often be a mysterious elected ofﬁce, but he is conﬁdent that, with the right advocacy and approach, all can be amenable to eliminating cash bail. It’s just that many are used to the system risk assessment followed by assigning cash bail. “It is rare for a human being who would see someone in a vulnerable position, and not give that person that chance,” says Pappas.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

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On Wed., Jan. 6, 2021, Trump loyalists took control of the U.S. Capitol building.

.VIEWS.

THE SOUL OF A COUNTRY BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

OTHING WORKED.

Not turning off my phone for an hour, only to turn it back on and staying up until 12:30 in the morning from where I’m currently living in Izmir, Turkey. Not waking up at 5 a.m. to see even more horrific images from the nation’s Capitol building under siege. Not eating rose-flavored lokum (Turkish delight) at 5 a.m. Not scrolling through more images and video to see international and local reactions of the day’s events — from shock to glee. Not making pancakes and pouring the hardto-find and overpriced bottle of maple

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syrup on top. Nothing was helping my mood of anger because I did not know what I actually wanted to happen. Not really, not in that instant. Sure, on one hand, I wanted all of Pittsburgh’s sinkholes, revealed and those lying in wait, to magically appear in Washington, D.C. and swallow up not only the terrorists and insurgent white people who were attempting a coup d’etat, but also their police, congressional, military, and White House enablers. Transporting them alive — I am not in the position, power,

or mindset to condemn anyone to death — to where, I did not care, as long as it was no longer on this planet. Because I also wouldn’t wish them on any other country on Earth. Nothing was helping. I was unable to move from the couch. A beautiful, hand-knit sea blue and grey wrap made lovingly by my boyfriend’s mother — a New Year’s Eve gift — wrapped around my shoulders; not even then could I ﬁnd peace, comfort. Not looking at images of my great great grandfather, great grandparents, and grandparents, hoping some under-

standing of their endurance and ability to ﬁnd joy, love from the 1800s to the mid20th century would seep out of my DNA and into my brain. Grandma, how did you do it? Laugh, smile, make children in a country that hates us so much? In a country that owes us everything and has not even begun, not even begun, to pay back the debt. Finally, my boyfriend turned on the TV and tuned to BBC News. There was something about seeing the images on a huge screen that turned the screws of the barbed wire of anger that had grown so quickly like an unwanted vine around

my heart, or was it there all along? Squeezing, squeezing until a wail, a cry, and then tears ... so many tears. I could not stop. I cried because I do not have a country. I cried because I, as a Black woman, have one of biggest payment-due bills of any peoples on this Earth, and in America. Realizing therefore that not only do I have a country, but that I AM America. That Indigenous and Black people of this land are the soul of the country and because we are treated as second and third-class citizens, America has no soul until we have justice. Seeing those white men and women storming the Capitol building felt like a personal violation, entering the People’s House. I yelled seeing images of the Black Capitol employees sweeping the glass off the ﬂoor, cleaning the mess of violent whiteness again. How many centuries has this gone on? I screamed to no one, reading social posts from “woke” whites and their white allies of color who were stunned, shocked, and horriﬁed of: 1.) Such a violent display and 2.) That most of the white people were left to go in peace. I yelled at the TV screen to President-

GRANDMA, HOW DID YOU DO IT? LAUGH, SMILE, MAKE CHILDREN IN A COUNTRY THAT HATES US SO MUCH? IN A COUNTRY THAT OWES US EVERYTHING AND HAS NOT EVEN BEGUN, NOT EVEN BEGUN, TO PAY BACK THE DEBT. elect Joseph Biden for saying that this is “not America” when it clearly, very much is, and then thinking, “Is this what I am waiting for? For this white man to come to ofﬁce to replace another white man?” Was the presidentelect only talking to white people when

he said that? The only ones who could believe such a myth? I kept shaking my head so much that I did not know if my head would ever stay in one place, or maybe being dizzy would be better than consciousness. I thought about all of the myth-

making, propaganda, and white-centric violence I have been force-fed to believe is civilization, the peak of civilization, since birth. Throughout this time, the past four years and more, but especially these past four years, I think of my young nephews and my nearly century-old father, who should not, at the beginning or ending of a life, have to live in this constant state of anti-Black, white violence. Of course none of us should. This multiple pandemic time. This super spreader event of multiple viruses. <Insert deep breath> Here is the space where I am meant to offer up some hope. During my crying ﬁt, my boyfriend — whose Turkish name actually means hope — held me as I cried and said that there is, in fact, well, hope. He said that these people, this system, cannot endure. That in America, there is opportunity for real justice. “At least Biden will do something, right?” He meant to say it as fact, but it sounded more like a question. Seeing the look of doubt on my face, he mustered up his resolve, and said, “It will be better, you’ll see. It will be OK, stop crying now, please, stop crying.”

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.NEWS.

IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE EVENTS OF WED., Jan. 6 prompted Pennsylvania politicians across the state, and across party lines, to issue statements condemning, with varying degrees of intensity, the insurrection by pro-Trump protesters on the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Local U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Forest Hills) ﬁrst made a statement while the events involving the violent mob were still unfolding. “This is solely on Donald Trump, he is personally responsible,” Doyle told Pittsburgh City Paper on Jan. 6. “He brought them down here.” On Jan. 7, Doyle issued a statement on social media announcing he was cosponsoring articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. “He demonstrated yesterday that every day he’s President is a day he will try to overturn the election and undermine our democracy,” said Doyle in his statement. “He must be removed from ofﬁce immediately.” Other representatives in Pittsburgh and beyond have joined Doyle in his condemnation and calls for impeachment. On Jan. 10, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Mt. Lebanon) explained in a Twitter thread why he supports impeaching Trump, and why “it must be done immediately.”

He went on to explain that, even though it’s currently unlikely for the Republicans in the Senate to impeach Trump, the House doing so would ensure that things are ready to go should representatives in the Senate have a change of heart. “Since Wednesday, many people have observed that there should have been busloads of police & military personnel ready to go in case something like this happened,” wrote Lamb. “Impeachment is the political equivalent of that. We need to be ready to go, which means we need to do it immediately.” The insurrection began as a protest by Trump supporters against the false allegations that President-elect Joe Biden’s victory was “stolen.” It coincided with Congress meeting to certify Biden’s win. Before people stormed the Capitol, Trump held a “Save America Rally” to bolster the lie that he wrongfully lost the election. In his speech, Trump encouraged his supporters to “walk down to the Capitol,” which has been closed to the public for months due to the pandemic. He also told the crowd “we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some

of them,” and “you’ll never take back our country with weakness.” The protesters turned violent and stormed the Capitol as a mob. People were harmed, and the Capitol building itself was damaged, with glass shattered and objects stolen from congressional officers. Members of Congress were forced to shelter in their offices or within the House and Senate floors as the mob breached the rooms. No Republican members of the House have, as of Jan. 11, publicly supported impeaching Trump or calling for his resignation. But, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (RLehigh), who reliably sides with the more conservative wing of his party, is one of the few Republicans to suggest he would support Trump’s impeachment. In his initial reactions, Toomey was slightly hesitant, saying on Fox News “I do think the president committed impeachable offenses, but I don’t know what is going to land on the Senate floor if anything.” Later, Toomey told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he feels Trump resigning is the best move, but again shied away from directly saying he would vote for the President’s impeachment. Toomey called Trump resigning “the best path forward,”

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but said that, while Trump “committed impeachable offenses,” he didn’t believe it would be possible to impeach Trump before he leaves ofﬁce on Jan. 20. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton) does fully support impeaching and removing Trump “because he betrayed his oath to the Constitution and incited a mob to violence,” said Casey in a statement. The Democratic senator added that members of Congress who led the effort to overthrow a democratic election should also be held accountable. Two Pittsburgh-area representatives, U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Peters) and Mike Kelly (R-Butler), both sued Pennsylvania over the presidential elections in an attempt to disenfranchise millions of mail-in voters. Reschenthaler condemned the violence at the Capitol, but on Twitter, endorsed House GOP Kevin McCarthy’s statement, which said “Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more.” Kelly also brushed away impeachment, saying in a statement, “I don’t believe President Trump committed an impeachable offense when he told those at the rally to protest peacefully and make their voices heard.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

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TAKEOUT REVIEW: ROCKAWAY PIZZERIA BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

“

E DO NOT SERVE ranch

dressing with pizza.” I found this disclaimer on the bottom of the menu at Rockaway Pizzeria, a White Oak joint that specializes in New York-style pizza. For me, this statement solidiﬁed their commitment to the NY slice; I don’t know of any area in the eastern U.S. that is as committed to the ranch and pizza combination as Pittsburgh. At a quick glance, the menu at Rockaway looks to be the same as any Pittsburgh pizzeria, which makes the ranch comment stick out even more. There’s a long list of pizzas, both Sicillian and New York-style, hoagies, the standard appetizers, and salads. But look closer, and Rockaway Pizzeria begins to show its true colors. The specialty pie menu is a chaos of good ﬂavors. There’s the classics, of course, like cheese and pepperoni, followed by a margherita-style pie, smothered with vodka sauce; an

artichoke pie, featuring mascarpone cream sauce and bacon; NY Strip steak, a mainstay on multiple slices; and one pizza modeled after lasagna. The further you read, the more unconventional it gets, coming to a peak with a Connecticut staple: the white clam pie. (Yes, it’s topped with actual clams.) Though I wasn’t brave enough to order the clam pie on my first trip to Rockaway, I did go for two unusual styles: an upside-down, vodka saucetopped Sicillian and The Frankenstein, a four-part pizza called their “sampler.” Because I’m a sucker for a good crust, I went for the Sicillian pie first. The crust, maybe about a half-inch thick, was cooked to a beautifully-crunchy edge, caramelizing and punching with rich, salty cheese at the slightly charred — and deliciously bitter — corners. With every bite, the air-bubble filled crust sprung back into its original shape, like a squished sponge. Upside-down meant that sauce

topped the cheese, which kept the crust from getting too soaked. Vodka sauce gave the pizza a sweeter edge, so the pie wasn’t as hearty and rich as it can be with a normal red sauce. This worked well with the thicker crust and allowed the sharp cheese blend to cut through.

ROCKAWAY PIZZERIA 1949 Lincoln Way, White Oak. rockawaypizzeria.com

Outside of the square-cut Sicillians, all pizzas at Rockaway were 18-inch, eight-cut pies. I failed to grasp how big this actually was — not quite the level of Benny Fierro’s two-plate slices, but close. My Frankenstein pie was giant. The Frankenstein was four-pizzasin-one, the best deal any indecisive person could ask for. It featured two classics, pepperoni and cheese, along with their white pie and Greek pie.

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Slices of the white pie, featuring mozzarella, ricotta, tomatoes, and typical cheese were top-notch, but I favored the pepperoni out of the four. The slices of pepperoni were perfectly cupped from the oven, with crispy edges. They added a bit of spice to the tomato-heavy red sauce, and gave the thin crust, which was the perfect balance of chewy and crispy, a bit of body. I enjoyed the Greek pie, topped with feta, mozzarella, spinach, garlic, and olive oil, more than I anticipated. The feta spiked each slice with a hit of salt. But piles of heated spinach took away the ﬂavor and left me wishing for less. Traveling to White Oak for a pizza might seem like too far of a trek from city limits, but it’s worth it. If you made it to this point and you’re still not convinced, consider this: I am a shameless ranch lover. I’ve devoted whole paragraphs to ranch before. But not once while I was eating Rockaway slices did I think to go grab the bottle from my fridge.

•

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Thank you to the following readers who have signed up for Pittsburgh City Paper’s new membership campaign Aaron Aupperlee Aaron Jentzen Abbey Farkas Abby Cook Abby Kuftic Abigail Gardner Abigail Hunter Abigail Noyce Adam Hart Adam Knoerzer Adam Schweigert Adam Shuck Addi Twigg Adeline Lord Al Hoff Alaina Cauchie Alan Cox Alan Sisco Alan Steinberg Albert Presto Alec Magnani Alex Blackman Alex Friedman Alex LaFroscia Alex McCann Alex Walsh Alexandra Hiniker Alexandria Rizzo Alexis Johnson Alison Marchioni Allen Ellis Allison Rowland Amanda Komar Amanda McAllen Amy Bayer Amy Bilkey Amy Hartman Amy Klodowski Amy Loveridge Amy Montgomery Amy Scanlon Amy Walker AmyJo Sanders Andrea Boykowycz Andrea Laurion Andrea Loew Andrea Lynn Andrew Bloomgarden Andrew Brown Andrew Conte Andrew Davis Andrew Hayhurst Andrew Mulkerin Andrew Seymour Andy Collins Andy Faulhaber Andy Mowrey Andy Terrick Angelos Tzelepis Anita Napoli Anna Reilly Anna Samuels Anni Riwen Sweetser Anthony Roscoe April Gilmore April McCann Ariel Zych Arielle Eyers Arla White Arlan Hess Arvind Suresh Ashleigh Bartges Ashley Kenawell Ashley Olinger Barbara Johnson Barbara Valaw Barbara Weaver Becca Tasker Ben Panko Ben Wilson Benjamin Weaver Bennett Aikin

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Greg Kellerman Greg Kochanski Greg Seaman Gregory Nesbitt Gregory Scott Gretchen Swecker Griffin Conley Hal B Klein Hank McAnallen Hannah Diehl Harley Nester Harold Smoliar Heather Slack Heidi Bartholomew Helen Gerhardt Henry Doherty Hobart Webster Howard Seltman Ian Oman Ian Riggins J. Dale Shoemaker J.J. Abbott Jacob Bacharach Jade Artherhults James Conley James Heinrich James Kiley James Morgan James Saal James Santelli Jamie Piotrowski Janet Lunde Jared Pollock Jasiri X Jason Meer Jay Aronson Jay Walker Jean McClung Jeanne Cobetto Jeff Betten Jeffrey Benzing Jeffrey Brooks Jeffrey Bigham Jeffrey Zahren Jennie Sweet-Cushman Jennifer Reigler Jennifer Shumar Jennifer Strang Jenny Ladd Jeremy Kimmel Jess Williams Jessica Benham Jessica Bevan Jessica Manack Jessica Priselac Jessica Prom Jessica Prucnal Jill Bodnar Jill Harmon JoAnn Zindren Joanne Gilligan Jocelyn Codner Jodi Hirsh Joe D’Alessandro Joe Pasqualetti Joe Wagner Joey Gannon John Bechtold John Berry John Meyer John Oliver John Riggs John Ryan John Wise John Yackovich Jonathan Salmans Jordan Bender Joseph Corrigan Joseph Morrison Joseph Rubenstein Josephine Ulrich Joshua Axelrod

Joshua Kiley Joshua Pinter Joshua Pirl Joshua Smith Jude Vachon Judith Hartung Judith Koch Judith Lenz Juli Wright Julia Lee Julia Posteraro Julia Scanlon Julian Routh Julie & Nick Futules Justin Dandoy Justin Krane Justin Matase Justin McVay Justin Nodes Justin Pekular Justin Romano Justin Rossini Kai Gutschow Kara Holsopple Karen Brown Karen Hodes Karen Van Dusen Kate Jones Kate Roberts Kate Rosenzweig Katharine Kelleman Katherine Kennedy Katherine Oltmanns Kathleen Heuer Kathy Dax Kathy Woll Katie Damico Katie Hudson Katie Markowski Katie Urich Katy Greulich Kay Brink Kayla Cline Keegan Gibson Keith Bare Keith Recker Kelly Burgess Kelly Hiser Kendra Ross Kenneth Mostern Kevin Gallagher Kevin Jameson Kevin Marpoe Kevin Vickey Khris & Tom McGarity Kim Lyons Kimberly Ressler Kimberly Taylor Kristin Komazec Kristina Marusic Kyle Cunningham Kyle Gracey Lady MacBonald Lara Putnam Larry Lynn Laura Adams Laura Drogowski Laura Everhart Laura Heberton-Shlomchik Laura Hershel Laura Myers Lauren Banka Lauren Lief Lazar Palnick Leah Hoechstetter Lena DeLucia Leo Hsu Lesley Carlin Lesley Rains Leslie Cooley Levon Ritter Liam Lowe

Linda Schott Lindsay Forman Lindsay Hagerty Lindsay Wright Lisa Saks Lisa Steinfeld Liz Hrenda Liz Reid Lois Apple Loretta Deto Lori Delale-O’Connor Lorie Milich Lucas Miller Luke Rifugiato Lynn Cullen Lynne Cherepko Lynne Frank Lynne Hughes Mackenzie Moylan Madelyn Glymour Madison Stubblefield Magda Gangwar Mahita Gajanan Mandy Kivowitz-Delfaver Margaret Buckley Margaret Krauss Marjorie Waters Maria Sensi Sellner Marianne Donley Marilyn McCarty Marina Fang Mark Goodman Mark Solomon Mark Westbrook Mark Winer Marlee Brown Mary Briles Mary Guzzetta Mary Russell Maryellen Lammel Matt Adams Matt Dunlap Matt Malarich Matt Moret Matthew Buchholz Matthew Cartier Matthew Demers Matthew Griffin Matthew Hynes Matthew Kroen Matthew Lamberti Maureen Byko Max Garber Max Moclock Megan Brady Megan Fair Megan Winters Melinda Wedde Melissa Kohr Melissa Melewsky Micaela Corn Michael Colaresi Michael Damico Michael Donovan Michael DiGuglielmo Michael Lamb Michael McKinney Michael Shuker Michael Wasson Mike Beattie Mike Kutilek Mike Weis Mimi Forester MJ Holmes Moira Egler Molly Kasperek Molly Toth Morgan Jenkins Nancy Dubensky Nancy Latimer Nate Good Nathan Thompson-Amato

Nathaniel Feuerstein Neil Bhaerman Neil Owen Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh Nicholas Gliozzi Nichole Remmert Nicole Connor Nick Goodfellow Nick Honkaal Nick Malawskey Nikki Walton Noah Theriault Norma Bronder Office of Public Art Olie Bennett Guarino Olivia Enders Olivia Tucker Olivia Zane Ollie Gratzinger Paolo Pedercini Patricia DeMarco Patricia Dinkelaker Patricia Oliver Patrick Conneely Patrick Kelley Patty Delaney Paul Hertneky Paul McGowan Paula Majersky Peter McKay Peter Mudge Peter Reichl Rachael Hopkins Rachel Belloma Bonnet Rachel Busch Rachel Dalton Rachel Tiche Rachelle Haynik Rainy Sinclair Randall Baumann Randy Gowat Randy Sargent Raymond Kozlowski Raymond Leech Raymond Martin Rebecca Boyer Rebecca Ciez Rebecca Seibel Regina Connolly Regina Yankie Rich Lord Richard Kress Richelle Meer Rick D’Loss Rob Rossi Robert & Erin Blussick Robert Baird Robert Davis Robert Jauquet Robert Lang Robert McKnight Robert Nishikawa Robert Raczka Robert Sage Robin Bolea Ron Vodenichar Rosemary Mendel Ross Reilly Rossilynne Culgan Ruth Craig Ryan Rydzewski Ryan Warsing Samantha Ritzer Samantha Wire Sam Barrett Samuel Boswell Sara Innamorato Sara Simon Sara Zullo Sarah Birmingham Sarah Cassella

Sarah Hamm Sarah Paul Sarah Pearman Sarah Peterson Sarah Sewall Sarah Sprague Sarah Vernau Sarah Wiggin Scott Bricker Sean Bailey Sean Collier Sean ODonnell Selene Wartell Shanna Carrick Shannon Kelly Sharee Stout Shawn Cooke Shawn Melvin Sherri Suppa Shirlie Mae Choe Siena Kane Slava Starikov Smitha Prasadh Stacey Campbell Stacey Federoff Stephanie Sedor Stephanie Wein Stephen Riccardi Stephen Wagner Steve Felix Steve Holz Steven Haines Stuart Strickland Sue Kerr Susan Caplan Susan Hawkins Susan Jackson Susan Rogers Susan Smith Susan Speicher Suzanne Kafantaris Tammy Schuey Tara Spence Tara Zeigler Tasha Eakin Ted Schroeder Tereneh Idia Terry Bicehouse Terry Peters Timons Esaias Tina Shackleford Tobin Seastedt Todd Derr Tom Samuel Toni Haraldsen Tracy Travaglio Travis Hefner Trenton Tabor Trevor Baumel Trey Mason Tyler Bickford Tyler McAndrew Uwe Stender Valerie Moore Vicki Cunningham Victoria Donahoe Virginia Alvino Young Will Bernstein Will Halim Will Simmons William Doran William Fulmer William J Schoy IV William Lovas William Maruca William O’Driscoll Yonatan Bisk Zack Tanner

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If you value City Paper’s news reporting and arts and entertainment coverage, please consider becoming a member. More info — including perks! — can be found at pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

.DANCE.

DISRUPTED BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE PANDEMIC HAS forced nearly

everything online, including performing arts that would otherwise take place in front of a live audience. While this has become a necessity, Taylor Knight and Anna Thompson, co-artistic directors of the multidisciplinary performance duo slowdanger, were frustrated with the limitations of going digital. “As a performer, it just makes me sad sometimes to watch a performance online,” says Thompson. “While we have participated in a lot of virtual performing, there’s almost a flattening of interaction, where you’re kind of passively watching the screen.” The two decided to work with a number of fellow artists from Pittsburgh and around the country to create remix disruption, a months-long series focused on finding ways to better engage virtual audiences, providing opportunities to creative communities, and commenting on issues highlighted by the pandemic. Kicked off in January, remix disruption includes workshops, livestream performances, and a new web platform that implements technology to allow for more active, immersive viewership. Knight says they wanted to bring in other local artists and performers, as well as those they have met while touring over the years. “We usually provide all the sound in-house, but, for this series, we wanted to celebrate some collaborators,” says Knight. They drew on the Baltimore music scene, recruiting acts like queer electronic musician and producer Amy Reid and classically-trained pop princess Pangelica for SPI JAMS, a five-part virtual movement series described in a press release as combining slowdanger’s “physical integration movement workshops with original mixes, playlists, and sound collages from featured sound artists.” Also contributing to SPI JAMS are electronic artists Arsonist and Ondo / Gusto. While SPI JAMS and other programming takes place on already established platforms like Zoom and slowdanger’s updated website, remote possibility represents a more ambitious move for the pair. The “telepresent platform” was designed to enable viewers to interact with livesteam performances using

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PHOTOS: ANNA LABICK

slowdanger’s Taylor Knight and Anna Thompson

face-tracking data and other methods. Thompson says that instead of just sitting and watching a static broadcast, remote possibility gives viewers more control over how they experience a performance. Much like the other programming, they focused on collaboration, this time working with software engineer Kevin DeLand and Robert Zacharias, a computing specialist who helped create Resonant Body, a multi-sensory dance performance slowdanger premiered at the Carnegie Museum of Art in 2019. Thompson and Knight believe that, while something like Resonant Body would be difﬁcult to create online, as it produced vibrations and sounds through a kinesthetic speaker system controlled by sensors on their bodies, remote possibility could add a communal feel that is

often absent from traditional livestreams. Innovating the online performance sphere, and organizing remote possibility in general, took time, something slowdanger had plenty of after their live shows like far ﬁeld, which was originally scheduled to premier at the Kennedy Center in July 2020, ended up being canceled or rescheduled. (A digital version of far ﬁeld, which was created with experiential designer and creative technologist Anna Henson will open as part of remote possibility on Sat., Jan. 16.) Thompson says they wanted to support underground music artists and other performers who, like them, were devastated by the pandemic. “For us, it took a considerable amount of time to even process what was happening,” says Thompson. “We

had so much planned [for] the year, and to have it completely ripped out from under you was very traumatic on so many performers.” But while the pandemic has essentially disrupted life as we know it, Thompson and Knight admit that it also put into perspective how damaging the demands of pre-COVID life were to their health and well-being. “I also have just been talking with other artists who were touring as much as we were prior to the pandemic and just having conversations about how unsustainable that life was, and how exhausted we didn’t even realize we were,” says Thompson. “We’re both questioning, how do we build a more sustainable future for ourselves and our industry so that we don’t burn out?”

REMIX DISRUPTION Continues through 2021. Registration required for some events. slowdangerslowdanger.com/remix-disruption

They examine this more thoroughly with weighted sky, an in-process, highconcept piece that explores the “collapse of capitalism and white supremacist structures” and deconstructs the so-called hustle culture that leaves independent artists and others scrambling to make a living. It then seeks to actively imagine a “queer future where we can thrive.” Thompson says the show addresses these heavy themes not only in its imagery, but its creation process by “decentralizing the role of the sole director” and instead “sharing the roles of directorship and production” with their collaborators Anya and Mitsuko Clarke Verdery of the New York City company, MICHIYAYA Dance, Pittsburgh-based sculptor Rob Hackett, and Abdu Ali, a noted avant-garde musical act from the Baltimore club and queer underground rap communities. The online version of weighted sky will serve as a sneak peek of the in-progress show, tentatively scheduled to stage in November 2021 at the Andy Warhol Museum.

While they still look forward to in-person performing, Thompson and Knight say they have developed an unexpected appreciation of the downtime forced on them by the pandemic. Instead of constantly and simultaneously performing and developing new works, they have room to more thoroughly plan several future projects. They’re also working with a mentor from a dance company management program to create a better work-life balance for themselves. “That requires setting more boundaries and being more honest about what we’re capable of, and really prioritizing the relationships that are really enriching for us creatively and professionally,” says Thompson. Overall, Knight is grateful for the community, experience, and knowledge they’ve gained to tackle challenges that will likely continue even after the pandemic ends. “So much of his COVID period has been this liminal space where we’re all kind of ﬂoating in between,” says Knight. “We don’t know how it’s going to settle.”

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

IMAGES: COURTESY OF #CHANGERAPECULTURE PGH AND TRUE T PGH

Artwork from @madisoncowles.ai (left) and guavadoodle (right) from“Let’s Thrive” from #OPENYOURPURSE raffle

.DRAG.

DRAG GOES DIGITAL BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

RAG SHOWS WORK best in person, as performers get to interact with and rile up the crowd, who in turn generously offer up tips. With COVID-19 putting a stop to these intimate events, people like Taylor Waits, co-founder of #Change RapeCulture PGH, worries how drag acts could be forced into performing for in-person events that put them at risk. “Once corona hit, it became very unsafe,” says Waits, who, as a DJ, understands the pressure on entertainers now weighing how to make a living. As a result, Waits, a Pittsburgh transplant who, while living in Texas, started the #ChangeRapeCulture rape-survivor advocacy group with co-founder Kimiya

Factory, partnered with local LGBTQ community organization True T PGH for the #OPENYOURPURSE Digital Drag Show. Taking place live from True T Studios on Sat., Jan. 16, the “all-queer run production” will serve as a showcase for local queens. It will also include a day-long series of raffles on the @crcpgh Instagram page, giving away “queer-focused art pieces,” tattoo and photography sessions, and more as a way to highlight LGBTQ artists of color. “We wanted to do something that could actually give back, do something that was fun, and support people out of work in these industries,” says Waits, who serves as the event program director and calls the show an “all-around

#OPENYOURPURSE DIGITAL DRAG SHOW 7 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16. Donation-based. Find ticket links and other info at instagram.com/crcpgh

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

queer-people-get-to-be-themselves fest.” They wanted to advance the content as well by trying to make it as interactive as possible. This includes hooking cameras up to performers and presenting it in a way that would “mimic someone giving a tip to a queen.” “We want it to feel like you’re at a drag show,” says Waits, adding that someone will hand cash tips to the performers live as viewers watching at home make their donations online. Similar to the #OPENYOURPURSE initiative that encouraged celebrities to support the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer, Waits says the event pushes non-Black people in privileged positions to give directly to members of the Black community, which has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. “There are people who need money now,” says Waits, who also expresses her surprise at the lack of ﬁnancial

resources for artists in Pittsburgh. Besides increasing awareness of and supporting artists and performers, #OPENYOURPURSE will also put tickets sales towards $20,000 for two GoFundMe campaigns. One helps Khadijat Yussuff, a Black agender/asexual multimedia artist and current artist-inresidence at True T PGH, take steps to become a programmer and game designer by attending classes at Community College of Allegheny County. The other will help Texas law student and trans rights activist Guilly with medical expenses related to his top surgery. Waits also sees the event as challenging local producers and arts patrons to “think outside the box” when it comes to recognizing the breadth of talent in Pittsburgh, as opposed to being clique-y and doing “the same ﬁve things with the same ﬁve people.” “It’s time for Pittsburgh to have some new talent,” says Waits.

•

CP PHOTO: MIKE CANTON

Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles at the 2018 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival

.MUSIC.

SOULSHOWMIKE’S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2020 BY MIKE CANTON // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

REPARING THE YEAR’S Top 10

Albums list is an exercise in reﬂection. It’s a time to rewind 12 months and recall what’s been good. For 2020, while still leaning toward full releases, there was increasing consideration of larger EPs. Soulshowmike’s Album Picks has reviewed several of the selections over the past few months, so I’ll cover the others here. Black Light Collective delivers a ’60s/’70s jazz vibe. Their young vocalist, Isis Damil, is to be reckoned with. Fantastic Negrito is zany and vibrant, with Tank (of The Bangas) guesting. The Bangas themselves deftly move into more mainstream territory while remaining true to themselves. Cory Henry, former Snarky Puppy keyboardist, brings forth retro and social intent. Kassa Overall - listen to his nod to Joan Baez on “Show Me A Prison.” Pleasure, the Paciﬁc Northwest funk fusion band, comes back stronger than ever.

The Soul Show’s Top 10 Albums of 2020, in alphabetical order: Steve Arrington — Down To The Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions Black Light Collective — Black Light Collective Fantastic Negrito — Have You Lost Your Mind Yet Geenpool — In The Bleak Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles — Something To Say Bryony Jarmin-Pinto — Fish Factory Sessions Brenda Nicole Moorer — Marrow Kassa Overall — I Think I’m Good Pleasure — Now Is The Time Tank & The Bangas — Friend Goals The Soul Show presented its Top 10 Albums on Dec. 26. Listen to the full broadcast in the archives section of soulshowmike.org.

•

Mike Canton is the longtime host and producer of The Soul Show on WYEP 91.3FM. He recently launched a syndicated edition of the program, now airing in three markets. Both are produced in his Electric Basement Studios. Canton is also a Pittsburgh-area voice artist. PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

ART: SUSANNE SLAVICK’S BILLBOARD FROM MAKE OUR DIFFERENCES OUR STRENGTHS

^ Diversity Billboard Art Project Artists’ Talks at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art

THU., JAN. 14

FRI., JAN. 15

TALK • VIRTUAL

HIKE • IRL

Instead of subjecting passersby to the expected advertisements of fast food or nearby hotels, 10 billboards throughout Westmoreland County have gone deeper, with images of social justice, equity,and love. They’re a part of Make Our Differences Our Strengths, a public art billboard campaign and traveling exhibit created by 10 artists and sponsored by the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition and The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Hear Pittsburgh artists Susanne Slavick and Ginger Brooks Takahashi discuss their original artwork in the exhibit during the Diversity Billboard Art Project Artists’ Talks, a virtual conversation moderated by the project’s lead artist Sheila CuellarShaffer. 7-8 p.m. Free with registration. thewestmoreland.org

It may be winter, but you can still get outside and enjoy the fresh air and open sky. Join the Women’s Adventure Club for an Astro Hike to the Allegheny Observatory. The event will feature short talks from astrophysicist Elizabeth Brunette on subjects like the Big Bang and dark matter. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Riverview Park, Perry North. $20. adventureclubsewickley.com

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SAT., JAN. 16 ART • VIRTUAL The Carnegie Museum of Art winds down its On Contested Terrain exhibition with An-My Lê and Dawoud Bey: In Conversation. Moderated by CMOA curator of photography Dan Leers, the event invites On Contested Terrain photographer Lê and Bey to discuss their practices and

approach to capturing landscapes and portraits of their respective subjects. Drawing on her experience as a refugee of the Vietnam War, Lê is known for examining the culture of conflict, while Bey documents the Black experience in America, particularly life in 1970s Harlem and the Underground Railroad. 12 p.m. On Contested Terrain continues through Mon., Jan. 18. Pay what you wish. cmoa.org

SUN., JAN. 17 FILM • VIRTUAL Experience the rich history and sounds of calypso music with a film screening through City of Asylum’s Virtual Channel. JouvayFest Collective, a Brooklyn-based group focused on Caribbean films, and Sabira Cole Film Festival, a Pittsburgh curator of films depicting the African diaspora, will present Calypso Dreams, a 2004 documentary about calypso singers from Trinidad and Tobago that also

examines the history, culture, and anticolonialist origins of the musical genre. The event includes a panel featuring the film’s co-director, Geoffrey Dunn, Trinidadian calypso musician, David Michael Rudder, and others. 7-9 p.m. Free. Registration required. alphabetcity.org/events

MON., JAN. 18 LIT • VIRTUAL In his book The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, author David Treuer thoroughly maps Native American history, from contact with settlers, to forced assimilation, to resistance. Treuer, a member of the Ojibwe tribe who grew up on a reservation in Minnesota, will speak about this history and his book during a virtual event for Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures’ Ten Evenings series. 7:30 p.m. (Watch anytime for one week.) $15. pittsburghlectures.org

How to Get a Pennsylvania Marijuana Card Learn how to get a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania from the safety and comfort of your home by certified physicians. By Pennsylvania Marijuana Card

P PHOTO: ERIK HAGEN

^ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Erikâ&#x20AC;? from the exhibit Team Member at Silver Eye Center for Photography

KIDS â&#x20AC;˘ VIRTUAL No one should be ashamed of, or discriminated against, for their natural hair, especially young Black girls. Kids in grades 3-5 can join Assemble for the Afrofuturism: Hair Pride Day Camp, a two-hour event that â&#x20AC;&#x153;aims to connect those from the Black diaspora with their African ancestry.â&#x20AC;? It will also teach participants about the CROWN Act, a piece of legislation designed to protect against discrimination towards how someone wears their hair. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Free for Garfield residents, $10-20 for others. assemblepgh.org

TUE., JAN. 19 WORKSHOP â&#x20AC;˘ VIRTUAL Contemporary Craft will teach you how to make textile art with the first of a three-part Felting Workshop series led by Rae Gold. A local fiber artist who specializes in making pieces from merino wool, Gold will lead participants through the process of making their own

decorative felt balls. Some prerequisite experience manipulating felt, as well as a long list of materials, are required for this and the two following workshops scheduled to take place in February. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Registration required. $135 for series. contemporarycraft.org

WED., JAN. 20 ART â&#x20AC;˘ IRL Anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked in a grocery store, or any kind of corporate customer service job, knows how strange of an experience it can be. Lancaster-based photographer Erik Hagen encapsulates this in his new exhibit Team Member at Silver Eye Center for Photography. The series captures the â&#x20AC;&#x153;physical and psychological effects of this environment, the feeling of losing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity in the face of corporate dogma, and the unrelenting desires of the customer.â&#x20AC;? Continues through April 24. By appointment only. 4808 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. Free. silvereye.org

ennsylvania residents may be unaware that several medical conditions qualify for medical marijuana treatment. Under Pennsylvaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program, more and more patients are trying to obtain a medical marijuana card. The process of obtaining your Pennsylvania Marijuana Card is actually fairly straightforward. What is the Process of Obtaining a Card? To qualify for a Pennsylvania Marijuana Card and legally purchase medical marijuana from licensed state dispensaries, you must meet the following TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQV %H GLDJQRVHG ZLWK D qualifying medical condition, have DQ RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO ZULWWHQ FHUWLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ IURP D FHUWLĂ&#x20AC;HG 3HQQV\OYDQLD SK\VLFLDQ and be a Pennsylvania resident with proof of residency (Pennsylvania Driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s License or Pennsylvania State ID card). You will Ă&#x20AC;UVW QHHG WR VFKHGXOH DQ HYDOXDWLRQ ZLWK D FHUWLĂ&#x20AC;HG SK\VLFLDQ LQ RUGHU WR UHFHLYH an approval. When your doctor approves you, they will enter your approval into the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical marijuana registry. How Do I Find a Certified Doctor? At Pennsylvania Marijuana Card, com-

passionate physicians see you for a medical marijuana evaluation. Currently, all appointments are conducted through a safe, HIPAAcompliant telemedicine platform. Patients can connect from a smartphone, tablet or laptop for a secure video conference with one of the FHUWLĂ&#x20AC;HG SK\VLFLDQV Make sure you disclose your current list of medications and medical history to the doctor. If you have any questions on medical cannabis treatment for your speFLĂ&#x20AC;F FRQGLWLRQ FRQVXOW ZLWK WKH GRFWRU About Pennsylvania Marijuana Card Pennsylvania Marijuana Card and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DIĂ&#x20AC;OLDWHG FRPSDQLHV KDV KHOSHG PRUH than 70,000 patients obtain their medical marijuana card. With telemedicine services and clinics in Ohio, Arkansas, Missouri and Virginia, Pennsylvania Marijuana Card is a name you can trust! In addition to safe, easy telemedicine appointments, Pennsylvania Marijuana Card is unmatched in offering patient UHVRXUFHV 6RPH RI WKH SDWLHQW EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV LQFOXGH VDPH GD\ DSSURYDO SULFH PDWFK guarantee and veterans discounts.

Patients interested in booking a risk-free evaluation, can visit PennsylvaniaMarijuanaCard.com or call 855-607-5458 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

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“Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2020 Includes the Participating (in GA: Designated) Providers and Preventive Benefits Rider. Product not available in all states. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/ certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, LA, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN); Rider kinds B438/B439 (GA: B439B).

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to any of this puzzle’s theme answers 49. Dropped a deuce 52. ... how will I walk with this on? ... 58. “Sweet Jesus!” 60. Two for the seesaw 61. French 101 lesson 62. ... where do my arms go? Besides, this is way too thin 65. “Go-Big Show” channel 66. Deck out 67. Contact solution brand 68. Alternative to French 69. Bulgogi, e.g. 70. East, in Ecuador 71. Elementary org.?

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Are you a service industry worker who does not have health insurance? Metro Community Health Center is here for you. Metro offers a complete set of health care services to everyone, regardless of identity, insurance status, income or the ability to pay. Make an appointment by calling 412-247-2310 and visit our website, www.metrocommunityhealthcenter.org, to learn more.

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REHEARSAL

NAME CHANGE

tion Building, Belleﬁeld Entrance Lobby, 341 South

Rehearsal Space

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-20-11700. In re petition of Jessica Lee Bogdan for change of name to Jessica Lee Gordon. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ﬁling of said petition and ﬁxed the 1st day of February, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

Belleﬁeld Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on January

OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administra-

starting @ $150/mo. Many sizes available, no sec deposit, play @ the original and largest practice facility, 24/7 access.

412-403-6069 ESTATE NOTICE GOLDSMITH, MARGARET DECEASED OF BEN AVON, PA GOLDSMITH, Margaret H. deceased of Ben Avon, PA. No. 022006014 of 2020. James R. Goldsmith Jr. 7715 Polo Square, Vero Beach, FL 32968 or to the Law Ofﬁce Grant M. Yochim, Esq., 24 Main Street East, P. O. Box 87, Girard, PA 16417

25, 2021, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

VARIOUS SCHOOLS • Wireless and Switching Equipment / Related Services • Low Voltage / Network Primes and Vendors

All proposers must email David Moore at dmoore1@

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Belleﬁeld Entrance Lobby, 341 South Belleﬁeld Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 2, 2021, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

SERVICE & MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS, FACILITIES, FACILITIES & PROPERTIES

Vertical Transportation Systems Preventative Maintenance and Service (REBID) PGH. COLFAX K-8

Flooring Replacement (Old Building) General Prime VARIOUS SCHOOLS

documentation in order to be added to mailing list

Pgh. Morrow PreK-4 and Pgh. King PreK-8 Replace PA Sound Systems Electrical Prime

for communication regarding this RFP. This will

PGH. OLIVER CITYWIDE ACADEMY

ensure that each proposer is notiﬁed of any changes

Oliver Bleacher Repair Project General Prime

pghschools.org in advance of downloading the

or clariﬁcations made with regards to the documenta-

and submission requirements are described in the RFP.

Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on Monday, January 11, 2021 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.

tion. The documentation for the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be available for download at: https://www. pghschools.org/Page/50. Filename: “Network Switch and Wireless Equipment RFP”. Details for the proposal

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JANUARY 13-20, 2021

Wherever you are in your brave journey, we are here. Whether you’re just discovering you’re in a dangerous relationship or if you are taking the first step towards safety, the caring staff of Women’s Center & Shelter of 'ƌĞĂƚĞƌ WŝƩƐďƵƌŐŚ ĐĂŶ ŚĞůƉ.

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