March 29, 2023 - Pittsburgh City Paper

FIRSTSHOT

BY PAT CAVANAGH

Protester Jim Karas holds a sign outside the Cathedral of Learning at an event protesting a series of “anti-trans” speakers on Pitt’s campus on Fri., March 24.

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MARCH 29-APRIL 4, 2023 VOL. 32 ISSUE 13

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COVER DESIGN: LUCY CHEN

READ THE STORY ON PAGE 4

Join us for another night of the Soul Sessions series with legendary vocalist Stokley!

Stokley is a Grammy-nominated vocalist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who is one of music’s best-kept secrets. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music including Prince, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and more. He’s known best as the lead singer and drummer for legendary R&B group Mint Condition. In 2017, Stokley embarked on a new solo journey with the release of his debut album Introducing Stokley which produced two #1 singles “Organic” and “Levels.” He now continues that journey in a new partnership with the legendary Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’ Perspective Records. Stokley’s new single “She” is off his sophomore album due out this winter.

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BULLETS KILL BUT STORIES HEAL

A community builder in McKees Rocks faces a dramatic family murder from 1935

BY JAMIE WIGGAN // JAMIE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Ryan Westwood was printing copies at the Father Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks, where he’d recently taken a job as a childrens’ theater assistant, when he spotted Vicki Batcha waiting unattended at the empty front desk. He went over to help, and was trying to connect her with the center’s director of development, when her eyes locked on to his nametag.

Could he be related to the infamous justice of the peace convicted in 1936 of killing his wife?

Batcha helps lead the McKees Rocks Historical Society, and her mind was flush with details about the domestic slaying from

a haunted tour they’d recently given. She had to at least ask.

Westwood, 36, had grown up in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood and didn’t know much about the aging mill town he now worked in. But he knew from a high school family history project that his greatgrandfather, James Westwood, had been involved in McKees Rocks politics and died while imprisoned. It seemed to line up.

“So you know all about the curse of the kick** and everything else surrounding the murder?” responded Batcha.

Westwood confessed he didn’t. He suspected his parents shielded him from the goriest aspects when he probed his ancestry as a teenager. Batcha followed up and later

Could he be related to the infamous justice of the peace convicted in 1936 of killing his wife?

handed him a binder brimming with newspaper clippings about the investigation and trial that captivated the public in the months after Martha Westwood’s murder.

Now, four years after that fateful encounter, Westwood and his husband Shawn live in a converted funeral home less than a mile from where his great-grandmother was gunned down in bed. Last month, he spoke about her death and the trial during one of the historical society’s monthly meetings at Mickey’s Place in neighboring Kennedy Township.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get any final answers at this point,” he told the group of about 30. “There are a lot of unanswered questions that I’m still working on.”

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH Ryan Westwood holds a portrait of his great-grandfather

THE COUPLE

James and Martha Westwood were variously feared and revered by the people of McKees Rocks. As justice of the peace — the office prefiguring today’s magisterial judges — James determined people’s fates before the eyes of the law, and was known as someone to avoid crossing.

In an age when women were seen primarily as homemakers, less is known about Martha, but she was renowned for her looks and poise. They had four

WHODUNNIT?

Accounts of what happened that day were shrouded in mystery from the outset.

Anna Sehar, a neighbor, told the Pittsburgh Press she heard three shots ring out around 1:50 a.m. Per the article, “She looked out of the window and saw a man lurking in the shadows of the Clay Alley houses.”

By this point, she had secretly scribbled a note in her prayerbook identifying Westwood as the killer. “If something happens to me, you know it was Westwood,” it read. But she later told the court she had refrained from naming him at the time out of fear. Instead, she described the assailant as “tall” and “longhaired,” while Westwood, once a featherweight amateur boxer, had short hair and was notoriously diminutive.

The Press also noted, and prosecutors eagerly repeated, how the family dog “Buddy … did not bark, although the killer apparently climbed an outside flight of 16 stairs to reach the porch from which he fired.”

BULLETS KILL BUT STORIES HEAL, CONTINUES ON PG. 6

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH Ryan Westwood shares copies of newspaper clippings about his greatgrandfather

THE ALIBI

About 50 minutes after Martha’s fatal shooting, her husband showed up at the scene with a constable and a county detective, claiming the trio were preparing to embark on a twilight fishing trip when the call came in. Before driving to Brookline to pick up the detective, Westwood claimed he attended a floor show at a roadhouse in Robinson Township with Constable Timothy Drexler and two “party girls” named Catherine Cole and Peggy Moran Belmas. Before this, the group said, they visited a hotel bar in Carnegie where Westwood had sought out a special mineral water that he believed would soothe his stomach ailments.

... the courthouse corridors

Westwood admitted to leaving the roadhouse for a 30-minute interval, but he claimed he spent that time in his car with Belmas. She originally vouched for him, but later retracted her statement. Detectives began to punch other holes in his elaborate alibi, and took time to assure reluctant neighbors to speak out against the powerful justice of the peace. James was finally arrested about six weeks after the murder. Still, he insisted he was innocent.

In the months that followed, regional newspaper readers lapped up daily reports on one of the most gripping true crime sagas of the era.

Intrigue piqued in September when a key witness for the state was mysteriously crushed by an industrial press at a factory where he worked in Coraopolis. An inquest conducted after Westwood’s conviction ruled the death accidental, though suspicion around the cause of death remained. Another witness died of a heart attack, while yet another was hospitalized by a car crash on the way to court.

When the trial began in January 1936, the courthouse corridors “thronged with spectators hopeful of forcing their way into the jammed interior of the courtroom,” according to a report from the long-defunct Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph

murdered married

part of Westwood's alibi

defended

helped with prosecution

Westwood children

George M

Jimmy Jr.

Peggy Moran

Timothy Drexler

Bertha Westwood

Cathy Cole

Walter Monaghan

Mike Matsey

Anna Sehar

Chauncey Pruger

Martha Westwood

James "Jimmy" Westwood

prosecuted

died in accident

main testimonial against witness grandfather of

“thronged with spectators ... "

WESTWOOD CONVICTED

The jury deliberated for nearly 24 hours before returning a guilty verdict. Sehar’s testimony proved instrumental in the conviction, as did an innovative paraffin wax test that supposedly proved Westwood fired a gun shortly before the murder. The judge’s admission of the novel test as evidence set a precedent in courtrooms across the country lasting into the 1960s.

Bruce Boni, a magisterial justice for McKees Rocks and Stowe, and Westwood’s modern-day successor, found himself captivated by the case after reading a serialized interpretation of the story several years ago in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“It’s this fascinating historical tidbit that was apparently the talk of the town and the country,” Boni tells Pittsburgh City Paper . “It’s funny that, to some degree, it was lost to history.”

As well as settling people’s fates in the courtroom, Westwood was a known political powerbroker with contacts reaching throughout Allegheny County.

At the time of his murder trial, he was appealing a conviction of voter fraud that had brought down a web of prominent Pennsylvania Republicans. Westwood was also a known associate of bootlegger Ed Cerceo, who reportedly entertained Al Capone in his McKees Rocks hotel after the mobster’s 1930 release from Eastern State Penitentiary.

Boni, who grew up on the neighbor hood’s Island Avenue above his parents’ now-shuttered floral shop, says the glamor and gore of the 1930s under world reflects just one side of a com munity forged mostly by civic-minded workers.

“A lot of the people who came here were hard-working blue-collar workers,” Boni says. “They were just focused on doing the best they could for their families. And there was a parallel world going on at the same time with people who had more power and influence and money. What is fascinating to me is ... some of the supposed witnesses who brought down this figure were working class folks.”

NO PAROLE

Appeals filed by Westwood’s lawyers made it up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, but the justices scoffed at his claims of a mistrial.

“In a painstaking examination of this voluminous record, we have found no reversible error,” the court’s opinion maintained. “The evidence sustains the jury’s conclusion that the appellant perpetrated this shocking crime.”

FAMILY MISFORTUNE

The web of mystery and intrigue surrounding Martha’s murder was not contained to just that event. Instead, it ensnared the Westwood family for many years before and after Martha’s gruesome death.

In February 1932, the Westwoods’ youngest daughter, Clara, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by her father’s pistol. The story accepted by the coroner

Westwood sought parole but was twice denied before his death in 1951. He maintained his innocence throughout.

Boni says the Westwood story offers a reminder to people of influence who might be tempted to exploit their position.

“The bottom line is he committed a very serious crime,” Boni says. “I guess the lesson that you learn is regardless of position, regardless of influence, everybody should be treated equally in the eyes of the law.”

was that the young child had been playing with the gun in bed and accidently shot herself.

Six months later, Martha Westwood’s parents died at home from mortal gun wounds in what was ruled a murdersuicide. James Westwood, who lived in the apartment below, found the bodies.

Westwood was sentenced to life in prison at the former Western Penitentiary, which still looms over the egg-shaped peninsula of the McKees

News clippings about the Westwood murder case

“I guess the lesson that you learn is regardless of position, regardless of influence, everybody should be treated equally in the eyes of the law.”

Rocks Bottoms where the Westwoods lived. He fell to his death while working from a scaffold during a painting job on the prison's stoney exterior. One year later, his son Jimmy Westwood Jr. died from a fall at a construction site near the family home where Martha was slain.

REDEEMING A LEGACY

More than 85 years after his great grandmother’s death, Ryan Westwood isn’t entirely sure how to process this part of his family’s story.

He’s confident, though, that talking about it openly can somehow bring about good. And he knows he has nothing to feel ashamed of.

“I’m related to it, but it’s not my story, so why not talk about it?” he says during an interview with City Paper. “I just think it’s a fascinating story. I think that’s what happens instantly as people share their stories, and I feel like with the work I do

with social work and just connecting with people that it’s so important to share and talk about mental health.”

The opportunity for buying the former Anthony M. Musmanno funeral home to live in and establish a multi-purpose community hub presented itself to Westwood and his husband a few years after he began working in McKees Rocks. Since 2021, they’ve been pushing ahead with some ambitious renovations and are preparing to unveil a series of arts and gardening programming over the coming months as they formally open “the Castle.”

Weighing his plans for the commu nity against his family’s legacy, Westwood senses the hand of destiny.

“I think it’s one of those things where [I felt] like I was meant to be here. Like, I just happened to come, and now knowing that I have that connection here is very motivating,” Westwood says. “We always were saying with the space that, you know, it was originally a place that was healing life as a doctor’s office, and it was a place that was celebrating life [as a funeral home]. And now we’re creating, renewing, and bringing new life into this space.” •

** “THE CURSE OF THE KICK”

EVENFOR A MAN convicted of killing his wife, James Westwood’s sympathizers point out he was beset by inexplicable misery.

Four years before his wife, Martha, was murdered, their youngest daughter Clara died from an accidental gunshot wound. A few months later, Westwood found his in-laws dead in their apartment from what an inquest ruled as a murder-suicide. At the time of Martha’s death, the Westwoods were in temporary accommodation after being displaced by a fire. James fell to his death from a loose scaffold while imprisoned, and a year later his son met the same untimely end in the same unpleasant manner.

One explanation for Westwood’s woes, now etched in local lore, traces

A young Jimmy Westwood was playing with his friends on a rocky bluff overlooking the Ohio River, the story goes, when he stumbled upon some human remains. The reckless youths

carelessly handled the skeletons, and Jimmy kicked a skull into the river, thus invoking “the curse of the kick.”

In 1896, archeologists from the Carnegie Museum of Science excavated 33 Adena remains from the site, and after a brief exhibit, placed them in storage. Recently, representatives of the Seneca Nation of Indians have been working to repatriate them appropriately.

Some, though, like McKees Rocks Historical Society President Sandy Saban, fear the damage had already been done for the Westwood family, and the McKees Rocks community that’s seen its share of deprivation in the years since the excavation. Saban says she and some friends even tried a prayer ritual to reverse the curse where they burned tobacco and pleaded for forgiveness.

“I think that the spirits were just so upset that it was being excavated — and there was James Westwood kicking the skull,” Saban tells Pittsburgh City Paper “They were angry.” •

PHOTO: UNKNOWN / HMDB.ORG

Initial excavation of McKees Rocks Mound

1 — Site of McKees Rocks burial mound

2 — Murder site of Martha Westwood

3 — Penitentiary where James Westwood died

4 — Job site where James Westwood Jr. died

5 — Ryan Westwood's home

"[I felt] like I was meant to be here."

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH

Ryan Westwood in his home alongside a photo of his great-grandfather and copies of newspaper clippings

5 Easy Ways to Take Action for Racial Justice in Pittsburgh This Spring

By YWCA Greater Pittsburgh

With warm weather approaching, it’s a great time to reconnect with your community and get involved in activities that support your values. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of ways you can take action for racial justice in Pittsburgh this spring.

• Educate yourself

When making a commitment to anti-racism, educating yourself about racial discrimination in all its forms is a vital first step. When you sign up for the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, you’ll get a month of daily digital anti-racism challenges to help you learn how to take action for racial justice in your community. We recommend signing up with a friend and discussing daily challenges over coffee! The Challenge begins April 17. Sign up now!

• Hit the ballot box

As we have seen with the election of Pittsburgh’s first black mayor, voting can make a real difference in our communities. It’s also important to remember that local elections can have as much impact on your day-to-day life as congressional or presidential elections – if not more! Don’t miss the next local primary election coming up on May 16, 2023 from 7 AM to 8 PM.

• Put your money where your mouth is

As we know from studying Pittsburgh history, decades of segregation and discrimination have created huge wealth disparities in our city. Help balance the scales by donating to a local nonprofit lead by people of color or buying from minority-owned businesses.

• Speak up

One of the most important things you can do to stand against racism: don’t stay silent! If you encounter racism at home, while out with friends, or at work, speaking up can have a huge impact.

• Diversify your media

It’s easy to end up in a rut, only consuming TV, movies, and social media accounts featuring people who look like you. By making an effort to diversify the media you take in every day, you’ll naturally gain more understanding and empathy for the experiences of communities outside your own. As a result, you’ll be better able to question stereotypes and break down barriers in your own life.

2313 E Carson St., 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 6907 Frankstown Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208

Phone: (412) 391-5100 | ywca@ywcapgh.org

SHE'S A PINBALL WIZARD

Pittsburgh Women’s Pinball League flips off misogyny with supportive play

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

AT 7:30 P.M. on a Monday night in February, the doors of Kickback are closed for the day. Despite this, the inside of the Lawrenceville pinball cafe buzzes with activity as members of the Pittsburgh Women’s Pinball League take over the various machines.

Women and femme-identifying members drift in and head straight into the fray of constantly clicking flippers and flashing displays activated by well-played balls. Overseeing the action are two league officials, AJ Replogle and Rachel Schmitz, who greet players, collect fees, and ensure that everyone signs in.

The evening marks yet another night of play as members near the league finals taking place on Sat., April 1 at the Bellevue-based Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo Starting in late January, the league, which is now in its 19 th season, plays over the

course of nine weeks.

Claims that the league has grown are borne out apparent as the room becomes increasingly packed.

“We’re getting 30 women a night here,” says player Erin Kelly. “It used to be maybe 10 people per night.”

The reason for the growth, compared to the open Pittsburgh Pinball League, which welcomes men and women, could be attributed to any number of factors, from wanting to take advantage of the city’s vibrant pinball scene, to looking for a sense of community, especially after years of pandemic isolation.

For longtime pinball enthusiast, artist, and PWPL member Nikki Burfield, the answer is clear.

“Right now, there’s a huge shift into women’s pinball because honestly men are fucking assholes,” she says.

Burfield says she was instrumental in

building Pittsburgh’s competitive pinball scene, and even integrates the pastime into her art by converting salvaged pinball machines into sculpture works.

PITTSBURGH WOMEN’S PINBALL LEAGUE

facebook.com/groups/boppl or boppl.league.papa.org

While Burfield acknowledges that sexism has long existed in the open league, she says it became more amplified after she came out as a trans woman.

“This is very typical white male privilege bullshit and I’m seeing it now for the first time in its entirety being on this side of the coin,” says Burfield, adding that she officially began taking hormone treatments in January 2022.

Replogle says the intention for PWPL was “to try to find a space where women

could come play and not feel harassed.”

The issue extends beyond Pittsburgh. A 2017 Washington Post article found that as competitive pinball has grown across the country and the world, female players claim to have experienced sexism from their male counterparts. As a result, women-only leagues were created to provide a space where members could play without incident. Belles & Chimes, a California-based entity touted as the world’s first women-only pinball league, formed in 2013, and others have followed suit.

Burfield says the “misogyny” and “machismo” she experienced drove her entirely away from pinball. Over the pandemic, however, pinball became a source of solace where she felt she could finally live as her true self. She recalls how late night games at Helicon, a brewery and pinball arcade in Oakdale, became the

one of the few places where she “was allowed to go dressed as Nikki.”

Then a friend turned her on to PWPL, where she says the vibe differed from the open leagues to which Burfield was accustomed.

“And I was like, holy shit, this is so much fun and the women are so fucking nice,” she says. “And we always help each other out. You know, at the end of the game, if someone’s completely lost, I’ll say, well, here’s what we’re doing.”

PWPL member Allison Thrower has played in the league for about six years, and agrees that members are more concerned with being supportive than trouncing one another.

“I would say it’s an environment that fosters education as opposed to just straight competition,” she adds. “It is definitely a safe space as opposed to the co-ed league.”

Replogle also sees the league as a gateway for women, especially new players, to gain the skills and

ARTS

LET'S PLAY PINBALL

PWPL members name their favorite places and machines

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Allison Thrower, North Side-Observatory Hill

FAVORITE GAME:

“

The Walking Dead. It was the first game that taught me about the importance of aim and flipper manipulation, and it’s always a challenge — to this day I’m chasing a high score. Also, my husband and I played it on our first date.”

FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY:

“Any yinzer bar with a two-plus game lineup.”

Abigail Hutchko, Burgettstown, W.

Va.

FAVORITE GAMES:

“ Police Force . I love how silly the theme is and it always makes me laugh and is usually cheap to play.”

confidence needed to tackle open pinball tournaments.

very new at everything, but everybody in the league was very welcoming, very friendly,” she says.

Organizers make the league more inclusive in other ways, including charging just $20 to play for the whole season, and fostering a flexible schedule. “If you miss a week, it doesn’t goddamn matter,” says Burfield. “They put you in the finals as you stand.”

The league also accepts members of various ages, from people who played in the 1980s, to young kids. “According to official rules, if you want to be able to play, you have to know when it’s your turn, you have to be able to sign the paper,” says Replogle, adding that they have had competitors as young as three years old.

“ Frontier . First game I really got kinda good at. I love cowboys, and the crickets always make people giggle while playing. The chaos of noises actually helps me play better.”

“Cirqus Voltaire. First game I ever completed a wizard mode. The art is punchy and beautiful, and the theme is very unique.”

FAVORITE PLACES TO PLAY:

“Kickback. Modern cafe and BYOB, more easily accessible to where I live and the best place for league play.”

“Pins Mechanical. Super modern, cocktails are fantastic, and games are well kept and well updated. Has allowed my generation to find the love of old arcade machines again.”

Schmitz says she kept coming back to the women’s league because “it was a really welcoming group of people” who did not judge her for her lack of experience.

“I didn’t really know how to play, I was

Still, she acknowledges that, at any age, good sportsmanship applies, even if it concerns your own child.

”My 4-year-old wants to play but she doesn’t like to let other people pick games, so she’s still not allowed,” Replogle laughs. •

Looking for your favorite machine?

PWPL player Nikki Burfield recommends using pinballmap.com, a website that claims to cover 8,614 locations and 34,708 machines, including 992 machines around Pittsburgh. •

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH Indigo Baloch plays pinball during the Pittsburgh Woman’s Pinball League meetup hosted at Kickback Pinball Cafe

“Right now, there’s a huge shift into women’s pinball because honestly men are fucking assholes,”

OUTSIDE OUTSIDE STEAM STEAM

CAMP AT TREE PITTSBURGH CAMP AT TREE PITTSBURGH

TREE PLANTING ART & JOURNALING

SCIENCE PROJECTS

NATURE WALKS STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING SCANME!

June 26-30 or july 10-14

Autism Society of Pgh

SPEAK is the region’s premier extended school year and summer recreation program for students ages 5-21 with autism. We provide social and educational instruction to ensure a smooth transition into the upcoming school year. SPEAK will be held from June 29th - July 28th at Saint Therese of Lisieux School. www.autismpittsburgh.org/ SPEAK

Camp Fitch

Camp Fitch’s century-old classic sleep-away summer camp provides kids, ages 6-17, with a holistically safe, val ues-driven community where they discover friendship and achieve ment. Kids feel like they belong among the camp’s carefully vetted, committed and caring staff, who create transformative experiences on the shore of Lake Erie. North Springfield, Pa., 814-922-3219, www.campfitchymca.org

Camp Invention

Spark your child’s creativity and confidence with our new Camp Invention® program, Wonder! Children in grades K-6 will team up and take on fun, hands-on STEM challenges. They’ll build their own mini skate park, turn a robot into a stuffie and more! Visit invent.org/local to secure your spot!

Dragon’s Den

Dragon’s Den offers six weeks of exciting, educational, and adventurous summer camps each year! Our camps are in-person and run five days a week, from 9:004:00, with pre- and aftercare available. Each weekly camp is designed around a theme, covering STEM topics, multicultural diver sity, mental resilience, creative problem solving, physical fitness, and meeting challenges. www.dragonsdenpgh.org/our-programs/

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Gaynor’s Cooking School

Our summer camp cooking and baking programs are for ages 6-18 and promise to be a fun and delicious experience for all! By starting early not only do we hope they will develop a passion for good

SECTION

healthy food, but also discover a lifelong joy of cooking.These camps are week long and are divided into different age groups.

Address: 309 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. www.gaynorsschoolofcooking.com or call 412-325-2703

Pittsburgh

Botanic Garden

Enjoy 4 days of fun and exploration in the various habitats of Pittsburgh Bo -

tanic Garden! Ecosystems investigated include the Lotus Pond, Dogwood Meadow, Allegheny Plateau Woodlands, and Carbon Cycle: An Earth Art Exhibit. Kids will have fun pond dipping, bird watching, insect collecting, tree identification, nature journaling and time for free play. www.pittsburghbotanicgarden.org/camps

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

Each summer, Pittsburgh Center

ented, experienced teachers, summer art camps are perfect place for budding artists to explore their creativity and create new masterpieces!

Tree Pittsburgh

Each day of STEAM Outside Camp will have a different theme, allowing campers to learn about the insects, birds and mammals that trees support, how trees keep our rivers clean, trees and climate change, and more. Campers will explore the urban forest through journaling, art, science projects, nature walks, tree planting, and paddle-boarding. Participants will also have the chance to meet Tree Pittsburgh’s staff

www.treepittsburgh. org/summer-camp

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HELEN CAMPBELL has strong feelings about the current effort to ban LGBTQ books from library shelves, as parenting groups and state legislatures have swept in to attack everything from youth-focused trans narratives to drag story times.

“When you remove the stories of our LGBTQIA+ individuals from the shelves of libraries and schools, you are making a statement to the queer community that your story doesn’t matter, you don’t exist here,” she tells Pittsburgh City Paper

As if by fate, Campbell had already started countering this movement years ago by developing Stories Like Me, a book shop aimed at confirming the experiences of children and teens who identify

as LGBTQ, as well as those who are neurodivergent or have a disability. And that’s only scratching the surface.

STORIES LIKE ME

4381 Murray Ave., Greenfield. storieslikeme.com

“We have books that reflect diverse family structures, race, ethnicity, traditions, and so much more,” says Campbell. “Books that include poverty and being unhoused, books that include foster children, books that have stories where the leads are on the autism spectrum.”

The concept has now taken on a brickand-mortar store in Greenfield. Stories Like Me had a soft opening in November 2022, followed by a big grand opening

ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 25.

Stories Like Me customers will find a large selection of books, from board and picture books for little ones, to graphic novels and young adult titles. Campbell says the shop features a “permanent Pride table” as well as temporary displays based on “what we’re celebrating or highlighting,” such as Women’s History Month.

In the short time since its debut, Campbell says the response to the store has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“We have people who are so grateful we’re here,” Campbell continues. “We have people who tear up when they see books that reflect their life experiences for the first time. We have everyone from tweens looking for books about identity, to adults who love a YA novel, to parents

looking to have a diverse bookshelf at home. We have folks who make specific requests regarding race, ethnicity, family structure, and it’s our mission to be able to find stories for everyone.”

The idea for Stories Like Me first took root during a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training in 2017, where Campbell says she “learned of the importance of books” and “over the course of the next few years figured out how to make a difference through books.”

“It was a combination of personal journey and education” she adds.

She then called her children, Elsie Campbell and Imogen Campbell Hendricks, who were both at college at the time. They suggested that she “open a store in which DEI was the focus and

where all families and kids could see themselves in stories.”

Campbell says Elsie and Imogen now serve as co-owners who are “invested in the business both financially and with their time.”

“I’m the majority owner but they’re both in the business,” she adds.

For a certified project manager who worked in the education nonprofit space for many years, the venture was fairly new territory for Campbell.

“The only time I worked directly with books was as a summer job when I was 17 at a library book supply company in my small town in the north of England,” Campbell says. “I loved it.”

Campbell stressed that the “criteria for opening the space was quite specific.”

settling on Greenfield.

“When this space became available, I met with my architect and we looked at the possibilities,” she says. “It was a wonderful neighborhood, with lots of families. The entrance was already accessible and I could make large restrooms as part of the remodel. It was easy to arrive by bus, and has an apartment above to help with the economics.”

Campbell then generated interest in the upcoming business by hosting pop-ups at places like the Alternate Histories Studio, which is also located in Greenfield.

Now that Stories Like Me has settled into a permanent location, its existence defies the current movement to remove certain books from shelves. While librar-

“I wanted a place that would be in the city, accessible by public transportation, and not in the immediate vicinity of any other indie bookstores, and that would be a safe and comfortable place for anyone using a mobility device,” she says.

She worked with Bridgeway Capital, a local firm that offers flexible loans and other assistance to help small businesses, who suggested she buy a space instead of renting. Campbell looked at properties in a variety of neighborhoods, including Point Breeze, Wilkinsburg, Larimer, Homewood, and Homestead, before

ies struggle to withstand the growing tide of ignorance and bigotry, independent booksellers like Stories Like Me can at least fill the gap by offering a place where readers of all ages can feel seen.

Of the book bans, Campbell says, “This is unconscionable and we, along with many other indie bookstores, are committed to keeping books on our shelves that will act as mirrors and windows for the queer community. We are a safe space, we are queer owned, and will stand against any attempts to erase the stories of marginalized people.” •

“We are a safe space, we are queer owned, and will stand against any attempts to erase the stories of marginalized people.”

LYNN CULLEN

LIVE PODCAST

INDIE BOOKSELLER SPOTLIGHT

New releases at City Books

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

INDIE BOOKSELLER SPOTLIGHT is a regular column listing new releases at Pittsburgh book shops. Support local businesses and find your next favorite read.

CITY BOOKS

908 Galveston Ave., North Side. citybookspgh.com

Saltwater Demands a Psalm

by Kweku Abimbola (Graywolf Press)

The debut from poet Kweku Abimbola draws from Ghana’s Akan tradition of naming babies according to the day of the week on which they were born.

House of Cotton

by Monica Brashears (Macmillan) Macmillan calls this story about a 19-year-old woman struggling to survive poverty a “stunning, contemporary Black southern gothic novel.”

The Great Reclamation

by Rachel Heng (Penguin Random House/Riverhead Books) Penguin Random House describes this novel about a boy in a Singapore fishing village as reckoning with “the legacy of British colonialism, the World War II Japanese occupation, and the pursuit of modernity.”

A Living Remedy

by Nicole Chung (HarperCollins)

This memoir from Nicole Chung finds the Korean-American author grappling with the continuing struggles of her immigrant parents and her comfortable, middle-class life.

Women

by Victor LaValle (Penguin Random House/Riverhead Books)

Celebrated horror-fantasy novelist Victor LaValle follows a Black woman fleeing with a mysterious steamer trunk to 1915 Montana, where she hopes to start a new life as a homesteader.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MACMILLAN

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HARPER COLLINS

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE Lone

PITTSBURGH NEWS ROUNDUP

BY JAMIE WIGGAN // JAMIE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

COUNTY EXEC. CANDIDATES PLEDGE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORMS

ASTHE RACE to replace outgoing Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald increasingly centers on allegations of misconduct, candidates are scrambling to present themselves as upright reformists.

Executive hopefuls Dave Fawcett and Sara Innamorato have both issued loud calls for campaign finance reform in the past week, while Michael Lamb is promoting a “Pledge of Good Governance” for all current and aspiring officials.

Fawcett and Innamorato criticized Allegheny County’s lax campaign finance laws which set no limits on how much an individual donor can contribute to a campaign. They have suggested instead that the county follows Pittsburgh in pegging donor limits to those set by the Federal Elections Committee.

They also criticized the long gaps between campaign contribution reports filed by county political candidates under the current calendar. Innamorato says she’s taken initiative by uploading to her website a live list of all individual donations received by her campaign.

“I want to create an honest, trans-

parent, and responsible county government,” she said. “And I’m not just here to talk about it.”

Fawcett was the first to come out on the finance reform agenda, holding a press conference March 17 where he took aim at frontrunner John Weinstein’s deep war chest.

“There should be reasonable limits on campaign contributions in Allegheny County, and as county executive I’ll get that done,” he said.

Weinstein, who was accused of leveraging campaign support for a vote to maintain his endangered ALCOSAN board seat, recently turned the tide on Lamb, announcing during a press conference Friday that the city controller and county executive hopeful employs a staffer who lives outside the city.

Weinstein has also denounced the allegations against him as “rumors, outright falsehoods, and innuendos slung by competitors.”

Also this week, executive candidate Liv Bennett announced she has dropped out of the race. The primary election will take place on May 16.

INFRASTRUCTURE POGOH PLANS BIKE STATION EXPANSION

BIKE SHARE PITTSBURGH, the nonprofit operator of the POGOH bikeshare, has announced plans to expand the POGOH network throughout the city.

Through the addition of 22 new bike stations, POGOH will bring its first stations to Hazelwood, Stanton Heights, and more North Side neighborhoods, according to a press release.

The operator will also connect its

existing network to the Wilkinsburg station on the East Busway and beef up its presence in Oakland. This planned expansion will be funded by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration aimed at minimizing congestion and improving air quality. Planned changes to the pricing structure will also make it cheaper to rent electric bikes.

ENVIRONMENT CITY WIDE PLASTIC BAG BAN DELAYED UNTIL FALL

ACITY-WIDE BAN on plastic bags set to take effect next month will be delayed until October so that businesses can prepare for a smooth transition, Mayor Ed Gainey’s office announced last week.

The ban, passed by city council last April with a 12-month implementation delay, prohibits retailers from supplying any bags other than ones made from recycled paper. Proponents claim it could

prevent more than 100 million plastic bags from entering circulation each year.

In his release noting the delay, Gainey said more time is now needed to allow retailers and consumers to prepare.

“This extra time will allow us to do the work to be able to enact this policy with proper guidance for everyone in order to make this as smooth as possible for all of us,” he said.

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

BY CP STAFF

THU., MARCH 30

DANCE • WEST HOMESTEAD

Pittsburgh Tango Festival 7:45 p.m. Continues through Sun., April. 2. Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center, 451 W. Eighth Ave., West Homestead. $20-350. pghtango.com/tango-festival

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

Benefit Show for Bodily Autonomy with Blinder, Dirtbike, World 2, Mud City Manglers, and Murder for Girls

8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Spirit. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $5 suggested donation. spiritpgh.com

FRI., MARCH 31

ART • DOWNTOWN

937 Gallery takes a spiritual approach with the opening reception for a new photography exhibition. Curated by Sean Beauford, And, The Lord Spoke marks the first solo show for Jacob Pesci, a practicing photographer, artist, and educator. The show promises to explore “themes of American life” from the

past eight years, and “the war being waged on the human soul,” covering themes ranging from the climate crisis to police brutality.

7-9 p.m. Continues through May 14. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

SAT., APRIL 1

FAMILY • STRIP DISTRICT

Pittsburgh Opera Family Day and Brown Bag Concert. 10 a.m. Bitz Opera Factory. 2425 Liberty Ave., Strip District. Registration required. pittsburghopera.org

MARKET • NORTH SIDE

APRILTUE.,4

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

Rosegarden Funeral Party, Black Rose Burning, and The Shadow Event. 8 p.m. Cattivo. 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. $10-15. 21 and over. facebook.com/cattivopgh/events

MUSIC • DOWNTOWN

Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances

8 p.m. Continues on Sun., April 2. Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $20-98. pittsburghsymphony.org

Take advantage of a rare chance to explore a distinctive historic local landmark, all while enjoying a festive celebration. Teutonia Männerchor, touted as Pittsburgh’s oldest and most authentic German club, will open to the public with Ostermarkt, or Easter Market. Tour the more than 150-year-old building, then head to the tented Biergarten for traditional German food, imported beer, and all-around good cheer. 5-10 p.m. Continues on Sat., April 1. 857 Phineas St., North Side. Free. teutoniamannerchor. wildapricot.org

MUSIC • GARFIELD

Stand and Wave with Cat Garage, Tilt Controls, and My Favorite Liar. 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. $10. therobotoproject.com

COMEDY • ALLENTOWN

Sam Jay. 8-9:30 p.m. Bottlerocket Social Hall. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $20. bottlerocketpgh.com

PARTY • SOUTH SIDE

Disney After Dark with The Little Mermen 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh. 230 W. Station Square Drive, South Side. $18-22. druskyentertainment.com

SUN., APRIL 2

MARKET • STRIP DISTRICT

Spring Market with the Easter Bunny. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 18th St. Passageway at The Terminal. 18th St., Strip District. Free. stripdistrictterminal.com

FUNDRAISER • LAWRENCEVILLE

Pick up a new beer for a good cause at the 11th Hour Brewing Co. and PAAR Charity Collaboration Special Release Event. A portion of all sales of the Monarch Pale Ale will go toward Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, a nonprofit organization providing services

PHOTO: COURTESY OF FREEMAN PROMOTIONS Ville Valo at Roxian Theatre

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST And, The Lord Spoke at 937 Gallery

for victims of sexual violence. The limitedrelease beer will be on sale at 11th Hour and on draft at several to-be-announced local bars and restaurants. PAAR will also give a talk on their new Project Last Call program, described as working to “train and educate staff in the service industry to establish a safe environment, identify sexual harassment, train bystander intervention techniques, identify common scenarios, and provide valuable resources.” 2 p.m. 3711 Charlotte St., Lawrenceville. Free. paar.net/calendar

MARKET • MCKEES ROCKS

Heavy Metal Parking Lot 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Black Forge Coffee House. 701 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. Free. blackforgecoffee.com

MON., APRIL 3

MUSIC • NORTH SIDE

A Lively Night of Jazz with Dan Pugach Nonet. 7-8:30 p.m. City of Asylum. 40 W North Ave., North Side. Free. cityofasylum.org

TUE., APRIL

LIT • BLOOMFIELD

4

Launch Party! Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick with Rachael Lippincott 7 p.m. White Whale Bookstore. 4754 Liberty Ave., East Liberty. Free. whitewhalebookstore.com

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

Jukebox The Ghost Presents: I Got A Tour with Wildermiss. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Thunderbird Music Hall. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $25-100. 18 and over. thunderbirdmusichall.com

MUSIC • MCKEES ROCKS

Ville Valo Neon Tour 2023 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Roxian Theatre. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. $39.50-44.50. livenation.com

WED., APRIL 5

MUSIC • DOWNTOWN

Soul Sessions: Stokley 8 p.m. August Wilson African American Cultural Center. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $68. awaacc.org

MUSIC • BLOOMFIELD

Three bands, one record label, one night. Check out the guitar riffs of Tee Pee Records labelmates Danava, Limousine Beach, and Sweat at Brillobox. The Portland-based Danava will headline the night ahead of their ‘70s heavy-metal, stoner-rock-inspired new album, Nothing But Nothing, out April 28. Also performing are self-described Pittsburgh

“Sizzle Rock band” Limousine Beach and Sweat, a local quartet who combine melodic organ playing with ‘70s glam rock on their forthcoming debut Who Do They Think They Are? 8:30 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $12. 21 and over. brilloboxpgh.com

PHOTO: STEPHANIE MEI LING/HBO Sam Jay at Bottlerocket Social Hall

MARKET PLACE

HELP WANTED

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTORGUEST STAGE DIRECTOR

Seton Hill University Department of Theatre and Dance is hiring guest stage directors for their 2023-2024 production season.

The Department stages one musical and two plays each academic year. The Department employs resident full time faculty in all design areas, augmented by guest artists each year, as well as a full time Technical Director/ Production Manager. Guest director positions are offered as part-time university adjunct instructor. Candidates should hold an advanced degree in theatre, preferably in directing, with directing experience in higher education. Seton Hill is a Catholic Liberal Arts University near Pittsburgh, PA. Diversity is a core value at Seton Hill University. We are passionate about building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive learning and working environment for all students, faculty, and staff. We actively seek to recruit applicants who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. Please email Denise Pullen, Chair with questions and interest: pullen@setonhill.edu.

NOTICE INSPECTION ACCESS/TRAFFIC CONTROL BIDS

WSP USA, Inc. will receive sealed bids at their office located at 11 Stanwix, Suite 950, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 until 1.00 PM on Friday, April 7, 2023. Bids are requested to provide the necessary equipment for inspection access and traffic control during the inspection of Mahoning Avenue Bridge in the City of New Castle, Lawrence County. Interested bidders can request a bid package by emailing Scott.Rolley@wsp.com.

ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF PERSIC, JONATHAN C. DECEASED OF MARSHALL TOWNSHIP, PA

Jonathan C. Persic, deceased of Marshall Township, PA No. (0223)01935 of 2023. Paul R. Persic, Adm., 236 Woodhurst Terrace, Wexford, PA 15090.

https://www.familycourtdirect. com/?network=1

PUBLIC NOTICE

This notice is to notify all entities government and non-government that, the trademark for Marc Anthony Johnson “7613085” has been registered with the Department of State, for Pennsylvania. For any licenses or permissions to use said “Mark” write in plain language to: c/o Marc Anthony Johnson, P.O. Box 99731, Pittsburgh, PA 15233

Southend

Primary Health Care

STUDY

SMOKERS WANTED

The University of Pittsburgh’s Alcohol & Smoking Research Lab is looking for people to participate in a research project. You must:

• Currently smoke cigarettes

• Be 18-49 years old, in good health, and speak fluent English

• Be right handed, willing to not smoke before two sessions, and to fill out questionnaires

Earn up to $260 for participating in this study.

For more information, call (412) 407-5029

Please

SUBOXONE

NORTH BY NORTHEAST

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

ACROSS

they go down

44.  Computer that comes with Thunderbolt ports

46.  Indy 500 competitor

50.  Govt. property overseer

6.  Drum on the floor

7.  “But have we considered,” initially

8.  Silver bullet victim

9.  Mideast peninsula

10.  Grady of the Jurassic World series

and pineapple flavors

33.  “Funky Cold ___”

36.  Hurled a few f-bombs towards

37.  Like those in a Zoom meeting

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-002229 In re petition of Leah Marie Viscuso for change of name to Leah Marie Kaleugher. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 20th day of April, 2023, 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.

Lisa M. Henry, Esq., Attorney for Petitioner. Address: 444 Liberty Ave., Four Gateway Ctr., Ste. 2200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Phone: (412) 227-0277

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-002231 In re petition of Miah Leigh Viscuso for change of name to Miah Leigh Kaleugher. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 20th day of April, 2023, 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.

Lisa M. Henry, Esq., Attorney for Petitioner.

Address: 444 Liberty Ave., Four Gateway Ctr., Ste. 2200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Phone: (412) 227-0277

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-002187

In re petition of Shaheen for change of name to Shaheen Mahira. To all persons interested:

Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 21st day of April, 2023, 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.

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-002870

In re petition of Kelly Marie Evanosky for change of name to Theo Julien Forrester. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 3rd day of May, 2023, 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.

“Don’t make me”

17.  Dragon’s home

18.  Latin lover’s love

19.  ‘60s jacket style

20.  Announcement that you’re surrounded by those who have scarlet letters?

23.  Workout cover up

24.  Rain-___ (gumball brand)

25.  Game console that used a Nunchuk attachment

26.  CBS show with a blood-spatter specialist

27.  Cover story

29.  Maker of the Matriarch synthesizer

31.  What’s coming to you

32.  German city on the Danube

34.  St. Louis City

SC league

35.  Very long times

36.  MIT played a prank on Yale, say?

40.  Dirty slime

41.  “What up, ___?”

42.  Urban decay

43.  Paths that go up as much as

51.  Actress ___ de Armas

52.  Intention

54.  Tree chopper

55.  Became a superobsessive fan over a 2016 Beyoncé album?

59.  Extremely skilled

60.  They’re part of the food pyramid

61.  Fully engrossed with

62.  Stuff to sell

63.  Capital city with the Frogner and Grønland suburbs

64. The Tragedy of Macbeth director

65.  Her mom “has got it goin’ on” in a 2003 hit

66.  Stink

67.  ___ sûr (“to be sure,” in French)

DOWN

1.  Lower Manhattan neighborhood

2.  Tooth covering

3.  Chinese artist/ activist Ai with a reduplicative name

4.  Holi covering

5.  Reporter Lesley

11.  His “4’33”” composition is entirely silent

12.  Still beat

13.  Crams for a test, say

21.  Government investment option

22.  California region between Carmel and San Simeon

28.  Swells (up)

30.  Watch company whose name is a letter

31.  Drink that comes in orange, strawberry,

38.  Fall head over heels over

39.  Bellini opera

40.  They prohibit free speech

45.  Protect the king, in a two-piece chess move

47.  Is unable to

48.  Devon cathedral city 49.  Fixed anew

51.  Eager to move

53.  “No sweat”

56.  Barrelregulating org.

57.  Simplicity

58.  “I’m impressed”

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS