04 ENVIRONMENT
Penn
BY AMANDA WALTZ10 HEALTH
Where to get free tampons, pads, and other menstrual products in Pittsburgh
BY INDIA KRUG14 MUSIC
Pittsburgh’s
BY DEREK MAIOLO17 MUSIC
Record Store Spotlight: New releases at the Government Center
BY AMANDA WALTZ18 NEWS
20 EVENTS
Pittsburgh’s top events: May 18-24 BY
CP STAFF
22 Crossword and Classifieds
TAURUS:
In the coming weeks, you Bulls must brook no bullies or bullying. Likewise, you should tolerate no bullshit from people trying to manipulate or fool you. Be a bulwark of integrity as you refuse to lower your standards. Bulk up the selfprotective part of your psyche so you will be invincibly immune to careless and insensitive spoilers. Your word of power is BUILD. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms as you work to create situations that will keep you strong and stable during the next 12 months.
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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
ILLUSTRATION: LUCY CHEN
Get ready, Pittsburgh, “garbage plates” are taking over Mad Mex Oakland
OWEN GABBEY
NDER THE GROUND, there are bodies, not encased in lined caskets, but in simple shrouds and biodegradable coffins. Aboveground, acres of woodland give way to a hobby farm with goats and other animals, arched hoop houses, a flower meadow, an herb garden, and other amenities that would make any modern homesteader envious.
When I learned that a green cemetery — an eco-conscious, alternative burial ground — sat just minutes outside of Pittsburgh, I didn’t know what to expect. My morbid little brain conjured a rustic, backwoods country scene, of cautiously stepping over conspicuous, newly dug plots of earth, too afraid to disturb whoever had been recently buried there. Unlike traditional cemeteries or graveyards, I felt as though I’d be more aware of the bodies, like they were more exposed somehow.
Instead, a winding gravel driveway leads me to an attractive, recently constructed house, the center of operations for Penn Forest Natural Burial Park, touted as the first and only certified natural burial grounds in Pennsylvania, located a short drive from Pittsburgh in Verona. Instead of sober, suited funeral directors, I meet with Laura Faessel and Maria St. Clair, the caretakers and managers, who are dressed more for gardening or a short hike. Both women are all smiles as we prepare to tour the grounds, putting
on their shoes and protective sun hats, despite the day being overcast.
As we walk through the nearby woodlands, they point out various lots sectioned out for burials, including one marked for those of the Jewish faith, which Faessel says was blessed by a rabbi.
“This is the first requested section that we had from a religious community,” says Faessel.
As the Penn Forest website definitively states, people “of all faiths are welcome.”
Some of the graves, all of which are marked with simple stones bearing the names of the deceased, have flowers placed there by loved ones (this is fine, Faessel says, as long as the flowers are real and not artificial in order to maintain the eco-friendliness of the grounds). On the trail, Faessel points out a memorial stone structure built by a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist who, after writing about Penn Forest, felt moved to put something there.
Co-founded in 2008 by Nancy Chubb and the late Pete McQuillin, Penn Forest has sought to provide an alternative end-of-life choice in an industry where options are otherwise limited to caskets or cremation. It adds to a growing movement of green cemeteries spread throughout North America, around 350 by Faessel’s count.
The website for the Green Burial Council, a nonprofit organization that offers certification and best practices for Penn Forest and others, provides a long list of green cemeteries in each state, as well as in Canada and Guatemala.
“Most people who come here are lovers of the environment, they love nature. A lot of people who come here are already trying to be environmentally friendly in their lives and they’re like, “I want to die the same way,’” says St. Clair. “There are also people who choose this just because it makes more sense, it’s more practical, it’s generally less expensive.”
She and Faessel add that some of the people buried there were hunters, or arborists who wanted to still be among the trees after death.
“But the main reason is that people don’t want to leave any trace when they die, and they want a simple burial,” says St. Clair.
The two women estimate that they perform between 36 to 40 burials a year, and that almost 300 people total, both as “full body and cremated remains,” are buried across the 35 acres encompassing the Penn Forest burial site. Overall, nearly 700 plots have been sold.
“We do get people that come in preplanned and we recommend that people do that, because you’re getting what you want, you’re getting it at today’s prices, and it’s easier on the people that you leave behind,” says Faessel.
However, they do take clients who are already deceased — on the morning of my visit, Faessel says someone had called about an “at-need” burial for someone who has just died.
The ease of the process was one of the reasons Randy Weinberg and Barbara Gengler, a retired married couple living in Squirrel Hill, recently bought plots in Penn Forest. This is in addition to wanting something that would be more friendly to the environment.
“We are definitely environmentallyminded people, which is a big part of the appeal of Penn Forest,” says Gengler, who learned about the practice during a talk McQuillin gave to the women’s auxiliary at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. “Simple, natural, most like the way it all used to be.”
Preparing bodies for burial at Penn Forest combines the services of a funeral home with the green ideals of the space. As St. Clair explains, in most cases, a funeral home is responsible for picking up and cleaning a body for burial, and then following some more eco-friendly guidelines.
“They’ll make sure that the person is dressed in natural, biodegradable clothing, so no polyester,” she says. “Instead of embalming the body, they’ll keep the body in their refrigeration until the time of the burial.”
The funeral home also provides a shroud or biodegradable casket, such as one made of wood, bamboo, cardboard,
or wicker. Unlike traditional caskets, which are made with non-earth friendly material like metal or plastic, and are surrounded by concrete vaults, these vessels break down naturally along with the body. Even then, Faessel says any wood or stone used should be native to the region.
St. Clair adds that plot owners can even make their own shrouds or coffins to be buried in.
Like other burial grounds, including historic Pittsburgh spots like the sprawling Allegheny Cemetery and Homewood Cemetery, Penn Forest acts as a community greenspace in addition to a final resting place, welcoming hikers and nature lovers, and even hosting regular events like goat yoga.
Myrna Patterson has, since 2017, worked as a yoga instructor at Penn Forest. She became fascinated with the space after meeting McQuillin at a North Side coffee shop where she was teaching a yoga class. At the time, Penn Forest was still in the planning stages.
“Most people who come here are lovers of the environment, they love nature. A lot of people who come here are already trying to be environmentally friendly in their lives and they’re like, “I want to die the same way.’”
it really blew my mind!” Patterson tells Pittsburgh City Paper . “I said, ‘You can do that?’”
Like Gengler and Weinberg, Patterson now has her own plot, and believes the decision algins with her environmental “hippie” values. She and her husband reserved their plots a few years ago, but they have yet to choose a location. They plan on exploring their options while hiking through Penn Forest this summer. “Of course, I probably want to be close to Returning Home Farm, an extension of the burial park, because that’s where the goats and other farm animals live. But we’re going to be side by side, so we’ll have that discussion. There are so many beautiful areas in the park, any place would be lovely.”
“They give an option to make payments, which made it easy and affordable,” says Patterson, adding that, unlike traditional burial, Penn Forest also allows
two dogs.
St. Clair, who has a background in
about it should book a tour at Penn Forest, where they can learn to appreciate all it has to offer.
The lack of convention extends to the people running the grounds, neither of whom have a background in mortuary or funeral services. Faessel, who trained with McQuillin to take over the grounds before he retired in 2021, earned degrees in the culinary arts and previously worked in a natural and organic food warehouse in Saxonburg. While earning a degree in environmental science, she did a research project comparing different burial methods and learned about Penn Forest. After graduating, she sent them
photography, says she always loved cemeteries and wanted a job where she could work outside. She was working at Elmer’s Aquarium in Monroeville, where, in early 2020, Chubb and McQuillin walked in to purchase some fish.
“Pete had his Penn Forest jacket on with the logo and I knew about the place,” St. Clair says, adding that, after giving him her phone number and expressing interest in working there, was granted an interview.
Even as the concept of green burial
“Once they see the beautiful grounds with its hiking trails, flower gardens, meditation hut, and the reforesting efforts, they’ll get a better picture of how a natural burial can be tailored to their own needs, she adds. “It’s more economic and eco-friendly than a traditional burial. The staff is friendly and warm. Or, they should visit some of the many nature walks, solstice celebrations, and other activities they host.”
While some may balk at the idea of acting as pallbearers for strangers or filling in graves with dirt, Faessel says it’s all part of a profession that she has come to cherish.
“It’s just such a great place to work,” says Faessel. “I love my job so much. I just really feel like I’m doing something good for the environment and people.” •
“I just really feel like I’m doing something good for the environment and people.”
These organizations are leading the fight against menstrual poverty in Pittsburgh
BY INDIA KRUG // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COMTHERE’S NOTHING WORSE than realizing you’ve started your period and don’t have a tampon. Many of us can relate to what Amanda Seales describes in her 2019 comedy special I Be Knowin’ — “I just spent the last 20 minutes in a public bathroom fashioning a makeshift maxi pad out of a long-ass CVS receipt.” But the reality of access to menstrual care basics is, in reality, far more serious.
According to a national study, one in five teens has struggled to afford period products. Period poverty — or a lack of access to menstrual hygiene resources and education — affects many people, but BIPOC individuals, as well as incarcerated and unhoused individuals are disproportionately affected.
Pittsburgh City Paper sat down with Tamara Abney, founder of SisterFriend,
an organization that fights period poverty, to talk about the lack of public access to menstrual products. She says menstrual equity is often not on people’s minds, which means it gets overlooked in budgets.
“You know, a lot of people, whenever I tell them about my organization, they kind of have an ‘aha’ moment,” she shares “Even though I may be talking to a menstruating person, they’re like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize that was an issue!’ So I think [it requires] stripping away a layer of privilege that some of us do have.”
SisterFriend was founded in 2015 to get pads and tampons to low-income individuals. They distribute menstrual and hygiene products to public schools, shelters, correctional facilities, and organizations across the county. Abney doesn’t understand why people should
have to pay for pads or tampons when they’re in public spaces.
“You know, it’s almost like they’re saying, ‘It’s your problem that you menstruate, so you figure it out,’ ” she says. “Like, is it my problem that I urinate? Is it my problem that I have to wash my hands? Bathrooms provide toilet paper, they provide paper towels and soap.”
In 2022, menstrual product brand, Always named Abney the Always Period Hero for the state of Pennsylvania, and SisterFriend received 50,000 pads from the company. After they finish distributing those, Abney says the organization will be transitioning to focus entirely on menstrual equity education.
The SisterFriend website will become home to consolidated resources, so people know where to find menstrual products and services, and can learn
how to advocate for budget allocations in their communities and schools. The website will also contain informational videos for young people starting their periods, and guides for parents who want to have conversations about menstruation.
Abney says the more that people talk about periods, the faster change will come. “As long as we won’t say the words, as long as we’re uncomfortable, then we’ll continue to not pay attention to it,” she says. “So we should start talking about it, especially when a high percentage of the population has a period every month.”
In Pittsburgh, there isn’t just a lack of free tampons and pads, there’s a lack of public bathrooms. Here is a list of some places that offer free menstrual products and how to contact them.
4812 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. thebigideapgh.org
(412) 687-4323
This cooperative bookstore and cafe offers menstrual products in their bathrooms, as well as condoms and Narcan. They are open every day at 11 a.m., closing at 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and Monday, 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 5 p.m. Tuesdays.
933 Liberty Ave., Downtown. plannedparenthood.org/plannedparenthood-western-pennsylvania
(412) 562-1900
420 Braddock Ave., Braddock. freestore15104.org
(201) 532-1722
Free Store 15104 partners with the organization “I Support the Girls” to provide menstrual products. They are occasionally available during shopping hours but founder Gisele Fettermen recommends texting the phone number beforehand to check. Shopping hours are 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays, and 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
520 Brookline Blvd., Brookline. brooklineteenoutreach.org
(412) 254-4590
This community center for teens keeps a supply of products in stock for students who need them, and stock enough that students can take extra home. They also include menstrual products in their free community pantry next to the building. The center’s hours are 3-6 p.m Monday through Friday.
2014 Monongahela Ave., Swissvale. sisterspgh.org
(412) 297-0548
The Planned Parenthood clinic Downtown has a community pantry in their vestibule that is routinely stocked with tampons and pads, as well as canned goods. They also provide menstrual products to patients when they’re leaving their appointments. They are open 9:30 a.m.3:30 pm Monday through Friday.
pghfoodnotbombs.org
(412) 501-3359
This mutual aid collective has multiple distribution locations across the city — they offer hygiene products at Prevention Point, House of Manna, and Downtown Distro. They also have hot food, groceries, clothes, and toiletries.
Prevention Point, Hill District
Corner of Kirkpatrick St. and Bentley Drive
Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m.
House of Manna, Homewood
7240 Frankstown Ave.
Saturdays, 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Downtown Distro, Downtown
Corner of Smithfield St. and Sixth Ave.
Sundays, 2-5 p.m.
Marsha’s Closet is a program of SisTers PGH, a community hangout that also provides clothing, toiletries, food, access to computers, and referrals to service providers. They offer hygiene products for trans men and nonbinary individuals. Marsha’s Closet is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m.6:30 p.m.
2038 Bedford Ave., Hill District. neighborhoodresilience.org
(412) 261-1234
The Neighborhood Resilience Project has a community pantry onsite which includes donated tampons and pads that individuals are able to stop by and pick from. They also have a free health clinic and partner with local organizations to support violence prevention. It’s open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 pm Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m.-2.p.m. on Saturdays.
1037 Stotler Rd., Penn Hills. pennhillslibrary.org (412) 775-4700
This public library has a thriving community pantry and fridge, offering fresh produce, meals, eggs, and milk. They carry pads on their shelves, as well as shampoo and soap. People are able to stop in during regular library hours and pick up what they need. The library is open 10 a.m.8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays. •
JUNE 2 KT TUNSTALL
JUNE 3 GALACTIC feat. ANJELIKA JELLY JOSEPH
JUNE 4 RISING APPALACHIA
JUNE 5 PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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JUNE 9 MO LOWDA & THE HUMBLE
JUNE 10 CHALI 2NA and CUT CHEMIST
JUNE 11 TAJ MAHAL QUARTET
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FINAL PITTSBURGH PERFORMANCES
THE VIDEO BEGINS with parallel lines like a field of crops: the left side blue, the right side violet. As the music begins, the lines distort, forming two eye-shaped spheres that pulse with the rhythm. Digital dots get pinballed by the reverberations.
This psychedelic visual is the first iteration of Pittsburgh musician Ames Harding’s attempt to wield the power of art and technology to craft the next generation of live music.
Harding is collaborating with a local robotics and computer science expert to craft concerts that harness the power of artificial intelligence. The project is in the early stages, but it represents one of the first attempts locally to incorporate generative AI into live shows.
For the music industry, AI has been the subject of excitement and controversy. In April, a song surfaced on social media that claimed to use AI-generated versions of Drake and The Weeknd, two of the industry’s most popular voices. The song quickly racked up millions of listens before it was taken down over concerns about intellectual property.
While many creatives lament generative AI as a harbinger of doom, others, like Harding, see in the technology a way to expand and improve their craft — if they use it wisely.
“The next generation of musicians is not going to be AI musicians. It’s going to be musicians aided by AI,” Harding tells Pittsburgh City Paper
What started as a solo project grew into a four-piece band, Ames Harding and the Mirage, known for making dreamy, genre-bending songs. The band has built a steady following and performed everywhere from college house shows to Mr. Smalls in Millvale. But in recent months,
Harding revisited his self-named solo project to pursue a more experimental venture centered around creating an immersive, multimedia experience for his audience. The goal is to put the focus on the music and the visuals, not necessarily the performer.
“The solo project isn’t really about me,” he said. “It’s about creating a visual world around the music.”
As a kid, Harding showed an affinity for science. He went to math camp and took the SATs at 14. When he started at Pomona College in California, he went in as a physics major.
“That was my path for a long time,” he said.
But Harding also had a fascination with music. His mother worked for the U.S. Foreign Service, which took the family across the globe. Harding was born in Guatemala, spent middle school in Egypt, and high school in India. The sounds of those various places added to his musical palette. He remembers waking up at 5 a.m. to the Islamic daily prayer calls in Cairo and listening to the sonorous chants reverberating through loudspeakers.
Experiences like these helped to cultivate an international range of influences. One track he performs evokes
New Orleans jazz; another hints of Latin rhythms. It’s fitting that the cover art for many of Harding’s releases, like his album Dance of the Red Flower, are collages of images.
Harding is constantly looking for ways to push the boundaries of music. In recent years, as AI technology has grown more advanced, he’s felt a renewed interest, an obsession even, with the intersection between the quantitative world of math and the qualitative world of art.
“I wasn’t worried about Siri taking my job or that kind of thing, but I think what really caught me by surprise was the image generation,” Harding says.
DALL-E, created by the same company behind ChatGPT, blends languages and images, often with surreal results (the name itself is a play on Salvador Dalí, the Spanish artist known for bizarre amalgamations of images). Visual possibilities flourished. If someone wanted to see a house in the shape of a giraffe, or two koalas playing checkers, they just type it into a search bar and a digital image appears with striking resemblance to a photograph. “As I do when I get excited about something, I just talk about it with everyone,” Harding says of the technology.
One of those people is Dr. Jonathan D. Taylor (he goes by JD), a local tech entrepreneur who specializes in robotics and AI.
“But on the side, he’s a bit of a hippie,”
Harding tells City Paper
Taylor got a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked for several companies with a focus in robotics. As he ascended the ranks, he found himself missing the creative energy and nonlinear thinking that came with making art.
“The things that really create innovation are not what you find in the tech world. It seems counterintuitive,” he says. “You get a lot of pretty conservative people. It’s what is taught in an engineering background.”
He wanted to be around people who weren’t so confident they had the right answers and who wanted to embark on new and strange ventures. Artists tend to fit that description. In the past, he’s helped with art installations at Redfish
UNLIKELY MUSICAL FRIENDS, CONTINUES ON PG. 16
Myyounger brother, Luke, was a shy guy. He was a man of few words, but the words he said were thoughtful. He had an old soul. He loved classic rock and the blues and sitting around a fire hanging out with his friends listening to his favorite songs. He loved his dog, Chase, who he adopted from Animal Friends when he was in his early teens. He loved being outdoors- appreciating the scenery, doing a bit of fishing, and observing the wildlife around him. He was a gentle young man, but also fiercely protective of the ones he loved. In June 2017, at the age of 21, Luke took his life. That day, I lost my only sibling. Luke was someone I was supposed to grow old with, care for our parents with, and make so many lifelong memories with. We were just starting to build on our relationship more as adults. I was absolutely shattered. In time, I had to start picking up the pieces and putting them back together into a new normal. This is when the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) first came into my life.
I heard about the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk happening in August of that year from a family member, and I quickly decided to attend. I formed a team called Luke’s Legacy, and I hoped to raise a few hundred dollars and have a handful of team members. That first year, Luke’s Legacy raised $2,785 and had 22 members. Despite the support I knew I had behind me, I was so nervous to go. I was afraid of being too emotional or feeling alone. I still showed up. Little did I know that day was a pivotal moment that truly changed my life.
Upon entering Highmark Stadium, I felt more welcomed and accepted than I had in months. From the crowd herders to the volunteers working at registration and tables- everyone was so thoughtful and kind. The energy in the stadium was palpable. I felt overwhelmingly sad to be there among others who were also affected by suicide, but even more so I felt supported. I knew no one would judge me for shedding some tears during the opening ceremony. I also knew no one would judge me for smiling and making it a celebration of life and hope for the future. I left my first Out of the Darkness Walk knowing that I would be a lifelong supporter of AFSP. Soon after, I became a volunteer focused on education in our community. In 2019, I joined the Board as Secretary and in 2022 I became Board Chair. I now volunteer at the Walks every year, and I aim to be that volunteer that our attendees (especially new ones) desperately need. I will offer a shoulder to cry on, a smile or laugh, whatever is needed to make our attendees feel seen and validated. I remain Luke Legacy’s team captain each year. We have raised over $12,500 since 2017, and it makes me emotional thinking about all the tools, resources, and research that money has gone to in aiding to prevent suicide. I encourage you to join us for our Pittsburgh Walk on September 9th at Highmark Stadium. I can guarantee that you will walk away feeling the hope and support that I do every year.
“The next generation of musicians is not going to be AI musicians. It’s going to be musicians aided by AI.”
— Ames Harding
Bowl in Lawrenceville. He made a point that such ventures are hobbies separate from his professional work.
After his conversation with Harding, Taylor took one of his songs and put it through a computational fluid dynamics simulation, which he said engineers use to design things like wind turbines. He created an AI training loop that took those elements and generated randomized visuals based on the harmonies and percussion, like DALL-E creating novel images from a supply of pictures. The process kept generating visuals that Taylor could judge as good or bad until he achieved a product that looked pleasing. What emerged was the set of morphing blue and violet lines.
Eventually, he wants to devise a way to implement AI in real time during Harding’s performances so that everyone in the crowd is affecting the visuals. One idea is to incorporate a kind of “vibe check meter” that would detect changes
in mood and body movement. The visual elements would learn from the audience and make changes according to their reactions.
“Though laser light displays and similar tech advances have been used for decades to produce amazing experiences, there has been no one yet, to my knowledge, that takes input and learns from the audiences in real-time to make the concert even more unique and engaging,” Taylor says.
As anyone who has been to a concert understands, a good show feels like a journey. A person follows the highs and lows of the music, moments of joy and of sadness that culminate in what Taylor described as a feeling of transcendence.
“Hopefully what we end up with at the end of this project is to capture that in a bottle,” he says. “We want to make things that make these shows better, more unique, more memorable, and they just continue to get better over time.”
While AI presents opportunities, it also poses problems. On May 1, Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, who designed machine learning algorithms for Google, quit his job to give him the freedom to speak out against the very technology he helped create.
Regarded as the “godfather of AI,” Hinton grew wary of the speed at which companies were developing products like DALL-E and ChatGPT. His most pressing concern is that they will flood the digital world with fake images, videos, and text so that the average person won’t be able to distinguish what is true. From 198287, Hinton taught at CMU, but he left for Canada because at the time, most AI research in the United States was funded by the defense department, and he opposed the idea of artificial intelligence in combat.
In the realm of music, AI presents thorny questions over copyright infringement. Who has rights to that AI-generated
Drake-Weeknd mashup? What does the blurring of real versus fake do to the value of music and art?
The trouble with such fast-changing technology is crafting policies and regulations that can keep up. The realms of law and politics travel much slower, and for good reason, than that of business. Hinton joined the ranks of critics urging companies to slow down and tread with caution.
But as Taylor argued, the technology already exists, and rather than shy away from it, he and Harding want to find ways to harness the power of AI toward meaningful ends.
Taylor couldn’t say for certain when the technology will be ready, but he’s trying to have some form of generative AI ready for Harding’s next performance on Fri., May 26 at Cattivo, where he’ll be opening for Animal Scream.
“The point of this is we don’t know what the end product is going to be,” he said. “That’s the magic of it.” •
BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
715 East St., North Side. thegovernmentcenter.com
STORE SPOTLIGHT is a regular column listing new releases at Pittsburgh vinyl shops. Support local businesses and find your next favorite album.
(Fire Talk)
The genre-defying debut album from experimental U.K. quartet Mandy, Indiana was, according to a release, recorded “in caves, crypts and shopping malls,” and is described as “at once chaotic and precision engineered.”
(Fire Records)
Paste calls this synth-pop effort from Erin Birgy, aka Mega Bog, a “triumph” that is “glitzy, personal, accessible and heavenly.”
(Wedge)
The ninth album from this North African Tuareg rock band promises “snaking guitar lines and hypnotic rhythms blending seamlessly with pedal steel, piano and strings from guest musicians.”
(Asthmatic Kitty Records)
The artfully maudlin Sufjan Stevens is joined by Timo Andres and Conor Hanick on this dual-piano album produced in collaboration with choreographer Justin Peck.
(Dead Oceans)
The first live album from Texas-based trio Khruangbin captures them performing with Kelly Doyle, Ruben Moreno, The Suffers, and Robert Ellis. •
JAMES WASHINGTON, 42, died last week after being found unconscious in Allegheny County Jail’s intake unit two days after he was brought to the jail by a local police department. Although the cause of his death was not disclosed, the jail said in a press release that drug screens indicated the presence of opioids, cocaine, and other drugs.
Jail Oversight Board member Bethany Hallam wrote in a Twitter thread that incarcerated individuals
THE WASHINGTON, D.C. -based law firm Civil Rights Corps joined two Pennsylvania law professors in filing an ethics complaint against District Attorney Stephen Zappala. It asks a state disciplinary board to investigate media reports alleging that Zappala’s decisions about whether and how to bring charges were influenced by personal grudges and political gain.
The media reports cited in the complaint included a 2021 incident in which Zappala directed prosecutors
who witnessed Washington’s medical emergency told her he lay unconscious on the floor for “several hours” as witnesses tried to get him medical attention.
Last week, Damon Leroy Kayes, 54, became the second incarcerated person to die this year at Renewal, Inc., a detention center in downtown Pittsburgh that receives county funding. Kayes was in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the time of his death.
not to offer plea deals to clients of an attorney who criticized the DA’s office, and allegations that Zappala’s line prosecutors were instructed not to withdraw weak charges because he lost the Democratic Committee endorsement in the 2023 primary race for District Attorney.
Zappala faced a challenge from the county’s top public defender, Matt Dugan, on Tuesday's Democratic Primary, which had not concluded by the time this article went to print.
LBeaver County was hit last week by a lawsuit alleging the facility has repeat edly violated state and federal environ mental laws, and has failed to demon strate proper remedial plans.
ing plastic production site has been cited multiple times by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protect for generating more harmful emissions than its permit allows on a rolling yearlong basis. The Clean Air Council, an environmental advocacy group, says the company’s apparent failure to address the underlying problems threatens the surrounding environment and presents a perpetual health risk to local residents.
PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY is seeking community input on public spending allocations as he and his administration begin to prepare the 2024 budget proposal.
In the coming weeks, officials will hold a series of community meetings across the city, where residents can learn more about some of the spending proposals in consideration. Residents can indicate their preferences by filling out an online survey at the city’s website: engage.pittsburghpa.gov.
Public meetings are scheduled for the following times.
Council’s members and other individuals who live, go to school, recreate, and work near the Plant,” the complaint alleges.
SOUTH
Wed., May 17 at 6 p.m. Phillips Recreation Center, 201 Parkfield St.
NORTH
Thu., May 18 at 6 p.m. Manchester Citizens Corporation Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave.
WEST
Thu., June 1 at 6 p.m.
Sheraden Senior Center, 720 Sherwood Ave.
EAST
Wed., June 7 at 6 p.m.
Homewood Senior Center, 7321 Frankstown Ave.
LIT • OAKLAND
Leon Ford: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures
Made Local Series 6 p.m. Carnegie Library Lecture Hall. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. Registration required. Pittsburghlectures.org
THEATER • SOUTH SIDE
Under the theme “New Plays at Different Stages,” the Momentum Festival readings of three plays in progress, as well as a film screening, at City Theatre
Breach, Breach Birth by Inda Craig-Galván, the one-man show Bar Jokes Tales
Giles, and When My Sleeping Dragon Woke documentary following the premiere of Sharon Washington’s play Dragon. The event concludes with a workshop of Tami Dixon’s Revisited. 7 p.m. Continues through Sun., May 21. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. Free. Registration required. citytheatre. culturaldistrict.org
MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE
Angela Perley with Erik Huey 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Club Cafe. 56-58 South 12th St., South Side. $14. ticketweb.com
OPERA • OAKLAND
Resonance Works presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth. 8 p.m. Continues on Sat., May 20. Charity Randall Theatre-University of Pittsburgh. 4301 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $12.50-60. resonanceworks.org/macbeth-2023
THEATER • DOWNTOWN
Introduce the younguns to the joy of live performance when the EQT Children’s Theater Festival returns to Downtown Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust welcomes theater companies from all over the world for a weekend event bringing over 50 free activities to various Cultural District venues. Kids of all ages can build LEGO derby cars, learn how to play instruments, discover the wonders of origami, and so much more. Continues through Sun., May 21. Multiple locations. Downtown. Paid tickets required for some events. ctf.trustarts.org
• OAKMONT
48 Hour Film Project Premiere Screenings. 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Continues through Sat., May 20. The Oaks Theater. 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. $12. 48hourfilm.com/pittsburgh
DANCE • DOWNTOWN
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre presents Sleeping Beauty 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., May 21. Benedum Center. Seventh St. and Penn Ave., Downtown. $29-125. pbt.org
MAYFRI., 19
Pittsburgh Sound + Image presents 100 Years of 16mm Party with FILMO. 8 p.m. Eberle Studios. 229 East Ninth Ave., Homestead. $15. pghsoundandimage.com
Brady Collins presents The Wild Stage: Tantalized 8:30 p.m. Continues on Sun., May 21. 565 Live. 565 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue. $25. club565live.com
Atithi Studios Fashion Festival. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 1020 North Canal St., Sharpsburg. $25. atithistudios.com/fashion-festival
Wild Kratts: Creature Power Opening Weekend Celebration 12–2 p.m. Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. 10 Children’s Way, Allegheny Square. North Side. pittsburghkids.org
Hazelwood Local presents Spring Funfest. 6-8 p.m. Elevationz. 4944 Second Ave., Hazelwood. Free. Registration required. hazelwoodlocal.com
FRI., MAY 19
MUSIC • NEW KENSINGTON
Moonspell with Eleine and TIWANAKU
6:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Preserving Underground, 1101 Fifth Ave., New Kensington. $25-30. preservingunderground.com
OUTDOORS • ASPINWALL
Join Three Rivers Waterkeeper at Allegheny RiverTrail Park for a summer season kick-off party featuring outdoor fun, food, and live entertainment. Taking place at the 3 Rivers Outdoor Company Outpost, the celebration includes live music by The Lost Causes, yard games, and free kayaking, as well as kidfriendly educational activities. The event supports Three Rivers Waterkeeper’s mission of improving and protecting the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers. 1-4 p.m. 285 River Ave., Aspinwall. $8-50, free for kids 2 and under. threeriverswaterkeeper.org
MARKET • LAWRENCEVILLE
Pittsburgh Record Fest 2-8 p.m. Spirit. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $3. All ages. spiritpgh.com
EXHIBITION • OAKLAND
A new Phipps Conservatory and
Botanical Gardens exhibition promises to dazzle visitors by combining “glamorous fashion designs with beautiful floral displays.” The recently opened Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter pays tribute to a famous Pittsburgh native known for his flawless style and talent. See dresses made from plant material, a display inspired by Porter’s turn in the Broadway show Kinky Boots, and more. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through June 25. One Schenley Park, Oakland. Included with regular admission. phipps.conservatory.org
TUE., MAY 23
MUSIC • NORTH SIDE
Beartooth and Trivium with Archetypes Collide and Malevolence 5:30 p.m. Stage AE. 400 N. Shore Drive, North Side. $38.50-85. promowestlive.com
WED., MAY 24
THEATER • EAST LIBERTY Or Forever Hold Your Peace 8 p.m. Continues through Sat., May 27. Alloy Studios at Kelly Strayhorn Theater. 5530 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay What Moves You $15-35. kelly-strayhorn.org
ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF MATWICZYK, PATRICIA A., DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA
Patricia A. Matwiczyk, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA No. 022207896 of 2023.
Allen J. Augustine, Adm. 135 Shroyer Mill Road, Butler, PA 16001.
Or to D. Scott Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF TUROCY, ANDREW
J., DECEASED OF WEST MIFFLIN, PA
Andrew J. Turocy, deceased of West Mifflin, PA No. 022303426 of 2023. Janet Bryja Turocy, Adm. 1729 Gina Drive, West Mifflin, PA 15122, Or to D. Scott
Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
ESTATE NOTICE
ESTATE OF MULLIGAN, LESLIE C., DECEASED OF PLEASANT HILLS, PA
Leslie C. Mulligan, deceased of Pleasant Hills, PA No. 022303037 of 2023. Katie Siemon, Adm. 3112 Siler Drive, Finleyville, PA 15332. Or to D. Scott Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF ANDRES, DAVID R., DECEASED OF GLASSPORT, PA
David R. Andres, deceased of Glassport, PA No. 022301510 of 2023.
Terry Woytovich, Adm. 2207 Washington Boulevard, Glassport, PA 15045, Or to D. Scott
Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF HEINRICH, ALICE M., DECEASED OF SOUTH PARK, PA
Alice M. Heinrich, deceased of South Park, PA No. 022300972 of 2023. Gretchen Daberko, Ext. 6305 Crestview Drive, South Park, PA 15129, Or to D. Scott Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF LUBAWSKI, JAY R., DECEASED OF BETHEL PARK, PA
Jay R. Lubawski, deceased of Bethel Park, PA No. 3440 of 2023. Susan Lucas, Ext. 1340 Quail Run Circle, Bethel Park, PA 15102. Or to Michael L. Balzarini, Esquire. 310 Grant St., Suite 3303, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-6082, In re petition of Deniz Sezer, parent and legal guardian of Ahmet Batuhan Sezer and Deniz Karen Sezer, for change of names to Kevin Batuhan Sezer and Emily Deniz Sezer. To all persons interested:
Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 14th day of June 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.
(Ages 50 to 80). No medical exam. Affordable premiums never increase. Benefits never decrease. Policy will only be cancelled for non-payment. HOURS: M-F 9a-10p & Sat 11a-2p EST 1-888-386-0113 (Void NY) (AAN CAN)
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-005239
In re petition of Diana Sarah Clarke for change of name to Dade Azrile Lemanski. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 8th day of June, 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-23-005631, In re petition of Melissa Perez, parent and legal guardian of Cruz Montana Perez, for change of name to Javon Teray Hutcherson Jr.
To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 5th day of June 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.
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NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-4228
In re petition of Jacob Neil Troetschel for change of name to Jacob Neil. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 8th day of June, 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-23-005271
In re petition of Megan Elizabeth Sullivan for change of name to Megan Sullivan Klein. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 8th day of June, 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.
44. Axiom Mission org.
45. Grocery store that sells Willow toilet paper
46. Subject, often
48. Hot plate holder
50. 1966 George Plimpton work about the Detroit NFL team
55. Cross over?
56. Shaking in one’s boots
57. Maldive’s home
59. Ships that travel unimaginable distances
60. Betting establishment, and what the theme answers are literally
66. In the flesh
67. Himalayan safety org.
68. Garage job
69. Rink jump
70. Had a great show, informally
71. The Boys actress Moriarty DOWN
1. ___ Leppard
2. Bar projectile
3. Cuban athlete, for short
4. Coming to light
5. Prime Cuts brand
6. Belief in the man upstairs
7. Pull down muscle
8. Corner key
9. Fix as a boot
10. Geeky sort
11. Comic actress Catherine
12. Well-mannered
13. Potter’s work
18. Optimistic
22. Shortsighted one
23. Meanie
24. Bank acquisitions
25. Server’s down time?
27. Pizza sauce herb
28. Bird houses
30. Inventor Whitney
34. Yawninducing feeling
36. Not yet scheduled
37. Figure things out
38. Soup and salad
39. Changes one’s story
41. Post-impressionist painter Rousseau
42. Head piece
47. Repeated maxim 49. Hits that make Angels happy, for short
50. “I Don’t Want to Wait” singer Cole
51. Fasten (to)
52. Show beyond doubt
53. Plein air ___
54. Traffic cop
58. Megafan
61. “Don’t text and drive” ad: Abbr.
62. “Special” jobs
63. “___ Flag Means Death”
64. Band in kabuki theater
65. Understanding
