June 7, 2023 - Pittsburgh City Paper

JUNE 7-14, 2023

STRIFE IN SUDAN

Pittsburgh’s Sudanese refugees band together

PLUS INSIDE: Interview with the leaders of Queer Craft Market, Black-led community spotlight: Dr. Kimberly Ellis, and more

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JUNE 7-14, 2023 // VOL. 32

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COVER PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

SLEEPLESS OVER SUDAN

BY MATT PETRAS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

MOHAMED HAMID hasn’t been sleeping well.

The 42 year-old currently lives in Penn Hills with his wife and 20-month son but grew up in Sudan, a country now gripped by a violent conflict. He’s heard that some of his family members have been shot and killed in the streets. Sometimes, when he’s able to get his family on the phone, he hears his father cry.

Conflict that’s been simmering for years in Sudan recently boiled over, with rival factions the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces tussling for power in what’s essentially a civil war. It can be traced back to the mid-1990s, according to Lou Picard, a professor and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs who spoke with Pittsburgh City Paper while at work on

“I can’t do nothing, so I’m super mad for that,” Hamid says.

Conflict of some form has hung over Sudan for most of Hamid’s life. In 2013, he came to the United States after first fleeing to neighboring Libya. A period of relative peace followed before violence once again erupted in April.

“All my life is history,” Hamid says. “It’s bad, bad history … I’m crying sometimes, because I see this fighting before more than 25 years ago.”

a nonprofit project in Uganda near the border of South Sudan.

Like Hamin, many other Pittsburgharea Sudanese residents experience acute anxiety as they follow events in Sudan through news reports, social media, and overseas communication with loved ones back home. While polit ical divide ravages Sudan, those living around Pittsburgh have put aside any potential differences and come together in support of each other.

“ ... we here in Pittsburgh are trying to stay away from politics and be as Sudanese. There’s no north, there’s no south. So we’re able to help each other.”

PHOTOS: JARED MURPHY (from top to bottom) Refugees Mohamed Fadulalla, Kawthar Albe, and Benedict Killang

The Sudanese community in Pittsburgh is finding common ground over shared fears

PHOTOS: JARED MURPHY Sudanese refugee Mohamed Hamid

“We’ve been coexisting really well,” says Benedict Killang, president of the organization Sudanese Communities of Pittsburgh. “It is only politics that has brought about these differences. So we here in Pittsburgh are trying to stay away from politics and be as Sudanese. There’s no north, there’s no south. So we’re able to help each other.”

Killang works for Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services, facilitating services and dialogue with immigrant and refugee populations. His community group, separate from his government work, regularly brings together about 100 people, he says. Killang lives in Whitehall and says Sudanese people are largely clustered around South Hills communities such as Baldwin and Castle Shannon. Though Sudan has been wrought with intense religious differences, he says folks in his community group are proud of their cultural and spiritual diversity.

Countries around the world, including the United States, are attempting to broker a ceasefire between the two groups. However, for now, the conflict continues.

“This was ongoing, but after some time, they were not able to contain it anymore,” Killang says. “And it was really worrying. Some of us do have relatives, friends, parents back there.”

Many have fled to countries such as Uganda, according to Picard. South Sudan has also become a haven for some struggling in Sudan.

“I think most of the population in the north, most of them are going to the south because it is relatively calm,” Killang says. “It’s not that it’s very, very peaceful, but it’s relatively calm. Better than the north.”

It’s unclear just how intense the conflict will get and for how long it will rage on.

“To this point, we are even afraid that it’s going to be a full-blown conflict, not only in Khartoum, but in all the surrounding areas … there is no timeline, really,” Killang says. “These guys can not agree with each other, and they keep on provoking each other. It is very worrisome.”

Eleven years ago, South Sudan seceded, forming its own country with Christians and a smaller number of Muslims living side by side — there, things are calmer, but the country is not completely removed from the effects of the conflict to the north, according to Picard. Four years ago, a coup removed Sudan’s dictator Omar al-Bashir, who ran an oppressive, fundamentalistIslamic government, but he still maintains an influence on the current conflict, Picard says.

PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Sudanese refugees Benedict Killang(left), Mohamed Hamid, Mohamed Fadulalla, and Kawthar Abe (right) share a laugh in the Strip District

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While the Sudanese Army has more established power, Picard says, each side has similar capacities for sustained warfare, drawing from different strengths and weaknesses. The Sudanese Army has more direct ties to Bashir but neither side would likely promote democracy if it emerged victorious.

“There may be some slight nuances in terms of repression, but both of them, in my view, are going to be oppressive and are basically going to be extractive of resources in nature,” Picard says.

Mohamed Fadulalla, 27, lives in Homewood and works with Hamid at a convenience store. He, too, is worried about his family members in Sudan, who struggle to get food. When he talks to his mother on the phone, he tells her the only thing to do is to “just be patient,” he says.

“What can I say? It’s a war, you know?… I can’t say something more than that,” he says.

Kawthar Albe, a 46-year old Beechview resident, is originally from South Sudan but largely grew up in the

north. She fled the country in 2006.

“I’ve never been back,” she says. “And it’s not because I don’t want to, it’s just because the situation didn’t allow me to go.”

She shares Hamid’s struggle with insomnia. She goes to bed with headaches and wakes up with headaches. She has family and friends still in Sudan and South Sudan.

“I can’t sleep, and I know that when I go to the media or to my Facebook, I just look into family’s babies and friends’ babies and pray that nothing bad will happen to them or harm them, or even they die from hunger or somebody killed them or raped them, because all that stuff’s happening right now,” Albe says.

She’s found that her anxiety extends beyond concern for just her own loved ones.

“You get to a point where, it’s not that you just worry about your immediate family. You’re worried about the entire country,” Albe says. “You worry about where you used to live your entire life, and everything is just going down.” •

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“I’ve never been back ... And it’s not because I don’t want to, it’s just because the situation didn’t allow me to go.”

— Kawthar Albe, a 46-year old Beechview resident

PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Sudanese refugees Benedict Killang (right), Kawthar Albe, Mohamed Hamid, and Mohamed Fadulla (left)

THE HILL DISTRICT HAS A LONG-TIME CHAMPION IN DR. KIMBERLY ELLIS

BY KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PITTSBURGH’S HILL DISTRICT is one of rich and predominantly Black history. The steel industry and the first wave of the Great Migration (between 1916 and 1945) accounted for the large number of Black families who chose to settle here.

There is an abundance of stories lurking around every corner of the Hill District. Photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris documented the culture of the neighborhood’s residents and visitors. It stands as the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, August Wilson. Jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane graced the stage of the legendary Crawford Grill. The contributions are significant.

Unfortunately, The Hill’s glory days have been lost to forces beyond the residents’ control and, for years, there has been a sense of neglect surrounding the neighborhood. A fire in 1951 spelled the Crawford Grill and the building was eventually torn down as part of the Civic Arena development plan. Some would say that was the beginning of the end for Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

During the 1950s, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh declared the Lower Hill to be “blighted” and cleared 95 acres of the neighborhood. Since then, the neighborhood has been mostly cut off from the Downtown area.

However, community members have not forgotten what the Hill District once was, and what it could be again. Among those set on revitalizing the area are Dr. Kimberly Ellis and her employer, the Buccini/Pollin Group, a development firm based in Wilmington, Del.

When asked to describe herself, Ellis lands on “scholar and artist and an activist.” She has dedicated decades to serving the community that she has called home since she was 5 years old.

Before becoming the director of community, arts, and culture for the Buccini/ Pollin Group, she put in the better part of 25 years volunteering to help better the Hill District. Her work includes, but is not limited to, serving on the committee that edited and created the historic landmark for the August Wilson House, establishing

Kimberly Ellis with Frankie Pace’s daughter at the new Frankie Pace Park Rededication Ceremony

PHOTO CREDIT: RICK SOUTHERS

Dr. Kimberly Ellis provides closing comments to Topping Off Ceremony of FNB Financial Center

PHOTO CREDIT: RICK SOUTHERS Vince Delie, CEO First National Bank, Dr. Kimberly Ellis, Bomani Howze, VP Development for Pittsburgh, Chris Buccini, Co-President Buccini/Pollin Group

the Historic Hill Institute, leading historical tours through the neighborhood, and co-creating the Greater Hill District Master Plan.

When there was talk of building a casino in the Hill District, Ellis took action. She organized “Raise Your Hand! No Casino in The Hill” in 2005, a campaign to protest the proposal for a casino being built in the front yard of the historic neighborhood. “I knew, just theoretically, that communities that were next to casinos ... never had good reputations, and they were always described as having failed as a result of a casino,” Ellis tells Pittsburgh City Paper

Since then, she has worked to ensure the neighborhood will not be erased. “One thing I’m very clear about is that there is a general fear of gentrification,” she says. “Half of our neighborhood is vacant. We have buildings going down all the time.”

Ellis is also very concerned with other area neighborhoods being rebuilt well before “one of the oldest and most famous neighborhoods in the country.”

A large part of Ellis’ motivation can be attributed to the people who call the neighborhood home. “I just wanted to keep the mothers in the community that I knew who walked around the Lower Hill, who saw The Hill as still a safe haven, I wanted to keep them safe,” she says.

State Park, including the Juneteenth Celebration and the Pittsburgh Black Music Festival in 2022, meant a lot to the five-year business owner.

The contract also made Prestige Cleaning the first Black woman-owned business to maintain the park. Having always wanted to pursue the path of entrepreneurship, making this historical mark means the world to Grant.

“I was inspired to run my own business.” Grant says, “So back in 2018, I was blessed with a gift, a financial gift. And I went ahead and purchased my LLC and insurance and hired a business strategist to pursue my dream.”

Many are optimistic about what the future holds for the neighborhood that was once the center of Pittsburgh’s Black culture. Ellis was on the committee in charge of designing the now-opened park named after late community activist Frankie Mae Pace, who also dedicated her life to preserving the Hill District.

The park opened to the public in November 2021 with the goal of reconnecting Downtown Pittsburgh to the Hill District, and features pedestrian pathways, bike routes, and rain gardens. There are also story walls honoring Pace and Martin Delany, an abolitionist, journalist, and educator who also resided in the Hill District.

Art in The Summer Garden

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, located just west of downtown Pittsburgh, is a qualified caretaker for 460 acres of southwest Pennsylvania’s land and water. In addition to ongoing conservation efforts such as mitigating acid mine drainage and reforestation projects, the Garden provides 65 acres of cultivated gardens and woodlands for the public to connect to plants.

The Garden continues to express its commitment to environmental conservation through creative ways including this summer’s three art exhibits. Opening July 1 and running through October 31, these exhibits include:

Perennially Green by Michelle Stitzlein: Sculptures Inspired by Nature and Created with Repurposed Materials will be featured in the Garden’s Welcome Center. Michelle Stitzlein was born and raised in the small town of Coshocton, Ohio, and maintains a studio in a re-purposed, former grange hall in the rural community of Baltimore, Ohio. With family ties to the now mostly-defunct, manufacturing history of her hometown, a teenage life spent in a culture of 1980s wastefulness, and memories of a thrifty, fabric-scrap-reusing grandmother, Stitzlein creates sculpture with found items that resonate with fortune and abundance but that also address ideas of economic stress and natural depletion.

Stitzlein holds a BFA from the Columbus College of Art & Design, in Columbus, OH. Her work has been exhibited at the International Museum of Art & Science, McAllen, TX; Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA; Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY; Appleton Museum of Art, Ocala, FL; Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mt. Vernon, IL; Mulvane Art Museum, Topeka, KS; Carnegie Mellon University / Miller Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA; Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH; COSI, Columbus, OH; Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, OH; Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OH; and the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ. She has been an artist-in-residence (Headlands Center for the Arts, CA; Millay Colony of Arts, NY; Shenandoah & Denali National Parks) and was awarded Individual Excellence Grants from the Ohio Arts Council in 2008 and 2017.

Unearthed: EcoArt in the Landscape features 7 local artists, and consists of large-scale, all-outdoor pieces which will be placed throughout the gardens and woodlands.

The artists include:

Dino DeIuliis is an elementary art teacher for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, splitting time between Lincoln Elementary in Homewood and Woolslair Elementary in Bloomfield. He is a happily married father of two beautiful girls.

La Vispera is an art collective between Kelly Jimenez and Alejandro Franco. Both were Colombian immigrants that lived and met in Florida. Now living in Pittsburgh, their work speaks about sustainability, ingenuity, and resourcefulness.

Jan Loney has been a professional metal artist for 30 years, specializing in artisan metalwork and smallscale commissioned objects for decorative and functional use.

Ducan MacDiarmid was raised in Philadelphia where he later studied architecture and then received his Master of Fine Arts in sculpture. Duncan has been a long-time member of Pittsburgh’s Society of Sculptors and currently serves as president.

A major move toward revitalization is getting money back into the community, and the Buccini/Pollen Group prides itself in supporting small businesses. According to the Lower Hill Redevelopment website, as of August 2022, $45 million in awarded subcontracts have gone to minority and womenowned businesses. Specifically $25 million of that has gone to Black-owned businesses.

One of those businesses is Prestige Cleaning, owned by Angelica Grant. Getting the contract to handle cleanup for several celebrations in Point

“I am inspired by Ms. Pace and while I did not know her or get a chance to meet her, she is amazing and more than deserves to be highlighted and to have a permanent place in the Historic Hill District that honors her contributions,” Ellis states on the Lower Hill Redevelopment website.

Ellis sees projects like Frankie Mae Pace Park as examples of what can be accomplished when everyone has a common goal.

“We’re doing really good work,” remarks Ellis. “We could do even better with greater cooperation.” •

Mary B. Mason was born and raised in West Virginia on the Ohio River, with both often reflected in each statement piece. As a lifelong art maker and educator spanning several decades in four states, she began to explore glass and metals. She designs, manipulates metal, and then melts it in a kiln in her home studio north of Pittsburgh.

Sarah Simmons collects and reuses materials that are abandoned and allows them to tell their stories in a new way, setting free unrealized potential and disrupting stereotypical expectations relating to value and purpose.

Sierra Weir was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Weir is a queer artist and scientist exploring place-based relationships with natural and waste-stream pigments. She has a B.A. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, through which she has extensively studied the genetics, chemistry, and systematics of the pigments found in Betta splendens and Buprestidae (jewel beetles).

Carbon Cycle: An Earth Art Exhibit, was designed exclusively for the Garden by renowned artist W. Gary Smith. This art installation shares the story of the Garden’s transformation from a coal mine by symbolizing how carbon resealed from coal is now being captured and converted into minerals that help cultivate plants and bring renewed life.

The Garden is hosting a Celebration of Art in the Summer Garden on Friday, July 14. This is an opportunity to meet some of the local artists and hear about their inspirations. This reception begins at 5:30 pm and guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists and view the sculptures in the Welcome Center and throughout the gardens and woodlands. Registration is required and the cost is $15 for Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Members and $25 for nonmembers.

For more information, visit www.PittsburghBotanicGarden.org or call 412-444-4464. Summer hours are: Tuesday 9 am – 5 pm; Wednesday and Thursday 9 am – 7 pm, Friday – Sunday 9 am – 5 pm., Monday Closed.

“I just wanted to keep the mothers in the community that I knew who walked around the Lower Hill, who saw The Hill as still a safe haven, I wanted to keep them safe.”

CRAFTY CAUSE

BY LUCY CHEN // LUCYCHEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

WELCOMING and safe spaces are of major importance to queer folk looking to turn their passions into a business. For the Queer Craft Market, a pop-up market dedicated to supporting local queer artists and craftspeople, leadership changed hands a few times between 2017 and 2019. Then Jeffrey Krsul (he/him) and Katie Oldaker (she/ her) stepped in, pursuing an end goal of turning the volunteer-run event into a “community space for our vendors, shoppers, and friends.”

The Queer Craft Market will host two events this month. One will take place on Sun., June 11 in partnership with Crafts and Drafts at East End Brewing in Larimer, during which the brewery will collect donations for Dreams of Hope, an LGBTQIA+ youth arts organization. Shoppers can also find Queer Craft

Market on Fri., June 30 at the Union Project in East Liberty.

Pittsburgh City Paper talked with Krsul and Oldaker about their experience running the market, how Pride in Pittsburgh has changed, and the importance of creating spaces for queer makers.

QUEER CRAFT MARKET

Sun., June 11. 12-4 p.m. East End Brewing. 147 Julius St., Larimer.

Fri., June 30. 5:30-9 p.m. Union Project. 801 N. Negley Ave., East Liberty. MORE

How has Queer Craft Market changed since you began leading this group?

Jeffrey and Katie: A lot of things definitely have changed since we took the reins in 2021 — we lost the great (and free!) venue that was the Ace Hotel gym. Trying to find venues as we’ve grown has been difficult — we’ve begun having to jury the applications because we have more applicants than spaces, which is always a bummer. We have continued to grow the market in terms of the diversity of types of crafters, as well as our vendor and audience demographics. On the upside, we have definitely noticed a resurgence in interest in handmade and small-scale craft since 2020, and we hope the trend continues! We continue to consider our more vulnerable populations within our community regarding COVID precautions with each market, and our upcoming indoor market is “masks encouraged.”

You guys are both craftspeople as well. Can you tell me about what you make?

Katie: I make candles as Oh! Candles, though I am in the process of closing my business due to an upcoming move. I wish I were as creative visually as our artists, I feel like I’m only creative in scent blends and words!

Jeffrey: By day I’m a professional florist at my shop The Bearded Iris, but I also have worked in a variety of other media. Everything from historic photographic processes, natural dyeing, sewing/quilting, ceramics, etc. I’m a Sagittarius so I love learning new skills and challenging myself!

What is it about your craft that excites you? Why do you love making things?

Jeffrey and Katie: We both love the joy that our craft brings to people. Extending the opportunity for other makers/crafters

Katie Oldaker and Jeffrey Krsul

Interview with Katie and Jeffrey of Queer Craft Market

makes us even more excited these days. We especially love seeing our younger vendors flourish and evolve too!

Do you think your own creative practice has grown or changed since meeting new artistic people?

Jeffrey and Katie: We are both constantly inspired by the other creatives we encounter through the market. Seeing our peers evolve year after year is a great motivator to continue to hone our skills in a very encouraging and non-competitive way. The market is also a great place to push the envelope, and it’s always a great reassurance when people within your own community respond positively to something you think might be too “weird” to the average consumer!

Why is it important to you to have a creative space for queer craftspeople?

Jeffrey and Katie: The space for connection is the most important thing to us, as well as keeping money in the pockets of queer people as much as we can. Pride has become so big that it can feel like there’s no room for smaller artists or crafters. We want to provide a space for someone who is still getting used to tabling and maybe we put them next to someone who they end up being friends with. The two of us met at the very first Queer Craft Market in 2017, and now, here we are!

We are also a non-censored show. We truly believe in giving our community a place to showcase their work, especially when many markets have decided to become more “family-friendly.” We leave

it up to families to decide what kind of content they are comfortable with, and never reject makers because some might consider their work “risqué.”

I feel like most people don’t expect Pittsburgh to have a strong queer community. Can you talk about how the queer community here has grown or changed?

Jeffrey and Katie: Since the dismantling of Delta Foundation’s more corporatized Pride, we have noticed a fracturing of Pride events. At first, we thought it might be a bad thing to not have a big, flashy, unified event for the community. Then we realized that these smaller and more intentional events and programming have fulfilled a lot of needs in certain populations that might have felt left out of a more mainstream Pride. The Queer Community is not a monolith, so having more Pride celebrations that can include a wider range of folks has been a positive change in our opinion. There are other craft markets similar to ours, with different demographics, and we think that’s great!

I saw you guys have some upcoming markets in June. What can someone who has never been to one expect to see?

Jeffrey and Katie: You can expect to see the unexpected at our markets! We try to emphasize smaller makers when we can, so there’s always something different happening that you won’t see elsewhere! We’ll have everything from A+ vintage to zines of many topics. We hope to see you there! •

en. Here in Pennsylvania, there are more than 280,000 people living with the disease.

As the size of the U.S. population age 65 and older continues to grow, so too will the number and proportion of Americans with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Older Black Americans are twice as likely as older Whites to have Alzheimer’s or another dementia, while Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely than Whites to have dementia and more research is needed to understand why. It is vital that we continue to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and engage more community members to consider volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Sophia Duck, of Pittsburgh, became involved with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter to honor her grandmother who passed away in 2019 due to Alzheimer’s disease.

“Volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association has been important to me because this disease affects women of color more than any other demographic,” said Sophia Duck, volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter. “We all know that when our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and friends are facing this horrible disease it impacts not just the entire family, but the whole community. My goal is to be part of finding a cure and allowing families to keep making memories together.”

Duck serves as a community educator through the Alzheimer’s Association and also participates in its events, the Pittsburgh Walk to End Alzheimer’s and Pittsburgh RivALZ to End ALZ.

RivALZ began in the fall of 2005 as Blondes vs. Brunettes®, a flag football event organized by a group of young professional women, in Washington, D.C. Since the inaugural game, the event has expanded throughout the country raising more than $18 million and bringing thousands of new supporters to the cause.

To accommodate nationwide growth, “Blondes vs. Brunettes” grew into “RivALZ to End ALZ,” empowering participants to choose the rivalry around which to organize their teams. Today, local events are still organized around two opposing teams in the spirit of the event.

RivALZ to End ALZ Pittsburgh started in 2016 leaning into the city’s love of sports with Team Black and Team Gold. Since its inception, the Pittsburgh event has raised over $60,000 in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Although Team Black faces Team Gold, the ultimate opponent is Alzheimer’s. The goal is to raise $25,000 at this year’s game on June 9, 2023 at Highmark Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

We invite Pittsburgh residents and businesses to get involved in the fight for a cure by supporting the event through a donation or by attending. We are also looking for players for 2024. Visit act.alz.org/pittsburghrivalz to learn more.

RivALZ to End ALZ is just one event that coincides with Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June. The Alzheimer’s Association also hosts The Longest Day®, a fundraiser that culminates on the summer solstice - June 21, 2023.

“On or around that day, thousands of participants across Pennsylvania and beyond come together to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through an activity of their choice,” said Nathaniel Sofranko, development manager of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter. “Together, they use their creativity and passion to raise funds and awareness for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. Through activities that include golfing, biking, and baking, participants make a difference in the fight for a cure and we are so thankful for their efforts.”

With a multitude of events taking place during Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, there is truly an opportunity for everyone to engage in our mission. By participating in The Longest Day® or attending the RivALZ to End ALZ game, you can be a part of the fight to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association is always here to help. If you or a loved one needs support, visit alz.org/pa or call our 24/7 Helpline at 1.800.272.3900.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF QUEER CRAFT MARKET Vendors at a Queer Craft Market

POLITICS THE PATH OF PROGRESS

BY MATT PETRAS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SARA INNAMORATO’S run for Allegheny County Executive gained national attention when Bernie Sanders endorsed her toward the end of the primary race. The Natio n, a mainstay progressive magazine, ran an article May 16 with a headline declaring “a Bernie Sanders progressive could be the next leader of one of America’s largest counties.” Innamorato gladly accepted the endorsement of the Vermont Democrat, who she cites as a big inspiration for her entrance into politics as a state representative in 2018.

Despite the national interest, during an interview with Pittsburgh City Paper, Innamorato specified her focus on Allegheny County, where there’s been a series of progressive electoral victories.

“I mean, it’s always nice for your ego,”

she says, laughing. “And I think it helps with fundraising, you know, bringing more dollars in nationally. But at the end of the day, it’s always about focusing on, it’s here, right? I’m running a campaign to represent the people of Allegheny County.”

In the past few years, Pittsburgh area progressives have won several major elections by maintaining a close coalition and taking advantage of enthused, on-the-ground organizers. This wave built on a movement active in the area for decades, which ignited after the 2016 presidential election.

Sanders’ surprisingly competitive — though ultimately unsuccessful — primary challenge that year prompted a surge of progressive electoral victories across the country, funded largely

without corporate super PAC money. Donald Trump’s victory in the general election raised the stakes for many, and further energized the progressive movement.

Five years on, that momentum was shifting the narrative in Allegheny County. Narrow primary victories by Democrats Ed Gainey in the 2021 Pittsburgh mayoral race and Summer Lee for a Pittsburgh-area U.S. House seat the following year represented sea changes for local government that garnered national media attention. Gainey, who ran on police reform and affordable housing initiatives, bested former leader Bill Peduto, a beloved liberal mayor of years past; and Lee, often considered a new addition to the progressive “Squad” in the House, beat attorney Steve Irwin,

a Peduto-endorsed moderate.

With establishment heavyweight Rich Fitzgerald set to conclude his final executive term in December, several Democrats entered the race earlier this year hoping to fill his seat, raising unusual sums of money for a local election. Innamorato won handily, with a more than 8% lead over the second place finisher, John Weinstein, and almost double the votes of Michael Lamb, the candidate endorsed by Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald told WESA the day of the election, “it’s been seven years in a row of the far-left winning Democratic primaries in Allegheny County. It looks like we’re going to become similar to places like San Francisco or Seattle or Portland with a far-left agenda of our elected officials.”

CP PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: LUCY CHEN

Innamorato told City Paper she always ran with a clear, strategic path to victory in mind and felt affirmed when polling released about two weeks before the election showed her in the lead. Negative ads painting Innamorato as a radical flooded local television stations. Her campaign made sure to invest in television ads to increase Innamorato’s name recognition and present a positive message. But perhaps the most important strategic decision was investing heavily in the old school tactic of door-knocking.

“It was investing in field in a very strategic and intentional way,” Innamorato says. “Our field director was phenomenal and really focused on making sure that we were hitting areas and hitting as many doors as possible and managing volunteers and making sure that they were thanked for their time and energy and felt they were part of the campaign.”

The official campaign knocked on more than 40,000 doors, while independent groups supportive of Innamorato also reached more than 110,000 homes, according to Sam Wasserman, the campaign’s communications director.

Bend the Arc knocked on about 2,000 doors, according to Jonathan Mayo, an activist with the Pittsburgh chapter of the progressive Jewish group. When out canvassing, Mayo and other doorknockers with the organization realized

most residents were unfamiliar with Innamorato and the main themes of the election. They found themselves forced to introduce the race and Innamorato to people simultaneously. Talking about Innamorato’s issue set and priorities, such as a focus on improving the area’s poor air quality, got people on board.

In addition to door-knocking and grassroots outreach, Wasserman also emphasized the sense of solidarity among progressive candidates, who gladly lend their support to each other.

“One of the really unique things here in Pittsburgh that has been powering these victories, and especially these victories increasing in size, is the respect and trust that the leaders that we have put up for office have in each other,” Wasserman, who also worked for Gainey, says. “When Ed Gainey first declared, Sara and Summer were there from day one. And when Summer first declared, she got to start with a boost of knowing who Ed Gainey supporters are. And when Sara was able to do the same thing, they kept building on each other.”

Naturally, when Innamorato gave her victory speech the night of the primary, Gainey and Lee joined her on stage with their own words of celebration.

Mayo, who was also the treasurer for Gainey’s 2021 mayoral bid, says Lee’s and Innamorato’s successful 2018 state House

HAZELWOOD GREEN PLAZA | LYTLE ST & ELIZA ST | PITTSBURGH, PA 15207

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Summer Lee speaks prior to the acceptance speech by mayoral candidate Ed Gainey during his watch party at the OnePA offices in the North Side on May 19, 2021.

campaigns made it clear that local progressives could make real headway in the electoral map.

“I think, for so long, we had this idea that elections of any one given official didn’t matter, and for good reason. I could see why a lot of people and a lot of communities could think that, because government did not impact them day to day,” Mayo says. “But seeing Summer and Sara upend the establishment, and win by running on these bold, progressive platforms, was a wake-up call. And it’s only grown from there.”

Mayo says he believes the wave of progressive victories around Pittsburgh is unique in the sense that it’s happening in an area not known for being incredibly progressive. He raised Alexandria OcasioCortez’s initial upset victory in 2018, noting that she ran in a very progressive district, which encompasses New York City’s Bronx, Rikers Island, and Queens. Pittsburgh area progressives had “more to push against,” he says.

It now appears to Mayo that the Pittsburgh area’s Democratic

establishment machine that sustained Fitzgerald through three terms is weakening. It has money and prestige, but, Mayo says, it does not have “peoplepower” for its campaigns.

“I think we’re seeing that that machinery is not operating well anymore, and people are recognizing that,” Mayo says.

Area progressives also hailed Matt Dugan’s successful primary bid for District Attorney against Steve Zappala, a 25 year incumbent, as a victory for the movement, in addition to Bethany Hallam’s reelection to Allegheny County Council. Deb Gross, a city council incumbent endorsed by the Pittsburgh Democratic Socialists of America chapter, also won her election. Still, a few candidates running to the left of their opponents lost in May, including the two other DSA endorsed candidates: Dennis McDermott, who ran for county council, and Darwin Leuba, who ran against appointed incumbent Corey O’Connor for county controller. Gainey and many local groups endorsed O’Connor, who won by a substantial margin.

“One of the really unique things here in Pittsburgh that has been powering these victories … is the respect and trust that the leaders that we have put up for office have in each other.”

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Sara Innamorato and Summer Lee march in the People's Pride parade on Sunday June 9, 2019

Kirsten Rokke, an organizer with Pittsburgh DSA, largely door-knocked for the organization’s slate of endorsed candidates and, despite the two losses, commended the overall momentum of the area’s progressive movement. Rokke organized in the Chicago area before moving to Pittsburgh and noted that Chicago’s Democratic establishment seems to have a much larger bankroll.

“One thing that I think is notable, I see relative to Chicago at least — and I know similar things in New York and in Philly too — I think that the [party establishment] opposition here is a little less organized, in my experience,” Rokke says. “These are significant wins, but some of the folks that they were against are more vulnerable from not having to fight to keep their power in the past.”

Steve Paul, director of the Philadelphia-based progressive activist organization One Pennsylvania, described Innamorato as an easy endorsement for the group. He says there’s a similar trend of progressive victories in Philadelphia, even though some similarly progressive challengers haven’t yet been able to win.

The reasoning behind that is complicated, Paul says, but he notes that it helped in Allegheny County that

the progressive coalition aligned very clearly behind Innamorato. He also says that candidates opposing Helen Gym, a Sanders- and Ocasio-Cortezendorsed progressive candidate who ran for mayor in the Democratic primary in Philadelphia, spent a lot of money against her. Overall spending in the race exceeded $31 million, making it the city’s most expensive political contest to date, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer The mayoral primary between Gainey and Peduto was paltry in comparison, racking up less than $2 million, according to PublicSource

These progressive wins didn’t come out of nowhere — there has long been a progressive movement in Pittsburgh. Nonprofit group Pittsburgh United formed in 2007, primarily around economic development issues. Jenny Rafanan Kennedy, the group’s director for 11 years, says it got its start advocating for issues like clean water,

unionization, and affordable housing.

“Those have always been resident issues in Pittsburgh, and we made a lot of progress in Pittsburgh in creating a progressive city,” she says.

The group later expanded to include Pennsylvania United, formed partly, she says, to combat state-level opposition to progressive sentiment in Pittsburgh. While Democrats with varying degrees of progressive bona fides now run the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas and have led the state as governor twice in a row, the state’s congress has long been controlled by Republicans.

Pennsylvania State Sen. Jay Costa, who’s been in office since 1996, and has a reputation as a pragmatic dealmaker, says there’s been progressive sentiment in the state assembly for years, but that he’s seen it get dramatically easier to at least advance policy in his tenure. He’s worked recently with Innamorato and Gainey on advocating for tax breaks for

long-time homeowners. He also says that hate crime legislation he introduced with state Rep. Dan Frankel in the wake of the antisemitic mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue originally went nowhere, but has gained more traction this year.

Costa — whose brothers, Paul and Dom Costa were unseated by Summer Lee and Sara Innamorato respectively during the 2018 election — says progressive challengers are primed to do really well in any Democratic primary race.

“It grows within a Democratic primary universe of voters, which is important to understand that piece of it,” Costa says. “Because they are speaking to a majority of Democratic primary voters, and they’re not necessarily speaking to the whole voting universe at large.”

And he was not surprised to see the recent wave of progressive victories, given their grassroots organizing, youthful energy, and awareness of issues relevant to ordinary people.

“Sara had people committed to the cause. Summer Lee had people like that. Ed Gainey had people like that in neighborhoods and communities,” Costa says. “That’s the difference.” •

These progressive wins didn’t come out of nowhere — there has long been a progressive movement in Pittsburgh.

FUTURE STILL UNCERTAIN FOR SMITHFIELD SHELTER RESIDENTS

BY JAMIE WIGGAN // JAMIE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SINCE ANNOUNCING plans to close the overnight shelter at Smithfield United Church of Christ by the end of June, Allegheny County officials say they’ve been working to find alternatives for those currently living there.

Approximately 100-125 people currently stay at the Downtown shelter, according to the Department of Human Services. To meet that need, the department says it is “identifying naturally occurring vacancies within the shelter system, expanding capacity at existing facilities, identifying new shelter locations, and may also utilize overflow in other facilities where appropriate.”

So far, the department claims more than 100 beds have been secured.

The shelter inside the Smithfield Street church usually only opens during the winter months, but its operations were extended this year to accommodate a growing unhoused community.

Why the county abruptly announced the closure in late May remains unclear. A DHS press release indicates it was largely prompted by the facility’s inadequate cooling capacity during the summer months. Many in the Downtown business community have spoken critically of the

unhoused community that assembles around the steps of the shelter, raising the question of whether outside political pressures played a role.

A press release prepared by seven Downtown institutions, including the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Downtown Neighborhood Alliance, and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, says the organizations “support the decision made by the county executive and the director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services to close the Smithfield facility by the end of June.”

“As our city and our county continue to experience an increased demand for human services, we support the best solutions that will provide all individuals with the care and support they need — services delivered with respect and dignity,” the statement continues.

Advocates for unhoused people are critical of the move, which they say pits privileged interests against those most in need.

According to reporting from PublicSource, the shelter’s operator referred to the move as “a haphazard closure” and warned that “people will die.” •

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

BY CP STAFF

THU., JUNE 8

OPERA • STRIP DISTRICT

A Night at the Opera: Ezio Pinza, Claudia Pinza Bozzolla, and the Pittsburgh Connection. 7 p.m. Heinz History Center. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. $5-15. heinzhistorycenter.org

MUSIC • GARFIELD

MSPAINT with Positive Thinking and Planet Jackpot 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. $13 in advance, $15 at the door. therobotoproject.com

THEATER • SOUTH PARK

Sylvia. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., June 17. South Park Theatre. Brownsville Road and Corrigan Drive, South Park. $18. southparktheatre.com

THEATER • DOWNTOWN

Pittsburgh Public Theater presents Frida…

A Self Portrait 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., June 25. O’Reilly Theater. 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $32-80. trustarts.org

FRI., JUNE 9

PARTY • HIGHLAND PARK

Summer Safari: A Pittsburgh Party

6:30-11 p.m. Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. 7370 Baker St., Highland Park. $90. 21 and over. pittsburghzoo.org

PARTY • NORTH SIDE

Much like Oscar the Grouch, you will declare your love for trash after attending this year’s Garden Party at Mattress Factory. Under the theme Trash Bash, the event pays tribute to a current exhibition by Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis, who are diverting the museum’s garbage and recycling to the Monterey Annex first floor. Groove to live music and DJs, participate in a trash-inspired fashion contest, sample cuisine by the best local restaurants, and more. 7-11 p.m.

5:30 p.m. for VIP guests. 500 Sampsonia Way, North Side. Tickets start at $150. mattress.org

FILM • DOWNTOWN

Lynch/Oz 7:30 p.m. Continues through Thu., June 15. Harris Theater. 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $11. trustarts.org

VARIETY SHOW • ALLENTOWN

The Glitterbox Theater presents Wilde Gone Wild 7:30 p.m. Bottlerocket Social Hall. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $5-10. theglitterboxtheater.com

DANCE/MUSIC • DOWNTOWN

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra present Boléro. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., June 11. Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $20-98. pittsburghsymphony.org

SAT., JUNE 10

ART • GARFIELD

Cut & Paste: A Group Exhibition. 2-5 p.m. Continues through July 17. Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. 5006 Penn Ave., Garfield. Free. irmafreeman.org

MARKET • ALLENTOWN

Shop in the dark when the Allentown Night Market returns with what a press release touts as “over 100 unusual, offbeat and unique artisans,” live performers, and more. Hosted by The Weeping Glass in partnership with Hilltop Alliance, the event will feature

vendors spread across four areas, as well as entertainment ranging from DJs and musicians to “bizarre feats and stunts” by the Pittsburgh Circus Arts sideshow. Allentown businesses will also be open late with specials, discounts, and other surprises. 7-11 p.m. 800 block of E. Warrington Ave., Allentown. Free. allentownnightmarket.com

FILM • OAKLAND

Carnegie Museum of Art Film Series presents Martin. 8 p.m. Carnegie Museum of Art. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $8-10. carnegieart.org

SUN., JUNE

11

MARKET • STRIP DISTRICT

The Neighborhood Flea 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Stacks. 2875 Railroad St., Strip District. Free. neighborhoodflea.com

MARKET • LAWRENCEVILLE/ GARFIELD

Look for balloons placed throughout Lawrenceville and Garfield to find quality second-hand clothing, decor, and more during the Vintage Crawl. Presented by Boheme, the

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JANUS FILMS Lynch/Oz at the Harris Theater

event takes shoppers to over 15 businesses, where they will find deals, food, music, and more. Included on the route is the Made and Found Summer Market at Spirit, where you can expect to find 25 of “the region’s best vintage dealers, makers, and artists.” 12 p.m. Made and Found Summer Market opens at 11 a.m.-Multiple locations. Lawrenceville and Garfield. Free. instagram.com/bohemeshops

MUSIC • UPTOWN

Paramore with Bloc Party. 7 p.m. PPG Paints Arena. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. Tickets start at $38. ppgpaintsarena.com

MUSIC • STRIP DISTRICT

TUE., JUNE 13

MUSIC • NORTH SIDE

Pixies with Franz Ferdinand and Bully

6 p.m. Stage AE. 400 N. Shore Drive, North Side. $45-99. promowestlive.com

LIT • NORTH SIDE

Amelia Possanza will discuss her debut book Lesbian Love Story during a special event at City of Asylum’s Alphabet City venue. The Brooklyn-based author produced what publisher Penguin Random House calls a “riveting, inventive” historical account of the lesbian experience throughout the 20th century, depicted through seven love stories. Possanza hopes to not only reclaim narratives that have become lost, but also “reimagine care and community.” 7-8:30 p.m. Alphabet City. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. Livestream available. Registration required. cityofasylum.org

MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE

Joshua Hedley and Lauren Morrow. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Club Cafe. 56-58 South 12th St.,

Lounge. 644 Broadway Ave., McKees Rocks. $8. jumpcuttheater.org

PHOTO: COURTESY OF IRMA FREEMAN CENTER FOR IMAGINATION Cut & Paste: A Group Exhibition at Irma Freeman Center for Imagination

Lauren Morrow at Club Cafe

MARKET PLACE

HELP WANTED ABDOMINAL IMAGING RADIOLOGIST

Allegheny Clinic seeks an Abdominal Imaging Radiologist to work in Pittsburgh, PA and provide diagnostic services including chest and abdomen CT, ultrasound, MRI and plain film interpretations. Send CV/cover letter with salary requirements to:

Laura Galmoff at Laura. Galmoff@AHN.ORG with “Abdominal Imaging Radiologist” opportunity” in re line.

HELP WANTED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONSULTANT

EPS US, LLC’s Pittsburgh, PA, office seeks a Professional Services Consultant. This is a fully remove position and the employee can work from anywhere in the United States. Duties include the implementation, solution design, analysis, documentation, and development as well as diagnosing and resolving software, operating system, network, database, and other issues, at client site and via phone, email and Internet, among others. Apply at: https://recruiting. ultipro.com/EPR1000EPSUS, #SRPRO001530

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of the leased spaces to satisfy the Extra Space Lien at 3200 Park Manor Blvd, Pittsburgh , Pa 15205 on 06/21/2023 at 1:00pm. 2170

Mathew Merhaut. The Auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005

E Entry Drive Pittsburgh PA 15216, June 21, 2023 at 11:30 AM. Charlene Goodnight 4137. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at 110 Kisow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on June 21st, 2023 at 11:15 am. Ramon Johnson 84. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.

Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 7535 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208, 11:00am 06/21/2023. 2029 Danyaro Boatwright, 3096 Bryon Moss, and 6072 Deshawn Crawford. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206 June 21, 2023 at 1:45 PM. 2055 Karen Beatty. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd, Pittsburgh PA 15226 June 21, 2023, at 1:15 PM. 1120 Lanai Frost, 2122 Kim Yot, 3091 DeyKwane Cooper, 3164 Alyssa Sortino, 3254 Ashley Dunbar, 4203 Daniel Gonzalez, 4210 Paulette Thomas. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property

PUBLIC AUCTION

Public notice is hereby given that property placed in storage by the following persons at the following locations will be sold via public sale to satisfy Guardian Storage liens for unpaid rent and other charges. Bidding for property of persons renting space at the following locations will be held online at www.Storageauctions.com ending on June 20, 2023 at 10:00 am, and day to day thereafter until sold at which time a high bidder will be determined.

350 Old Haymaker Road, Monroeville, Pa 14146: Unit# 1301 Amy Altimus, Unit #3518 Wilfred Williams

14200 Route 30, North Huntingdon, Pa 15642: Unit #2116 George R Yeager, Unit #3421 Deborah Gibson 4711 William Penn Highway, Monroeville, PA 15146: Unit #11120 Amy Altimus, Unit #11122 Amy Altimus, Unit #11207 Amy Altimus, Unit #11309 Amy Altimus, Unit #12008 Jeff Legato, Unit #13603 Krystle Knox, Unit #23507 Michele Hunter 4750 William Flynn Hwy, Allison Park, Pa 15101: Unit # 41218 Paul Smith

1028 Ridge Road, Tarentum, Pa 15084: Unit #41211 Pamela Poston, Unit #41213 Pamela Poston 901 Brinton Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15221: Unit #11116 Jewel Ponder, Unit #12116 Celeste Stewart, Unit#12307 Renaya Lewis, Unit #2113 DeVaughn Rudolph, Unit #2306 Brandy Bell, Unit #2319 Monique Moore, Unit #3405 Jonathan Cooper

5873 Centre Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206: Unit #2205 Jennifer Firman, Unit #7206 Christine Fleming

2839 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222: Unit #1038 Kennieta Hatten, Unit #2907 Kennieta Hatten, Unit #5201 Herman Price, Unit #6717 Tesha Thomas

750 South Millvale Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Unit #350 Sara Jones

1002 East Waterfront Drive, Munhall, PA 15120: Unit #1806 Asheenia Johnson, Unit #3216 Melissa Rosing

1599 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017: Unit #52705 Shawn Bridges, Unit #6133 Vinnie Richichi

1067 Milford Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102: Unit #22008 Danelle Moeslein, Unit #23210 Keira Teagardner, Unit #23301 Anthony Patterson 7452 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237: Unit #2309 Marsha Peterson, Unit #2603 Emily L Roush, Unit #326 Roy Schrecongost 401 Coraopolis Rd, Coraopolis, PA 15108: Unit #13605 Michaela Williams, Unit #13701 Marguerite Emerson 2670 Washington Rd, Canonsburg, PA 15317: Unit #3401 Sean McCarthy, Unit #3601 Alyse J Hart

Purchases must be made with cash and paid at the location at the above referenced facility to complete the transaction. Guardian Storage has the right to refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

WHAT’S NEW?

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

M2M Massage by Lee

ACROSS

1.  Stimulate

6.  “Act now!”

10.  Cubs’ president of baseball operations Hoyer

13.  Island ring

14.  Run the road

15.  ___ favor (please, in Spanish)

16.  Other name for the black wildebeest, strangely 19.  ___ Pierce (media mogul on Succession)

20.  Recycling collector

21.  Earthquake

22.  Confidentially

26.  Future C-suite test

27.  Art ___

28.  Pull behind 30.  Eastern title

31.  Catherine the Great, e.g. 35.  Salt from the 61-Across 36.  William Henry

lookout” alerts, for short

49.  “You expected me to have heard of that?”

53.  Mustachioed Nintendo villain

55.  Pitch black material

56.  Growing number

57.  1983 Eddy Grant hit

61.  See 35-Across

62.  Area of support

63.  Cartographic enlargement

64.  “Have you no shame?”

65.  Toe the line

66.  Making a racket

DOWN

1.  Sold to broker?

2.  Fuel gas

3.  Third destination spot

4.  Last: Abbr.

5.  Academy freshman

6.  Product with a Hair Buster

Gel variety

7.  “Certainement!”

8.  Sick as a dog

9.  Gym tops

10.  Graphic file

11.  Way, way in the past

12.  Annotation for

one keeping the beat

17.  Sn, on a table

18.  Brown paper: Abbr.

23.  Bread with palak paneer

24.  Mohawk River city

25.  Sub finder

29.  “Give it to me”

32.  Unwanted blemish

33.  Disorder treated with a somnoplasty

34.  Marsh growth

36.  Routine campaign promise

37.  “Right, right”

38.  Mavericks group

39.  Runs through

44.  Trickster spider of African lore

45.  Smooth transitions

46.  Bird in the A Street Cat Named Sylvester cartoon

48.  [Their mistake]

50.  Like some sweaters 51.  Trafficcontrol grp. 52. The Empire Strikes Back director Kershner

The Simpsons bus driver 58.  Orthodox Jewish honorific 59.  Italian ___ 60.  Capital One’s virtual assistant (wonder if it’s a fan of Brian)

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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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

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-006036

In re petition of Victoria Catherine Doan for change of name to Tori Minh Quach. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 29th 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 23-006076

In re petition of Austin Collin Weinstein to change name to Austin Collin Collins. To all persons interested:

Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 30th 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-23-6179, In re petition of Rakemah Khamil Brooks, parent and legal guardian of Nyalana Promise Selah Brooks-Anderson, for change of name to Nyalana Promise Selah Brooks-Tyus. 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 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.

PA Lillian H. Rausch, a/k/a Lillian Hilda Rausch, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA No. 03262 of 2023. Joan R. Tomlinson, Ext. 2802 Houston Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-22-003247

In re petition of Bernard James Victor, Jr. for change of name to Mark Robert Vesely. To all persons interested:

Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 29th 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-23-5847, In re petition of Kimberly Hoeltje, parent and legal guardian of Annabelle Hoeltje and Jackson Hoeltje, for change of names to Kimberly Wittig, Annabelle Wittig, and Jackson Wittig. To all persons interested:

Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 23rd 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-23-006011, In re petition of Mecca Bey, parent and legal guardian of Giavonni Westmorland, for change of name to Giavonni Bey.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 12th 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-23-005526

In re petition of Margaret Ellen Matt for change of name to Peggie Ellenmargaret Matt.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 23rd 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.

Man Massage by Damon 412-961-1971

Lean athletic shape. 24/7 • 412-628-1269

Saturday, July 22 21+ • 7-11 pm (VIP starts at 6 pm!)

• Indulge in gourmet bites from Atria’s, Pittsburgh BBQ Company, and more than a dozen other local favorites.

• Sip cocktails, beer, and wine all night long.

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Upgrade to VIP for extra experiences with Animal Ambassadors, free valet, and access to full bar service with premium spirits.

Buy your tickets now at aviary.org or scan the QR code for more details!

Proceeds support the National Aviary’s work to save birds and protect their habitats.

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