June 23, 2021 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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JUNE 23-30, 2021

What is the future of Pittsburgh’s air quality?

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JUNE 23-30, 2021 VOLUME 30 + ISSUE 25 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD News Editor RYAN DETO Senior Writer AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers DANI JANAE, KIMBERLY ROONEY 냖㵸蔻 Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Art Director ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Digital Marketing Coordinator DARYA KHARABI Sales Representatives ZACK DURKIN, OWEN GABBEY, HANNAH MORAN-FUNWELA Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM Interns LAURYN NANIA, KAYCEE ORWIG National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 4

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

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THE BIG STORY

SHIFTING WINDS

Two large air pollution sources will soon be offline. Will Allegheny County’s air quality future be as clean BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM as it can be?

HE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION provides yearly air quality

rankings for metro areas across the country, and every year, the Pittsburgh region receives failing grades. Though Pittsburgh shed its “smoky city” moniker decades ago, and the air quality in the region has vastly improved compared to what it once was, there is still a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh consistently ranks as one of the worst regions for air quality in the U.S., usually matching the smoggy cities of California’s central valley. However, recent announcements from two heavy-industry facilities in Allegheny County could play a large role in improving Pittsburgh’s air quality. In April, U.S. Steel canceled plans for $1 billion in upgrades to its Mon Valley Works facilities, which includes Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock, Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, and the Clairton Coke Works. As part of those cancellations, U.S. Steel will be idling three of the oldest batteries at the Clairton Coke Works, a coal-processing facility that is arguably the most significant air polluter by volume in the region. In June, the Cheswick coal-fired power plant also announced it will shut down completely in September. Zachary Barber, a clean air advocate at statewide environmental group PennEnvironment, says pollution from the Clairton Coke Works and the Cheswick Power Plant have had an outsized role in Pittsburgh’s air pollution and the health problems they cause for residents. “For years, some of the biggest polluters have been the Clairton Coke Works. By quantity, that’s the biggest. And the Cheswick Power Plant, which in our previous report, was one of the most toxic,” says Barber, referring to PennEnvironment’s Toxic Ten Report, which ranks Allegheny County’s worst polluters. “When we get to the point when Clairton closes three of their most polluting batteries, which is a third of their pollution, that is going to be a pretty substantial reduction in pollution.” Despite the significant air quality improvements following these closures and reductions, messages were mixed after the announcements, and there wasn’t a collective celebration. CONTINUES ON PG. 6

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Clairton Coke Works

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

SHIFTING WINDS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

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Cheswick Generating Station

Labor and political leaders didn’t weigh in on the air quality effects of the U.S. Steel decision, but did call out the company for canceling their planned investment and the potential job losses the decision will cause. Environmentalists applauded the air quality benefits, but are only cautiously optimistic, citing concerns about future battles over natural gas and petrochemical facilities. And the county’s health department is trying to find a middle ground. It all leads to uncertainty of how competing factions of environmentalists, fossil-fuel labor unions, and economic forces influence Southwestern Pennsylvania moving into the future, and what that means for the air Pittsburghers breathe.

Failing grades IN APRIL, THE AMERICAN Lung Association released its 2021 “State of the Air” report cards, and Allegheny County received F grades for ozone and particle

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pollution over a 24-hour test, and failed its annual particle pollution test. These F grades weren’t a new development. Allegheny County has been failing the ALA air quality report cards for years. The persistence of Allegheny County’s poor air quality is caused by a combination of industrial facilities and vehicles in the region releasing pollutants into the air, as well as the region’s proclivity for inversions, a weather phenomenon occurring when the air on the ground is quite warm, but cold air masses above it in the atmosphere trap pollutants near the surface. Inversions occur about 157 days a year on average in Allegheny County, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. Environmentalists cite the poor air quality grades as a reason for more regulations against industrial facilities, and their advocacy appears to be working, to an extent. Actions from the

county’s health department concerning air quality have been growing in frequency over the years, including more communication about poor air quality days and more fines against facilities violating air quality standards. In January, Allegheny County saw its first-ever days in compliance with all federal air quality guidelines under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Regardless of what air quality ranking the Pittsburgh region receives, the recent announcements concerning the Clairton Coke Works and the Cheswick Power Plant should have a significant impact. In June, PennEnvironment released their Toxic Ten report, which ranks the top 10 worst polluters in Allegheny County. Both the Clairton Coke Works and the Cheswick Power Plant were ranked in the top 10, with the Coke Works ranking third and Cheswick ranking seventh. Clairton is set to idle three of its oldest coke batteries, which

produce the most pollution, by 2022. And Cheswick is set to shut down completely by September. Barber acknowledges the air quality beneﬁts that will follow these closures and reductions, but cautions that there is still a way to go “until residents have clean air to breathe every day of the year.” “Closing the coal plant in Rachel Carson’s hometown will make the region’s air cleaner, as will retiring the most-polluting batteries at Clairton Coke Works,” said Barber in a press release, referencing the famed Silent Spring author and environmentalist. “But we aren’t out of the smoggy haze yet. Even with the closure of these batteries, Clairton Coke Works will still likely be one of the largest and mosttoxic polluters in Allegheny County.”

Economic forces CHESWICK MENTIONED environmental regulations as a reason for its decision

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Cheswick Generating Station

to shut down, but U.S. Steel didn’t blame regulations for its decision to cancel upgrade plans. In a statement, U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt instead mentioned the company’s goal to move towards zero carbon emissions by 2050. “In the wake of the 2020 pandemic and the increased urgency of the climate crises, we are reviewing all projects and facilities with an even greater focus on their implications for our carbon footprint,” said Burritt. It appears to be a passive acknowledgement that coal and coal-related facilities don’t have a future in Pittsburgh or the country. Economists have noted this for some time, as the market has largely put coal out of business, especially as natural gas has emerged as an energy provider. University of Pittsburgh economist Chris Briem says the Pittsburgh region has not been a competitive place for steel for a long time. Southwestern Pennsylvania steelmaking is reliant on coke, a coal by-product, which beneﬁts from river transportation. For the ﬁrst part of the 20th century, this helped Pittsburgh maintain a stranglehold on steel production, along with powerful political lobbying on the part of the steel industry and allies, according to Briem. But by the 1970s, steel production gains had shifted from coke and coalrelated facilities towards electric arc

minimills, which don’t need coke for production. Instead, they rely on scrap metal, which can be found many places outside of coal country. Instead of Pittsburgh remaining the steel capital of the world, U.S. production of steel has largely shifted to the South, where labor unions are weaker. U.S. Steel was also slower to start investing in minimills, instead relying on legacy facilities like the Mon Valley Coke Works. Now, the company is shifting gears. In 2020, it acquired a minimill in Arkansas. “U.S. Steel has made a lot of decisions to invest in minimills, but they wouldn’t have done it here,” says Briem. Coal facilities have also faced an uphill battle to remain open in the region. The same day that Cheswick announced it was closing, a coal mine in Greene County announced it was shutting down. Both facilities had seen declines in production before announcing the respective closures. Cheswick’s production decline actually helped lower its ranking on PennEnvironment’s Toxic Ten report. It was No. 1 in the previous report, which used 2016 data. Briem says the loss of Cheswick shouldn’t have an impact on the region’s electricity supply, since the region is already a net exporter of electricity. In both the U.S. Steel and Cheswick decisions, Briem says they failed to compete in a changing market. CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

SHIFTING WINDS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

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Clairton Coke Works

“Market forces have really cleaned the air,” says Briem. This leaves the region’s biggest polluters as smaller, more specialized facilities, like the ATI Flat Rolled Products Holdings in Brackenridge, which ranked ﬁrst on the most recent Toxic Ten report. Luckily for air quality advocates, there are positive signs in regulating those facilities without the loss of production that leads to job losses, like the ones that will occur when Cheswick shuts down and Clairton idles its batteries. The McConway & Torley Foundry in Lawrenceville was previously ranked in the top 10 for the most polluting facilities in Allegheny County. But a permit from the Allegheny County Health Department in 2018 mandated the steel foundry use air pollution control devices to remove particulates before they enter the atmosphere. Togneri says that McConway & Torley worked with the health department in the run up to the permit being issued, and actually lowered the emission before 2018. He hopes that this kind of cooperation with industrial facilities will continue moving forward.

“In short, we believe it was a good demonstration of regulators and industry working together for the common interest of the public,” says Togneri. “While every facility/company is different and will require a different and unique approach, that track record of cooperation exists and we hope to duplicate those results elsewhere.”

A clean air path emerging A 2019 PAPER PUBLISHED in the Journal

of Urban Affairs analyzed and compared the economic rebounds of Detroit and Pittsburgh. In short, the paper indicated that Pittsburgh’s economy has almost fully shifted away from its industrial roots, and economically speaking, is no longer post-industrial. This portends a future where the air quality has a good chance of really improving, since large industrial facilities haven’t succeeded here in decades, and some smaller ones have a track record of working with the Allegheny County Health Department to meet air quality standards. But it’s unclear if that is the path that regional leaders actually want to heed. For one, Briem notes that economic

growth driving Pittsburgh’s current rebound is concentrated in technology, education, and health care, and that growth is not extending to the Mon Valley, where a lot of the region’s heavy industry jobs were historically concentrated. Briem also says that “the perception of memory is really extensive” in Pittsburgh, and leaders are always looking to recapture the glory days of manufacturing employment. He says the peak manufacturing employment in Pittsburgh was in 1954. In that year, 40% of all workers in the region worked in that ﬁeld, mostly in the steel industry. Briem says that manufacturing employment in the region now only makes up 7% of overall employment, and it continues to shrink. Briem notes there have been numerous efforts to try to reverse this trend, but all have failed. A boom of natural gas development in the early 2010s had many regional leaders optimistic about a rebound in heavy industry employment, but it never materialized. “We haven’t yet found a replacement,” says Briem. “And with natural gas growing for a time, that’s why they globbed on it. But the market has spoken on that. You haven’t seen the

growth in jobs.” Even though natural gas hasn’t yet produced the manufacturing job gains, there is still a protracted battle over whether the industry deserves support. Even though some local politicians have come to criticize natural gas and the petrochemical industries, those industries still receive signiﬁcant support from inﬂuential voices like U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Mt. Lebanon) and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who believe they will grow coming out of the pandemic. Environmentalists and air quality activists recognize the new battle lines, and on June 14, sent a letter to Fitzgerald asking him to drop his support of natural gas fracking and the petrochemical industry that it relies on. The coalition of about a dozen small environmental and air quality groups are concerned that a petrochemical facility known as a cracker plant coming to Beaver County will emit tons of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants in the air each year. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Fitzgerald reiterated his support for the petrochemical industry

Screenshot of unhealthy air quality warning from Feb. 2019

and praised fracking development for lowering regional heating costs and providing county revenue, while also supporting a severance tax on natural gas drillers.

Randy Sargent is the Visualization Director of Carnegie Mellon University CREATE Labs, which has developed pollution-tracking technology. He says that with Cheswick moving

offline and Clairton Coke Works dropping production, there is a window of improved air quality that Allegheny County should benefit from. Sergeant says “as production decreases, and nothing else changes, then pollution should decrease.” But he adds that the cracker plant could undo those benefits, and any further petrochemical development could lead to a lot more air pollution. “Once we start putting gas as a feedstock into the ethane cracker, we turn it into much more dangerous stuff,” says Sergeant. Both CMU scientists and environmentalists say the way forward with more manufacturing jobs, cleaner air, and combating climate change is investing in renewable energy, and manufacturing equipment from those facilities. “We are not really thinking through where we want to go as a region, and that reality existed before they made the announcement and even more so after it,” says Barber, referencing U.S. Steel’s canceled upgrades. “What will actually really take care of people in the Mon Valley? It is clear it’s not going to be U.S. Steel. We need to be investing in what is going to come after.”

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Follow news editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

CP PHOTOS: KAYCEE ORWIG

Kacy Mcgill, project co-director of Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid

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ORE THAN A YEAR after Gov.

Tom Wolf first shut down restaurants and bars in Allegheny County in March 2020, many of those businesses that survived the pandemic are starting to open for dine-in services. But as people are rejoicing in the ability to go out again, workers are still struggling, and the grassroots mutual aid groups that initially supported them have had to adapt to continue to provide help. Kacy McGill and Taylor Stessney co-founded and co-direct the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid, which launched the Greater PGH Restaurant Workers Emergency Fund on March 13, 2020,

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one week after the first COVID case was found in Pennsylvania. Now, the group is seeking their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and is collaborating with other organizations to continue supporting local workers. But challenges remain, and some local mutual aid groups have not continued beyond the initial weeks and months of the pandemic. “Organizing is a very difficult, labor intensive — it’s a lot of emotional labor ... There’s a tendency to get really focused into mutual aid and supporting others, and then forgetting to support yourself,” says McGill. “And that’s really difficult to balance.” The Greater PGH Restaurant Workers

Emergency Fund set an initial goal of $20,000 on GoFundMe, but within three days the fund received about 500 requests for aid. Within 10 days of forming, the organizers shut down requests for aid and set a new goal of $60,000 so that they could fulfill the requests they received, which they announced reaching in an Oct. 26, 2020 update on GoFundMe. The fund spread through word of mouth among restaurant workers, and McGill says “there was a level of trust with the GoFundMe when we first started. It was worker-to-worker related, and there were a lot of folks in our specific networks that were giving.”

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid organizers also started The Greater PGH Restaurant Workers Mutual Aid Facebook group as a place where people could discuss issues they faced in the industry and share resources. As the pandemic stretched into the summer and fall, though, the organizers tried to keep up with changing needs. “We wanted to make sure that folks were able to have those conversations and have those dialogues ... so we could work together to potentially change some of the effects, like the low wages, limited health care, childcare, that have always been a part of our industry,” says McGill. They hope that these discussions

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid Volunteer, David Bigbee puts together care packages for restaurant workers.

will yield improvements that will make future disruptions and crises more bearable. While the emergency fund initially planned on distributing money through platforms such as PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App, they opted to send grants of $150 and $250 to workers via direct deposit, check, or VISA gift card to increase accessibility for those who do not use those apps, have social security numbers, or wish to disclose certain information. Many used the funds to help cover expenses such as rent, bills, food, and childcare. The Workers Aid also began working with established organizations such as New Sun Rising, a local nonproﬁt focused on community development that serves as ﬁscal sponsor for Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid. “It was really hard over the summer to lean on workers to provide support when the entire industry was so heavily devastated,” McGill says. “So we really needed to start having conversations with foundations and folks outside the

community so we could make this a long-term initiative.” The pandemic also lasted longer than most people anticipated, and while there was attention and focus on workers who were ﬁnancially struggling due to forced closures at the start of the pandemic, attention waned as it stretched on. Initially, organizations such as The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Hillman Family Foundation, and the Heinz Endowments gave millions of dollars in aid to those in need, and The Pittsburgh Foundation donated $15,000 to the Greater PGH Restaurant Workers Emergency Fund. Individuals donated to GoFundMe pages and other calls for mutual aid online. But as workers shifted out of the forefront of the cultural consciousness, it became more difﬁcult for mutual aid groups to continue supporting local workers. “I think another reason that some of the organizations have shifted or sunsetted in some capacity is there’s

not a lot of overall outside community support. Even now, it’s really hard,” says McGill, who notes that it’s also difﬁcult to ﬁnd people to volunteer.

“IT FEELS, IN A LOT OF WAYS, LIKE THE PANDEMIC HAS JUST COMPLETELY ENDED. BUT IT HASN’T ENDED FOR A LOT OF RESTAURANT WORKERS.” The problem is not exclusive to the bar and restaurant industry. Groups such as the PGH Artists Emergency Fund, which assisted local artists who lost their primary income due to COVID, received its last donation 10 months ago, and the Pittsburgh COVID-19 LGBTQIA Emergency Relief Fund, organized by SisTers PGH, is

no longer open to donations. Both were able to successfully distribute aid, and SisTers PGH continues to support trans and nonbinary people of color in Southwestern Pennsylvania through a variety of programs and services. Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid now has a board of volunteers and two full-time employees paid through individual contributions and a $60,000 grant from the Henry J. Hillman Foundation. They are currently working with Night Life Line, a crisis relief fund by and for workers, to raise $250,000, which McGill says primarily goes towards overdue bills, food, childcare, transportation costs, and medical bills, according to feedback from recipients. “It feels, in a lot of ways, like the pandemic has just completely ended. But it hasn’t ended for a lot of restaurant workers. A lot of workers in other industries that were really strongly hit by the pandemic, it’s still very real,” McGill says. “And those lasting effects are gonna continue to happen for a while.”

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Follow staff writer Kimberly Rooney 냖㵸蔻 on Twitter @kimlypso PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

.BLACK-LED COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER BY DANI JANAE // DANIJANAE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

UMMER HAS OFFICIALLY arrived, and with many Pennsylvania adults fully vaccinated, Pittsburgh parks have been bustling with life and activity again. One of the ways folks can celebrate the season and the surrounding greenery is by booking local business Blanket and Board to create a beautiful charcuterie board and picnic in the park. The event planning company is about to celebrate their one-year anniversary on June 25, and as a business, they’ve not only survived, but thrived during the pandemic. Blanket and Board, launched by friends Colleen Peddycord and Tierra Thorne in June 2020, provides picnic food and accessories for parties, engagements, or even a date for two. This includes a charcuterie board featuring items like bagels, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and cheeses, and they offer vegan and gluten-free options. They also provide blankets, tables, candles, ﬂowers, utensils, and more. Once you book with Blanket and Board at one of the parks they serve, you show up at the agreed upon time, and the team will be there with materials in hand for the picnic. “One thing that we like to do together as friends is go outside, go to the parks, have the picnics, so we hosted a self-care Sunday so that everyone we invited could participate in a safe dialogue and safe space to talk about, you know, all of the stressors that were going on at the time,” says Peddycord. “People really enjoyed it. So from there, we started Blanket and Board.”

BLANKET & BOARD blanketandboard.com

CP PHOTO: LAKE LEWIS

About two weeks after the business started, local website NEXT Pittsburgh did a write-up of Blanket and Board that the owners say helped their visibility grow. Peddycord says that during the early days of the pandemic, people “weren’t even really going outside, so I think Blanket and Board was an opportunity for a lot of people to celebrate things like their anniversary or birthday or whatever because you’re outside, it’s safe. It’s this kind of a well controlled environment.” The business also found early support from @blackowned.pgh, a popular Instagram blog that lists Black-owned businesses in the Pittsburgh area. Peddycord, who is white, and Thorne, who is Black, say that when throwing a picnic, the most common answer to the question, “How did you

Tierra Thorne and Colleen Peddycord

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find us?” is through BlackOwnedPGH. Thorne and Peddycord are both social workers who met working in a child trauma treatment center. They say that during the summer of 2020, following the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man killed by police, they wanted to create a space for people to have conversations and to engage in self care. “I think that Blanket and Board was really actually created out of the social work-y side of both of us, where we wanted to just bring people together during a really difficult time,” says Thorne. “I don’t know about you, but food just always brings people together. If you’re going to have a get together, you better have some food or people aren’t going to show up.” Thorne also adds she finds it especially important to have space for these kinds of conversations in a city like Pittsburgh, which has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Both Peddycord and Thorne agree they started their business during a time when many people, but especially white people, were looking to support Black-owned businesses in the area. While this isn’t the sole reason for their business boom, they say this shift

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BLANKET AND BOARD

Blanket and Board picnic at the West End-Elliott Overlook Park

in interest deﬁnitely played a role in their success. As a business, Blanket and Board’s social media presence is both curated with stunning images of the picnics they provide, and studded with messages

of social justice and engagement, including Black Lives Matter statements. According to the team, Thorne does 99.9% of the social media, and as a Black woman, it is important to be able to make those statements.

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“I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m not just the Black girl, I’m pro-Black, I’m Black af. So there’s no denying how proud I am,” says Thorne. “Black issues are important to me because I’m Black, but there’s also a lot of intersectionality. I think that’s the beauty of being particularly a Black woman, is the intersectionality of being Black and then understanding the hardships that women have faced.” One of the great things about Blanket and Board is that they are invested in giving back to the communities they serve. They donate a portion of their proceeds to local nonproﬁts and services within the community. Some of the consistent feedback Blanket and Board gets from people who have attended their picnics or utilized their services is that the experience was really enjoyable for all parties involved. They’ve had a few proposals happen at their events and even provided food for a funeral. As social workers, they’ve also done events for the children they serve. “We did have somebody say that it was the best anniversary they’d ever had in 15 years, or this experience allowed them to reconnect or get back to a sense of normalcy,” says Thorne.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

PHOTO: MIKAEL OWUNNA

Infinite Essence: Celestial Liberation

.ART.

INFINITE ESSENCE BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

HE FIRST OFFICIAL Juneteenth in Pittsburgh has resulted in some robust programming, with events highlighting Black leaders and creative professionals representing music, literature, and more. For local artist Mikael Owunna, the holiday — which pays tribute to the nationwide end of slavery in the United States — offered a chance to celebrate Black bodies, and make his art more accessible to commu-

nities often left out of the city’s art scene. Those traveling through Pittsburgh might catch a glimpse of billboards and other signage featuring the work of Inﬁnite Essence: Celestial Liberation, a large-scale public art project presented by Owunna and New York-based curator Larry Ossei-Mensah. Owunna and Ossei-Mensah collaborated with the Ohio-based marketing company Orange Barrel Media to

INFINITE ESSENCE mikaelowunna.com/infinite-essence

present the work on digital billboards throughout Pittsburgh. Inﬁnite Essence works can also be seen in several venues, including the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Silver Eye Center for Photography, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, and the University of Pittsburgh Center for Urban Education. The billboard portion debuted on June 18 in tandem with Juneteenth, and will be up through Wed., June 30. Other venues will display Inﬁnite Essence on different dates, with some going as late as Sept. 15. Ossei-Mensah says that by partnering with Orange Barrel Media and

other organizations in the city, he and Owunna have been able to “organize a constellation of spaces” where Inﬁnite Essence reaches audiences from the airport to Downtown. By spreading Inﬁnite Essence to more than one location, Owunna — a queer Nigerian-Swedish American artist whose work combines his engineering background with African spiritualism and cosmologies — feels that he can serve those communities who need it most. This is especially due to Owunna’s stated mission of using the project as a response to “negative stereotypes and pervasive images of Black death CONTINUES ON PG. 16

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

INFINITE ESSENCE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 14

PHOTO: ORANGE BARREL MEDIA

An Infinite Essence: Celestial Liberation billboard

depicted in the media.” “This work has a lot of strong potential for a really powerful public conversation about the Black body and the reference representation of the Black body,” says Owunna, who grew up in Pittsburgh and is now based in Highland Park. He cites a 2010 study by Reach Advisors, determining that museumand gallery-goers in the U.S. are 89% white. While he admits that things have changed since then, with museums and foundations in Pittsburgh and throughout the country trying to better welcome diverse audiences, discrepancies still exist. “And so thinking about, how do we access a larger public around these conversations, particularly engaging Black audiences and bringing other Black artists into the conversations?” says Owunna. “The public spaces are a great way to really catalyze these really powerful conversations about Black representation.” Even out of context, Infinite Essence is a sight to behold, each image depicting a glimmering subject seemingly floating against a black background. Owunna combined his background in biomedical engineering to build a special camera flash that only transmits ultraviolet light. He then painted each model with

PHOTO: NICK CAITO

Mikael Owunna

fluorescent paint and posed them in complete darkness. “When I press down on my camera shutter, my flash emits a beam of ultraviolet light, which interacts with the paint on the models’ bodies, causing them to fluoresce for a fraction of a second in the dark,” says Owunna. He says this method allows audiences to “see an alternative vision for what the Black body represents, moving from the visible spectrum, where we have anti-Blackness and white supremacy” to “seeing the Black body as these

cosmic vessels of eternal life.” Owunna has used this approach over the past five years. He even contributed a fluorescence self-portrait to The Self, Realized: Queering the Art of SelfPortraiture, a 2019 group show at the Brew House Association. For Infinite Essence, Owunna worked with about 20 Black models representing a range of body types. Owunna also expanded the mission of the Infinite Essence by working with local organizations and businesses to present a host of interactive programming throughout the month of June. Owunna reflects on how the project honors Juneteenth and the Black Pittsburgh artists who came before him, such as painter Romare Bearden and playwright August Wilson. “For me, it was really such a powerful acknowledgment of the history of African-American artists in particular,” says Owunna. “And so that’s why it was really important also for us to invite the wider community of Black artists in Pittsburgh for this programming, to think about the ways in which this larger Black arts ecosystem has been operating, and the legacies that connect to this larger public art campaign that we’re that we’re showcasing.”

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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CP PHOTO: OWEN GABBEY

Four Points Brewery’s Every Time Only Once: Blackberry + Boysenberry

.DRINK.

BEER OF THE WEEK BY OWEN GABBEY //OGABBEY@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

BEER OF THE WEEK: Every Time Only Once: Blackberry + Boysenberry BREWERY: Four Points Brewery LOCATION: Western Ave. Taproom. 919 Western Ave., North Side. fourpointsbrewing.com

HE PITTSBURGH CRAFT brewery scene has transformed from a creek to a full blown tidal wave in the last 10 years, with different spots popping up seemingly every week. So much so, it might cause an inevitable fatigue to anyone not obsessing over the craft beer world. So what’s the best way to stand out? Make better beer. That’s what Four Points Brewery has done, and their Every Time Only Once: Blackberry + Boysenberry is my new favorite. Specializing in IPAs, Four Points has made their mark across styles as the brewery has continued to expand. Started a few years ago in Charleroi, about an hour south of Downtown Pittsburgh, many locals may not have gone out of their way to seek out their beer. But Four Points has continued to expand their distribution within the city, and they now have a new, absolutely gorgeous taproom on Western Avenue in the North Side. A contrast from many of the woodbarrel-and-coffee-shop vibes of a lot of taprooms, Four Points’ spot is sleek, elegant, and comfortable. Every Time Only Once: Blackberry + Boysenberry is the latest version of a series of sours with rotating fruit

combinations. It follows the growing trend of sours that are thicker and thicker, giving them a smoothie-like quality. More importantly, however, Four Points makes sure to retain an actual sour taste in the beer, instead of just seeing how sweet they can make it. The sweetness is present, but Every Time Only Once’s subtlety and restraint, like many of their beers, helps set it apart. At 7% ABV, Four Points once again finds balance, in between a beer that is simply a low-alcohol crusher, and one that is pushing the sour into booze territory. The blackberry and boysenberry flavors compliment each other very nicely (although I still honestly am not sure if I’ve ever had a real boysenberry in my life.) And maybe most importantly, the milk sugar adds an entirely different element, giving a vanilla twist and making it reminiscent of berries and cream. The sour beer world has gotten borderline out of control, with each place trying to outpace each other in the craziness of what’s going on in their latest. These have their place, but in the meantime, go enjoy a beautiful summer sour from an absolutely top-flight Pittsburgh brewery. You’ll get your fruit and drink it, too.

•

Honorable Mentions: VII: Brew Gentlemen (brewgentlemen.com) Sorbetto Series #3: Ever Grain Brewing Co. (evergrainbrewing.com)

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

CP PHOTOS: TERENEH IDIA

Brentin Mock

.FASHION.

CLOTHES MAKE ... BRENTIN MOCK BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: Brentin Mock PRONOUNS: He, Him WORK: Writer/editor for Bloomberg CityLab (and Pittsburgh City Paper alum!) WEBSITE: twitter.com/brentinmock HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR STYLE? ’93-’95 Classic Backpack Era and Dad WHO ARE YOUR STYLE INSPIRATIONS? Raekwon the Chef, Ill Grand Puba, Thirstin Howl III, Jeff Goldblum DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DESIGNER? WHO ARE THEY, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THEM? Ralph Lauren is my favorite and most faithful. He designs classic, timeless looks that mostly never go out of style. I literally

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

still have Polo Ralph Lauren shirts, hoodies, and jackets that I’ve owned since high school. I can even still ﬁt in a few of them! Fortunately, I was over-invested in the over-sized, baggy look in high school. Also, there is virtually no other clothing line where I can wear a teddy bear on my sweatshirt and not look like a pedophile. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNER? PICK ONE AND TELL ME HOW YOU WERE INTRODUCED TO THEIR DESIGN. I was introduced to ’Lo when I was really young, spending summers with family in D.C. In the DMV area, late ’80s, early ’90s, there was basically one uniform: ’Lo, Guess jeans, and New Balance or Nike Jordan/Air Max tennis shoes. Anything

else, you were considered a ’Bama. So I looked up to all of my older cousins who rocked it faithfully and would hand me down their clothes. I actually grew up in Harrisburg where street fashion was heavily inﬂuenced by Philly and New York styles given its proximity, so the ’Lo culture was just reinforced at home and through hip hop. By high school, ’Lo was basically the minimum cost of access to Fly Boy/Girl culture. DO YOU DRESS DIFFERENTLY FOR WORK AND IF SO, IN WHAT WAY? Nope. I’ve worked from home/remotely for basically my entire career, so I couldn’t tell you what ofﬁce/business dress code is to save my life. I’m straight hoodies and sweats out the door and in the door.

I’m a little more sloppier with it at the home ofﬁce, though — think The Dude, Big Lebowski. For Zooms, I might step it up to Walter Sobchak. IT IS ABOUT 100 DEGREES IN WIGHTMAN PARK, BUT YOU’RE WEARING A SWEATSHIRT. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU CANNOT TELL WHAT THE WEATHER IS FROM YOUR HOUSE. We keep our house freezing, like an environmental embarrassment of air conditioning. I am bad about checking the weather before leaving the house so I usually bounce in whatever I have on. However, for this one, I truly misjudged the heat. I knew abstractly that it might have been hot, but this is also

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my most comfortable sweatsuit and I didn’t want to take it off. I also knew I was going to your fashion shoot and this was how I chose to represent myself. But yes, that was a mistake. It is hot as balls. I wish I had an answer like, “I stay cool, no matter the temp,” but this was just regretfully vain. TELL ME ABOUT THE CLOTHES YOU’RE WEARING TODAY. I WILL ASK ABOUT THOSE KICKS LATER. This is actually a Ralph Lauren sweatsuit — a lot of my ’Lo doesn’t carry the horse logo or his name, so it’s not always obvious. And it worked for this shoot because unless Ralphie was hitting CP off with some ad money, there was no need to ﬂash the symbol. But it really is one of my most comfortable sweatsuits (but for the house, of course). I also really dig the “State Forestry” design. I’m all about the trees. WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST HERE TODAY TOO, YOUR SON EMORY. HOW OLD IS HE AND HAS HE STARTED TO DEVELOP HIS OWN SENSE OF STYLE? OR DOES HE TELL YOU WHEN HE LIKES OR DOESN’T LIKE SOMETHING? Yes, my young buck Emory, who is two years old. He actually does pick out his own clothes. Unfortunately for him, all of his clothes are Polo. He has the illusion of choice. DO YOU HAVE ANY GIFTS FROM SOMEONE THAT YOU WEAR OFTEN OR EVERY DAY? I guess my Apple Watch, which was a gift from my wife, Thena. The damn

thing didn’t tell me how hot it was going to be, though. DO YOU WEAR A GIFT TO YOURSELF THAT YOU WEAR OFTEN? If grey sweatpants count. OK, THOSE KICKS. I AM OBSESSED WITH THEM. WHO IS THE DESIGNER AND TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT THEM? These are New Balance, the 237 line, which is one of its newest and least expensive lines. They are very comfortable and age-appropriate. There is basically no way for you to be 40+ years old and look corny in a pair of NBs, like you can in, say, a pair of Jordans. This particular pair is from a recent drop NB did with Casablanca, an overseas brand — and here’s where I let on that I’m a bit more into fashion than I’ve been frontin’ for. Casablanca is a fairly new brand started by Charaf Tajer, who came up under Virgil Abloh. This is the third or fourth collab with NB, the first of which I first saw Raekwon wearing on his IG feed. I instantly fell in love with the colorways, the retro tennis shoe silhouette, and his trademark Moroccan jacquard print. If you get them when they first drop, they’re not very expensive at all, but given they come out in limited releases, they end up reselling at much higher rates. I’ll go ahead and stop sounding pretentious now.

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Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

PHOTO: BIKEPGH

^ Women & Non-binary bike summit

THU., JUNE 24 FILM • VIRTUAL Maude’s Paperwing Gallery presents a virtual screening of the 1999 film But I’m a Cheerleader. As a part of their North Pittsburgh Pride series, the shop chooses a weekly film to screen on Zoom that falls under one of four categories: a film that is “cute/fun/magical,” “LGBTQIA+ themed,” “WILDCARD,” or a documentary. All mics and cameras will be turned off during the event, but the chat feature will be available so you can quietly discuss the film with other viewers. 8 p.m. Free. maudespaperwinggallery.com/events

STAGE • VIRTUAL Become part of the performance during The Birth of Paper with RealTime Interventions at Post Theatrical. Pittsburgh partners Handmade Arcade, City of Asylum, and Scribe Fine Papers will help locals connect with people in Beirut, the “Paris of the Middle East,” through paper, ink, and the postal service in a celebration of global connection. Participants will

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receive a handmade item to open as part of the show, during which they will also get to see participants in Beirut open packages of items created by Pittsburgh makers. 5 p.m. Continues through Tue., June 29. $30-59 for corresponders, $60+ for gift givers. posttheatrical.org/the-birth-of-paper

FRI., JUNE 25 ART • VIRTUAL Leading up to the opening of his work Society of 23’s Trophy Game Room at the Mattress Factory, artist Jeffrey Augustine Songco told Pittsburgh City Paper that the frat-inspired installation serves many roles, the main one being as a way to grapple with his identity. For the Zoom event A Field Guide to Society of 23, Songco shows guests how to create their own Society of 23 “secret brotherhood,” where viewers can invent fellow frat members, narratives, and more. 5-6:30 p.m. $23. $17 for students and members. Registration required. mattress.org/events

EVENT • IRL The weather is getting hotter and so is Pittsburgh’s nightlife. A number of dance nights and parties are returning over a year after the onset of the pandemic, including DIAMOND LIFE, the popular eclectic dance night at Spirit. This will be their first official dance party since February 2020, and will feature DJs Jesley Snipes and DZ Party Time. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. Free. facebook.com/diamondlifepgh

SAT., JUNE 26 BIKE • VIRTUAL Dollar Bank and BikePGH presents the eighth annual Women & Non-Binary Bike Summit. This year’s summit will be held virtually with numerous events taking place throughout the day, including livestreamed talks, workshops, and afternoon activities. On top of the various events, all participants can receive free gifts, including an e-book

version of Bike Girl Magic, and a swag bag filled with bike accessories, a WMNBikePGH water bottle, the eighth edition of the Pittsburgh Bike Map, and more. 9 a.m. Pay-what-you-can. bikepgh.org/sites/bikepghsummit

SUN., JUNE 27 MUSIC • IRL Raised in the fellow Rust Belt city of Detroit, aka Motown, recording artist Dwele has spent the last two decades bringing his vintage soul-inspired sound to audiences all over the world. He takes the stage at the WPA Juneteenth & Black Music Festival at Point State Park during a day of performances that also includes DJ Kid Capri, the B.B. King Experience, and others. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 601 Commonwealth Place, Downtown. Free. wpajuneteenth.com

MUSIC • IRL Stroll through 12 local urban gardens in the Symphony Splendor Garden Tour, presented by the Pittsburgh Symphony

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^ Symphony Splendor Garden Tour, presented by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra. The gardens will feature a variety of flora and even fish, and several gardens will have members of the PSO playing soothing melodies as people peruse the botanical beauties. The garden tour will go on rain or shine, but the musical performances will occur weather permitting. People will have the option to take an air-conditioned bus with a guide or to go on a self-guided tour of the gardens. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 5105 Fifth Ave., Shadyside. $50-60 for the self-guided tour, $95 for the guided bus tour. pittsburghsymphonyassociation.org/ symphony-splendor-garden-tour

TUE., JUNE 29

MON., JUNE 28

WED., JUNE 30

EVENT • IRL The University of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Sustainability hosts Clutter for a Cause, a donation event to help divert items from landfills. Students and non-students can donate textiles, kitchen items, nonperishable foods, hygiene products, books and textbooks, apartment essentials, and electronics. Oversized items can be picked up with a completion of a form found on the website. Items such as mattress toppers, mattresses, couches, and rugs will not be accepted for donation due to health and safety concerns. 9 a.m. Also takes place on Aug. 8. 3401 Boulevard of the Allies, Oakland. Free. sustainable.pitt.edu/what-you-can-do/events

but still broadcasting LIVE every Monday thru Thursday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com

LIT • VIRTUAL Steel City Slam presents Open Mic & Hang, an event for poets and writers of all levels to perform. The evening will be split into two rounds with breaks in between. Poets may read poems on any subject in any style. When readings are complete, stick around for the “hang” part and talk with the performers. Donations will be accepted on behalf of the Pittsburgh Poetry Collective. 7:45-10 p.m. $5 suggested donation. steelcityslam.org

TALK • VIRTUAL The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh partners with several other libraries from throughout the state to present How is Mass Incarceration Impacting My Community?, part of its Hear Me Out series. The virtual, 90-minute discussion will feature formerly incarcerated individuals discussing their personal experiences, touching on how mass incarceration affects local communities. The discussion will also delve into topics surrounding race, poverty, and punishment. 5:30 p.m. Free with registration. carnegielibrary.org/event • IRL = IN REAL LIFE EVENT VIRTUAL = STREAMING OR ONLINE-ONLY EVENT HYBRID = MIX OF IN REAL LIFE AND ONLINE EVENT

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

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ACROSS 1. Left each other’s company 7. “Amtrak Joe,” now: Abbr. 11. Coach K’s crew for one more season 15. “Guilty of grammatical purity as charged!” 16. River of the Basque Country 17. Server’s operating system 18. Moves effortlessly out of the way of danger? 20. Best Supporting Actor of 2019 21. Crime fighters named after Renaissance painters, briefly 22. See 4-Down 23. Series opener 25. Platter’s flip 27. Uses a stopwatch during Take Me Home Tonight singer’s set? 30. Phoebe of Gremlins 32. Moon unit?: Abbr. 33. Going either way, politically: Abbr. 34. Material 38. Slimes 40. Sign above the SCOTUS bar? 43. La Vita Nuova author 44. Diplomat’s dream 45. TV show with the video game tie-ins subtitled Unsolved!

and Fatal Conspiracy 46. Digital form of communication 48. Gangster Gambino 51. Can’t get enough of a window treatment? 56. South American savannah 58. Where Heracles fought the lion 59. Does a landscaper’s job 61. Drinks served in a flight 62. Collective bargaining govt. group 63. Uses a vibrator on the ultrawealthy? 66. ___ Whore (Cheap Trick song) 67. 1,000 baiza 68. Dreaded strains? 69. Unkind look 70. Ancient, quaintly 71. Mark in the World Golf Hall of Fame

DOWN 1. Ancient Scots 2. ___ clock 3. Country bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo 4. 22-Across face-off 5. Christmas in D.C. setting 6. Ultimate prop 7. They often take a bow 8. Construction piece similar to an H bar

9. Org. that sponsors competitive shooting programs 10. Non-moving character 11. Brick name 12. Organize employees, in a way 13. Created a litter 14. Nos. entered during a phone tree message 19. Guest’s sleeping spot 24. God-like 26. Achieve Zen 28. Model Sewell or Knowles 29. PGA units 31. Hindu sir 35. Immune system element 36. One who sits on a nest egg 37. D-Day craft 39. Like baggy clothes

40. He played Earl in My Name Is Earl 41. You are here 42. Citation at the bottom of a business letter: Abbr. 43. Number of the beast minus XVI 47. Pizza chain 49. Home to FC Barcelona and Real Madrid 50. Modest, as a garage 52. Confine to jail 53. Bit of braggadocio 54. Duchess or baron 55. Swerving crime, briefly 57. ___ Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube’s acting son) 60. Sign-stealing ballplayer, casually 62. Prince of Wales Trophy league 64. Need a sick day 65. Rice unit: Abbr. LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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To place a Classified ad in Pittsburgh City Paper, call 412-685-9009 to speak to one of our representatives.

Metro Community Health Center offers full mental health services to everyone regardless of identity, income, insurance status, or the ability to pay. Make an appointment by calling 412-247-2310 and visit our website, www.metrocommunityhealthcenter.org, to learn more. 1789 S. Braddock Ave, #410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 To make an appointment: (412) 247-2310

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RUSSELL BYERS CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowners Relief Line NOW for Help 1-855-4395853 Mon-Fri : 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Sat: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm(all times Pacific) (AAN CAN)

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HELP WANTED

Allegheny Millwork is hiring a Carpenter/ Cabinet Maker. Must be 18+, detail oriented, mathematically skilled and have woodworking experience. HS Diploma/ equivalent and Cabinet making experience are preferred. Competitive pay and beneﬁts offered. Apply at https:// alleghenymillwork. isolvedhire.com/

Oxford Landscaping Hiring landscape laborers starting at $20.00/hour. Experienced landscapers, machine operators, masonry/concrete work and ﬁnishers and complete hardscape installers ranging from $25-35/hr. Must have a valid driver’s license and able to drive to/from job sites in the South Hills. 412-996-7589

Notice is hereby given that Russell Byers Charter School is requesting sealed proposals to provide food management services. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on July 14, 2021 @ 11:00 am at 1911 Arch St. Philadelphia, PA 19103, with facility walk-throughs to follow. Proposals are due to Russell Byers Charter School at 1911 Arch St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 on July 30, 2021 at 11 am. Public Bid opening at 11:01 am on July 30, 2021. Proposals received after the designated time and date will be returned unopened. Russell Byers Charter School reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any and all informalities in the best interest of the SFA. Copies of the request for proposals are available by contacting knetzhammer@thsfc.com This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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North Shore - 127 Anderson Street - Suite 101 Timber Court Building, PIttsburgh, PA 15212 Phone: (412) 322-4151 washington, pa - 95 Leonard Avenue Suite 203, Washington PA 15301 Phone: (724) 249-2517 beaver county - 2360 hospital drive Suite 1, aliquippa, pa 15001 Phone: (724)707-1155 Erie - 3104 State Street, Erie, PA 16508 PHONE: (814) 619-4009

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 23-30, 2021

LOVE COLORING? Love supporting local artists? Purchasing this coloring book supports Pittsburgh City Paper journalism and 50% of the proceeds are split among the 35 Pittsburgh artists who have illustrated for this coloring book:

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Also available as a DIGITAL DOWNLOAD for $20

• Howard Bender

• Christina Lee

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• Nathan Mazur

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• Emily McGaughey

• D.J. Coffman

• Maggie Lynn Negrete

• Cathy Connor

• Angela Oddling

• David Coulson

• Ashley Olinger

• Vince Dorse

• Sophia Marie Pappas

• Lucy Engelman

• Jayla Patton

• Kirsten Ervin

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• Kim Fox / workerbird

• strawberryluna

• Amy Garbark / garbella • Joyce Swope • Brian Gonnella

• Emily Traynor

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• Marcel Walker

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• Natiq Jalil

• Joe Wos

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Visit pghcitypaperstore.com to get your copy today!