2 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM FIRSTSHOT BY JARED WICKERHAM John Fetterman takes part in the Labor Day parade in Downtown Pittsburgh on Mon. Sept. 5. More photos online at pghcitypaper.com 4 Smithfield Street, Suite 1210 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 GOT A NEWS TIP? E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com WANT TO PLACE AN AD? EMAIL rachel@pghcitypaper.com pghcitypaper.com SEPT.PITTSBURGHCITYPAPERPGHCITYPAPER7-14,2022 VOLUME 31 + ISSUE 36 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS SERVING PITTSBURGH SINCE NOV. 6, 1991 GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2022 by Eagle Media Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Eagle Media Corp. LETTER POLICY: Letters, or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Eagle Media Corp. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $250 per year (52 issues), $150 per half year (26 issues), or $32 per six weeks. For more information, visit pghcitypaper.com and click on the Subscribe tab. COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 4 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising RACHEL WINNER Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD News Editor JAMIE WIGGAN A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ News Reporter JORDANA ROSENFELD Art Director LUCY CHEN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Digital Editorial Coordinator HANNAH KINNEY-KOBRE Advertising and Marketing Coordinator EMILY RADAMIS Senior Account Executive OWEN GABBEY Sales Representative MARIA STILLITANO Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, NATALIE BENCIVENGA, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, JORDAN SNOWDEN National Advertising Representative VMG 1.888.278.9866ADVERTISINGOR1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.
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4 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM PREACHING LOVE BY ANONYMOUS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM FIRST-PERSON ESSAY
None of this has been rejected by the people in my pews. But I know that if I preached how Jesus would accept the LGBTQ community like myself, I’d be run out of town. Too many times after service, I’ve heard the whisperings about how awful the LGBTQ community is and how it is destroying our country. I’ve overheard the after-church parking lot meetings discuss ing the possibility of someone new in atten dance being gay or trans. Two of my churches have already voted to explore disaffiliating to the Global Methodist Church in favor of “tra ditional Scriptural views on homosexuality.”
IT IS AN AWKWARD POSITION to be in when you are queer, poly, a pastor, and serving a super conservative church. I’d love to introduce myself to you fully. I’d love to tell you my name and those of the amazing Western Pennsylvania churches I serve. I’d love to introduce you to both my wife and my girlfriend. Unfortunately, due to the current state of the United Methodist Church, I cannot reveal my identity. If I did, I would lose my credentials, my income, and my life’s mission to serve God and the people in myNonecommunity.ofthepeople in my congregations know that I am bisexual and polyamorous. They have loved me and my wife so well, and it’s disheartening to know that if they were aware I practice non-monogamy and want to pursue a same-sex relationship, my parishio ners would likely reject me as their pastor and ask for a revocation of my credentials. If you’re unfamiliar with the United Methodist Church, you may not know that a denominational split is happening. The church has been divided for quite some time, and the division comes from differing beliefs about the LGBTQ and polyamorous community.Thereissome hope: A group of progressive pastors and laity like myself wish to include progressive members in the entire life of the church, with a desire to celebrate same-sex marriages and ordain LGBTQ clergy. But there is another group that wishes to do the exact opposite, and they’re not holding back in their discrimination. They’ve even formed a new denomination called the Global Methodist Church to preserve their ”orthodoxy,” gunning after progressive leaders and trying to make sure they’re kept out of leadership roles. My parishioners say they love me, but is it love when I cannot be open about who I truly am? How can I effectively lead as a pastor when I have to keep part of myself hidden? How can I be my most authentic self when I cannot express part of myself because of the backlash I would receive? It can be quite confusing to experience such conditional love. I can hide a bit because I am in a cis het-ap pearing marriage with a fantastic and sup portive wife, but suppressing such an import ant part of my identity is complex, and I feel that I do not get to live life to the fullest. I can post pictures of my wife on social media, but my girlfriend must endure the heartache of not being able to post photos of us because my church folks could find out. Thankfully, she understands my situation, but my wife and I dream about having my girlfriend and her son move in with us. My wife also dreams of having partners other than me but knows that we cannot fully live
I can openly talk about my wonderful wife because it’s socially acceptable. But when you’re married and also have a girlfriend, people see it as cheating and being unfaithful when it’s really about having two people who I love intimately in different ways.
I’ve preached that Jesus would walk into Wall Street and flip the counters. I’ve taught that Jesus would walk into most American churches and cringe at the amount of Christian nationalism and idolatry that has infected the church.
I teach people that Jesus isn’t white or American. I’ve even said that if Jesus were here today, Americans would reject him as an ultraleft-wing radical who would chastise people like Jeff Bezos for hoarding billions of dollars and not caring for their neighbor.
If parishioners were to drop by the house unexpectedly, our lifestyle would be exposed, and we would lose the ability to do ministry. That suppression is heartbreaking not just for me, but for both partners. I want the world to know how proud I am, not only of my wife, but of my girlfriend and her incredible son.
this out without facing judgment from the church. Unfortunately, for the time being, it is nothing more than a dream.
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
5PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022 CONTINUES ON PG. 6
Because of that call, I remain in the Methodist church with the hope that by joining other progressive pastors, we can change our policy and fully include all believers into their community. We have made strides to do so, and things have gotten progressively better, but there is still the traditional faction of the church that is blocking the way.
In my local churches, I preach that God loves everyone, even the ones who hate the LGBTQ community. God doesn’t love their actions, but God does love the people, and I’ll preach that until I die.
I’ve been asked several times why I remain a pastor in a system that would seemingly reject who I am. The reality is that I have tried so many other things in life and have not been happy. Being a pastor is a calling. I know this is what I have been made to do.
I hope that when this split happens within the Methodist church, the folks who remain can breathe fresh air into a practice that seems
I’ve been asked several times why I remain a madeIthiscalling.ahappy.haveinothertriedisam.rejectseeminglythatinpastorasystemwouldwhoITherealitythatIhavesomanythingslifeandnotbeenBeingpastorisaIknowiswhathavebeentodo.
CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
DOWNTOWNPITTSBURGH.COM Mr.SEPTEMBERSATURDAY10SmallsPresents:AcoustiCaféattheNightMarket AIDENPOSTERANNEGARNCHILDMASON&MR.BUSINESS SATURDAY MARKET NIGHT CITYPITTSBURGHPAPERSTAGE MARKET SQUARE 5 - 10 PM LIVE AND360AXEGIVEAWAY$5000FOODMUSIC&DRINKSGIFTCARDTHROWINGSELFIESTATIONMORE! 6TH STREET | DOWNTOWN FREE EVENT! RAIN OR SHINE! downtownpittsburgh.com/welcomeback THURSDAYSEPTEMBER154:30-8:30PM PREACHING LOVE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5 to have lost its place in society. The American church has damaged its witness by selling itself for political power. The church has bas tardized the message of the gospel. Capitalism has become more critical than the sacrificial way of Christ. Many in the American church will rush to defrock a pastor who preaches social justice, even when the scripture itself tells us we are to seek justice, care for the poor and the widowed, give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and clothe the naked. Until the split happens, I fantasize about what my dream life looks like. I’d love nothing more than to have my house full with my wife, her partners, my girlfriend, and possibly a boyfriend if I met the right person. I would be ecstatic to come home from work and be greeted by all of them, then cook dinner and enjoy family time. I would adore the idea of having snuggles with all of them on the couch and watching a movie. I would love the chance to go out as a polycule and enjoy dinner, movies, and parks. And I would enjoy being able to do all of those things without the stress and pressures of being judged, condemned, and harassed by the conservative faction of the church. It would be nice to live out fully a polyamorous
A Western Pa. pastor hides his identity behind an LGBTQ flag at This is Red, a converted church in Munhall
My parishioners say they love me, but is it love when I cannot be open about who I truly am? lifestyle without people automatically think ing I just want to have lots of sex. It isn’t even about the sex. I have very deep meaningful relationships with my wife and my girlfriend. There is an emotional and spiritual connec tion between me and them that leads to a more fulfilling love. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why there are people in the church so against love. As I have explored making friends within the LGBTQ and poly communities, I have found people who know what unconditional love is. It is sometimes shocking to folks when I reveal that I am a pastor, but I have only been met with love, care, and encouragement from other progressive community members who have shared that they’re super thankful there is someone who sides with them and believes in their true selves. My heart desires that, someday soon, we can see a church that displays a true love for our LGBTQ siblings and start to make amends for the harm we have done to them too. Maybe one day, Christians will take the teaching of “loving your neighbor as yourself” more seriously. Until then, I will continue to preach it loudly and proudly, even if it falls on deaf ears.
•
BY KIM LYONS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
“This pardon project has the poten tial to open the door for thousands of Pennsylvanians — the college grad looking to start their career, the grand parent who’s been wanting to chaperone a field trip, or any Pennsylvanian who’s been told ‘no’ for much needed assis tance,” Wolf said. “Now’s your chance.”
8 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM
People with additional convictions aren’t eligible for the program, but can apply for clemency using the state’s stan dard application at bop.pa.gov.
PARDONING POT
P ENNSYLVANIA GOV. TOM WOLF and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman have unveiled a new statewide effort to pardon some Pennsylvanians with marijuana-related criminal convictions.
There is no time limit for the age of the conviction under the pardon project, which runs through Sept. 30, but the conviction had to take place in Pennsylvania.Thosewho qualify can apply at the project website ( pa.gov/guides/mjpardon ) without paying a fee. After the application period closes Sept. 30, the state pardons board will conduct merit review sessions beginning Oct. 13 to decide if petitioners will get a public hearing. Between Dec. 13-16, the board will vote on individual cases in public hearings, which applicants aren’t required to attend. The board then sends its recom mendations to the governor for review. There’s no specific date by which the governor has to act on the pardons, but Wolf’s term ends in January, and a future administration may not continue to program. Sometime after Dec. 16, peti tioners will be notified, and those who receive pardons will receive official documentation in the mail.
The announcement comes as Fetterman, also a candidate for U.S. Senate, called on President Joe Biden to decriminalize marijuana ahead of a scheduled White House stop in Pittsburgh for Labor Day. “It’s long past time that we finally decriminalize marijuana,” Fetterman said in a statement. “The president needs to use his executive authority to begin descheduling marijuana, I would love to see him do this prior to his visit to Pittsburgh. This is just common sense and Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support decriminalizing marijuana.”
Patrick Nightingale, an attorney and executive director of marijuana reform group Pittsburgh NORML, said in an email to City Paper he was “very grateful” that Pennsylvanians with minor cannabis offenses would be able to quickly clear their records under the pardon project. But he questioned the limitations of the “Itprogram.hasbeen my experience in sur rounding counties that paraphernalia is
Thousands of Pennsylvanians would be potentially eligible for the pardon project, according to a statement from Wolf’s office. Those convicted of either (or both) of two specific marijuana charges would be eligible: “possession of marijuana”, or “marijuana, small amount personal use.”
to start
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“I don’t want to hear any bullshit coming out of Dr. Oz’s campaign trying to conflate decriminalizing marijuana with seriously harmful crime,” Fetterman wrote in a press statement. “Are we sup posed to believe that neither he nor any members of his staff have ever used mar ijuana? As mayor of Braddock, I made it my mission to combat serious crime. I know firsthand what real crime looks like. Marijuana does not fit the bill. It’s time to end the hypocrisy on this issue once and for all.” •
the
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"This pardon project has the potential to open the door of Pennsylvanians — college grad looking their career, the grandparent who’s been wanting to chaperone a field trip, any Pennsylvanian who’s been told ‘no’ for much needed assistance." routinely charged when one is charged with a small amount—smoking devices, grinders, rolling papers, blunt wrap pers,” Nightingale writes. “Even the baggie containing the small amount are all considered paraphernalia under PennsylvaniaNightingalelaw.”.also says he doesn’t think the pardon program would benefit large numbers of people in Allegheny County, “as we never prosecute a ‘small amount’ charge standing alone to con viction.” Such cases, he says, are rou tinely reduced to a non-traffic summary citation, like disorderly conduct, where offenders pay fines of up to $300. According to an article published by NORML, state and local police in Pennsylvania arrested more than 20,000 people for cannabis offenses in 2020. Black residents are more than three times as likely to be arrested for mari juana in the state than white residents, the story Meredithargues.Buettner, executive director of the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (PCC) expressed support for the pardon project. The PCC is a nonprofit advocacy organization that works with medical marijuana operators and industry professionals.“Asthestate’s medical marijuana program surpasses its six year mark, legislators on both sides of the aisle have changed their minds on cannabis. They’ve witnessed a once illicit market help thousands of Pennsylvanians,” Buettner said. “This effort by state leaders is common sense governing and we believe that legislators will do the right thing — give thousands of under privileged Pennsylvanians a chance to get on the same playing field.” This week, during an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Fetterman said he plans to push Biden to decriminalize marijuana during the Labor Day visit. The lieutenant governor has been a long time proponent of legalizing marijuana, and, shortly after taking office in 2019, embarked on a 67-county “listening tour” of Pennsylvania. According to the report on his tour, between 65 and 70 percent of Pennsylvanians supported adult-use cannabis legislation, and support for mass expungement of non-violent and small cannabis-related offenses was nearlyFettermanunanimous.has also defended his position on legalizing marijuana during his Senate campaign. Meanwhile, his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz ran a mocking ad last month showing a bong coming out of the head of a cartoon Fetterman, with a coughing narrator asking “what’s this?” However, Oz previ ously called marijuana “one of the most underused tools in America,” adding that the country should change canna bis Fettermanpolicy. responded coarsely.
People didn’t like their neighbors any better back then than we do today. But it was common sense to them that their neighbor’s welfare mattered for their own welfare.”
Mitch Troutman holding a copy of his book The Bootleg Coal Rebellion
10 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM LIT
T
PHOTO: STEVIE B PHOTOGRAPHY
// JORDANA
HE PROHIBITION-ERA bootleg gers who illegally manufactured and sold alcohol from 1920-1933 are favorite characters to historians and the American public. Much less widely known, however, are the stories of America’s bootleg coal miners, workers in Pennsylvania coal towns during the same era who asserted their right to survive exploitative conditions by mining coal in their communities and selling it them selves, even if the land and the coal were owned by huge “Bootleggingcorporations.wasaboutprivate prop erty,” local historian and author Mitch Troutman tells Pittsburgh City Paper, “the dispute over who has the right to use the coal lands when people are hungry.”
MINE YOURSELF
BY JORDANA ROSENFELD @PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Troutman’s first book The Bootleg Coal Rebellion: The Pennsylvania Miners Who Seized an Industry, 1925-1942 pre serves the stories of bootleg coal miners — also called independent miners — in their own words and contextualizes them within regional and national fights for labor rights. It’s also a galvanizing story about how communities have faced down some of the most powerful interests in the Beginningcountry. in the 1920s, when most coal companies were owned by Wall Street, Troutman writes, success ful firms saw that oil was the fossil fuel of the future and started divesting from coal and investing in oil. Although coal production had slowed to a halt in many parts of Pennslyvania by the mid1920s, JP Morgan and others refused to sell their land in order to maintain a monopoly and keep the supply low. They simply shuttered many of the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania’s anthracite coalButregion.what about all the people those companies had recruited to live close to the mines, all in an effort to build a conve nient labor pool? When the mines closed, Troutman writes, people often “openly and defiantly” dug their own “coal holes” and stole equipment from company mines to work them. By the mid-1930s, Troutman writes that “thousands of men, women, and chil dren worked in the illegal industry. Their numbers were so great that they neutral ized the local court systems. They stood down company and state police. They dynamited machinery that stood between them and survival. The bootleggers even formedTheyunions.”hadplenty of popular support too, Troutman notes. Troutman tells Pittsburgh City Paper that he first began researching this history while living in Trevorton, Pa., one of the coal towns featured in his book.
Preserving the radical history of Pa.’s bootleg coal miners
THE BOOTLEG COAL REBELLION: THE PENNSYLVANIA MINERS WHO SEIZED AN INDUSTRY 1925-1942 by
“If you assume why somebody did something or how something came to be, you’re usually wrong,” he says.
“The idea that we can even look out for each other at all just doesn’t occur to a lot of people [anymore]. There is no working-class people versus corpora tions in a lot of people’s minds. A lot of people like Walmart or Amazon better than they like their neighbor. People didn’t like their neighbors any better back then than we do today,” Troutman says. “But it was common sense to them that their neighbor’s welfare mattered for their own welfare, that they sink or swim together, regardless of how well they get along with each other.” Troutman is hopeful that the history of the bootleg coal rebellion can inspire empathy for and solidarity with “other people who have to break laws or evade or fight police or military in order to just get by. The ability for us to relate to them if we know that we came from someone like that, if that’s our history, it’s way greater than political arguments or talking heads on TV.” • Mitch Troutman (PM Press, 2022). pmpress.org
Troutman really began his research on bootleg miners, however, it was too late to interview any of the miners themselves.“Thereare plenty of people who are still alive who are in their 90s from that time, but not coal miners,” he says. Luckily, he came across a trove of oral histories from bootleg miners recorded by an independent researcher in the late“So1980s.this guy, Michael Kozura from Minersville, was working on a book on this in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s. He had done a lot of research, but he hadn’t done much writing yet when he got in a car accident and died, unfortunately. I hit a wall in my research, but somebody had been pushing me to keep digging into whatever I could. … I Googled his widow’s name and found a phone number and called and it was her. She had been Follow news reporter Jordana Rosenfeld on Twitter @rosenfeldjb saving his stuff and hoping that one day somebody would pick it up.”
Troutman’s book is a powerful reminder of a time in the not-too-dis tant past when solidarity among working people was common sense.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MITCH TROUTMAN A bootleg miner smiling from a coal hole in Northeatern Pennsylvania
Once he had access to Kozura’s inter views, Troutman realized he had a book on his hands. He tells City Paper it was impor tant to him to build his research around the voices of the miners themselves, and that he was careful not to make assump tions about people’s intentions.
“A lot of people [in Trevorton] party in the old strip mines and just treat everything like they own it, and I was wondering where that attitude came from and if it had anything to do with [bootleg mining],” Troutman says. “That’s where I started digging, mostly just cause I wanted something to do, and it was fascinating.”Bythetime
11PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022 WORKING FROM HOME? GET CITY PAPER DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX 6 weeks for $32 VISIT WWW.PGHCITYPAPERSTORE.COM
BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
SLEEPING WITCH & SATURN RELEASEALBUMSHOW
PHOTO: TAYLOR GEARHART Sleeping Witch & Saturn CLOTHING, tight pants, and lots of leather are not required to enjoy the new music from these two local punk bands. However, an angsty attitude and air of “coolness” might make listening to the tunes much more fun. was sticking for us creatively at differ ent times. Because we also recorded the album ourselves, there’s an extra layer of investment and personal connection that makes it feel really special to us.” While The Divine Madness of Spring can be considered a snapshot of the band’s last few years, Vituccio points to the album’s second track, “Carousel,” as the most authentic representation of who Sleeping Witch & Saturn is as a whole.
BLACK
12 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM MUSIC PUNK ROCK HEAVEN
Sleeping Witch & Saturn
The Divine Madness of Spring Don’t be alarmed if you find yourself transported to a mysterious, supernatural space when listening to Sleeping Witch & Saturn’s debut album. In fact, it may be best to simply succumb to the altered state. The Divine Madness of Spring, which the Pittsburgh band releases on Fri., Sept. 9, slips and slides from desolate (“At Eternity’s Gate”) to effervescent (“Joanie, Get Up”) so simply that it creates an intimate, out-of-body experience.
“This album is a deeply personal expression which explores a spectrum of moods and mind states,” explains Matt Vituccio, Sleeping Witch & Saturn’s vocalist and guitarist. “All of the songs were written over the course of several years, so it feels like a collage of whatever
7 p.m. Sat., Sept. 10. Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $12-15. thunderbirdmusichall.com.
“This song leans toward a new wave sound that contrasts the darker tracks, but it’s not upbeat or energetic — it’s bittersweet and requires patience,” he says. “The lyrics for this song embody the larger themes explored throughout the album and the instrumentals offer space to breathe.” Born in 2017, Sleeping Witch & Saturn is made up of Vituccio, Anna Shaw on bass, drummer Alex Nelson, and Rowdy Kanarek, who doubles as the lead guitar ist and the band’s producer. The forth coming Divine Madness of Spring LP follows their self-titled EP, which debuted in 2018.
Follow featured contributor Jordan Snowden on
7 p.m.-2 a.m. Sat., Sept. 17. The Forge. 210 E. Seventh Ave., Homestead. $3-25. suteparty.com/9-17-2022
“Monster is about someone that makes the choice every day to abuse you,” says Dunlap. “Once you finally break free from the monster, life is so good, and the monster gets smaller and uglier and starts to smell like rotten fish guts.”
“So visit our webstore or see us at an upcoming show to pick up a copy for a cool fiver,” says Wallace. (Hint: it’s a very infectious remix.)
•
Twitter @snowden_jordan
13PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022 SEPTEMBER 17 9AM 1PMR E C O V E R RY E C O V E R Y 2 0 2 2 P I T T S B U R G 2H 0 2 2 P I T T S B U R G H W A L WK A L K 1 2 0 1 W A T E R F R O N T P L A C E , I N T H E S T R I P FREE EVENT A L S O L I V E S T R E A M I N G P G H R E C O V E R Y W A L K O R G Celebrating the many roads to recovery from addiction JOIN US ON SeptemberFriday, 9 at Kennywood Park FOR4:30pm-9pmTICKETSANDINFO VISIT PITTSBURGHPIEROGIFESTIVAL.COM This year’s festival is all about the FRIDAY NIGHT BITES! OVER 20 PIEROGI VENDORS! PIEROGILIVEMARKETPLACEMUSIC CLASSIC KENNYWOOD RIDES PAINT YOUR OWN PIEROGI ANDMORE! FRIDAYNIGHTBITES
Murder for Girls Six Stories
Since Wallace joined the band in 2015 after seeing Murder for Girls perform live, the group — now made up of Wallace, founder and bassist Jonathan Bagamery, and lead vocalist Michele Dunlap — has released three LPs, each just as crunchy and grungy as the last, but continuously showing an improved, more fun, and more fearless side of the band.
PHOTO: SUHAIL BALOCH Murder for Girls
Take the EP’s beginning track, “Monster,” for example. The band throws listeners right into their enthralling, intense music, which touches on chal lenging topics while engaging the senses.
Calling all riot grrls: Murder for Girls’ latest EP Six Stories is an infectious, highenergy release that may fuel you to start a petition or organize a (probably muchneeded) protest. Following the 2020 Tommy Stinson-produced album Done In The Dark, Six Stories finds the local punk rock band at the height of their gritty, heart-thumping power.
Six Stories debuted on Aug. 13, and according to Murder for Girls, the CD version of the EP “contains a super special hidden surprise at the end.”
“We think Six Stories is our most pol ished and diverse work yet in terms of focus and overall production value as a band,” says Stephanie Wallace, Murder for Girls’ guitarist and vocalist. “Our time recording with the great Tommy Stinson and Floyd Fisher back in 2020 vastly deepened our perspectives on the songwriting/recording process, and also our self-awareness as to the sounds and spirit we want to achieve and how to capture them in the studio most effectively. These are the first songs written since experi encing that invaluable growth as a band.”
WITH MURDER FOR GIRLS
S.U.T.E. PARTY (STAY UNTIL THE END)
HAIR & OTHER STORIES
14 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM DANCE MORE THAN JUST HAIR
To kick off the season, Urban Bush Women, a groundbreaking, Black-led per formance ensemble with an educational arm based in Brooklyn, N.Y., will present Hair & Other Stories
Fri., Sept. 9-Sat., Sept. 10. Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University. 201 Wood St., Downtown. $35-53. playhouse.pointpark.edu
PHOTO: COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH PLAYHOUSE Urban Bush Women at Pittsburgh Playhouse
PITTSBURGH PLAYHOUSE has an exciting and explorative season planned with six power house performances by Black femme artists. “Shaping the Arts: Black Femme Artists and Creators” is the centerpiece of the Point Park University’s Playhouse Presents 2022-2023 season, described as “shining a light on Black femme artists and creators with performance, dance, and music.”
THE
BY KAAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Playing Fri., Sept. 9-Sat., Sept. 10, Hair & Other Stories is a dance-theater work celebrating the hair journey of Black women in a non-traditional space. The premise is “to explore race, identity, and ideas of beauty through the lens of Black women’sUrbanhair.”Bush Women was founded in 1984 by choreographer and 2021 MacArthur Fellow, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. The company seeks to bring the untold and under-told stories to light through dance. Its mission is rooted in core values that include validating the individual, celebrating the movement and culture of the African diaspora, and recognizing place“We’rematters.thrilled to begin our season with Urban Bush Women’s residency, and then to offer these other outstanding Black femme artists a platform to explore gender, equality, and art in a theme that is especially relevant at this time in a com pelling, authentic, and entertaining way,” says Garfield Lemonius, artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Dean of the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University.
Women performers. In a behind-thescenes video, co-artistic director Chanon Judson-Johnson explains where these stories came from, saying, “Some of the things some of the performers grew up with being young Black women. Ideas and images we had heard and internalized about our hair.” It’s about accepting and believing that Black women are beauti ful and valued, even if mainstream media and society want us to believe otherwise.
The Pittsburgh Playhouse will also present the National Geographic Live Speaker Series with archaeologist Alicia Odewale. In Greenwood: A Century of Resilience , Odewale will tell stories of resilience in the hundred years since the attack on Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Okla.
“This season, the Playhouse has assembled an exceptional roster of Black femme artists who are creating conversations through innovative dance, movement, and performance,” says Lemonius.“The Pittsburgh Playhouse is distinguished by presenting the most eclectic and dynamic productions in all of Pittsburgh. Our programming aims to both reflect the rich diversity of our city and to create space for finding consensus and community.” • Our hair care isn’t just about looking pretty. It’s about the rituals that go along with caring for and styling it ... The way it grows strong and coiled straight up to the heavens. It all means something.
15PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022 The hair of Black women has been a topic of discussion and intrigue for decades. From the time our feet were forced onto American soil, Black women were taught to have a complicated rela tionship with our hair. In 1865, with The Tignon Law, it became illegal for women of African descent to show their hair in public. The regulation forced Black women to wear a tignon, a headdress used to conceal hair.
The intention behind Hair & Other Stories is “to see that very complex analy sis of race, take on an artistic dimension, not a lecture,” says Zollar.
In the mood for more dance? Check out contemporary modern dance from the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, a company looking to bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. And fans of opera and/or author Octavia Butler should consider Toshi Reagon’s Parable of the Sower. This fully-staged opera illu minates deep insights on gender, race, and the future of human civilization to recreate Butler’s sci-fi, Afrofuturist mas terpiece live on stage.
The Tignon Law no longer exists today, but recently, the United States House of Representatives had to pass the CROWN Act, which bans discrimination against Black hairstyles. This challenges employ ers who claim that braids, locs, and how our hair naturally grows from our scalp are “unprofessional,” giving them the freedom to discriminate against Black women who choose not to force their hair into a more European state. Our hair care isn’t just about looking pretty. It’s about the rituals that go along with caring for and styling it. As little girls, we have memories of sitting on the floor in between our mother’s knees, as she parted, greased, and braided our hair. The hours we spend in the salon commun ing and catching up with other women we may only get the chance to see while under the hooded dryer. The versatility of our hair and all of the ways it can change with our mood. The way it grows strong and coiled straight up to the heavens. It all means something. How do we excel to our highest selves? Where do we find liberation? How do we release ourselves from the pressures of everyday life? When are we free? These are the subject matters experienced within Hair & Other Stories The performance is actually a con tinuance of another production from 2001 called Hair Stories, a compilation of experiences collected from Urban Bush
Behr hopes that Remake Learning has “gotten ever better about attending to justice and what justice means and supporting marginalized populations in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” especially, as he puts it, rural learners, learners with disabilities, girls in the STEM fields, learn ers of color, and learners in poverty.
PHOTO: COURTESY
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EVENT REMAKE REWIND
REMAKE LEARNING has spent the past 15 years leading an effort to innovate education in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. According to Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation and co-chair of Remake Learning, that effort comes from humble“Remakebeginnings.Learning began over coffee and pancakes,” Behr tells Pittsburgh City Paper in a phone interview. He says those early days in 2007 brought together not only teachers and librar ians, but also museum directors, tech nologists, artists, designers, and others who were “collectively thinking about learning, and the learning landscape for our young people.” “And we’re asking, ‘How do we support our young people?'" says Behr. "What is timeless and classic about great learning, like the role of teaching caring relationships, and also being mindful about young people and their futures?” To celebrate a milestone year in bringing positive change to the local learning ecosystem, from pre-K to higher education, the organization will throw a Remake Learning Bash on Thu., Sept. 15 at New Hazlett Theater. The free program promises to mix “audio-visual storytelling with theatrics and audience participation,” followed by a recep tion in the nearby Children’s Museum MuseumLab.Theanniversary will also include more detailed announcements about happenings at Remake Learning, includ ing information on a new book and a majorTheaward.event highlights what an info graphic provided by the organization illustrates as a successful run that now boasts over 1,200 members in its professional network for “educators and innovators,” and 233 participating schoolBehr,districts.along with fellow co-chair
“I think the last two-plus years have really helped us to fundamentally think differently about time,” says Kinloch. “[A] nd families are thinking about time differ ently because of all of the pressures that have been, I think, hypervisible because of this pandemic, but also because of all of these social inequalities that have
THE BIG REMAKE BASH
6:30 p.m. Thu., Sept. 15. New Hazlett Theater. 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. Free. Registration newhazletttheater.org/events/required.the-big-remake-bash
AWALTZ
Kinloch, who serves as the Renée and Richard Goldman Dean of the School of Education and professor at the University of Pittsburgh, says that the challenges of the pandemic illumi nated many of the issues inherent to the current education system.
BY AMANDA WALTZ // @PGHCITYPAPER.COM Valerie Kinloch and Remake Learning director Tyler Samstag, say that while their mission remains the same, their approach has evolved to integrate new technologies, be more inclusive, and consider the changing values of young people. Behr says Remake Learning has to “think about the ever-evolving land scape” by which kids are “developing their identities differently, seeking information differently,” and “consuming and produc ing information differently.” Even so, Behr says they still focus on what is engaging and equitable, and cites Fred Rogers, the late Pittsburgh-based host of the PBS children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , as a continuing inspiration.“Wetalked about Fred Rogers in the context of someone who used the new fangled technology of television, rec ognizing that television was something that was attractive to young people, and said, ‘How do I make what’s attractive to young people good and constructive for their learning?’” says Behr. “So when we think about those folks who were, very early on, involved in Remake Learning the teachers, the librarians, the youth workers, but also the technologists, and the gamers, and the artists — in so many ways, they were thinking about learning in the way that Fred did decades ago.”
OF REMAKE LEARNING Remake Learning
“We’re asking, ‘How do we support our young people?'"
“But this wave of interest, and creat ing the learning festivals that celebrate joyful learning, is just a concept that folks are really excited about,” says Samstag. “And so we’ll continue to expand the reach of our Remake Learning Days festivals.”Asthe organization moves forward, Kinloch sees Remake Learning as rei maging education by allowing others to share in its model.
• Follow a&e editor Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP been circulating across the country, in the world, for far beyond the pandemic.” To help address this, she says a “central” component to the work of Remake Learning moving forward will be to cultivate a “critical and diverse teacher workforce” in area school districts.
“And I think that’s one of the beautiful things about Remake Learning, that the impact is definitely a local or regional or statewide impact,” says Kinloch, “but it also has all of these larger implications for how other people have been interact ing with Remake Learning Days, with the events and with the mission of Remake Learning so that they can go back to wherever they’re from across the globe and engage in this work.”
The pandemic also, she says, made Remake Learning realize the impor tance of emphasizing “the joy and love of learning and being in learning spaces with other people, even in the midst of unfortunate times.” One way they achieve this is through Remake Learning Days, a regular series of communitydriven events that invite students and families of all backgrounds to experience the exciting new learning tools and tech nologies offered by Remake Learning partners, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF REMAKE LEARNING Remake Learning
Remake Learning Days have become so successful that they now take place in regions throughout the United States. Samstag says Remake Learning has helped launch 17 other “highly localized” festivals across the country, “everywhere
17PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022 from San Diego to Philadelphia.” He adds that, in the coming year, the organization will take Remake Learning Days international, with a planned announcement in early 2023.
Growing up as a child in the 1990s and early 2000s in Anglo-centric USA,
I completely understand that when I meet those who identify as Eastern Asian-American from that time period, we have a similar experience of othering, of interchanging Eastern Asian culture as teens because the internet was not what it is today. Sometimes, the only access we had was Japanese manga or the terrible Oriental stereotypes on the Western media we consumed. For Asian-Americans, the identity AsianAmerican is hyper real but, in mainland Asia, it’s an absurdity. My work is really about trying to understand the nuances of all of these identifiers that were not
Your identity really seems central to your work. Can you tell us how you identify yourself and how it has shaped your work? That’s a funny question to ask because although my artwork is about my iden tity, I have no idea what that identity is. My artwork is really based on question ing all of these definitions and identities that have been placed on me by the larger societal powers. I am Asian-American, Asian, Korean, and/or Korean-American, born in Kansas and raised all over the USA in very small Anglo-centric communities, but what do any of these groups even mean? AsianAmerican is a construct that only exists in the Western world. In mainland Asia, people would be confused by that ter minology — Asian or Asian American — because, in Asia, people do not see themselves as Asian. They usually see themselves through a nation or ethnic ity, not a continent. It’s absurd when you think about the concept of Asian, espe cially when one starts to think about the complex and various histories of the countries in Asia.
18 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM ART DEFINING ART BY LUCY CHEN // LUCYCHEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
CAROLINE YOO is an artist and community builder. Through the mediums of photography, instal lation, video, and performative art, her works stem to create safe spaces and prompt provocative questions. Yoo is currently an MFA candidate at Carnegie Mellon University. She has exhibited work in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, including at the Carnegie Museum of Art. This article has been edited for length and clarity. The full interview can be read at pghcitypaper.com.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAROLINE YOO Are you listening to me? II, 2017, Archival Print, 24" x 36"
JADED PGH instagram.com/jadedpgh
19PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022
CAROLINE YOO instagram.com/cyoophotographycarolineyoo.com,
A lot of my social practice work is based on intimacy. I believe that being in context with people, with commu nity can be life changing. As someone who grew up without joyous Asian dia sporas around me (much of us were shamed for our culture so how could we embrace ourselves when we never had anything else modeled for us?), moving to Los Angeles in 2018 was a new way of being. In Los Angeles, there were so
Our biggest goal for JADED, as found ers, was to create a collective where, no matter your relation to your identity, you could feel safe to come out, say hi, learn something new, and hold space for lots of laughter. As founders, we all grew up in the landscape of Asia America but often didn’t feel like those spaces were inclusive to us and our friends. We wanted JADED to be for all of those that never felt included in the Asian American diaspora — queer, nonbinary, trans, femme, adopted, mixed race, disabled, those with learning disabili ties, (the list could go on) or just the rebels that never saw themselves aligned with the larger narrative of Asia America, we wanted this to be a safe space.
My artwork is about attempting to show the edges of the silent colonialism that have already defined our own identities without our own autonomy, so that we can then start to define our own identities and definitions.
defined by me. I see myself as Caroline Yoo, as an artist, as someone who is part of a diaspora and loves diaspora culture.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAROLINE YOO
Can you tell me about your work with JADED and how you became a part of it?
JADED just finished our first program ming this last Spring/Summer where we held three workshops, two walking tours,
Hwa Records performing at Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, 2022, 40 minute durational performance and one party (shoutout to our honorary team member Stephanie Tsong) that were all led by AAPI artists, educators, and cre atives in Pittsburgh who had a practice of engaging with the local community, but it was a priority of ours to have them in major arts institutions and to have them for free for our public. We want to show Pittsburgh that our AAPI communities are here, they are thriving, and our voices, they matter. many weird, in all the best ways, Asian diaspora artists and folx doing experi mental, complex art on their identities so publicly, and they were proud. To witness that type of culture, I had to refabricate my Beforeexistence.LA, even though I had Korean/ Asian diaspora friends, I felt like we were all hiding. In LA, people were bold about wearing their culture on their sleeves and, in their shamelessness, there was a beauty I had never seen before. LA has more of an understanding than Pittsburgh that diaspora stories need as much space as any other type of artwork and naturally because there is more room for that type of work, there were a lot more opportunities to engage with different artist diaspora collectives, and friendship cameWe,naturally.aspeers, supported each other unconditionally, danced, ate together, raged against racism, institutional hier archy, and dreamt about futures we envi sioned that could be more kind, inclusive, and equitable than our present. It is here that I learned how radical joy could be. Personally, my goal for all my social practice work is to create relationships between and with the participants. I am happiest when I see that people in our workshops and projects become friends with each other. It’s these connections, it’s the people around us that sustain us. •
I saw you are one of the founding members of JADED in Pittsburgh.
JADED is a love letter from my team — Lena Chen, Anny Chen, and I — to the Pittsburgh AAPI community. JADED came together in 2021 after the tragedy in Atlanta where eight people were mur dered at an Asian spa due to a hate crime.
Although I often distance myself from leadership roles in the community until I have been accepted into the fold as one of theirs, Lena and Anny needed someone with an arts organizational background, which I had, to help with the intense labor we took on to host our event in a short amount of time. We hosted REST at the Carnegie Museum of Art and it was a major success. We raised over $8,000 to donate to the victims and their families, as well as to the grassroots collective of Asian and migrant sex workers and allies, Red Canary Song. During the event, our com munity was very clear that they needed more spaces like REST. Ones that priori tized bodies that looked like ours and that came together not only in tragedy but also in celebration, in loudness, in friendship.
Your art is often rooted in social practice. How do hope to affect your audience with your work?
Six were Asian women — Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Yong Ae Yue, Daoyou Feng, and Paul Andre Michels rest in LenapowerandAnny, who had been here for longer than I had in Pittsburgh, wanted to hold space for our friends, mentors, our loved ones to grieve and mourn together.
MUSIC • IRL Spirit promises its “biggest and wildest party of the year” with a day of live music, wrestling, art, and more. Summer Recess goes all day and all night, showcasing national and local acts across four stages, including Los Angeles synthpunk artist Panther Modern, along with Pittsburgh artists like Childlike Empress, Swampwalk, 11: Works Glass at
FILM • IRL
FRI., SEPT. 9
MUSIC • IRL God Save The Building! Rock out to some of Pittsburgh’s gnarliest punk groups and raise money for the Polish Hill Civic Association’s much-needed building renovations. A setlist featuring 80 HD, Stiff Prick, Razor Blade, ZÖR, and Complete Fucker should keep you on the dance floor and keep the HQ standing. 7 p.m. 3060 Brereton St., Polish Hill. $10. polishhillcivicassociation.org. DANCE • IRL Bodiography Contemporary Ballet welcomes Cisne Negro Dance Company
The gallery promises “extraordinary” glass works, all created in the past 12 months under the theme of “transformation” as part of the gallery’s 2022 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize juried exhibition. Meet the winning artist as they’re presented with a $5,000 prize on opening night. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Continues through March 2023. 5645 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Free. contemporarycraft.org
SAT., SEPT. 10
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CONTEMPORARY CRAFT ^ Transformation
Contemporary Craft SEPT.FRI.,9
from Brazil for a performance of Breaking Boundaries at Kelly Strayhorn Theater Described as the brainchild of Maria Caruso of Bodiography and Dany Bittencourt of Cisne Negro, the show features six works by four touring artists, including world premieres. See Bodiography perform works by Italian choreographer Antonello Apicello, Caruso’s “Clouds of Inverness” and “The Last Dance,” two group pieces by Bittencourt, and more. 7 p.m. Continues on Sat., Sept. 10. 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. $20. kelly-strayhorn.org/events/bodiography
ART • IRL Enjoy work by 17 modern artists from Pittsburgh to Japan in Contemporary Craft’s latest exhibition, Transformation 11: Contemporary Works in Glass Merce Lemon, and others. Watch Enjoy Wrestling take the ring, play a round of Bingo-aoke, and explore a large array of art vendors. There will also be plenty of eats, drinks, and more fun. 12 p.m.-2 a.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. Free. $10 for 9 p.m. afterparty. spiritpgh.com/recess
You’ll be totally buggin’ if you miss The Oaks Theater’s latest movie and winetasting matchup. Grab your best plaid for the screening of cult-favorite Clueless, one of the best coming-of-age films of all time. Come early for wine, and stay to watch Alicia Silverstone act her heart out as a rich and beautiful high school student who excels at fashion, makeovers, matchmaking, and ’90s slang. 7:30-9 p.m. Doors and wine tasting at 6:30 p.m. 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. $8. theoakstheater.com
FEST • IRL Live bluegrass by the Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers and a steady flow of drafts from Inner Groove Brewing by themselves merit a trip to Mt. Oliver for Hilltop Harvest Fest. Throw in pizza from Amboy Urban Collective and irresistible charcuterie from the Cheese Queen, and the deal is sealed. These, of course, are just the highlights. You’ll also have a chance to win an original art print and shop for local honey and farm-reared eggs, while activities led by Sisters Place keep the kids entertained. 3-6 p.m. 150 Brownsville Road, Mt. Oliver. Free. hilltopurbanfarm.org PODCAST • IRL Spooky season comes early as horror and
20 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Contemporary
in
THU., SEPT. 8
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SPIRIT ^ Panther Modern at Spirit's Summer Recess true crime podcast Last Podcast On the Left brings its Mama Mia! Here We Go Again tour to the Benedum Center. Expect tales of hauntings, killers, and werewolves as hosts Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski make audiences cringe and laugh through some of their most popular morbid offerings. 8 p.m. 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $25-50. trustarts.org
MUSIC • IRL While Karim Nagi sometimes wields his instruments to “disrupt and challenge,” those attending his Chamber Music Pittsburgh performance will note they can also serve to delight and regale. Nagi will kick off an eclectic season of chamber performances with his signature music and storytelling combo from the Arabic tradition. Look out for upcoming performances by Imani Winds and Garrick
MON., SEPT. 12
Ohlsson as the series gets underway. 7:30 p.m. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. $35-53. chambermusicpittsburgh.org
COMEDY • IRL
TUE., SEPT. 13
EVENT • IRL Hear Pittsburgh-themed spoken word when Kingfly Spirits presents Yinz are Good! with Steel City Storytellers. Hosted by Angelo Creo, the evening includes what’s described as “humorous, thrilling, ironic, and poignant tales” by a number of featured speakers. Grab a craft cocktail and sit back for an inspiring night of storytelling. 7:30-9:30 p.m. 2613 Smallman St., Strip District. $12-72. 21 and over. kingflyspirits.com SEPT.SAT.,10
While struggling with severe food allergies that prohibited her from eating strawberries, artist Sandra Bacchi’s fiveyear-old daughter instead pretended watermelons were the delicious fruit. That moment of imagination and perseverance inspired Bacchi to document the lessons learned from children through a series of photographs. Watermelons Are Not Strawberries, her resulting book of photos highlighting the challenges of parenting, is now also a solo exhibit at Concept Art Gallery 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (by appointment). Continues through Oct. 15. 1031 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square. watermelonsarenotstrawberries.comFree.
SUN., SEPT. 11
You may have seen him in a number of comedies playing a variety of lead or supporting roles, including as an unlikely porn actor in Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star. Now, stand-up act Nick Swardson takes the stage at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall as part of his Make Joke From Face Tour. See why Swardson has had a successful career dating back over 20 years. 7:30 p.m. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. $39.50-49.50. librarymusichall.com
ART • IRL
21PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022
WED., SEPT. 14
“Now
“Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2021. 2 “How might my oral and dental health change as age?”, www. usnews.com, 11/30/2018. 3 American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute, 2018 Survey of Dental Fees, Copyright 2018, American Dental Association. 6247-0121 FORGET IT BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS ACROSS 1. transporterAnimal 4. Still live, as a game ball 10. Got bigger 14. Forbidden for Muslims 15. Stipulation for some parking garages 16. Spot for icicles and Christmas lights 17. ColumbusDayton-to-dir. 18. Helicopters to hospitals 20. Flying start 22. “Where is the ___?” 23. Burning bright 24. Like some spicy eggs 26. withPrefix-futurism 27. soccer,scoringCelebratedagoalinmaybe 28. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist with a doctorate in astrophysics 32. partyNetanyahu’s 34. County festivals 35. Petting zoo female 36. Byway to the highway 37. Better’s opposite 38. “Praise Jesus!” 39. Cy candidateYoung 40. One with a new employee badge 41. 11-time PGA theater, say 10. Annual tabletop game expo 11. Run like the wind 12. All tied up 13. Bridge seat 19. Mystical glows 21. Start to shine at the gym 25. Kitchen covering 26. Get to your feet 28. ___ all (strips) 29. Place where things are put down in order to be forgotten, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme 30. Stunned 31. Strong desires 32. machineWashingamount 33. One acalculatedwhowithquipu 34. Buildings named after generals Player of the Year 42. Witch’s skill 44. Character in Six who sings I Don’t Need Your Love 45. L’eau lands 46. “Nobody else feels that way” 49. In and of ___ 52. Charged particle 53. They’re said when the lights are turned on 54. Never ever 57. Like Allegra or Zyrtec 58. depressionHiker’s 59. Bald baby 60. Stage of a journey 61. heap’sCompostgiveaway 62. Bad looks 63. Stat for a 39-Across DOWN 1. Directly in front (of) 2. Indian princess 3. Best Picture winner between The Deer Hunter and Ordinary People 4. 2021 hurricane 5. “___ it!” 6. Game show hosted by Michael Strahan, familiarly 7. Type of job in a garage 8. The Sun Devils of the Pac-12 9. Create panic in a 37. Blueprints of some apps and webpages 38. Central artery? 40. Shout for attention 41. “I ___ thinking” 43. Actor Sutherland 44. downFourth-player 46. Force equal to one watt-second 47. Film full of horseshit? 48. New London sch. 49. ___-European 50. Swamp creature 51. Commune of Normandy 52. BraveSummerplaywright 55. Lessons author McEwan 56. They’ve come for our resources in many movies
Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Why you need dental insurance in retirement.
“I don’t worry” that I have your dental policy, I don’t worry about going to the dentist. I love your plan — you pay what you Colleensay!” W., MO
22 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Previous dental work can wear out.
Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $217 for a checkup ... $189 for a filling ... $1,219 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.
Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
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Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
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The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.
Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
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23PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 7 - 14, 2022 Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County Florida. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other 855-447-5891states. SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR OVER 25 YEARS! FIGHTING FOR YOUR You Could Be Eligible To Receive: Steady monthly income depending on your paid in amount A lump sum payment of benefits owed from back-pay Annual cost of living increases $ Need Help Getting Social WeDisabilitySecurityBenefits?CanHelp! • We simplify the process & strive for quick claim approval • Starting the process is easy and takes only minutes to complete We Can Help! Helping thousands get the benefits they deserve SERVICES DISH Network. $59.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call 1-877-857-5995today! FINANCIAL SAVE BIG on INSURANCE!HOME Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/ year! Call 844-712-6153! (M-F 8am-8pm Central) (AAN CAN) FINANCIAL Struggling With Your Private Student Loan Payment? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN) (some restrictions apply) Call IVS 1-877-350-1003 FINANCIAL 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) FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISEMENT, CALL 412-685-9009 ext. 106 MARKETPLACE OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on September 13, 2022, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on August 22, 2022, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual. We are an equal rights and opportunity school district. SERVICE & MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS, FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES: • Chillers and Refrigeration Systems Service, Maintenance and Repairs • Concrete Maintenance • Extraordinary General Maintenance and Repairs • Extraordinary Masonry Maintenance and Repairs • Extraordinary Electrical Service, Maintenance and Repairs • Extraordinary Roofing Maintenance and Repairs • Fire Extinguisher and Fire Hoses Service and Maintenance • Gas and Oil Burners, Boilers and Furnaces Inspection, Service, and Repairs • Integrated Access Control, Intrusion Detection, and CCTV Surveillance Systems Service, Maintenance, Repairs, and Programming • Plumbing Maintenance and Repairs • Vertical Transportation Systems Preventative Maintenance and Service
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-22-9391,
In re petition of Bongyong Uh parents and legal guardian of Seongbin Uh and Seongchan Uh, minors, for change of name to Dave Seongbin Uh and SeongchangJonathanUh.
To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 11th day of October 2022, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
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