September 30, 2020 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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SEPT. 30-OCT. 7, 2020 VOLUME 29 + ISSUE 40

FIRSTSHOT

BY ABBIE ADAMS

Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Managing Editor ALEX GORDON News Editor RYAN DETO Senior Writer AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers HANNAH LYNN, JORDAN SNOWDEN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Editorial Designer ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designers JOSIE NORTON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Senior Account Executive KAITLIN OLIVER Sales Representative ZACK DURKIN Operations Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM Intern KYLIE THOMAS National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

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The Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park at dusk on Sun., Sept. 27 COVER ILLUSTRATION: ABBIE ADAMS READ THE STORY ON PAGE 4

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8/31/20 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

1:52 PM

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CP ILLUSTRATION: ABBIE ADAMS

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A COLLABORATIVE NEWS STORY WITH SPOTLIGHT PA SPOTLIGHTPA.ORG

THE BIG STORY

BLACK LIVES SHATTERED

Footage from the night of a shooting in rural Pa. tells a different story than what officials said, fueling two days of racist actions against peaceful marchers

BY RYAN DETO, PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER | JOSEPH DARIUS JAAFARI, SPOTLIGHT PA RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

T WAS A BIT AFTER 11 P.M. in late August when Frank Nitty and a group of Black and white civil rights activists stopped along a highway in rural Bedford County.

The group was on day 24 of a peaceful march from Milwaukee to Washington, D.C., which included a stop in Pittsburgh. While walking the roads through Indiana, Nitty said, police barred access to gas stations for fuel or restroom breaks. In Ohio, people driving by threw food at them.

Frankly, Nitty said, it was the kind of response they had anticipated.

But on that night in Pennsylvania, with just flashlights and the occasional passing car lighting their way down Lincoln Highway, things got out of hand. The marchers and their caravan of almost 20 cars were on the side of the road to organize for an uphill hike ahead.

Then shots rang out.

The incident made national news for a day, another thread in the country’s ongoing struggle with racism.

But a closer examination by Spotlight PA and Pittsburgh City Paper reveals a changing narrative by law enforcement authorities the next day, the effects those inconsistencies had in how the story was portrayed, and how local community members took up arms in response.

Pennsylvania State Police initially said an “argument” between residents and the marchers “culminated in gun fire.” But by the end of the day, the official story had changed twice. In the final version of events, police said the property owners had called them about a gathering of people in a private business parking lot. Before troopers could arrive, the property owners confronted the marchers, the confrontation escalated, and “gun shots were exchanged.”

One of the marchers was shot in the face and suffered minor injuries.

But interviews with nine marchers and a review of four videos from the scene do not support those official accounts — namely, the contention that there was some form of confrontation with the marchers before the shots, and the possibility that a marcher had fired first.

The marchers contend state police have, at every turn, attempted to place at least some of the blame for what instigated the shooting on them. In another video taken after a news conference the day after the shooting, and reviewed by the news organizations, the marchers directly disputed the characterization of an “argument” with a state police detective, who then goes on to agree that the “argument did not happen.”

“It was clear that we didn’t start anything,” said Leena Le, 20, one of the marchers. “It upset me that they twisted the story.”

But the narrative that the marchers were somehow at fault took hold. Fueled by social media posts that parroted — and then embellished — the state police’s version of events, white vigilantes wielding guns descended upon their town squares in Bedford Borough and McConnellsburg, sure that they needed to protect their small towns from “Antifa.”

As a result, the marchers faced continued threats in the days that followed, including being threatened with a gunshot a second time, and having to walk on roads chalked with messages such as “n––s suck,” “pick cotton,” and “go home.”

“There’s no way to mentally prepare someone to being called ‘n––r’,” Nitty said, adding that getting him and his team through to the Maryland border required “resilience and prayer.”

One month later, there has yet to be a final account of what happened that night. A spokesperson for the state police said the investigation is ongoing and declined to answer any questions. Meanwhile, the Bedford County district attorney hasn’t filed any CONTINUES ON PG. 6

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

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BLACK LIVES SHATTERED, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

The civil right’s marchers companion vehicles in Wilkinsburg when they marched with Pittsburgh-area Black Lives Matter groups.

charges, citing the ongoing investigation. The office did not respond to several requests for comment.

Matt Zatko, the attorney for Terry Myers, the resident who shot at the marchers, said that his client was not the aggressor that night and he “responded to actions taken against him.” Zatko declined to answer specific questions, citing the ongoing investigation.

“Answers need to be forthcoming sooner rather than later,” he said. “Clearly, I want my client to be exonerated of any wrongdoing and I would like that to happen promptly, but I want that to happen after a thorough investigation.”

The marchers’ path by the Myers’ property was just one tiny stretch of their 740-mile walk to Washington, where they planned to arrive on the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” The trek was meant to be an homage to the 54-mile peaceful walk that King and others made from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama in 1965.

“They were coming by my neighborhood, and I followed them along,” said Ebony Lee Lombardi, 44, who joined the caravan in Gary, Indiana. “When we got to Gary, Indiana, Frank turned around,

looked at us, and said, ‘Are y’all coming?’

It was like Moses and the parting of the Red Sea. That’s what it felt like.”

A documentarian had also joined the group from the start of the march in Wisconsin to capture the experience for a short film.

When they got to Schellsburg, three people in the group went live on Facebook. The videos show that the marchers stopped at the bottom of a hill to prepare for a climb, loading children and elderly marchers in vans so they didn’t have to make the venture uphill.

On one side of Lincoln Highway was a white house. On the other, a towing garage. Both belong to John Myers.

“We all pulled up. Some people were parked on the shoulder of the road, but I’m not sure if anyone was on this business person’s property,” said Sandy Solo, 49, of Milwaukee.

Solo said she saw a man in the white house looking at them.

“I says, ‘Hey y’all, there’s a guy that’s looking out the door.’ It was dark, dark, dark, dark in this rural part of Pennsylvania, anyway. And after seeing that, I immediately heard gunshots.”

The footage shows some marchers

questioning what they heard before a second round was fired.

In the video, John Myers is seen emerging from his house after the first shot is fired and then meeting his son, Terry, who appears walking down the road toward the marchers. Terry handed an item to his father, and then aimed a shotgun back at marchers. In one video, the younger Myers yells at the marchers to “get the f— out of here,” before another gunshot is heard.

In footage captured by a marcher on a cell phone, Tory Lowe, a marcher who was in front of the crowd, pleads with John and Terry Myers, saying, “There’s no need to be violent,” before another round is fired.

“This man came out of nowhere and just started shooting,” Lowe said. “I kept screaming that there are children with us, and it wasn’t until I said there was a pastor with us that he stopped shooting.”

One marcher was shot in the face, treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries, and released the next day.

From the beginning, Pennsylvania State Police publicized a similar story to John and Terry Myers’ account.

In its first news release, issued early

the next morning, state police said that “an area residence and a group of individuals engaged in an argument, which culminated in gunfire.” The account then changed later in the day to an “incident” between the activists and two residents.

By that afternoon, the official version of events changed again.

“The confrontation escalated, and gunshots were exchanged between the property owners and the activists,” said a press release.

But in the videos, the only time Terry Myers can be heard yelling at people to get away is after the first shot was fired.

“I can tell you that we had not interacted with either man before the gunshots rang out,” said Renee Muza, a video producer who is filming a documentary about the marchers and caught the shooting on camera. “We did not speak to, on any occasion, either man.

We didn’t even see them.”

When asked for the source of the narrative that an argument or confrontation resulted in gunfire, state police communications director Ryan Tarkowski said in an email that it was based on detectives interviewing witnesses who were willing to talk.

CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

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BLACK LIVES SHATTERED, CONTINUED FROM PG. 6

CREDIT: SCREENSHOTS TAKEN FROM FACEBOOK

Marchers posing with racist graffiti on the highway outside of McConnellsburg, Pa. on Aug. 26. (Photo has been censored for print.)

All nine marchers interviewed by Spotlight PA and Pittsburgh City Paper said they told state police similar stories the next morning about a man shooting at them unprovoked. The marchers also said they gave state police the same footage the news organizations reviewed.

When marchers learned of the press releases, they confronted state police detectives while streaming live on Facebook. The detectives said on the stream that the narrative about an argument “isn’t coming from us.”

Cpl. Aaron Allen, an officer assigned to the unit that investigates hate crimes, said that he “fixed” the original press release to show that there wasn’t an argument, changing it to an “incident.”

An organizer challenged Allen on a live stream, saying, “You know how dangerous this is to put a narrative like this out there?”

As the state police’s story changed, the suggestion that the marchers were, at least in part, to blame took hold on social media, sparking a snowball of misinformation that culminated in new threats to the group on their way to Washington.

Tuesday afternoon, Facebook users speculated without evidence that the marchers had looked inside the Myers’ property and were threatening to burn down a local Walmart as well as town centers.

destroy our towns. This has to end.”

The marchers never came, but that didn’t stop dozens of people from showing up at the Bedford County Courthouse on Tuesday evening, wielding military-style rifles and camping out for more than four

“YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS TO PUT A NARRATIVE LIKE THIS OUT THERE?” A Facebook post that has since been deleted said, “All Bedford County Hunters not busy tonight at 6 might want to go to Bedford County Courthouse to help defend it!!! BLM and Antifa are planning on burning it down!!!”

Another Facebook post, shared 1,000 times, urged residents to defend their homes after the Schellsburg shooting. “I couldn’t believe it,” the post read. “Right in my backyard. Threats from BLM and Antifa pouring in to destroy buildings and homes… We will not allow you to

hours. Some demonstrators told a local TV news crew they were waiting for the civil rights marchers.

That same night, while many armed demonstrators were still at the courthouse, a group of other armed vigilantes learned the marchers were staying at the Hampton Inn Hotel three miles away.

One of them, Jeremy Decker, drove to the hotel and fired a handgun into the air.

Decker was charged by state police with possessing a prohibited firearm, having a firearm not to be carried without a

license, and reckless endangerment, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the news organizations.

On Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. — two days after the original shooting — as the marchers made their way to the outskirts of McConnellsburg, in Franklin County, they walked over roads chalked with messages including “n––s suck,” video taken by the group shows.

Also shown on the video drawn on the street: “pick cotton,”“slaves,” and “go home.”

When the marchers finally got to McConnellsburg, around 1 a.m., there were several people waiting there for them, according to live video feeds. Some were friendly and offered water, others were confrontational and argued with Nitty and refused to shake his hand.

Alexis Kaleigh, a McConnellsburg resident who supports the marchers and the Black Lives Matter movement, said she joined Nitty and the other civil rights marchers on Route 30 and saw the racist messages drawn on the street.

“We wrote ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘We love you’ in chalk,” said Kaleigh. “We wrote things to outweigh the hate.”

Follow news editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto // Follow investigative reporter Joseph Darius Jaafari from Spotlight PA on Twitter @JosephJaafari

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.VIEWS.

HELLO BEAUTIFUL

A COVID LOVE STORY

BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HERE WAS SOMETHING about

the way Ira Madison III said, “OkCupid.” The Keep It podcast host compelled me to stop and listen to the entire ad, even though I usually hit that 30 sec fast forward button on my phone.

Mr. Madison reminded me of Debbie Allen on the TV show Fame, acknowledging a dancer coming to the stage. “OkCupid” [show me what you got: cajoling but expectant, maybe even … hopeful.]

OkCupid. There is a pandemic, so what else are you going to do?! OkCupid.

People are home anyway, and even more are online than before. OkCupid.

Send us an invitation to the wedding when you meet that perfect someone.

Versions of these statements were all on the podcast.

I’ve been firmly on the “Yinz will not see me” team since March, so there was something about starting a relationship online — spending time and getting to know a man primarily through his words and his voice — that was appealing to this reluctant-toadmit-it romantic. As someone who uses skepticism as a form of protection, the idea of beginning a romance virtually felt like a 21st century version of seeing someone from afar, writing them a flowery missive then “helplessly hoping ...” My hardened heart was ready to try.

CP ILLUSTRAITONS: ABBIE ADAMS

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And with hope, I went back to the internet dating game. This is no small thing. I have done this once before in Pittsburgh. It is, well, a sea of men who, to me, look very similar to one another, wearing a black ’n gold jersey of some kind, photo taken in their vehicle from a low angle so the first thing you see is neck, chin, and the inside of nostrils. Or a photo of them shirtless. Or a photo of them straddling a motorcycle, shirtless.

There’s also the issue of navigating dating apps as a Black woman. The Black Lives Matter movement has impacted some dating apps, which resulted in some removing racial filters because RSD, or Racial Sexual Discrimination, is rampant. Cornell University and Johns Hopkins recently cited issues of “Whites Only” preferences that would make “Segregating Now, Segregation Forever” George Wallace blush. And in 2018, National Public Radio reported that Asian men and African-American

OKCUPID

women are the least selected profiles on dating apps.

I created my OkCupid profile, and I noticed the men who seemed most interested in talking to a woman who mentioned where she had lived, languages attempted to speak, subtitledfilms watched, a love of hiking and camping, and books read ... were men from other parts of the world.

COVID-19 had made geographic barriers irrelevant; we’re all just virtual dating.

In the midst of my once every 10-day grocery shopping and morning walks in the early “Red” days of isolation, there was joy in seeing if someone I expressed interest in had replied back.

Or, if someone I had connected with was still interested after a couple of weeks; or conversely, if I was happy or disappointed to see a reply. How to end a connection? Silence or with a wellcrafted DM. Hopeful spring became a hot summer, and the cooling autumn finds me no longer on OkCupid.

In late March, I met a man who lives several thousands of miles away.

He had a simple and not very impressive opening salvo, but it was the kindness of his profile that attracted me. We messaged awhile and moved it to our personal phones, until we did not. I went so far as to delete our initial

conversations both on OkCupid and on my phone. Nothing horrible happened, we just stopped communicating.

Then a couple weeks went by, he said, “Hello,” and I did not.

Another month went by, he said “Hello” again, and this time, I said it back. I asked him why he reached out again after I ignored him, he said, “Something compelled me to try again.”

This was May. Since then, we have talked, texted, video called, sent audio messages every day. We watch movies and tennis together, and even did a virtual Carnegie Science Center visit. It is terribly romantic and corny. It is a mystery and all so simple. I feel like I have met him before, have known him for years, we text the same thing at the same time, and laugh.

Then there are the million things I am learning about him and me, every day. It is all so new.

I wake up in the morning and immediately check to see if he has sent me a morning greeting; he has. We still haven’t been in the same physical space at the same time, yet. But I know we will, soon. He teases me about being so American and saying “OK” all of the time, like in the movies. Sometimes he calls me Tereneh “OK” Idia. It makes me smile just to type all of this.

To me, all of this is wonderful. Yes, it is OK with me. Very OK.

•

Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX

ADVERTISEMENT

Men’s Virility Restored in Clinical Trial; 275% More Blood Flow in 5 Minutes A newly improved version of America’s best-selling male performance enhancer gives 70-year-old men the ability and stamina they enjoyed in their 30’s.

America’s best-selling sexual performance enhancer just got a lot better.

It’s the latest breakthrough for nitric oxide – the molecule that makes E.D. woes fade and restores virility when it counts the most.

Nitric oxide won the Nobel Prize in 1998. It’s why “the little blue pill” works. More than 200,000 studies conmrm it’s the key to superior sexual performance.

And this new discovery increases nitric oxide availability resulting in even quicker, stronger and longer-lasting performance.

One double-blind, placebo-controlled study (the “goldstandard” of research) involved a group of 70-year-old-men.

They didn’t exercise. They didn’t eat healthy. And researchers reported their “nitric oxide availability was almost totally compromised,” resulting in blood now less than HALF of a man in peak sexual health.

But only mve minutes after the mrst dose their blood now increased 275%, back to levels of a perfectly healthy 31-yearold man! “It’s amazing,” remarks nitric oxide expert Dr. Al Sears. “That’s like giving 70-year-old men the sexual power of 30-year-olds.”

WHY SO MUCH EXCITEMENT? Despite the billions men spend annually on older nitric oxide therapies, there’s one well-known problem with them.

They don’t always work.

A very distinguished and awarded doctor practicing at a prestigious Massachusetts hospital who has studied Nitric Oxide for over 43 years states a “demciency of bioactive nitric oxide… leads to impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation.”

In plain English, these older products may increase levels of nitric oxide. But that’s only half the battle. If it’s not bioactively available then your body can’t absorb it to produce an erection.

Experts simply call it the nitric oxide “glitch.” And until now, there’s never been a solution.

NEXT GENERATION NITRIC OXIDE FORMULA FLYING OFF SHELVES Upon further research, America’s No. 1 men’s health expert Dr. Al Sears discovered certain nutrients mx this “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood now.

He’s combined those nutrients with proven nitric oxide

boosters in a new formula called Primal Max Red. In clinical trials, 5,000 mg is required for satisfying sexual performance.

Primal Max Red contains a bigger, 9,000 mg per serving dose.

It’s become so popular, he’s having trouble keeping it in stock.

Dr. Sears is the author of more than 500 scientimc papers.

Thousands of people listened to him speak at the recent Palm Beach Health & Wellness Festival featuring Dr. Oz. NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath recently visited his clinic, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.

Primal Max Red has only been available for a few months — but everyone who takes it reports a big difference. “I have the energy to have sex three times in one day, WOW! That has not happened in years. Oh, by the way I am 62,” says Jonathan K. from Birmingham, AL.

HOW IT WORKS Loss of erection power starts with your blood vessels.

Specimcally, the inside layer called the endothelium where nitric oxide is made.

The problem is various factors THICKEN your blood vessels as you age. This blocks availability causing the nitric oxide “glitch.” The result is difmculty in getting and sustaining a healthy erection.

How bad is the problem?

Researcher shows the typical 40-year-old man absorbs 50% less nitric oxide. At 50, that drops to 25%. And once you pass 60 just a measly 15% gets through.

To make matters worse, nitric oxide levels start declining in your 30’s. And by 70, nitric oxide production is down an alarming 75%.

Primal Max Red is the mrst formula to tackle both problems. Combining powerful nitric oxide boosters and a proven delivery mechanism that defeats the nitric oxide “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood now. There’s not enough space here to fully explain how it works, so Dr. Sears will send anyone who orders Primal Max Red a free special report that explains everything.

MORE CLINICAL RESULTS Nutrients in Primal Max Red have logged impressive results.

In a Journal of Applied Physiology study, one resulted in a 30 times MORE nitric oxide. And these increased levels lasted up to 12 hours.

“I measured my nitric oxide levels, you can buy a test kit from Amazon,” reports 48-year-old Jeff O. “Monday night I showed depleted.”

A new discovery that increases nitric oxide availability was recently proven in a clinical trial to boost blood flow 275% Then he used ingredients in Primal Max Red and, “The results were off the charts. I mrst woke around 3 a.m. on Tuesday very excited. My nitric oxide levels measured at the top end of the range.”

FREE BONUS TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER Every order also gets Dr. Sears testosterone boosting formula Primal Max Black for free.

“If you want passionate ‘rip your clothes off’ sex you had in your younger days, you need nitric oxide to get your erection going. And testosterone for energy and drive,” says Dr. Sears. “You get both with Primal Max Red and Primal Max Black.”

HOW TO GET PRIMAL MAX To secure free bottles of Primal Max Black and get the hot, new Primal Max Red formula, buyers should contact the Sears Health Hotline at 1-800-637-3092 within the next 48 hours. “It’s not available in drug stores yet,” says Dr. Sears.

“The Hotline allows us to ship directly to the customer.”

Dr. Sears feels so strongly about Primal Max, all orders are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. “Just send me back the bottle and any unused product within 90 days from purchase date, and I’ll send you all your money back,” he says.

The Hotline will be open for the next 48 hours. After that, the phone number will be shut down to allow them to restock. Call 1-800-637-3092 to secure your limited supply of Primal Max Red and free bottles of Primal Max Black. You don’t need a prescription, and those who call in the mrst 24 hours qualify for a signimcant discount. Use Promo Code NP0920PMAX445 when you call in. Lines are frequently busy, but all calls will be answered.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY 326071_10_x_9.875.indd 1

9/17/20 3:08 PM

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

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PHOTO: KAITLIN MCHUGH

Production still from Definition Please with Sujata Day as Monica Chowdry, and Ritesh Rajan as Sonny Chowdry

.NEWS.

SPELLING IT OUT

Greensburg native Sujata Day has already made it in Hollywood, but now she wants to bring her Pittsburgh experiences to the big screen

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

S

UJATA DAY HAD A FAIRLY typical Southwestern Pennsylvania childhood. She went to summer camp in Erie. She attended Catholic school for a while. She was part of a close-knit community that came over every year for Thanksgiving dinner and ate turkey and cranberry sauce.

There are some things that are less typical about Day’s upbringing, however.

Westmoreland County is 95% white and home to very few immigrants. Day’s

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parents immigrated to Greensburg from the Indian state of Bengal, and Day spoke only Bengali until she attended pre-school.

“I didn’t know English growing up,” says Day. But Day is really just another talented Pittsburgher. She eventually left the area to advance a career she likely couldn’t advance here. But she comes home to see her family often, and shops with friends at the Gabe’s discount store at

the Greengate shopping center just outside of Greensburg. She lives for the evenings where she can just hang out in her parents’ backyard and watch the lighting bugs.

Southwestern Pennsylvanians who don’t personally know Day, whose given surname is Choudhury, might have seen her on the HBO series Insecure, where she played Sarah for three seasons, or her guest appearance on The Netflix comedy I Think You Should Leave. Her

career in Hollywood has spanned more than a decade, and more recently, she has begun to write, produce, and direct films and television shows.

Her most recent effort, Definition Please, was filmed in Greensburg in 2019. The independent film is about a Scripps Spelling Bee champion whose adult life didn’t pan out the way people might have expected, and how the lead character (played by Day) is navigating family struggles, career ambivalence,

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don’t drink & drive. and her community while living in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Day says she created the film to showcase a story Hollywood is hesitant to tell, one that is centered around her and other Asian-Americans’ experiences in places like Pittsburgh. Not every IndianAmerican portrayal in film, she says, needs to speak with an accent or work as a scientist or be celebrating a traditional Indian holiday.

“Back in the day, they would make me do accents, or make me wear Indian costumes,” says Day of her early struggles landing the roles she wanted. “But that is not me.”

Day’s full-length directorial debut is based partly on her experiences, but isn’t autobiographical. The film’s cast is virtually all Asian-American, and provides an authentic look of that American experience. It just took a lot of personal initiative, connections, and love to make a film that was true to herself.

“I am creating the work that I want to see,” says Day. DAY GREW UP IN the Fort Allen neighborhood, just southwest of the Greensburg city limits. Her father worked as a mechanical engineer in Jeannette, and

she spent her childhood attending the Hindi Jain Temple in Monroeville.

She always loved the arts, acted in school plays, and had a lot of encouragement from her parents, who she says were more liberal on these matters than other Indian parents. She says her parents were always in the front row for every school musical or performance.

Her journey to Hollywood could make a good movie of its own. Day excelled in math and science growing up, and she attended Case Western University in Cleveland to earn an engineering degree.

While there, she worked as an intern at a global consulting firm, even though she was still in love with the arts and had a goal of moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

The consulting firm offered her a full-time job and said she could pick where she wanted to live. Day chose L.A., naturally, and while there, she got headshots and auditioned for roles.

She said the firm was the perfect job because she didn’t really want to be a consultant, but it was easy to avoid any real work while still earning a large salary. Basically, taking advantage of “the Man” to advance her acting career. After a year, the firm made cuts and let Day CONTINUES ON PG. 14

PYRAMIDTATTOO.COM

BRIDGEVILLE, PA Ellie’s Pet Pantry supplies members of our local community with food for hungry pets, assisting families that have fallen on hard times and are struggling to keep their families intact.

We welcome donations for household animals

of any species, including rabbits, ferrets, birds, hamsters, and guinea pigs. If you would like to support the program, please make a secure donation on-line, or

Learn more: humaneanimalrescue.org

412.345.7300 x290

mail a check made payable to Humane Animal Rescue.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

13

SPELLING IT OUT, CONTINUED FROM PG. 13

PHOTO: JUNE STREET PRODUCTIONS

Film still from Definition Please

go, but told her that they were sad to lose her, even though she says she never really worked on any projects.

“After that year, the HR rep said she was sad about letting me ago, and I was thinking, like, ‘I didn’t do anything for this company,’” says Day, chuckling.

“I even got severance for 8-10 months.”

Shortly after, she got roles in some commercials, and she has never looked

back. Eventually, she landed a role on Issa Rae’s web series The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. This web series was the basis of the HBO show Insecure.

Day says her friendship and work with Rae inspired her. “[Rae] was an early adopter of ‘I am writing my story to get it out there’ style of creating,” says Day. “I have never seen my story out there, and I thought, ‘I am

just gonna write a bunch of scripts.’”

Day also got inspired by watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee and noticing just how many South Asian Americans dominated the contest. (She had participated in spelling bees as a kid and even won her school’s version as a youngster.) Day says that she noticed how many spelling bee champions went on to do impressive things with their

• Pregnant women who inject drugs • Pregnant women who use substances • Persons who inject drugs • Overdose survivors • Veterans 14

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

careers, but thought that couldn’t be true of all champions.

Her script was born around the idea of a South Asian spelling bee champion whose adult life has become more aimless compared to the stereotypes of over-achieving spelling prodigies.

That’s where the title Definition Please comes from. It’s an actual phrase used in spelling bees to help determine the

proper spelling of a word, and it’s an assessment of the film’s protagonist, who is struggling to care for her ailing mother, as well as help her brother confront his mental illness.

The film is currently on the festival circuit, so Pittsburgh viewers hoping to catch it might have to be patient. Day says she is trying to get it accepted to a Pittsburgh-area festival so locals can watch it. She says the film never would have been made without the help of family and friends. Not only did they help with production, but they also helped finance Definition Please.

Her Greensburg community inspired her to tell as authentic a story as she could. Day shot the film at her parents’ home, and one night during production last year, she warned neighbors of a loud late-night scene. She expected complaints; instead, many neighbors pulled up folding chairs and watched the action.

For Day, this was emblematic of her Southwestern Pennsylvania experience: friendliness, community, love, and support. And, even though the Pittsburgh area struggles with persistent racism, Day says she didn’t experience any of it herself while growing up here. She says typecasting

“I REALLY CONNECT TO STORIES ABOUT RACE BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY STORIES OUT THERE.” PHOTO: GREGGYWAWA PHOTOGRAPHY

Sujata Day

in Hollywood is where she personally experienced racism.

But she knows that many other South Asians in the country have had

to deal with bigotry. And this drives her film, which is based on her real life (like showcasing her supportive Greensburg community) but also not autobiographical

Follow news editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

(as Definition Please addresses racial stereotypes head on).

“I really connect to stories about race because there are not that many stories out there,” says Day of South Asian-American experiences. “This is the kind of stuff that I want to see. … I think the audience is asking for these authentic stories.”

Pittsburgh audiences might see a film with mostly Asian faces and not see similarities in the current-day Pittsburgh.

(The region is one of the whitest large metros in America.) But that doesn’t mean Definition Please is inauthentic because spending time with many other Asian-Americans in the Pittsburgh area was Day’s childhood. These stories are authentically Pittsburgh, even if they get less attention.

Day hopes those fortunate enough to see her film come away with a sense of empathy and remember there are many other stories like hers out there.

It just might take more people like her to personally make them, and not wait around for Hollywood to catch up.

“I would just want them to know, from Definition Please, to carry a sense of empathy,” says Day. “This is a very American story, with South Asian faces they might not have seen before.”

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

15

CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

TAKEOUT REVIEW: PIZZA BURGER FROM ST. CLAIR SOCIAL

BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HEN I FIRST HEARD of the pizza burger on the menu at St. Clair Social — Friendship’s newest bar, from owners Cat Cannon and Cecil Usher — I pictured a clunky, greasy fusion of slices and patties.

But when I broke into my take-out box, there was no pizza in sight. It was more of a slice-inspired sandwich.

The burger, topped by a single leaf of basil and melted provolone cheese, was stacked between a focaccia bun smeared with San Marzano tomato sauce. It had all of the expected elements of pizza — sauce, cheese, and crust — just with the added bonus of a perfectly-cooked, medium-rare burger.

It blew my expectations away. The smear of a tomato sauce full of herbs

was a welcome change from sugary condiments, replacing my usual need for ketchup. It wasn’t too sweet and cut through the rich beef burger with a slight touch of acid. Provolone lifted the heartier elements of the sandwich with a buttery hint of salt, but wasn’t overbearing. The thin swipe of sauce was still detectable through layers of meat and cheese.

However, it was the divergence from a typical burger bun that made the dish exceptional. The fluffy focaccia added a light, open texture similar to actual pizza dough (I found it reminiscent of Pizza Hut’s signature bubble-filled crust), which sold me on the fusion.

Cannon and Cecil, founders of Mindful Hospitality Group, opened

St. Clair Social in the beginning of August, starting with cocktails — which, no surprise coming from two longtime city bartenders, were delicious — and slowly filling out a food menu. Their now-full bill of dishes, created by chef Will Randall, feature creative takes on classic pub fare. Along with the burger, I got two classic pizza pairings, wings and barria tacos.

The wings sported a delicious, spicy ranch dry rub. Their aroma kicked with more spice than the rub itself, which blended a dill-forward ranch with a subtle, pleasant heat. The tacos were another menu surprise, flattened in a similar way to quesadillas or a rolledout taquito. They were filled with a two-day braised, tender pork shoulder,

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

cheese, onion, and cilantro. A dip into braising juices (like a French dip sandwich) and a spoonful of salsa added a bright, savory end to each bite.

ST. CLAIR SOCIAL 302 S. St. Clair St., Friendship/East Liberty. stclairsocialpgh.com

Cannon and Usher designed their new spot to bring an old-school, community feel to a beloved Friendship space (previously home to Sharp Edge), yet the food is anything but outdated.

Just take the pizza burger, for example — St. Clair Social is bringing a fun, new life to classic pub food.

•

SEVEN DAYS OF MUSIC THU., OCT. 1 (IRL)

MON., OCT. 5 (MUSIC TO STREAM)

GRANGER SMITH. 7:30-10:30 p.m.

SOME FAITH “THE PAIN HAS A PURPOSE” REVIEW. pghcitypaper.com Have you heard that Pittsburgh City Paper has a new music intern?

Kylie Thomas is a Point Park University student, and she wrote a sensational review of “The Pain Has A Purpose” by new Pittsburgh band Some Faith.

Give both Kylie and Some Faith a warm welcome by checking it out. Search “The Pain Has A Purpose” at pghcitypaper.com.

Starlight Drive-In, 1985 N. Main St., Butler. $140-200. starlightdrive-in.com

Grab your cowboy boots and close friends and family; Granger Smith is bringing his country stylings to Starlight Drive-In. Maybe his alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr., will be there, too.

FRI., OCT. 2 (IRL) PHIL BOMBS. 7 p.m. The Blind Pig, 1100 Seventh St., New Kensington.

Free. facebook.com/blindpigsaloon.net

Doesn’t Grateful Dead’s music just sound better outdoors? Phil Bombs is a collection of people covering songs from the legendary rock band, and to kick off the weekend, they’re playing outside at The Blind Pig, weather permitting.

TUE., OCT. 6 (MUSIC TO STREAM) PHOTO: CHIP & THE CHARGE UPS

SAT., OCT. 3 (IRL) CHIP & THE CHARGE UPS. 8-9:30 p.m. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, 103 Slade Lane, Warrendale. Free. facebook.com/thechargeups

Six months after the drop of Lighting in Our Veins, Pittsburgh rock band Chip & The Charge Ups is finally able to celebrate with an album release party at Jergel’s. Admission is free, and Pa. restaurant restrictions apply.

SUN., OCT. 4 (IRL) START MAKING SENSE. 6-10 p.m. Narnia, 44 Abele Road, Bridgeville. $34-200. startmakingsenseband.com

The Talking Heads may not be touring anymore, but tribute band Start Making Sense is. The 7-10 piece band takes pride in recreating the music of the entire Talking Heads career by channeling David Byrne’s on-stage energy in their performances.

SPILLAGE VILLAGE. Spilligion.

Search “Spilligion” on Spotify

If you haven’t already, go listen to Spilligion, the latest album from R&B collective Spillage Village.

It features Pittsburgh hip-hop musician Benji. and was created at the beginning of quarantine while the collective was living together for two months in Atlanta.

WED., OCT. 7 (MUSIC TO STREAM)

TIGER LILY. A Moment Passes. autumnsounds.bandcamp.com

Don’t miss avant-garde cassette label’s A Moment Passes by Tiger Lily. The experimental, electronic project touches on how formative moments can pass by without you realizing. “This is an ode to childhood and coming of age, but also to the future,” reads the Bandcamp page. “Don’t let past ties keep you back, but don’t abandon them as you move forward.”

These listings are curated by Pittsburgh City Paper music writer Jordan Snowden.

Email your latest music happenings today to jsnowden@pghcitypaper.com

UNEXPECTEDLY HUMAN.

FRANKENSTEIN BY

MANUAL CINEMA

PERFORMED AT THE DRIVE-IN STAGE AT HAZELWOOD GREEN

A new take on a classic gothic tale, the Emmy-award winning, internationally renowned multi-media company Manual Cinema stitches together Mary Shelley’s biography with her beloved story of Frankenstein.

This world premiere film will be presented with live music, capturing an unexpected story about the beauty and horror of creation.

SEPT. 30–OCT. 18, 2020 TICKETS ON SALE NOW PHONE

412-431-CITY (2489)

WEB

8PM

CITYTHEATRECOMPANY.ORG

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

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CP PHOTO: AMANDA WALTZ

The Squirrel Hill Café

.LITERATURE.

CAGED HISTORY

BY REGE BEHE // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

J

AN CAVRAK STILL GETS UP between 3:30 and 4 a.m. even though she doesn’t have any place to go. It’s hard to break a routine of 40 years, harder still to fathom that four decades have elapsed since she saw a help-wanted sign written in black magic marker outside the Squirrel Hill Café: Daytime waitress, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Inquire within.

Cavrak was hired on the spot by Ronnie DeLallo, then the manager of what most patrons call the Squirrel Cage.

It was May 1980. Until the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close, the Cage was Cavrak’s domain. Most weekdays, she arrived at 6 a.m., was the first customer in line at the bank to get cash for the day’s transactions, then waited patiently for the first customers to arrive when its iconic red door was unlocked at 11 a.m.

“I always had my regulars,” says Cavrak, who with Leslie Anne Mcilroy is releasing The Red Door: An

Historical Memoir of The Squirrel Hill Café (Main Street Rag). “I was lucky enough to meet new people every day and make a lot of friends.”

The Red Door is a love letter to one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic gathering places. In a building that opened as the Squirrel Hill Fruit Store in 1916, the Cage started serving drinks and food in 1934. A menu from 1935 offered a T-bone steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables for 95 cents, a fried egg sandwich for a dime, a dry martini for a quarter, and a shot of Old Oscar Pepper whiskey for 15 cents.

What has always set the Squirrel Cage apart from other bars and taverns has been its clientele. Lawyers and landscapers, dentists and musicians, grad students and retirees all found a home at the bar, just a few steps away from Murray Avenue on Forbes.

Mcilroy, who worked off and on as a waitress and

THE RED DOOR: AN HISTORICAL MEMOIR OF THE SQUIRREL HILL CAFÉ

By Jan Cavrak and Leslie Anne Mcilroy Projected release date: November 2020 To preorder: mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/the-red-door-jan-cavrak-leslie-mcilroy

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

bartender at the Cage from the 1980s through the early 2000s, says the Cage gave her a new appreciation of humanity.

“It makes you realize you love people,” Mcilroy says.

“I still dream about bartending there. There was something very wonderful about it because you never knew who you were going to meet. It was exciting. You never knew what was going to happen. You never knew if Billy [the longtime Cage bartender] was going to have to jump over the bar and kick somebody’s ass.”

The bar’s clientele included writers working on manuscripts and barflies who came in to watch soap operas or newscasts on the small TV above the bar.

There were always conversations available for anyone who felt the need to debate the merits of local politics or the Steelers’ prospects for another Super Bowl.

But the Cage also provided a safe and comfortable place for loners who wanted to nurse a beer while smoking a cigarette, solving a crossword puzzle, or reading a novel.

“The booths are so great for reading and sequestering yourself,” Mcilroy says. “On busy nights, you didn’t want somebody just sitting there for four hours, but during

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Amid a global pandemic, Central Outreach continues its mission to provide health for every community

PHOTOS: REGE BEHE

Above: Billy the Bartender and Jan Cavrak Right: Leslie Anne Mcilroy and Jan Cavrak

the day, it’s the perfect place to go.”

Working in any place that serves alcohol requires equal parts Solomonic wisdom, Job-like patience, and Abraham Lincoln’s knack for diplomacy. But Cavrak also learned to stand up to those who thought a diminutive person was an easy mark. “I feel I was quite naïve when I started there,” says Cavrak, who was 28 when she pulled her first waitressing shift at the Cage. “But you learn to toughen up. … I learned to get my backbone up. I always, always tried to treat everybody the same who walked through that door. I didn’t care what kind of clothes they wore or how much jewelry. Everybody got the same treatment.

“But if you treat me bad, you’re getting it right back. I have no problem kicking anybody out.”

For patrons of hearty bar food, the Cage is a throwback, both in quality and quantity. The giant cheeseburgers, jumbo fish sandwiches, and fresh-cut fries are among the best in the region, and caught the attention of the late Anthony

Bourdain, who filmed a segment for his TV show Parts Unknown at the Cage with Pittsburgh writer Stewart O’Nan. But for its regulars, the Cage is more than a curiosity. Cavrak speaks fondly of Steve, a customer she met on her first day, who still frequented the bar until the pandemic forced it to close. She thinks of all the customers and co-workers, including Ronnie DeLallo, who passed away, and the patrons who moved away from Pittsburgh and return years or decades later to find the Cage the same as it was when they left.

For Cavrak, who writes that her journey is like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz to the Twilight Zone to Armageddon, the Cage became a daily meditation about the value of work.

“There’s nothing worse than going to sleep every night and waking up the next morning and thinking, ‘Oh fudge, I gotta go to work,’” Cavrak says. “The Cage gave me something to look forward to. … I want people to be happy. I want people to come back. I want people to spread the word.”

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

•

C

entral Outreach Wellness Center, a holistic, multicultural, LGBTQIA, HIV & Hep C health organization located in Pittsburgh, Aliquippa, and Washington, was, like many businesses and health centers, forced to tackle the pandemic head-on.

Without much warning – as Nina Jo Washington, RN says “Preparing… we didn’t have time to prepare” – the organization adapted their services based on community needs.

The largest LGBTQ+ medical clinic in Western, Pa., which is also straight friendly, Central Outreach was the first clinic in Pittsburgh to offer drive-thru COVID testing.

Eventually, testing expanded from its North Shore and Aliquippa locations to the Pittsburgh Zoo. The clinic’s fundamental services, focused on HIV treatment and Hep C cure, only expanded.

“We have focused on giving everyone access to the care they need, however they need it,” says Alex Young, the organization’s director of marketing. “Cultural competency and advocacy are the greatest ways we help patients, along with treatment options from highly trained doctors and nurse practitioners.”

We asked a few of Central Outreach’s health professionals what it was like to dive into the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are their answers.

Dr. Stacy Lane, D.O. “Man, sometimes you have to leap and just trust that with God’s help you’ll be able to build a parachute on the way down. That’s all we did. It was day by day, touch and go. We didn’t know until Monday night how many tests we would have available for Tuesday. We didn’t know where our next n95 masks were going to come from. We just kept doing the best we could and putting

into the universe the things we needed to get it done, all while keeping an open mind for someone with a way to do it better. The local Pittsburgh police directing traffic [at our North Shore location initially] suggested we move to the zoo.”

Sarah Miller, CRNP “Responding to the pandemic in some ways felt familiar because our practice already incorporated community based testing and public health messaging for the LGBTQ community, so it was easy to jump right into this role for the broader community.

For myself and my co-workers, it was not a question of do we respond to this crisis, but how. I became a nurse practitioner for this very reason, to serve my community and respond to the needs of those around me, so helping in this way only made sense. We continue to focus on maintaining the health and safety of our patients in our daily work during this pandemic. I just love this example: our staff called each of our patients to check on them and ensure their needs were being met during this crisis. And that meant everything from medications and groceries to emotional support.”

Nina Jo Washington, RN “Preparing… we didn’t have time to prepare. I just jumped in. I went into savior mode. We made it happen.”

Haley Miller, Medical Assistant “What was intense for me was all the emotions of the patients we gave care to during that time because you help every one of them and you feel what they’re going through. We were the caregivers that they chose to rely on to give them care during a pandemic. So, I’m very blessed to be a part of this team.”

Central Outreach is still offering testing at their North Shore location.

All tests – COVID, HIV, Hep C, and STI – are free.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7, 2020

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Metro Community Health Center offers a complete set of health care services to everyone, regardless of identity, insurance status, income or the ability to pay.

Services include full medical care, mental health care, dentistry, and other supportive services. Make an appointment by calling 412-247-2310 and visit our website, metrocommunityhealthcenter.org, to learn more.

HOURS

Monday, Thursday, and Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM Call to schedule an appointment: (412) 247-2310

“Whole People, All People.”

Metro complies with the highest COVID-19 safety standards, as outlined by the CDC, in everything that we do.

1789 S. Braddock Ave, Suite 410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 metrocommunityhealthcenter.org

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PHOTOS: (TOP) JARED WICKERHAM, (BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT) NICOLETTE KALAFATIS, MIKE SCHWARZ, ALISON CAMUT

Top left to right: Bilal Abbey, Sierra Sellers, INEZ. Bottom left to right: Feralcat, Lyn Starr, Jon Bindley

.MUSIC.

HELPFUL TUNES

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

D

THE START of the pandemic, Nicolette Kalafatis, the newly appointed community manager for Adda Coffee & Tea House, was tasked with coming up with ideas to keep the business going online.

One day, while chatting with her friend and local musician Nick Snyder of Ferdinand the Bull, he asked if Adda would ever be interested in hosting a livestream performance. A lightbulb went off in Kalafatis’ head.

“Sukanta [Nag], the owner, he is really into live music and just the arts in general here,” says Kalafatis. “I have a lot of friends in the music scene as well, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is great. They’re not performing, let me see if I can start this livestream series.’”

Now, six months later, Adda Coffee & Tea House has been hosting a weekly Sunday Showcase Series, where local musicians livestream performances on Adda’s Instagram account (@addacoffeehouse). In addition to providing an outlet for artists to perform amid URING

venue closures, each event also offers viewers the opportunity to donate to a charity of the musician’s choice.

Around the same time that Adda was planning the livestream event, Kalafatis says they were also figuring out ways to incorporate charity work into their business practices.

ADDA COFFEE & TEA HOUSE SUNDAY SHOWCASE SERIES addacoffeehouse.com instagram.com/addacoffeehouse

Snyder was the first musician to perform when the series started in May, and he chose to raise money for the Pittsburgh Food Bank. Since then, performances and charities have included Lyn Starr (Black, Young, and Educated), Clara Kent (AAMDS International Foundation), Arie Cole (SisTers PGH), Bindley Hardware Co. (Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh), Rev. Ezra (ACLU), Sierra Sellers

(Sewickley Valley YMCA), and Joshua Rouse (Community Empowerment Association in Homewood), among others.

“It’s really intimate,” says Kalafatis, “and it’s cool because you get to see the artist in their own space, doing their own thing.”

Now that gathering restrictions are easing up in Pittsburgh, Adda plans to gradually transition to live shows. Once a month, one of the Sunday Showcase events will be held outside an Adda Tea & Coffee House location for live sidewalk entertainment.

“The most exciting part for me was reaching out to all my friends and being like, ‘Hey, do you want to do this?’” says Kalafatis. But whether or not someone knows her, anyone interested in performing in the series is welcome to reach out (inquiries can be sent to nikki@addacoffeehouse.com).

“It’s an outlet for artists to continue to perform and also perform to an audience that may not have heard them before,” says Kalafatis.

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

•

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT out your perfect pumpkin. As a safety precaution, Trax Farms requires purchasing a timed ticket, which are available a week in advance.

528 Trax Road, Finleyville. $10. traxfarms.com

MUSIC AND POETRY

THU., OCT. 1 At a virtual City of Asylum event for Jazz Poetry Month, four jazz musicians perform pieces responding to Douglas Kearney’s poem “Tallahatchie LullaBye, Baby,” a vivid ode to Emmett Till and ongoing racial injustices.

7 p.m. Free. alphabetcity.org

LIVING GREEN

MON., OCT. 5 It’s never too late to adapt your lifestyle habits to be gentler on the planet. Learn about everything from garbage waste to vegan diets with Adult Eco Classes from Sara’s Pets and Plants. This week’s class focuses on native plants and their uses.

7 p.m. 908 Main St., Sharpsburg. $15. saraspetsandplants.com

VIRTUAL ART

FRI., OCT. 2 Join the Pittsburgh Glass Center for a virtual opening event for its new exhibit, The United, which features artwork that explores what it means to be an immigrant, or the descendant of one. The event will feature a hot glass demonstration, gallery tour, and discussion. 6 p.m. facebook.com/pghglasscenter/live

WATCH AND LEARN

TUE., OCT. 6 Learn to sketch some of your favorite animals with an Online Family Friendly Drawing Workshop from the Carnegie Museum of Art. The virtual workshop centers on Doug Aitken’s video piece, migration (empire), and will share techniques on drawing animals based on close observation of their characteristics. 7 p.m. Free but registration required. cmoa.org

MOVIE NIGHT

SAT., OCT. 3 Director Miranda July’s latest film Kajillionaire, now playing at the Manor Theatre, is a lighthearted family comedy about two con artists who spend their daughter’s whole life raising her to forge checks and steal mail. It stars Rachel Evan Wood as the daughter, with extremely long hair and a surprisingly deep voice. Various dates and times.

1729 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. manorpgh.com

LIT LECTURE

WED., OCT. 7

PHOTO: PITTSBURGH GLASS CENTER

FARM FRESH

Najah Alboushi, “Futile Building” as part of The United at the Pittsburgh Glass Center

SUN., OCT. 4 Nothing says social distance like a 75-acre farm. Head to Trax Farms and go on a hayride, get lost in a corn maze, and pick

These listings are curated by Pittsburgh City Paper writer Hannah Lynn.

Email your latest arts and entertainment happenings today to hlynn@pghcitypaper.com

LIGHT QUARANTINE READING? WE DELIVER TO YOUR MAILBOX 6 weeks for $32 VISIT WWW.PGHCITYPAPERSTORE.COM

Author Caroline Kim won the 2020 Drue Heinz Literary Prize for her collection of short stories, The Prince of Mournful Thoughts and Other Stories, which spans 18th century Korea to 1980’s America. Kim will be in conversation with author Alexander Chee as part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures series.

6 p.m. Free. pittsburghlectures.org

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ACROSS 1. Experimental place in high school 8. Soda with a red dot in its logo 15. Observe the national holiday on Oct. 11 16. Hot pot holders 17. Netflix selection 18. Easy victory 19. Prepping the baby horse ready for the eye doctor?

21. Beantown music org.

22. “Slow down,” on some scores 23. Approves 26. Wife of a rajah 29. Jazz trumpeter Baker 31. Rail at the ballet studio 33. Gone by, as time 34. Greyhound passenger?

35. Hit home hard 36. Furball allergy?

39. F, enharmonically 40. Light brown 41. Sault ___ Marie 42. 7” flip 43. Water, in Oaxaca 44. Neck wreaths 45. Yang’s companion 46. Pere ___ (rock’s weirdos) 47. Couple’s on-street “violation,” briefly

49. Party for actor Mel? 56. Did the Hustle 58. Become overly twee 59. Canadian coin with a polar bear image: Var. 60. Hornswoggled 61. Shakespearean poems 62. Least adorned

DOWN 1. Included in the email chain 2. Kachina designer 3. German scientist von Behring who beat diphtheria 4. Minnesota iron range 5. Takes things the wrong way 6. Edited-down MP3, e.g.

7. Vitamin ___ (PABA) 8. Magellan, for one 9. Blow one’s top 10. Ristorante quaff 11. Actress Rachel Wood 12. Like accents from Brooklyn and Queens 13. Acting coach Hagen 14. Rapper né Park Jae-sang 20. Lubricating gizmo 24. South Dakota

governor Noem 25. Has a certain feeling 26. Whiz past 27. Tennis star nicknamed “The Punisher” 28. “I can’t find a single show to watch” 30. “She’s it” 31. Azerbaijan capital (and city where Garry Kasparov was born) 32. ___ Perkins (“Parks and Rec” character) 34. Uber cost 35. Pile of shit 37. Consumed 38. RN’s room

43. Homes 44. Soldier with a spear 46. “Can you ___ in a sentence?”

48. The Bears retired his 89 50. Touchscreen image 51. Wings leftover 52. Some E-5s 53. Sci-fi classic set on the planet Arrakis 54. “Oh ... most definitely” 55. Dapper fellow 56. Shaking problem, briefly 57. “Letters From ___ Jima” (Clint Eastwood movie) LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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HELP WANTED SR. CORE SPEECH ANALYTICS ENGINEER

3M, Pittsburgh, PA: Build internal tools used by other support & implementation teams to understand & improve quality of speech services.

Develop, test, & tune new speech recognition models to be deployed to production systems using Python, Java, Mongo DB, & C#. Position eligible for telecommuting from any location in US. Must have Bach. in Info. Sci. or Comp. Info. Systems & 3 yrs software developer exp. in speech analytics using: (i) Unix, (ii) SQL, & (iii) Python. Of exp. req’d, must have 1 yr exp. in: (i) object oriented dvlpmnt using Java & C#, & (ii) web dvlpmnt using Django & Flask. Exp. may be gained concurrently. Apply online at: https://3m.wd1. myworkdayjobs.com/ en-US/Search.

Allegheny Clinic seeks a Cardiac Anesthesiologist to work at Allegheny General Hospital and administer anesthetics prior to, during, or after surgery or other medical procedures as well as provide perioperative consultative expertise to various surgical subspecialties including orthopedics, general, trauma, and oncologic. Send CV and cover letter with salary requirements to: Daniel.

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Aurora Innovation, Inc. is accepting resumes for Software Engineer, Perception in Pittsburgh, PA. Write code in Python and C++. Use algorithms to identify objects in data images created by sensors. Mail resume to: Aurora, Attn: HR, 1880 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303.

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NAME CHANGE

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LEGAL

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-20-7446. In re petition of Justin Arron Beck for change of name to Justin Arron Beck-El. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 28th day of October, 2020, at 9:45 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

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-20-7842. In re petition of Kenneth Giovonni for change of name to Kenneth Giovonni Garcia-El. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 27th day of October, 2020, at 9:45 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

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-20-7545. In re petition of Jasmine Marie Schmitt for change of name to Jasmine Schmitt-Vetterly. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 23rd day of October, 2020, at 9:45 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

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-16161. In re petition of Joseph Andre Cerimeli for change of name to Joseph Andre Haley. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 19th day of October, 2020, at 9:45 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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