TREASURES DINNER REPORT

TREASURING OUR TREASURES

ON THE EVENING OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition proudly honored its latest Squirrel Hill Treasures at The Pittsburgh Golf Club. After a virtual event in 2020, we were grateful to be able to gather in person to honor our 2021 and 2020 Treasures. Although pandemic precautions restricted the number of attendees, the event remained true to its purpose: to shine light on and give thanks to the special people and places that make Squirrel Hill such an outstanding community.

This year’s 2021 Treasures are Brian Lee (Allderdice Band Leader), Nancy Polinsky Johnson (Shady Ave Magazine and Community Leader), Kiya Tomlin (Designer and Community Advocate), and Wightman Park (where recreation and environmental stewardship come together). Last year’s 2020 Treasures are Norraset “Nor” Nareedokmai (Restaurateur and Cultural Ambassador), Jasmine Cho (Cookie Artist and Activist), Barbara Burstin (Historian and Community Leader), and First Tee Pittsburgh/Arnold Palmer Learning Center (where kids grow as golfers and individuals). We thank each of you for everything that you do to serve and improve our community.

The Treasures dinner is a celebration of who and what is exceptional about Squirrel Hill, but it also helps sustain the activities and operations of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of our sponsors. Thanks to their support, we can look forward to celebrating Squirrel Hill Treasures for years to come!

THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 SPONSORS

Platinum ($5,000+)

Ed Beachler Chatham University Katz Family/Brandywine Charlie and Franny Stewart Robert Levin and Dr. Kerry Bron UPMC Senior Communities and Heritage Place Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Allegheny Health Network

McKnight Realty Partners | PNC Rubinoff Company | Little ' s Shoes Silk & Stewart Development Company

First National Bank | Mardi and Bill Isler Board of Friends of Mellon Park

Jim and Louisa Rudolph Family Foundation

Representative Dan Frankel | Maxon Tower

Ohringer Arts (Anna Hollis & Gregg Kander) Carol Kinkela, Carabella | Richard and Helen Feder

Gold ($2,500+)

Pittsburgh Steelers | Trulieve Walnut Capital & Bakery Square Jack McGinley and Judge Mary McGinley Raymond and Harriet Baum | Clark Hill, PLC Vivian and Rocco Didomenico/Rockwel Realty Carnegie Mellon University | Debbie Demchak Paul Peffer and Leslie Miller | Pittsburgh Promise Silver ($1,000+)

STATE AND CITY COUNCIL CORNER Dear Neighbor,

Despite there still being some uncertainty in our world, as we head into the winter holidays SHUC has remained flexible and true to our mission, which is to give voice to the hopes and concerns of our residents, businesses, and visitors, and to work to preserve, improve and celebrate the quality of life in our vibrant urban Squirrel Hill Neighborhood.

We hope that one aspect of celebrating Squirrel Hill is enjoying reading our Squirrel Hill Magazine, that you find it interesting and informative, and that you feel more connected to Squirrel Hill after reading its contents.

If you are able and would like to support the magazine, which we plan to publish three times in 2022, or to support SHUC in general, please go to shuc.org/ donate or call the SHUC office at 412-422-7666 to donate by credit card. Please leave a message for a return call.

We wish all of our community members a happy, healthy, and good rest of the year!

Together we are making a difference — one project at a time.

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NEW BUSINESS NOTICES

RIVERSTONE BOOKS (5825 Forbes Ave), an independent, local bookstore with a second location in the North Hills, has opened in the heart of the Squirrel Hill business district. In a renovated space formerly occupied by Classic Lines, readers can browse a wide range of general interest books and an expanded children’s section. They can also hear staff recommendations and submit custom orders. Barbara Jeremiah, the store’s owner, said that if Riverstone can find a book you need, “we’ll order it for you, tell you when we expect it to arrive, and let you know when it does.” As a further service to customers and writers, the store frequently hosts events with authors. For details, see riverstonebookstore.com.

AFRICAN CUISINE (2030-2032 Murray Ave) fills a gap in Pittsburgh’s dining scene. When Saudat Lawal realized that no restaurants in the area

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

served African food, she decided to open her own on Murray Avenue, adding to an already diverse restaurant scene. For generations, her family ran restaurants in Nigeria. Now, diners here can sample family recipes. If you don’t know where to start, try jollof rice, a classic dish of rice stewed in a spiced tomato broth, or Nigerian suya, grilled steak served with spicy condiments. “You can never have a dull moment; there’s always more to order,” said Lawal about the extensive menu, which includes options for vegans and vegetarians. In addition to dine-in and takeaway, African Cuisine offers catering services and will soon open a full-scale bar. Browse the menu atafricaneatscuisine.com.

Residents and businesses in Squirrel Hill can be thankful that ISHIP & PACK (5829 Forward Ave) opened late last year. When COVID-19 disrupted our normal way of doing things, iShip & Pack helped keep us connected through its packing, shipping, copying, and printing services. The need for a local store offering these services was clear to founder Aaron Gibson, Jr., who notes that customers also appreciate the convenience of the on-site Notary Public. As with last year, Gibson expects a busy holiday shipping season and advises mailing packages as early as possible to avoid delays. He and his team are offering extended holiday hours to make it all just a little bit easier. For more information, visit ishipnpack.com.

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

HOLOCAUST CENTER PARTNERS WITH CHATHAM UNIVERSITY

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh has returned to Squirrel Hill, with Chatham University as its host. Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather, Director of the Center, stressed her appreciation for the Center’s previous host community, the Greenfield neighborhood. “We enjoyed our time in Greenfield. It was such a great experience,” she said, “but it feels right to be so close to Wilkins and Shady, and a university campus opens so many opportunities that weren’t available before.”

The partnership will engage Chatham University’s academic programs, including its minors in Jewish Studies and Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies, but the university’s president expects even more—and many kinds—of learning opportunities. Dr. David Finegold said, “I’m hoping that this will be an interdisciplinary and multifaceted partnership.” Its impact will extend beyond the university, too. Finegold emphasized that both Chatham and the Center are committed to outreach programs to K-12 schools that help students learn about identitybased violence and social justice.

Most immediately, Bairnsfather is eager to fill an exhibition space in the Jenny King Mellon Library with art and artifacts from its collection. When the exhibit opens (before the end of 2021), visitors will see, among other things, a Torah rescued from the Holocaust and art created by students in response to the attack on Squirrel Hill’s Tree of Life. Bairnsfather hopes that the exhibition will be a call to action. “There’s so much we can do when we see hate speech. It goes beyond antisemitism,” she said.

A home base at Chatham brings the Center closer to Tree of Life, where it is collaborating on programing to combat antisemitism and identity-based hate. The Center is also working with the USC Shoah Foundation on a concert featuring music written by persons imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust. The concert will take place on January 27, 2022, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. You can find information about the concert (including how to watch it virtually), other public events, and the Chatham exhibition at hcofpgh.org.

Melanie Wieland, courtesy of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh 18 | shuc.org

MOVING FORWARD ON FORWARD AVENUE

FLATS ON FORWARD, the $25M affordable rental housing development by ACTION-Housing, Inc., at the corner of Murray and Forward is finally moving forward in a big way! After the former Squirrel Hill Theater was demolished in the early summer of 2021, financing was finalized in October and construction began. Foundation work will last through the winter and into early spring. In the

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

spring and summer of 2022, framing work will start, with the elevator and stair shafts to follow. Construction is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2023.

The final project will have 43 affordable apartments and 10,000 SF of commercial space on the first floor. Together, these will activate a block that sat vacant for 10 years since the theater closed. The apartments are income restricted, available to households making less than 60% Area Median Income (<$35,640 / year for a one-person household), and 25% of the units are reserved for people with disabilities. ACTION-Housing has a long waiting list for its affordable apartments next door at Krause Commons, so it is looking forward to bringing more units to Squirrel Hill. Applications will become available next fall, so keep an eye out for that announcement!

Father and son Swoope team, fondly known as “The Bills,” opened The Coffee Tree Roasters (CTR) in Squirrel Hill in July of 1993. It was the first coffee shop in our neighborhood and was unique because it had an in-store roaster in the corner. The smell on Forbes of coffee roasting was certainly inviting. As the business grew, a warehouse in West Mifflin was purchased to house a large coffee roaster. The small in-store roaster also moved to the warehouse and now roasts only specialty coffees.

From the beginning, CTR supported improvements in the Forbes business corridor, Uncover Squirrel Hill, and the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s Tree Care Days. Currently run by Jean Swoope, CTR is a Certified Woman Owned and Operated Business. It has grown to include five company-owned retail locations, multiple licensed stores, a thriving roaster, a wholesale division, and a full-service espresso equipment and repair company called Espresso Solutions.

On the occasion of 28 years in business, Jean opened the roastery, warehouse, and offices for tours. It was fascinating to see the variety of products offered by CTR: teas, candies, syrups, baked goods, dairy products, and, of course, coffee. Congratulations and wishes for continued growth and prosperity!

Despite the ongoing construction of Flats on Forward on the site of the former Squirrel Hill Theater, all restaurants, shops and businesses on Forward remain open. These include Balloonatics!, iShip & Pack, Ianni’s Tailoring & Cleaning, and New Young’s Oriental Grocery Store. Visit Balloonatics! for a wide range of balloons and balloon decor, iShip & Pack for your shipping and mailing needs, Ianni’s Tailoring & Cleaning for sewing, alterations, and dry cleaning, and New Young’s Oriental Grocery store for Asian goods. Construction will only occur during daylight hours, so please continue supporting these wonderful businesses!