33 minute read
A NEW LEASH ON LIFE
A NEW LEASH ON AT THE HUMANE ANIMAL RESCUE LIFE By Natalie Kovacic, Editor
IT HAD BEEN AT LEAST FIVE YEARS since I visited the Animal Rescue on Hamilton Avenue when I was invited to meet with Dan Rossi, Chief Executive Officer of the now Humane Animal Rescue (HAR), at their brand-new facility on the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Washington Boulevard last month.
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Upon entering the facility, I was immediately struck by how bright and clean the facility was; this definitely wasn’t the Animal Rescue I had visited years before. Was I in the right place? “Yes,” assured Rossi, who has been with the organization for 11 years. He started out with the Animal Rescue League and oversaw its merger with the Humane Society three years ago, a merger that Rossi says was years in the making. “We realized the Society and the League had the same mission, offering many of the same services,” he said. “It made sense to work together and pool our resources. Together, we’re able to achieve bigger goals and we’re much more efficient.”
During that merger, the leadership of the organizations realized that the shelter on Hamilton Avenue was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the animals they were sheltering. As Rossi describes it, the old building was sorely in need of renovations, and the kennels from the 60s no longer complied with best practices for the modern-day animal shelter. Air circulation, a lack of space for incoming animals, and a lack of parking for visitors were additional concerns. The HAR brought in architects who specialize in animal shelter design and secured a location close to the old shelter to build the 3-acre, 32,000 sq. ft. facility that is the new home of the HAR on Hamilton Avenue.
“Since we merged and built the new facility, we’re really able to grow our capabilities and we want to continue to do that: expand our programs, expand our reach, and save as many lives as we possibly can,” he says. This includes expanding HAR’s clinical services at both its East End and North Side locations, where it currently offers low-cost veterinary services to the public. HAR has recently expanded their walk-in
hours to the East End clinic, where the public can visit without an appointment to receive vaccinations two days per week.
It made sense to work together and pool our resources. Together we are able to achieve bigger goals and we’re much more efficient. HAR is also continuing to assist other animal rescues through their transfer program. Last year, over 1,200 animals in overpopulated shelters, mainly in the South, were transported in by HAR via a partnership with ASPCA to save them from being euthanized. They also visit shelters in Ohio and West Virginia weekly to transfer animals from overpopulated shelters there, too.
— Dan Rossi, Chief Executive Officer, Humane Animal Rescue
Spring 2020 | 19 “A lot of people don’t know about the services we provide, including behavior classes here at the East End, as well as the North Side location. We had over 1000 dogs come through our program here last year,” says Rossi. CONTINUED on page 20
CONTINUED from page 19 He notes there are a myriad of ways neighbors can participate in programming at HAR:
• ADOPTIONS, OF COURSE: “We always have plenty of dogs and cats to adopt, including some turtles, gerbils, and other small animals,” Rossi says.
• FOSTER CARE PROGRAM: “We especially need volunteers to foster animals in the spring and summer, when our population of cats and dogs increases; it can be as easy as taking in a mother and kittens for 3-4 weeks, or as intense as fostering kittens who need to be bottle-fed,” he says. HAR is willing to work with volunteers based on their ability.
• READING TO THE ANIMALS PROGRAM: Children can come once per month through the school year and read to the animals. “This is a real win-win for everyone,” says Rossi. “Children can practice their reading skills and our animals receive the human attention they need and can hear a gentle voice, too.”
• VOLUNTEER PROGRAM: HAR is always seeking dog walkers and cat cuddlers to help with the animals, but they need volunteers for additional tasks, too, like gardening/weeding their new property, maintenance assistance, disinfecting and sterilizing instruments, and helping at special events.
Rossi encourages residents to visit their new facility at 6926 Hamilton Avenue for a tour and to visit their website for a full list of their upcoming programs and events (humaneanimalrescue.org). HAR is open 6 days a week, Tuesday through Friday from 11am-7pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm.
A NEW BEGINNING FOR In December, a Good Samaritan found Eitan near Turner Elementary School in Wilkinsburg. Upon evaluation by the HAR medical staff, they noted the dog was suffering from a severe skin infection and in major pain. Veterinarians determined that he was suffering from severe demodectic mange with secondary infections on his legs, abdomen, neck, and face. He was placed in intensive medical care with HAR for two months, and over $7,000 was raised to aid his recovery. Because of the care Eitan received through HAR and his foster family, today Eitan is thriving! Though it’s been a long road to recovery, he was placed with a foster family who will be permanently adopting Eitan soon (and renamed him “Elliot”). A happy ending with a new beginning, thanks to Humane Animal Rescue. EITAN
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2/15/19 8:26 AM Celebrate with the party animals! BIRTHDAYPARTY at Humane Animal Rescue! Host your child's
First Level: $200 Ɣ 10 guests* Ɣ 1.5 hours
Includes: • Visit from an animal • Tour of shelter • Decorations & paper products • Animal-themed crafts & games • Use of party room, refrigerator, & freezer • Opportunity for party child to name next adoptable animal • Printable invitations • Gift bags for each guest • Selfie station & props • Special gift for birthday child
* $10.00 for each additional guest
Second Level: $250 Ɣ 12 guests* Ɣ 1.5 hours
Includes: • Visit from two animals • Tour of shelter • Decorations & paper products • Animal-themed crafts & games • Use of party room, refrigerator, & freezer • Opportunity for party child to name next adoptable animal • Printable invitations • Gift bags for each guest • Selfie station & props • Special gift for birthday child • Pizza (two slices per child)
*$12.00 for each additional guest
Includes: • Visit from three animals • Tour of shelter • Decorations & paper products • Animal-themed crafts & games • Use of party room, refrigerator, & freezer • Opportunity for party child to name next adoptable animal • Printable invitations • Gift bags for each guest • Selfie station & props • Special gift for birthday child • Pizza (two slices per child) * $12.00 for each additional guest • Third Level: $300 Ɣ 15 guests* Ɣ 2 hours
NOTES FROM YOUR SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION STAFF
Update from SHUC Executive Director, Maria Cohen
Councilmember Corey O’Connor and Murray the Squirrel at the reopening of the Schenley Park Skating Rink.
SPRING IS FAST APPROACHING and with it comes New Beginnings. In this issue we explore the fascinating photography of Jacquelyn Cynkar who captured the insects inhabiting Frick Park and Phipps in almost humanlike form with her exhibition Uncommon Companions which ran December 2019 – February 2020 at the Frick Environmental Center Gallery. We also caught up with Hazelwood Historian and Advocate JaQuay Edward Carter as he shared some details about the History of Hazelwood and what the community is doing to revitalize their beloved neighborhood.
22 | shuc.org We came together as a community to celebrate the Lunar New Year – the Year of the Rat. The Kickoff event at St. Edmund’s was spectacular and very well attended. Though we had to postpone the Parade, we’re grateful to everyone who helped us regroup, supported us, and celebrated the Lunar New Year with our wonderful neighbors!
Uncover Squirrel Hill and the SBA (Small Business Administration) hosted a meeting in January to help prospective business owners and current business owners looking to expand understand and navigate the support that is available to them. We hope that this will be a step toward bringing more merchants and businesses into our vibrant Squirrel Hill community. Thank you to Heather Graham, President of Uncover Squirrel Hill and owner of European Wax Center, for heading up this effort!
The city is making strides to be bold and proactive in its vision of the future of Pittsburgh’s transportation networks. PGH Mobility 2070 is a plan to ensure that, in a growing city, all residents will have the physical mobility they need to reach the economic mobility they seek. We encourage you to share your input with DOMI, the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. For more information visit: https://pittsburghpa.gov/ domi/transport-vision-plan.
The historic Schenley Park Skating Rink received a much-needed upgrade and is once again open. The reopening was commemorated with a fun ribboncutting ceremony which included several special guests, the Pittsburgh sports teams’ mascots, Councilmember Corey O’Connor, and Mayor Peduto. Our very own Murray was also invited to help celebrate this special event!
Please reach out to share with me what you would like SHUC to continue, feedback about changes that you would like to see in our community, and your thoughts and ideas to help support us in preserving, improving and celebrating the quality of life in our vibrant Squirrel Hill community. You can connect with me at mcohen@shuc.org.
SHUC Litter Patrol to host annual Community Clean Up on Sunday April 19
THE LITTER PATROL’S FIRST CLEAN UP ACTIVITY occurred on March 1, 2020, for the Lunar New Year Parade. Volunteers removed litter from the parade route (Murray Avenue between Phillips and Forbes) prior to and following the parade. They’lll be cleaning up trash and recycling at our Night Markets on June 27 and August 22.
The Litter Patrol will hold their annual Community Clean Up on Sunday, April 19, 2020 from 9am – 1pm with registration under the library at the corner of Forbes and Murray. This is a FREE, family-friendly event. They provide gloves, bags, safety vests, coffee, juice and some snacks. Officer McGruff, the Crime Dog and Murray the Squirrel, two important mascots, will provide photo ops for all. If you are a member of a group (e.g., Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, chess club, dance club), and wish to participate as a group, contact Barb Grover so she can work out a special assignment just for you!
You will soon see Murray the Squirrel and his friend wandering along Forbes and Murray distributing flyers to promote the event. So say hello, take a flyer, and share it with your neighbors and friends. We hope many residents will join in to help enhance the physical appearance of our neighborhood as well as prevent all the trash from ending up in our watershed, where it can pollute wildlife habitats.
The Litter Patrol is also sponsoring elementary school projects to raise awareness of environmental issues. Carole Wolsh, one of their volunteers, is working with teachers at Community Day School and Minadeo. They provide blank mugs for the students to decorate with environmental themes and provide prizes for those judged to be especially good.
Litter Patrol also works with Uncover Squirrel Hill and the merchants in the neighborhood to be Good Neighbors. You may see Good Neighbor decals at
Litter Patrol volunteer Carole Wolsh with students from Community Day School who participated in SHUC’s environmental design mub activity.
some stores. These decals are in recognition of the merchant committing to:
• Keeping their sidewalk free of litter on a daily basis including cigarette butts; • Clearing their sidewalk of ice and snow; • Keeping their sidewalk in good repair.
Merchants are encouraged to purchase a Cigarette Butt Receptacle through the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition to reduce the number of cigarette butts littering our sidewalks. Litter Patrol volunteers periodically clean out those receptacles. When you see a decal or a cigarette butt receptacle outside a shop, stop in and thank the owner/general manager/ clerk for being a Good Neighbor and caring about the neighborhood.
The Adopt-A-Block program members commit to removing litter from a block or more somewhere in the neighborhood on a schedule that is convenient for them. We can supply bags, gloves and grabbers.
If you are interested in any of these activities, please contact Barb Grover at 412-521-9526 or barbgrover1@ gmail.com or Lois Liberman at 412-421-5659 or lois92@verizon.net.
At St. Edmund’s Academy, Young People Can Help Solve the World’s Biggest Challenges By Marian Lien, Director of Education for Inclusion and Global Awareness at St. Edmund’s Academy
THE UNITED NATIONS ADOPTED 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (UN SDGs) in 2015 as part of the United Nations’ Development Agenda. These 17 objectives to be achieved by 2030 were negotiated and agreed to by 193 world governments to end extreme poverty and hunger, build sustainable communities, promote justice, peace and prosperity, and protect the natural environment from humancaused harms.
Inspired by this universal call-to-action, St. Edmund’s Academy in Squirrel Hill (SEA) committed nearly a year ago to be the first school in Pennsylvania to sign on as a UN Global School. Our students are learning to prioritize sustainable development in their lifestyles, behaviors, and education.
This past October, the City of Pittsburgh became only the second U.S. city (after New York) to sign on to the SDGs. Invited to join other philanthropic and educational partners like Pittsburgh Foundation, CMU, Pitt, and Chatham University, St. Edmund’s Academy is part of a leadership circle that is strategizing ways to build a more sustainable and equitable future for all members of our Pittsburgh community.
24 | shuc.org As our children grow up in an increasingly interconnected and multicultural society, learning to think critically about global affairs is of utmost importance. In December, our 5th Graders began studying world migration and immigrants’ new lives in Pittsburgh, and they heard from first generation Pittsburghers like Ms. Ivonne Smith-Tapia who shared her immigrant story of coming from Colombia to Pittsburgh. In turn, the students will be developing recommendations for how Pittsburgh can be more inclusive and welcoming of newcomers to our region.
Through deep-dive community-based experiences, the school is learning firsthand the social and economic needs of our most vulnerable and marginalized populations while addressing climate change and environmental protection. We are taking field trips to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and to the sustainable farms at Eden Hall, Chatham Campus where our 1st and 2nd Graders learned ways to responsibly consume with less waste.
Throughout the school year, St. Edmund’s Academy 3rd Graders visit with neighbors at the Squirrel Hill Wellness and Rehabilitation Center and form friendships with patients. Additionally, our 4th Graders have buddies at The Children’s Institute, where they have been inspired to design inventions to help ease the lives of their new friends. By working with these local community partners, our students are reaching understandings about diversity, equity, and inclusive practices in their own city.
When students have an understanding of the SDGs and why they are necessary, they become inspired to make positive changes, in big and small ways. And along the way, they develop compassion and the skill sets of analysis, collaboration, cross-cultural competency, critical-thinking, and problem-solving— important skills that are crucial to transform our world to one that is inclusive, in peace, and is sustainable.
You can learn more about the SEA projects we’re hosting with our local partners at on our website, stedmunds.net, and by following us on social media.
St. Edmund’s Academy participates in Holocaust Remembrance Day through The Butterfly Project
ON JANUARY 27, 2020, St. Edmund’s Academy 5th Graders and Administrators participated in The Butterfly Project as part of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Butterfly Project is a call to action through education, the arts and memorial making. It uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate about the dangers of hatred and bigotry and cultivates empathy and social responsibility. Participants paint ceramic butterflies that are permanently displayed as symbols of resilience and hope, with the goal of creating 1.5 million butterflies around the world—one for each child who perished in the Holocaust, and honoring the survivors. The butterflies will be installed for display at St. Edmund’s Academy this Spring.
Save the date for March 18, 19, and 22, when the CDS Middle School will present Lion King Jr. The African savannah will come to life on our stage with Simba, Rafiki, and an unforgettable cast of characters as they journey from Pride Rock to the jungle in this inspiring tale directed by CDS alum Jessica Savitz. Tickets are available at comday.org/lion.
New Learning Innovation Lab and Events at Community Day School
AFTER TWO YEARS OF PLANNING AND FUNDRAISING, Community Day School (CDS) recently celebrated the soft launch of its new Learning Innovation Lab. They designed, equipped, and furnished this combined lab and library so that it serves as the hub of learning innovation and STEAM education at CDS. This spring, they look forward to inviting the community to a grand opening to showcase the remodeled space and highlight the pedagogic opportunities that both propelled this transformation and will now be powered by it.
On January 20, for the fifth consecutive year, instead of taking the day off, CDS students and faculty took on the essential themes of Martin Luther King Jr. Day together with the broader Pittsburgh community in a day of learning, service, and reflection. In a time when the Pittsburgh Jewish community and CDS have received an outpouring of love, kindness, and
inclusion from across the world, they felt it was urgent to rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of social justice for all marginalized communities guided by our Jewish values. You can experience highlights of the day through photos and video at comday.org/mlk.
HELPING THE CAT POPULATION IN SQUIRREL HILL AND BEYOND
By Lawrence Gerson
Pet Points is our new series about all things related to the furry ones we love. Contributing to this new series is Lawrence Gerson, V.M.D., who founded the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic as a family veterinary practice, in 1977.
PET OVERPOPULATION HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF CONCERN to veterinarians, shelter staff, and animal lovers for decades. The thought of humanely euthanizing millions of adoptable animals each year is the nightmare of a bad dream.
Growing up In Squirrel Hill in the 1960s, it was common to see pets running freely through the neighborhood. As a teenager, I worked at an animal hospital and my passion for animals became a driving force for my future. When I watched my first reproductive surgery, I realized how complicated these operations were, though they have become more sophisticated since. Later, as a veterinary student, a new reality set in as my consciousness and society changed the way we thought about our pets.
The good news: since that time, the number of dogs euthanized is down significantly. That’s because many dogs are spayed and neutered, and stray dogs are a rare occurrence now. But we have yet to get the population of cats under control. Shelters are full of healthy, spayed or neutered, and vaccinated felines waiting for homes.
A single cat can produce multiple litters a year; a year later, each kitten can repeat the reproductive process. Spring is just around the corner and new kittens will be born adding to the already excess
population. Farms, wooded areas, and back alleys will be home to more kittens. The predatory behavior of feral cats has a dramatic effect on the local bird population. Cats will kill birds both for food and sport.
Shelters spend significant resources to spay or neuter, vaccinate, and adopt cats. Many volunteers work tirelessly to help control the population. The Pittsburgh area is fortunate to have two large humane shelters in the area. Both the Humane Animal Rescue and Animal Friends subsidize spay/neuter programs for individuals needing financial assistance. The City of Pittsburgh also has a free program through these shelters as an incentive to get every pet sterilized.
The Pittsburgh Cat Adoption Team is a division of the Homeless Cat Management Team. Their volunteers are dedicated and passionate in helping to manage the cat population. These resources help to trap and then spay or neuter and vaccinate in an effort to control feral cats.
I’s up to us to help the depopulation process. Donate to shelters and rescue groups. Volunteer and work to help cats left to survive outside. Adopt a pet that needs a home and spay and neuter all cats at 5 to 6 months before they reach sexual maturity. It takes a village to impact cat overpopulation.
do here to keep you occupied. You’ll never be bored.”
-Jim Quinn, retired Marine Machinist
Looking forward to a bright and uplifting Spring season, full of hope and promise!
For more information or to schedule a tour at any of our campuses, call 1-800-324-5523, or visit UPMCSeniorCommunities.com.
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If you are a member, thank you very much for your support! Your contribution is what makes possible the many projects and programs like the Squirrel Hill Magazine, Lunar New Year Celebration, the Squirrel Hill Night Market, SHUC Litter Patrol, and O’Connor’s Corner just to name a few! Are you a SHUC member?
If you have never been a member, or your membership has lapsed, please consider going to our website now at www.shuc.org and join your neighbors and friends. Fewer than 1% of the 16,500 homes and businesses receiving this free community magazine have made a membership contribution in the last 2 years. Funders consider the size of our active paid membership when deciding whether we are worthy of support, and elected officials take our advocacy more seriously when they know we are speaking on behalf of a large membership base.
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Flats on Forward Project Gets a Boost NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES
ACTION-HOUSING WAS JUST AWARDED a $2.2 million federal Community Development Financial Institutions Fund grant (CDFI), one of only 15 nonprofit developers from across the U.S. selected to receive an award. It is expected to pay for about 250 units of affordable housing in Pittsburgh, including inside the forthcoming Flats on Forward, which will feature ground-level retail shops, three floors of affordable housing, and two floors of offices.
The SHUC Built Environment Committee hosted a community meeting in February to take questions from Squirrel Hill residents about the impact of the project on the neighborhood. Speakers from ACTION-Housing, Brandywine Agency, and other stakeholders updated residents about the features of the project and a rendering of its facade.
Meet Mahmoud. His is one of several portraits on display for upcoming Humans of Israel exhibit in Squirrel Hill April 1 - May 8.
Humans of Israel Photo Exhibition to be Displayed on Forbes and Murray Avenues
PRESENTED BY the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, in collaboration with Classrooms without Borders, Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, and Uncover Squirrel Hill, the Humans of Israel photo exhibit will be a series of 30 large scale portraits by Israeli Photographer, Erez Kaganovits, highlighting the diverse faces of Israeli life and culture. Kaganovits studied Journalism and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and worked as a journalist at two Israel based news networks and as parliamentary advisor for several members of Knesset (Israel’s Senate).
Each portrait will include a brief story of the individual portrayed as well as a QR code link to an online exhibit portal to reveal more about the individual.
By highlighting the diversity in Israel, this exhibit seeks to show Pittsburghers that Israel is both complex and tolerant at the same time, exposing them to real people from all different backgrounds, and breaking down negative stereotypes. The CONTINUED on page 32
CONTINUED from page 31 organizers hope viewers of the exhibit will be able to personally relate to the portraits and stories of the individuals and connect to Israel through artof the exhibit will be able to personally relate to the portraits and stories of the individuals and connect to Israel through art.
KIIN opens on Forbes Avenue in former Bangkok Balcony Space
KIIN MEANS “EAT TOGETHER” IN BOTH LAO AND THAI, so Nor Nareedokmai, looking to bring the two cuisines together in one menu, recently transformed his restaurant on Forbes Avenue into the appropriately named KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery. In addition to installing a new concept and menu - KIIN is the first and only Lao restaurant in Pittsburgh - the restaurant has also received a significant remodel, with additions of brightly colored murals on the walls, long, expansive tables for sitting, and photography by Nor’s son, Nolan, throughout.
The new restaurant serves Thai favorites along with traditional dishes from the country of Laos. KIIN Lao & Thai eatery is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
Congratulations to Shear Visions on 30 Years in Business!
SHEAR VISIONS IS CELEBRATING ITS 30TH YEAR in Squirrel Hill this month and offering 30% off its retail products to celebrate (see their ad in this issue). The salon offers a wide range of services from talented stylists who hail from both Eastern and Western Europe. Owner Valentina Modne-Birman, who’s owned the salon since 2000, says her team lives by the mantra: ‘we’re not happy until you are!’ shearvisions.com
Tree Pittsburgh to hold Spring Tree Giveaway in Squirrel Hill
ON FRIDAY APRIL 17TH AT THE FRICK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER (2005 Beechwood Blvd), Tree Pittsburgh will provide trees at no cost from 12-2 pm. At pick up, trees will be in 2 gallon containers and will range from 2-7 feet tall which should fit in cars or trucks. They’ve even seen people bike home with them! To secure your tree, you must register in advance at treepittsburgh.org. Click on Events, then Calendar, then click on April 17th.
Artist in Residence Mimie Zlotnik
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DAY CAMPS SPECIALTY CAMPS SUMMER SCHOOL
Grades PK-12 • Fox Chapel & Point Breeze Lunch Included • Before and After Care Busing Available • Flexible Scheduling
ShadySideAcademy.org/Summer Mimie is not a senior who makes art. She’s an artist whose studio happens to be at JAA’s Weinberg Terrace.
Being who you are, no matter your age. That’s Aging. Creatively.
URBAN RENEWAL in Squirrel Hill
By Helen Wilson, Vice-President Squirrel Hill Historical Society
WHEN COMBINED WITH THE WORD URBAN, renewal takes on a specific and loaded meaning. After Pittsburgh’s boom years of the first half of the 1900s, the city’s population went into a steep decline, and “urban blight” was seen as a worrisome problem. The city’s Planning Department needed a way to assess the needs of individual neighborhoods, so it used census tract data to determine what those needs were. Census tracts are areas of relatively homogeneous populations varying in size from 1,200 to 8,000 people.
Until the early 1970s, wards were the major political entities in the city, so exact neighborhood boundaries weren’t deemed important. When census tracts began to be used to assess the condition and needs of each neighborhood, boundaries needed to be drawn. A raging battle ensued about who lived where and what that place was called. Drafts of neighborhood maps were created by several competing groups, most importantly, the City of Pittsburgh Planning Department and the Pittsburgh Neighborhood Atlas (PNA), a consortium of neighborhood leaders. The differences between the maps sparked arguments and protests. A major point of contention was that the Planning Department’s map respected ward boundaries, while the PNA’s map focused more on community perceptions of neighborhood areas. The PNA’s map drew neighborhood lines based on the consortium’s survey that asked people where they thought they lived.
The 14th Ward (Squirrel Hill) threatened to secede from the City after being “written off” from municipal government.
What the Planning Department found when they drew Squirrel Hill’s borders was that the community’s population was too large to fit into the designated census tract arrangement, so they divided Squirrel Hill into two neighborhoods—North and South. Urban renewal split the community. In the process, Greenfield also lost Schenley Park to Squirrel Hill, although many people still think the park is in Oakland. Meanwhile, a small part of Squirrel Hill is in the 15th Ward, stretching to Desdemona Avenue west of Browns Hill Road.
Spring 2020 | 33 Another disagreement concerning Squirrel Hill’s boundaries centered on Shadyside’s claim to include Chatham University and Oakland’s claim to include Carnegie Mellon University. In drawing up the City’s official neighborhood maps, the Planning Department followed geologic features that had previously defined ward boundaries. Squirrel Hill’s border follows the valleys that surround it—Fern Hollow, Nine Mile Run, the Monongahela River, Saline Street, Junction Hollow, and Fifth Avenue. CONTINUED on page 35
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CONTINUED from page 33 So what kind of renewal did Squirrel Hill need? Because it had no large factories or industries that had closed and because its population was comparatively better off than that of many other Pittsburgh neighborhoods, it wasn’t targeted for mass demolition like East Liberty or North Side. When the Parkway East and Squirrel Hill Tunnel were built in the 1950s, care had been taken to route the highway through sparsely populated areas. Only a few houses and businesses along the Saline Street/ Forward Avenue corridor were affected.
That being said, Squirrel Hill business leaders and activists saw problems begin to surface in the community, with stores closing and housing, streets, and sidewalks deteriorating. They didn’t want to wait until the deterioration reached a critical point, worrying that if they “continue the practice of ignoring the basically sound areas, you will create future slums and destroy the city,” as stated in a 1976 Pittsburgh Press article.
These leaders and activists ultimately formed the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC), threatening City Council that the 14th Ward would secede if the Council continued to ignore its demands. SHUC wanted a senior citizen center, pointing out that while the city operated 19 if them, there weren’t any in the area of the city with the most elderly residents. SHUC also asked for help in a communitysponsored rehabilitation of the commercial area along Forbes Avenue, better police protection, more consideration for low-income home repair loan applications, a lighted ballfield, more traffic regulation, better ice and snow removal, and other things critical to keeping a community alive and well. SHUC’s concern for the well-being of Squirrel Hill continues to this day.
The renewal of Squirrel Hill is ongoing. Businesses leave, but few storefronts remain vacant for long. The businesses that replace the previous ones are of different varieties - but that is how it has always been!
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 Homewood Cemetery and Smithfield East End Cemetery JENNIE BENFORD, Director of Programming at The Homewood Cemetery Historical Fund, has spent almost two decades as an archivist, historian, and docent leading people through the most fascinating details of The Homewood Cemetery’s occupants and their current repositories.
TUESDAY, MAY 12 100 Things to Do in Pittsburgh Before You Die ROSSILYNNE SKENA CULGAN is the author of 100 Things to Do in Pittsburgh Before You Die, a book that promises to become your local “bucket list” and to provide new ideas for your next visitors. Culgan is Food and Culture Editor for The Incline (theincline.com), a Pittsburgh news website.
Anyone interested in learning more about Squirrel Hill history is invited to attend the programs of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society, held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Ave. Go to squirrelhillhistory.org to view upcoming lectures and events.
