Spring 2023

ON THE MOVE

ROBOTICS ON MURRAY

BIKE-PED ADVOCACY

ROWING ON THE RIVERS

Our Mission

The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition gives voice to the hopes and concerns of our residents, institutions, businesses and visitors and works to preserve, improve, and celebrate the quality of life in our vibrant urban Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

ON THE COVER: A warm welcome to the neighborhood!

Photography

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

Contact marketing@shuc.org. All other communications can be directed to editor@shuc.org or (412) 422-7666.

The arrival of spring and its (hopefully!) better weather means more chances to get outside and move, but we each move differently. This issue looks at how robots, animals, roads, and more can impact our mobility. You’ll see just important it is to be mindful of how we move and how the people, animals, and vehicles around us move.

While thinking about mobility for this issue, I thought a lot about how different people experience the world. To make our magazine more accessible to those with vision impairments, we are now offering a text-only edition in a Word document. If you or someone you know would benefit from having access to the magazine in this format, please contact us at editor@shuc.org or 412-422-7666 to request a copy.

MELISSA EPPIHIMER

Editor, Squirrel Hill Magazine

SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Mardi Isler

VICE PRESIDENT Dalia Belinkoff

VICE PRESIDENT Erik Wagner

SECRETARY Raymond Baum

TREASURER Paul Katz

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Richard Feder

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Raymond N. Baum, Justin Beck, Dalia Belinkoff, Guy Costa, Lori Fitzgerald, Heather Graham, Barbara Grover, Marshall Hershberg, Melissa Hiller, Martha Isler, Paul Katz, Joseph Ott, Jon Prince, Mary Shaw, Lisa Steindel, Erik Wagner

The Squirrel Hill Magazine is a publication produced by the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC), a nonprofit organization. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, donations to SHUC are tax-exempt, and SHUC complies with all 501(c)(3) rules and regulations.

CONTRIBUTORS

Patrick Beck, Maria Cohen, Rich Feder, Larry Gerson, Marshall Hershberg, Tony Indovina, Mardi Isler, Zoe Obenza-Bridges, Jim Rogal, John Schiller, Mary Shaw, Helen Wilson

EDITOR Melissa Eppihimer

DESIGNER Karen A. DeTurck

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maria H. Cohen

Squirrel Hill Magazine, Vol. 21, Issue 1, is provided by the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition as a free service to the residents and businesses in the 15217 zip code. Subscriptions are available for $25/year. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. Printed by Knepper Press.

Photo © John Schiller

PRESIDENT

Greetings from the SHUC President

By Mardi Isler, SHUC Board President

IT’S FASCINATING TO ME HOW MUCH TODAY’S CONVERSATIONS

ABOUT Squirrel Hill’s future “wants” can be compared to what our community meetings voiced 15 years ago. The anecdotal answers haven’t changed very much. Residents want an attractive business corridor with shade trees, no graffiti, and clean, unbroken sidewalks with places to sit as they shop or wait for a bus along Murray and Forbes. Our neighbors want respite areas to relax with friends, have a coffee, or eat their lunch from nearby restaurants.

But 15 years ago, we weren’t talking about climate change. Even though the scientific consensus was that the planet was warming, many Americans remained skeptical that human activity contributed to the problem. Now, however, as we look ahead and begin planning for the next 15 years, we note a striking difference—there is general acceptance that our individual actions, like our vehicle emissions, are contributing to global warming and climate change. Younger generations are particularly engaged and concerned, as evidenced by their use of social media to gain and spread information about climate change.

In Pittsburgh, we actually have a Climate Action Plan that outlines strategies through which Pittsburgh can reduce greenhouse gas emissions within city limits and City operations. This translates into the prioritization of walking, biking, and other less polluting forms of transportation, with the city intentionally working to reduce the number of cars on our roads. How we get around our neighborhood and on what vehicle and in what environment is front and center in conversations in Squirrel Hill, too, whether talking to friends, family, or our elected officials.

Your Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC) has worked to bring these “walkability” wishes to fruition, and in some places we have succeeded. There are new metal benches on Murray and Forbes, and neighbors can enjoy the redesigned O’Connor’s Corner and Post Office Parklet. The wonderful Beacon/Murray “Urban Forest” was an added bonus, identified as a need by SHUC and designed and constructed by Brandywine Communities.

All around us we see incremental steps to reduce the harmful effects of carbon emissions. There is already an increase in the number of environmentally friendly modes of transportation, mostly bikeshares, e-bikes, and scooters, and mopeds, e-skateboards, one-wheels, and segways to a lesser degree. Autonomous vehicles are on the horizon.

Experts predict a huge increase in urban bicycle use because e-bikes are less physically demanding and more comfortable to ride than traditional bikes. We are witnessing the city’s efforts to accommodate their growing popularity in its improvements to bike lane infrastructure. Pittsburgh has more

Photo © John Schiller Photography.

MESSAGE FROM THE

State Senator Jay Costa

than 60 miles of designated bike lanes, a number that is on the rise. The city wants to encourage people to find non-car ways to get where they need to go. While this is certainly a good goal, we hear frustration from motorists who don’t know what these street markings mean and wonder why bollards are popping up on our city streets. A widely published explanation and more public education from our city officials would help address this issue.

Scooters also are more prevalent these days and are certainly effective for short distances. They are also quiet and less costly to the environment. Parking is easy, but because riders don’t always park scooters in designated or proper locations, some in our neighborhood refer to scooters as “large litter”! Scooters parked on sidewalks are also hazards for pedestrians. More rider education and enforcement from the company is in order.

The cars we have are increasingly hybrid or electric, and more buses are electric, too. When the electricity comes from renewable sources, all-electric vehicles produce zero emissions when operating. Saving money is also encouraging us to shift our personal buying choices toward electric; a 2023 Electric Vehicle tax credit worth up to $7,500 is on the federal table. Some states are encouraging us to buy electric vehicles with rebates, but Pennsylvania’s efforts are more limited. The obvious question is, “why?”

Once autonomous vehicles are in use, their technology will provide a way for Pittsburgh to reduce parking spaces and traffic congestion, thereby reducing pollution. Some predict that walkability and livability will be enhanced, noise pollution will be reduced, and air quality will improve.

Advocating for change in the city can be daunting. But if we are to be part of the solution, we need to make sure that city planning and zoning are responsive. If the city wants to encourage walking, public right-of-way improvements are needed to provide adequate sidewalk space and aesthetics for pedestrian enjoyment, and pedestrian safety must be a priority. Street trees, street lighting, buildings set back from the street, landscaping, open space, plazas, pocket parks, and street furniture should all be part of the urban landscape. SHUC is open to hearing what residents want looking ahead to the next 15 years.

For the future, I am optimistic that our younger residents— and anyone willing to work alongside them—will be politically aware and give voice to positive actions that promote energy efficiency and reduce global warming to make the world a better place! As an old Apple commercial once expressed, “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

THE 2022 SQUIRREL HILLT reasure A wards

Scenes from the dinner on November 10, 2022, honoring the latest Squirrel Hill Treasures— Carol Brown, Dr. Harry Clark, and Mildred Miller Posvar—and SHUC’s 50 th anniversary.

ROBOTS

ON MURRAY

CMU’S Robotics Institute

Comes to Squirrel Hill

By Jim Rogal

IT SEEMS THAT TALK ABOUT ROBOTS IS EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS. Online, at universities, on TV news programs, in magazine and newspaper articles, you name it.

But right in the heart of Squirrel Hill, next to the Manor Theatre on Murray Avenue, in what used to be the Barnes & Noble bookstore, people aren’t just talking about robots. They’re making them. That building is now home to a significant expansion of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute (or just RI, as it’s referred to inside). Unfortunately, we won’t be able to stroll by the windows and watch robots being built, at least not yet. But that’s what’s going on in there—big time.

So how did that happen? According to Matthew Johnson-Roberson, a CMU professor and director of the RI, the answer is pretty simple. “We ran out of room on campus, so we needed to find more space,” he said. Johnson-Roberson, who oversees the work being done there, modestly describes his job as “moving obstacles out of the way for people doing the creative work,” meaning faculty and students, both graduate and undergraduate.

The RI is a global leader in robotics, and the “laboratory” on Murray Ave. will be working on some of the world’s most cutting-edge robotics research. “This is a great time for robotics,” Johnson-Roberson said. “In the last 20 years the field has expanded quite a bit. So, we’re growing rapidly and hiring like crazy.” There are now more than 60 faculty members in the School of Computer Science at CMU specializing in robotics, and more than 1,000 students at all levels.

“We took three faculty research groups here,” he said. “And it’s really hard to pry people away from campus. But this location works because it’s easy to go back and forth to campus, good connectivity, plus access to food and retail.”

So that explains how the laboratory got to Squirrel Hill, but what about Johnson-Roberson himself? He was born in New York City and had an interest in robotics right from the get-go. “I liked video games as a kid and thought I might want to be a video game programmer,” he said. “But I was also social and wanted to be out in the world. For me, robotics was the integration of programming computers and being outside building things with my hands and seeing them work in the real world.”

He first came to CMU as an undergrad in 2001 and studied under the famed roboticist Red Whittaker. In 1979, CMU became the first university in the world to establish a robotics department. It was also the first to offer a doctoral program in robotics, in 1988. By the way, Whittaker is still a formidable presence at the RI, now working on “going to the moon and working on rovers and launch vehicles—astro-robotics,” JohnsonRoberson said.

After he graduated, Johnson-Roberson moved to Australia for his postgraduate work, eventually returning to CMU in 2021 to head the RI. He now lives in Shadyside with his wife and 10-month-old daughter.

Matthew Johnson-Roberson, Director of the Robotics Institute

In the last 20 years the field has expanded quite a bit. So, we’re growing rapidly and hiring like crazy.

ROBOTS ON MURRAY

“There’s a vibrant robotics community in Pittsburgh,” he said, explaining what brought him back to the city and to CMU. “We’re now in an era where we’re integrating and incorporating tech tools into the creative process, and that’s exciting.”

As a result, Pittsburgh is now a major hub of robotic activity. A stretch from lower Lawrenceville to the Strip District is being called “Robotics Row” because of the robotics-based businesses located there, many of which were founded by RI graduates.

But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What’s actually going on among the three research teams now working behind closed doors at 1723 Murray Ave.? The project leaders are Computer Science professors—Jean Oh, Zac Manchester and Sebastian Scherer. Simply put, Oh’s team is working on robots that collaborate with humans. Manchester’s group is focusing on robots that work in space. And Scherer’s researchers are advancing technology for drones. As you’d expect, it’s all far more completed than that, but you get the idea.

As for the future, the accelerating merger of the robotics world and the human world is inevitable. For those of us old enough to remember the cartoon show “The Jetsons” from the ’60s,’70s, and ’80s, back then it was a fantasy world of robotics. Today, it’s becoming a reality. By the way, Johnson-Roberson bought a Rosie the Robot toy for his infant daughter. Rosie was a household do-it-all assistant on the show, and something similar might be in our homes sooner than we think.

But no matter what’s down the road, Johnson-Roberson says it’ll be accessible to all of us. “Everybody can look at a robot and have a good understanding of what it’s doing,” he said.

Alas, nothing comes without a price. There are real ethical questions about robots. What are the societal components and implications? What about issues of privacy and personal protection? How can transparency be maintained so we can know what data is being collected, and from where? Fortunately, the RI’s curriculum includes courses on ethics in robotics, and

FRIDA, a robot that collaborates with humans to produce paintings.

students are interested in them. According to Johnson-Roberson, today’s students “are aware of the ethical concerns. They come to us now with a strong desire to discuss those questions,” he said. “They’re engaged ethically and want to know, ‘Am I going to have made the world a better place at the end of my career?’”

It’s all happening behind the doors that used to be the entrance to Barnes & Noble, which raises one final question.

What does it say about our world today that a bookstore has been replaced by a robotics laboratory? Says Johnson-Roberson, “I’m not certain, but believe me, the irony is not lost on us.”

Go1, a four-legged, dog-like robot at rest.

SO, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT SQUIRREL HILL? Who developed Beechwood Boulevard, and why? Is there really an intact stone bridge underground somewhere? How did Squirrel Hill form geologically, and how was it used before settlers began to put down stakes in the early 1700s? Whatever the question, and whatever the time period, there’s a mighty good chance that Helen Wilson will know the answer.

But first … the initial iteration of Beechwood Blvd. was designed as part of a city-wide public works project led by Edward M. Bigelow in the late 19th century. It was initially meant to extend from Schenley Park to Highland Park, and to be used as a “pleasure drive” with great views of the Mon Valley, primarily the steel mills and the neighborhoods that developed as a result of the mills, many of which can be seen from Helen’s front porch. “Well, over there is Braddock and then Rankin and then Swissvale and then Edgewood,” Helen pointed out. She went on to name quite a few others, but you get the idea.

By the way, the expansive view from Helen’s porch can be explained by the geological history of the hill that became Squirrel Hill. Massive ice melts from glaciers north of Pittsburgh carved valleys such as the Mon, but Squirrel Hill remained high ground. In the 1800s people used to say they were located “on” Squirrel Hill, not “in” it. Prior to the start of settlements in Western Pennsylvania, all of

COMMUNITY CHAMPION:

HELEN WILSON

By Jim Rogal

the land including Squirrel Hill served as a Native American hunting ground.

Oh, and that underground intact stone bridge? It’s buried beneath S. Homewood Ave. bordering Homewood Cemetery and Frick Park. The ravine from S. Homewood Ave. to Dallas Ave. was filled in sometime before 1939, so the bridge was no longer needed. Instead of being destroyed, it was just buried.

But back to Helen Wilson, who of course provided all this information. She’s a retired teacher who now serves as vice-president, newsletter editor, and historian for the

It’s all about connections from the past to the present to the future, the layers of life.

Squirrel Hill Historical Society, which explains her deep involvement in the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition. Her home is filled with photos and maps and files and drawings, all pertaining to the area. “Squirrel Hill is just four square miles, but it’s made up of so many small districts and discreet individual communities, you have to do a driving tour to see it all,” Helen said. “You can’t really get it all if you want to walk it.”

Helen calls her passion “urban archeology.” “History is everywhere,” she said. “We’re looking at things as they are now, but I’m also seeing what was. I was always interested in history, even when I was very young.”

She was born in Turtle Creek and went to Carlow University for college, after which she moved to Squirrel Hill. She’s never left. “I spent 32 years as an art teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools,” Helen said. She married a fellow Pittsburgher along the way and raised two sons.

“I love art, but I also love history and archeology and geology and writing,” she said. “I can talk Pittsburgh forever. There are so many fascinating stories about old mine tunnels and buildings and cemeteries and roads.” Why is all of that so appealing to her? “What comes next and next and next and next is what interests me,” Helen said. “It’s all about connections from the past to the present to the future, the layers of life.”

Helen channels almost all of her interest and information into a newsletter for the Historical Society—“I’ve put one out every month since 2014”—as well as her regular column on Squirrel Hill history that runs in this magazine. She also continues to teach at CMU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which she’s been doing since her retirement as a public-school teacher. She used to teach a six-part class on Squirrel Hill history (no surprise) and now she teaches a writing workshop three times a year.

“If I ever stop doing all this, I have a book in my head about the early days and years of Squirrel Hill,” Helen said, again to no surprise. She’s already done the research. “I have about nine hours of Squirrel Hill history from my CMU Osher course, and that doesn’t even come close to everything I have.”

Sounds like Helen has a lot of history left to tell.

One final question, the one she’s asked more often than any other: Did Squirrel Hill really get its name because there were an inordinate number of squirrels living here? The answer … drumroll … is yes. “There used to be squirrels everywhere when it was a Native American hunting ground,” Helen said. “Even when Squirrel Hill was comprised of farmlands and estates. But that changed once the trolleys started running in 1893.”

Once a teacher, always a teacher.

Helen Wilson examines an old pylon sculpture from the Beechwood Blvd. (Greenfield) Bridge.

State and City Council Corner

State and City Council Corner shares reports submitted by the elected members of Pittsburgh City Council and the Pennsylvania Legislature that represent Squirrel Hill. Squirrel Hill Magazine welcomes Councilmember Barb Warwick of District 5 as a contributor to this page.

FROM STATE SENATOR JAY COSTA

On January 3, 2023, the Pennsylvania Senate officially began the 2023-24 legislative session. Senator Jay Costa will once again be serving as the Democratic caucus’s leader. Looking forward to the session ahead with the General Assembly, and with the Shapiro administration, PA’s twenty-two Democratic senators are excited to work in a bipartisan way to deliver big victories for the commonwealth.

The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus has identified seven major legislative themes for this session: public education, public safety, infrastructure, environmental protection, healthcare, reproductive freedom, and workforce development. These are issues important to the livelihoods of countless Pennsylvanians.

This caucus is confident about doing what’s necessary to make real progress on these topics, working with Republican colleagues, Governor Shapiro, and representatives in the House for the next two years. Senator Costa invites all constituents to reach out to his office directly to ask questions, offer ideas, or request support.

FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAN FRANKEL

In Pennsylvania, many of our doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are forced into restrictive covenants, also known as non-competes. These contract provisions can bar employees from working for other healthcare providers after an employment contract has ended, even if an employee was fired or laid off. As a result, ex-employees often have to leave the state or their profession for up to two years.

Restrictive covenants are anti-patient, anti-worker, and bad for the future of medical innovation and treatment in Pennsylvania. Democratic Chairman of the Health Committee Dan Frankel and Representative Arvind Venkat plan to introduce legislation nullifying these unproductive and unfair practices in Pennsylvania. Like everyone else, healthcare professionals build careers with the expectation that their career paths may take them through multiple opportunities over the years. But every new job shouldn’t have to mean selling your home and changing your children’s schools.

From Top to Bottom: State Senator Jay Costa; State Representative Dan Frankel; City Councilperson Erika Strassburger; City Councilperson Barb Warwick.

State and City Council Corner

FROM CITY COUNCILPERSON ERIKA STRASSBURGER

City Council is pleased to report two turn-of-the-year achievements: the successful passage of 2023 budget and a return to its full nine-member slate with the arrival of District 5’s Barb Warwick. Councilperson Strassburger is pleased that the budget includes staffing boosts in critical departments like DPW (where several new positions will be critical for implementing the single-use plastic bag ban come April), PLI, and the Office of Community Health & Safety. The Councilperson also supported the substantial allocations for parks-related improvements, including funds that will help the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy leverage Parks Tax dollars for additional grants.

Additionally, Councilperson Strassburger has passed the chair of the Innovation & Performance and Asset Management Committee to Councilperson Warwick, and will head the Recreation, Youth, and Seniors Committee in 2023. She looks forward to another exciting year serving Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Oakland.

FROM CITY COUNCILMEMBER BARB WARWICK

After District 5 City Councilmember Barb Warwick was sworn into office in December, she was proud to vote to pass the 2023 city budget. The budget includes a $3 million investment to establish a Pittsburgh Food Justice Fund, which will help create the infrastructure necessary for a more equitable, accessible local food system.

Councilmember Warwick also sponsored a piece of legislation introduced by Councilman Bobby Wilson allocating $1 million in American Rescue Plan money toward eliminating medical debt for thousands of Pittsburghers.

Look for the office in the coming months to stay focused on safe streets and investing in and protecting parks and greenways across the district. You can find more information and updates about the District 5 office by signing up for the online newsletter at bit.ly/ PghD5News or by following @PghDistrict5 on social media. You can also reach the office at (412) 255-8965 or district5@pittsburghpa.gov.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera and click on the link to sign up for Councilmember Warwick’s e-newsletter.

ON DECEMBER 13, 2022, CITY COUNCILPERSON ERIKA STRASSBURGER, ALONGSIDE A GROUP OF 4TH GRADERS, INTRODUCED A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL

AND ITS TEACHERS. 2022 WAS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCHOOL’S FOUNDING.

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

NEW BUSINESS NOTICES

Viet Nom Nom

Vietnamese cooking combines five essential flavors: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. Finding the right balance is a matter of taste. Luckily, the taste is yours at Viet Nom Nom (1715 Murray Ave), a new entrant in the casual dining scene in Squirrel Hill.

Viet Nom Nom follows the increasingly popular “chooseyour-own” model where customers create their own dishes. Among the base options are rice, vermicelli noodles, and a 15-inch loaf of banh mi bread, while protein choices include lemongrass beef, honey chicken, tofu, and two kinds of pork. Fish sauce (a quintessential Vietnamese condiment) flavors the rice and noodles, and fresh veggies top it all off.

Owner Thy Chan wants diners to know that Asian cuisine can be healthy and fresh. “Everything here is made to order, and you can custom create your own meal,” she said, adding that although the service is quick, this is not fast food. Chan, who grew up in Pittsburgh, chose to open Viet Nom Nom in Squirrel Hill because the neighborhood is so accepting of new cuisines.

Steal City Vintage

According to Rob Schwoegl, Steal City Vintage (1918 Murray Ave) wants to “slow down fast fashion.” Goodbye cheap, disposable garments. Hello affordably priced, fashionable treasures from the ’80s, ’90s, and Y2K.

Schwoegl and DJ Lander, who co-own the shop, are trying to make fashion more sustainable and accessible. Their mission is reflected in Steal City Vintage’s mindful design. The fixtures were sustainably sourced, and the displays are unisex, allowing customers to discover

themselves in what’s on display. “Nothing is imposed on anyone,” said Schwoegl. There’s also a lot of fun to be had, like comparing your height to Penguins’ legend Jaromir Jagr on an old Giant Eagle poster.

The store’s always-changing racks of vintage clothing, accessories, and memorabilia are a source of nostalgia for many shoppers, but Schwoegl and Lander also hope to educate younger customers about the items they sell and the histories they represent. Each item is labeled with the date of its production, meaning that visiting Steal City Vintage is kind of like visiting a museum, except here you can buy your favorite piece at a price that won’t break the bank.

Vendor Bender

Perhaps you’ve travelled the world and came home obsessed with a snack food. Perhaps you’ve never ventured far but have adventurous tastebuds. No matter your travel history, Vendor Bender (2301 Murray Ave) can take your appetite to new places.

Inside Vendor Bender’s unassuming storefront is an eye-popping array of vending machines stocked with international goodies.

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

The choices vary on any given day, so there might be candy bars from Poland, juices from Mexico, potato chips from Ireland—or crisps, as the Irish call them. The machines accept cash, credit cards, and mobile payment services, and you can see the latest offerings on their Facebook page. Since you are only buying one package at time, there’s no reason not to try something new.

KOERNER HOUSE JOINS NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

The home of the artist Henry Koerner in Squirrel Hill is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places! This follows its recognition as a Historic Landmark by Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in

2021. The National Register, which is overseen by the National Park Service, is the official list of the United States’ historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. The nomination process for the Henry Koerner house took a year to complete and was a collaborative effort that involved Caroline Boyce (the current owner of the home), Joseph Koerner (the artist’s son), historic preservation specialists, and many locals who knew Henry Koerner.

The house was built in 1966, the product of a design collaboration between architect Richard Righter and Henry Koerner, who lived there until his death in 1991. The exterior reflects Koerner’s love of buildings in his birthplace, Vienna. The interior is designed in accordance with the concept of the “white cube” art gallery becoming popular at the time.

“His residence at 1055 South Negley was also a gallery for his art, a meeting place for friends and patrons, and a family home,” said Joseph Koerner, who grew up in the house. “That the building would be honored in this way goes beyond his wildest dreams. But he would have understood it as commemorating his love for Squirrel Hill, and for the panorama of Pittsburgh that the hill setting afforded.”

The inclusion of the house in the National Register is another step towards cementing Koerner’s legacy as an artist and as a Pittsburgh resident. “I hope that the recognition of the historical importance of the Koerner House by the Department of the Interior will help to bring attention, not only to the house, but to Henry Koerner and his tremendous and varied body of work,” said Boyce.

CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY IN MELLON PARK!

Friends of Mellon Park is hosting its 2nd Arbor Day event on Saturday, April 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It’s a family-friendly occasion to celebrate the park, appreciate its beauty, and bring people together to enjoy it. There will be lots going on, including science and art activities, lawn games, a scavenger hunt, food,

Photo by Joe Seamans

live music, and much more! Rain or shine, come to the south side of the park and join Friends of Mellon Park, a grassroots community organization, in celebrating this beautiful greenspace that connects Squirrel Hill to neighboring communities.

SUMMERSET THANKS RETIRING MAIL CARRIER

The Summerset at Frick Park community came together in early December to congratulate a beloved mail carrier on his retirement. Neighbors gathered at Summerset’s Community Center to thank Derek Ricketts for his 12 years of dedicated service, part of a 38-year career with the US Postal Service.

“Derek was the best mail carrier ever and a true friend and blessing to our community. He personally knew so many neighbors, always looking out for everyone,” said Amy Mann. “When planning our neighborhood celebration for his retirement, many neighbors reached out to help. As I spoke to more and more neighbors, it was evident that everyone thought that he was their best friend. We had a packed house for his celebration, and it was evident, Derek, indeed, was a friend to many. Our community will truly miss him, and we are so thankful for his friendship and service over the last 12 years.”

SQUIRREL HILLBILLIES’ NEW ALBUM

When Jenny Wolsk and Gary Crouth began performing as the musical duo Squirrel Hillbillies twelve years ago, they played covers of songs they loved. Then, a conversation with the folk singer Joe Crookston helped inspire them to write their own music. For three albums released between 2012 and 2020, they did just that in a musical style they call “acoustic roots.”

Now, the Squirrel Hillbillies are returning to their own roots in their fourth and latest album. Rhizomes honors the music and musicians that have inspired them. This set of covers includes their version of Crookston’s “Good Luck John.”

While the songs on the album connect to different people, places, and times—one is a song recorded by the African American singer Arthur “Blind” Blake in 1929—the Squirrel Hillbillies are firmly grounded in Squirrel Hill. They arrange, record, and mix their albums locally and, although they tour widely, you may have heard their home-grown blend of folk, country, and blues at the Night Market and Farmer’s Market. For more information about upcoming performances, how to access their music on streaming services or as a CD, visit their website squirrelhillbillies.com.

Photo by Faith Selzer

Protect Our Parks and Gardens Initiative

By Mardi Isler

THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE EVER-INCREASING DEER population in Schenley and Frick Parks has been a topic of discussion for many years. The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition has heard complaints that the deer are degrading our park environment, feeding on young trees, and eating all the native plant and shrub understory so that only invasive plants are left. More recently, deer are migrating from the parks to residences, destroying flower and

vegetable gardens. In 2022, deer were seen in the business corridor. Deer are regularly killed or injured by automobiles, and these accidents can also cause serious injury to drivers.

In response to residents’ concerns, the SHUC Board passed a resolution in October of last year: to gather research concerning the deer overpopulation issues in Schenley and Frick Parks and to develop a framework for evaluating their impact on the community and the parks. The Board acknowledged that recommendations for action can only occur after information and data are collected from the PA Game Commission, the Pittsburgh Park Rangers, City Parks staff, Parks

A deer at Forbes and Denniston intersection.

Conservancy staff, and others studying the impact of deer on the parks and surrounding communities.

SHUC’s conversations with the PA Game Commission’s deer management professionals confirmed that all of Pittsburgh’s parks are burdened with deer overpopulation and that a solution would necessarily be city-wide. Park advocates from across the city verified this premise and provided links to data that, for some of our parks, goes back 10 years. However, they also noted that there is no baseline information concerning the consequences of overabundant deer. Furthermore, any data collected for individual parks is not collated with data from other parks and made available in one location or file. Therefore, it was clear that we needed to create a city-wide working group that could organize information and data into fact sheets for each impact issue and for each park. This “Protect Our Parks and Gardens” working group has

Our parks are part of our social infrastructure, a valuable asset that contributes to Pittsburgh’s “livable city” designations.

Flowers and leaves grazed by deer.

Photos by David Stephens, bugwood.org

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started the process with an inaugural meeting that also determined what data is still needed.

The goal of the working group is to clearly define the problems that result from deer overpopulation and communicate them in a format that can inform public discussions. Researching possible solutions with the best chance of successfully preserving our parks and gardens is the next step. In addition, the working group will need to explain the consequences of doing nothing.

Residents’ gardens are a source of pride in our neighborhood and add to the aesthetics. And our parks are part of our social infrastructure, a valuable asset that contributes to Pittsburgh’s “livable city” designations. We need to maintain them as natural resources, as urban forests that provide wildlife habitats. We must conserve these open spaces for future generations. We know the damage that deer cause to the park ecosystem. They help push out native plant species and destroy the habitat for other animals, large and small. Their over-browsing leads to erosion— already an issue in at least one of our parks (Riverview Park in the North Side). The Protect Our Parks and Gardens initiative is taking important steps to measure and communicate these impacts.

A deer visits a Squirrel Hill garden.

Dear Neighbor,

Our neighborhood parks and green spaces are the not-so-secret, but oh-so-vital connections between our city and the natural world.

SHUC has always made it a priority to care for these places. With our many community partners and volunteers, we’ve planted trees, mulched parks, and built parklets. Our annual Clean-Up events beautify the neighborhood and keep litter from reaching the rivers.

Protecting our parks and gardens is a vital part of SHUC’s mission, and it can remain so with your support.

If you would like to contribute to SHUC, please go to shuc.org/donate or call the SHUC office at 412-422-7666. Please leave a message for a return call.

TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE –ONE PROJECT AT A TIME

EXCITE HOW WE

During our interdisciplinary Greek Museum project, our Junior School fourth graders pose as statues of gods and goddesses – until they spring to life and deliver an original speech in the voice of their mythical figure – applying skills in history, literature, public speaking and more.

How will you give your child an education that excites and inspires?

BECAUSE “HOW” MATTERS

PK-12 • Four Campuses

Protecting Our Gardens

By Patrick Beck

FOR THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH MY FAMILY BUSINESS, SESTILI NURSERY, you likely recall the days during our garden center’s prime when there wasn’t an inch of our lot that didn’t have a flower, vegetable, tree, or shrub. Several factors led us to scale back our retail operation. Of course, competition from big box stores and labor shortages played their roles. But deer were a major contributor.

Depending on the herd size, deer can graze down 1/10 to 1/4 of an acre in one night, making it unsustainable

for us to stock vulnerable inventory. Even if we had invested in large-scale deer fencing, we were selling those plants to you, and the risk remained that those plants would become Bambi’s breakfast in your garden. In fact, deer are one of the most frequent questions/ problems we get asked about at our store and when designing landscape installations and renovations.

As beautiful as deer can be, and as remarkable as it is to see them in the city, there came a tipping point, and we had to make some changes. Until the powers that be find a solution to the exploding (and hungry) deer population, we have adapted our approach to gardens and landscapes. Here are three suggestions I have found to be the most effective.

REPELLANTS

There are two products typically available. The first is a liquid that you spray directly onto the plants you’re trying to protect. These are made with organic ingredients and must be applied repeatedly throughout the season. The second is a granular product spread to create a perimeter around the plants/area. For tough situations, you may need to use both. For vegetable gardening, I do not recommend the liquid sprays; they make edibles very unappetizing.

DEER FENCING

Fencing is the most effective. It is also the most expensive and intrusive on your garden’s aesthetic. A small vegetable garden fence can be made with pressure-treated lumber and galvanized wire, or something similar. For an entire property, we use a good quality black reinforced plastic with a 2”x2” open grid spacing. Be sure the fence is at least 8 feet tall and is rolled and pinned at the bottom so the deer can’t sneak under it. (Yes, they can do that!) For the posts, consider angled steel or pressure-treated lumber spaced 10-12 feet apart.

Play. Swim. Shoot Hoops. Dance. Work Out. Feel Good!

DEER-RESISTANT PLANTS

There is no such thing as a “deer-proof” plant. Deer will eat anything if they’re hungry enough, especially in winters with a lot of snow. For years, the plant industry has marketed certain plants as deer resistant, but as deer density continues to grow, that list continues to shrink. My uncle, dad, and I have had countless conversations about this, identifying plants that deer are leaving alone, often celebrating when we do.

If you find yourself looking for some deer-resistant plants for your landscape, the following have had good results during the past few years of our observations (sorry, no guarantees!):

AMERICAN HOLLY

EVERGREEN SHRUBS, INCLUDING CULTIVARS

A note of caution: The Pieris japonica can be damaged in snowy winters.

Common Name

Scientific Name

Boxwood Buxus spp.

EVERGREEN TREES, INCLUDING CULTIVARS

A note of caution: the Norway Spruce, Green Giant Arborvitae, and the Western Arborvitae can be damaged in snowy winters.

Common Name

Scientific Name

Norway Spruce Picea abies

American Holly Ilex opaca

Plum Yew Cephalotaxus harringtonii

Juniper Juniperus spp.

Oregon Grape Holly Mahonia aquifolium

Birds Nest Spruce Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’

Japanese andromeda Pieris japonica

Oriental spicebush Lindera angustifolia

Prague Viburnum Viburnum x pragense

Green Giant

Arborvitae Thuja (standish x plicata)

‘Green Giant’

Western Arborvitae Thuja plicata

Spartan Juniper Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’

DECIDUOUS TREES

Green Columnar

Juniper Juniperus chinensis

‘Hetzii Columnaris’

Protect all deciduous trees until the lower branches reach approximately 6’ in height. Trunks must be protected from buck rub from fall to early winter.

Photo by John Ruter, U. of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Photo by John Ruter, U. of Georgia, Bugwood.org

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

Common Name

Scientific Name

Butterfly Bush Buddleia spp.

Blue Mist Shrub Caryopteris × clandonensis

Gro-Low Sumac Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’

Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora

Japanese orixa Orixa japonica

Vitex Vitex agnus-castus

Spirea Spirea spp.

Pennsylvania Bayberry Myrica pensylvanica

Elderberry Sambucus spp.

Wall Germander Teucrium chamaedrys

BLUE MIST SHRUB

HYSSOP

PERENNIALS AND GROUND COVERS

Common Name

Scientific Name

Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia

Hyssop Agastache spp.

Brunnera or Bugloss Brunnera spp.

Bleeding Heart Dicentra spectabilis

Lenten Rose Helleborus

Lavender Lavandula

Bee Balm Monarda spp.

Catmint Nepeta spp.

Lungwort

Pulmonaria

Lambs Ear Stachys byzantina

Thyme Thymus spp.

Pachysandra

Pachysandra terminalis

Vinca Vinca minor

About the Author:

Patrick Beck grew up in Swisshelm Park and has worked at Sestili Nursery in South Oakland for nearly 35 years. He is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in landscape contracting and a focus on the design-build side of the industry. He lives in Squirrel Hill with his wife, Jill, and two children, Gavin and Rachel.

Photo by Richard Webb, Bugwood.org

Photo by David L. Clement, U. of Maryland, Bugwood.org

FROM YOUR SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION STAFF

Update from SHUC Executive Director, Maria Cohen

AS SPRING QUICKLY APPROACHES, we look forward to being On The Move in our communities and to enjoying new adventures. Our energy can now move to fun outdoor activities, spring plantings, and new, enjoyable ways to explore Squirrel Hill, the East End, and Pittsburgh.

The Fern Hollow Bridge re-opened in record time! The bridge rebuild was expected to take approximately two years but reopened in approximately 11 months. The bridge plays an integral role in connecting Squirrel Hill with Point Breeze and Regent Square. We missed that connection and are very happy to have it back!

Special thanks and accolades to our SHUC BikePed committee, Ken Doyno and the Briar Cliff Road Association, Ted King-Smith, Anna Tang and Paul Heckert of Bike Pittsburgh, our local, state and national politicians and officials, PennDOT, and all who quickly came together to create alternative bike routes and detours and to ensure a good, safe, well-designed solution that reopened to our community much faster than expected. Kudos to everyone involved!

We feel very fortunate to have hosted a fun, familyfriendly, successful, in-person Lunar New Year parade in our Squirrel Hill community this year! With hate rhetoric still an unfortunate reality, it was particularly imperative for our community, in partnership with the JCC Center for Loving Kindness, to stand in support of Asian neighbors and to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. Thanks to all who were able to join us!

Entering spring, we look forward to Earth Day! Our in-person Spring Litter Patrol Event will be hosted on Sunday, April 23. For those who enjoyed the convenience and safety of being able to pick up anytime, SHUC is again hosting a weeklong clean-up starting on Saturday, April 22 (Earth Day!) through Sunday, April 30. Please sign up via our newsletter, social media, or our shuc.org site. There will be various prizes offered from local merchants. We are so thankful to Barb Grover, who will be passing the torch to Rachel Lecrone as Litter Patrol Lead, our past volunteers, and regular Litter Patrol members who helped plan this event and made past events such a success!

The Coalition is looking forward to all of the upcoming spring and summer events! We are very excited for Bach, Beethoven and Brunch concerts, Arbor Day in Mellon Park, the Mother’s Day Wine Walk, the Squirrel Hill Farmers Market, Night Markets, and more!

Save the date—we’ll be hosting our annual Treasure Awards Dinner on Wednesday, November 8 at the Pittsburgh Golf Club! We are very optimistic for a backto-normal, fun event and will always work to ensure the safety of our guests. Please mark your calendars!

Please reach out to share with me what you would like the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition to continue, feedback about changes that you would like to see in our Squirrel Hill 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.

HOLIDAY EVENTS RECAP

‘Twas the season to enjoy Squirrel Hill businesses this past winter!

On other days in December, those travelling through Squirrel Hill came across symbols of the season. At the treelighting ceremony on Forbes, near the mid-block crosswalk, Murray the Squirrel greeted neighbors and furry friends. Thank you to Patrick Beck from Sestili Nursery and Jamison Combs from Uncover Squirrel Hill/Brandywine Communities for helping make downtown Squirrel Hill look so festive! A menorahlighting celebration at Murray and Beacon, which was organized by Chabad of Squirrel Hill, combined a celebration of Hanukkah with a collection for the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry. The special menorah was constructed from canned goods donated by Giant Eagle and community members. Thank you for your generosity!

LATEST FROM THE LOG HOUSE

Ten Thousand Villages kicked off the holiday shopping season with a Community Shopping Event on November 29. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to shop and say hello, including Councilperson Erika Strassburger and SHUC Board President Mardi Isler. SHUC is grateful to have received a portion of the store’s sales proceeds during the event.

In early December, visitors strolled the business district during the annual Winter Wine Walk sponsored by Uncover Squirrel Hill. SHUC set up its table at The Refillery on Murray Avenue, where we offered snacks and sparkling water to complement the wine sampled at other stops. What a wonderful way to meet new friends and explore local businesses.

The biggest end-of-year news for the Friends of Neill Log House (FONLH) was an award of $75,000 toward construction costs from the Allegheny Foundation. When combined with other funds previously approved from the Stewart Foundation, Burke Family Foundation, ColCom Foundation, and PA Department of Community and Economic Development, plus individual contributions, this means that FONLH’s reconstruction fundraising goal was achieved. Completing work during 2023 is now realistic. Before reconstruction can begin, FONLH will be negotiating its long-term lease for the building with the City of Pittsburgh. Once this is concluded, the group will be able to hire contractors and make other decisions going forward.

The next phases of the project will draw upon behindthe-scenes work completed in 2022. Object conservators inspected every item in the Log House furnishings collection; now, decisions need to be made about which of them best represent the period and are appropriate for restoration. Artifacts and furnishings from the Log House are currently in a space donated by Guardian Storage. Planning for educational programming will use existing and new sources of information about the era of the building’s construction, its first occupant (Robert Neill), and the tenants who later lived in the house. The work started last fall by Madison Smith, a Chatham History Department student intern, to structure the expanding files of research on the house will go a long way toward this end. Smith presented her organizational system to staff at the Detre Library & Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center, where the files of FONLH will one day be digitally archived.

CMU STUDENTS STUDY SHUC

Last fall, a group of students from Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy partnered with SHUC on a class project. With the help of Professor T. K. Lim, SHUC Executive Director Maria Cohen coordinated their study of Squirrel Hill Magazine’s budget. The group produced an insightful review of our community-supported magazine that proved just how important community partnerships are. Thank you for your efforts, Professor T.K., Evan, Gabby, Morgan, Maraika, and Laura! If you would like to support the magazine, consider donating to SHUC, becoming an advertiser, or volunteering with us.

THANK YOU TO FOX CHAPEL SEEDERS AND WEEDERS

Fundraising continues for later phase site work and usage plans for when the house is ultimately open to the public. Donations to this effort are greatly appreciated—go to shuc.org, click on Projects link at the top of the Home Page, then click on Friends of Neill Log House.

Ever since the Post Office Parklet was opened in 2015, the Seeders and Weeders garden club members have taken care of the garden that surrounds the seating area. They planted bulbs that bloom every spring and some perennials and annuals to provide flowers all summer. They also weed as their name suggests! The residents of Squirrel Hill who enjoy the respite that the parklet space offers appreciate the dedication of the Seeders and Weeders, and SHUC sends then a huge thank you.

Experience for yourself the trigger point technique that has kept professional football players and ballet dancers—and countless other Pittsburghers—moving and pain-free for the past 40 years.

Our trigger point technique (Nimmo) is unique among chiropractic. Through our muscularbased approach, we are able to treat pain in any joint in your body.

We accept most major medical insurances.

SPOTLIGHT:

BicyclePedestrian COMMITTEE

THIS IS THE SECOND ENTRY IN A SERIES highlighting the work of SHUC committees and their members. The first group spotlighted was the Litter Patrol, in the Spring 2022 issue. This time, we focus on the BicyclePedestrian Committee. The “BikePed” Committee was founded in 2015 just as city-wide efforts to transform the way people move through Pittsburgh picked up speed.

You can get a sense of the conversations the Committee leads and the issues it follows by browsing its Facebook page (facebook.com/groups/ SqHillBikePed). The Committee welcomes your comments and suggestions there. You can also share your thoughts or volunteer to work with the Committee by e-mailing ped_bike@shuc.org.

Here, three members of the committee—Marshall Hershberg, Rich Feder, and Mary Shaw— provide an update on the group’s recent advocacy for safe movement in Squirrel Hill.

An Eventful Fall and Hopeful Spring

The SHUC Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee continues to pursue our Mission “to ensure that our streets, sidewalks, and paths are safe and mutually respectful, with enhanced visibility and accessibility for all users –pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, and motorists.”

FERN HOLLOW BRIDGE

Not surprisingly, the focus of our attention this past summer and fall has been issues relating to the replacement Fern Hollow Bridge and its approaches. As partners in a multi-neighborhood collaborative of advocacy groups, we learned about PennDOT’s and the Pittsburgh Department of Mobility & Infrastructure (DOMI)’s plans for the new bridge, the areas west and east of it, and the adjacent section of Frick Park. We also raised questions and presented our suggestions in written communications and at two City-sponsored community meetings and two regular meetings of our Committee.

Advocacy for the eastern communities was coordinated by the Briar Cliff Road Association, whose primary concerns were improving safe access to Frick Park while protecting its historical structures and character; restoration of the physical environment under the bridge damaged in the collapse; and enhanced connectivity among the nearby trails. SHUC strongly supported those concerns, while our advocacy

prioritized safe access for, and separation among, Active Transportation Users (ATU)—pedestrians, bicyclists, micro-mobility device users—on the bridge, on sidewalks and paths on the north and south sides of Forbes Avenue, traffic speed limits, and other ATU infrastructure on nearby Beechwood Boulevard, S. Dallas Avenue and Beacon Street. We have also actively participated in intense, constructive neighborhood discussions regarding the safety and effectiveness of altered usage patterns for vehicles and ATUs through the complex, challenging intersections of that area.

We understand and accept DOMI’s clear necessity to establish some traffic and ATU safety provisions as the bridge reopened in late December 2022. While the full project will be implemented this spring, with adjustments likely to follow as new usage patterns develop, the following near-term operational changes have been put in place or are in-process:

• South Dallas Ave. between Forbes Ave. and Beechwood Blvd. has become one-way southbound. Traffic is not permitted northbound. It will remain a single lane until spring, to keep the intersection narrow. Then, when conditions allow sustainable striping, it will become two southbound lanes.

• Closure of the existing ramp between Beechwood Blvd. and Forbes Ave. to vehicle traffic, allowing continuity and enhanced safety for the planned 2-way cycle track on Forbes and clear connection to existing bike lanes on Beechwood.

Photo: Mary Shaw © 2017.

• An added stop sign on eastbound Beechwood Blvd.

• Changes in the timing of the traffic signals at Forbes/S. Dallas. and at Forbes/Beechwood to decrease congestion and improve traffic flow at these locations.

• Flashing yellow beacons being added to NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN AHEAD signage and appropriate DO NOT ENTER signage on S. Dallas Ave. to clarify and reinforce the new traffic patterns there.

Additional infrastructure improvements, such as crosswalks, walking spaces, and a concrete Jersey Barrier protecting the cycle track between the bridge and Beechwood Blvd. will be implemented in the spring. Further, the speed limit on Forbes Ave., from S. Dallas Ave. to S. Braddock Ave., will be reduced, consistent with other parts of the Forbes Ave. corridor.

SHUC and our Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee recognize and appreciate the hard work done by DOMI and PennDOT and its contractors to ensure that the replacement Fern Hollow Bridge could be reopened

We look forward to ongoing consultation and collaboration

safely within the project’s emergency time frame of one year following the tragic collapse.

We will continue to advocate towards improving the cycle track being implemented on the south side of Forbes between the Fern Hollow Bridge and S. Dallas Ave., so that it better accommodates pedestrians and allows more separation from bicyclists and micro-mobility device users. The current design also engenders circuitous walking paths requiring some pedestrians to cross Forbes Avenue twice in order to walk between Regent Square and Squirrel Hill.

In addition, we will support ongoing efforts by Briar Cliff Road Association to enhance east-west pedestrian connectivity at the bridge. We also understand that a north-south trail connection underneath the bridge is in the works, and we expect more information from the City as that project advances. We will continue to monitor and report on the new traffic patterns of all users on the bridge and its approaches.

OTHER BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN INITIATIVES

As winter moves to spring and summer, our Committee will sponsor new and exciting activities for pedestrians and other ATUs. These activities will focus on the Beacon Street corridor, from its entry into Squirrel Hill to Shady Avenue; group bicycle rides; and neighborhood explorations using “Walk Squirrel Hill!”— the walking map we recently created. Be on the lookout for specific details on the SHUC website and the newsletter, “In a Nutshell.”

All those activities build on the work of the Committee since its inception in 2015. We assessed bicycle parking in Squirrel Hill and advocated for improvements. Additionally, we identified opportunities to connect Squirrel Hill to the growing network of bicycle infrastructure in the city. This work contributed to DOMI’s establishment of a Neighborway along Bartlett Street, and we continue to advocate for the Run Forward Trail, which will roughly parallel the Parkway (I-376 East) and connect Four-Mile Run to Monitor Street. We will also continue to advocate for improved connections from Squirrel Hill to Junction Hollow Trail as a commuting route to Downtown and the South Side. We worked to bring the HealthyRide bikeshare system (now POGOH) to Squirrel Hill; we were disappointed when they recently reduced their coverage but will continue to encourage them to return. At the beginning of the pandemic, we designed and published a set of short easy bicycle loops between

We look forward to ongoing consultation and collaboration with our neighboring communities, DOMI, our City Council Members, and the Mayor’s Office, to sustain the safe enjoyment of the paths, trails, parks, and streets in vibrant Squirrel Hill.

Another function of SHUC’s Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee is advocacy with the City for alternative transportation infrastructure. Public works projects involve many months, sometimes years, of planning before construction starts. Committee members spend countless hours in meetings and hearings where the plans are developed, reviewed, and revised. These discussions take place with representatives from the City such as our Councilpeople, DOMI, and the Planning Commission as well as with other organizations including the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, HealthyRide (now POGOH), and Bike Pgh. This little-recognized activity lays the foundation for the improvements that eventually benefit the neighborhood.

A public meeting with DOMI. Photo: Mary Shaw © 2018.

Squirrel Hill and Oakland, to encourage our residents to get outdoor exercise in the local area.

GOOD NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS PUBLISHES REPORTS CONTRIBUTED BY OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS.

PITTSBURGH MINADEO

Happy New Year from the students and staff at Minadeo, who have been busy learning and participating in special events. On January 23, HDR Foundation and All Kids Bike donated 25 balance bikes and helmets in physical education class to provide students practice at balancing and improve coordination. The students made thank you notes and sent them to the organizations to show their appreciation for this generous donation.

Students participated in a variety of activities during February’s Black History Month. Groups shared activities with their classmates, and various grade levels demonstrated what they learned through presentations and work posted around the school.

February 14 was a celebration of John Minadeo’s birthday! John Minadeo was a school patrol boy and a hero who saved many children from an out-of-control truck that lost its brakes on Hazelwood Ave in 1954. On his birthday, a program installed the school’s new 5th grade safety patrols. They received badges and belts to assist students as they move through the halls at dismissal time. The Student of the Month program took place at the end of the month to recognize students with good attendance and who exhibit positive behavior and citizenship.

The spring will bring preparations for a musical performance and various spring activities, as well as looking forward to end of the year field trips!

Minadeo is beginning Kindergarten registration and offers tours during the school day to anyone interested in the school for their child! If you would like to request a tour, please call 412-529-4035 to schedule a time to visit.

ST. EDMUND’S ACADEMY

St. Edmund’s Academy’s Early Childhood Division, which includes Preschool, PreKindergarten, and Kindergarten, has started holding monthly Wolfpup Pack Meetings. The student-centered meetings give the school’s youngest learners time to learn about the school’s six Core Values in age-appropriate ways, and inspires them to put the Core Values into practice.

Each meeting includes a presentation from the school’s Faculty members with a special guest appearance by the SEA Wolfpup, a short performance by the students in one of the grades, and a talk from a member of the community. So far, SEA has welcomed community members Cami Teacoach, CEO and Founder of VolunTOTs, an organization committed to teaching young children the importance of giving back; and SEA’s friend and neighbor, Mardi Isler, president of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.

Additionally, throughout the fall and winter trimesters, SEA Lower Schoolers, students in 1st through 4th Grades, have had visits from classmates’ family members who are in STEM-related fields. During science classes, students have heard from a computer scientist, a veterinarian, a Tech Lead at Google, a clinical researcher, and from Squirrel Hill parents, OB/gynecologist Dr. Anna Binstock and rheumatologist and epidemiologist Dr. Mehret Talabi. The science and engineering & design curriculum at SEA places an emphasis on immersive and hands-on experiences, and these visits with professionals give students the opportunity to ask questions, try new things, and think about life as a scientist!

Finally, on November 8, 2022, in conjunction with the local elections, the St. Edmund’s Academy Upper Schoolers, students in 5th through 8th Grade, organized and participated in a Mock Election. The students learned about elections in their social studies classes, and several students volunteered to work together and serve as election officials and poll workers in the Mock Election. Students were responsible for registering to vote ahead of time, and then determining their polling location in the school.

COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL

For the first time in person since the start of the pandemic, more than 350 people celebrated together at the school’s superhero-themed Annual Party on January 28 honoring Community Day School teachers for their transformational work. All event proceeds benefited the CDS First-Rate Faculty Campaign to raise $500,000 to significantly increase teacher salaries.

Instead of taking the day off, for the eighth consecutive year CDS students and faculty took on the essential themes of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2023 in a day of learning, service, and reflection. Students focused on issues of race, equity, social justice, and what they

can do to create a better United States and a better world through classroom activities and service-learning projects across the community. Experience highlights at comday.org/mlk.

Headed into spring, the Community Day School calendar is always full of both meaningful traditions and fun events, many of which are open to the community. The CDS community is looking forward to upcoming events including the Instrumental Music Spring Concert, Jewish holiday celebrations, science fair, Grandparent & Special Friend Day, and the graduation of the Class of 2023.

This month, Middle School students will take the stage on March 29, 30 and April 2 to bring to life

Into the Woods Jr., a lyrically rich adaptation of the groundbreaking musical fairytale about wishes and the choices we make. Tickets are on sale at comday.org/ woods.

Please also join Community Day School for a studentled Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration on Tuesday, April 18 from 8:45—9:30 a.m. at the site of the Gary and Nancy Tuckfelt Keeping Tabs: A Holocaust Sculpture on the CDS campus. The outdoor event will include music, prayer, readings, and a candle-lighting service in remembrance of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. RSVP at comday.org/ yomhashoah.

Navigating Urban Rivers: Making Connections Through Rowing

By Zoe Obenza-Bridges, senior at Pittsburgh Allderdice

I OFTEN FIND THE SPORT OF ROWING BRINGS discomfort more times than pleasure, but the satisfaction of the movement of the boat through the water creates a struggle between pain and pleasure worth experiencing. The very moment a stroke is taken, arguably something unique takes place. Each oar is buried in the water, eyes are gazing forward, legs are pushing away from the foot plates, and the long shell of the boat is set into motion.

As a novice, getting involved in the sport during my junior year of high school was nothing less than intimidating. Hearing words like bow, stern, port, and starboard made it feel like a foreign language, one that my teammates spoke fluently. Aside from the terminology, the ways that rowing could take place on the water seemed limitless. Boats range in size (or number of rowers) from singles to eights and from using one oar to two. Because of this variety, existence on the river as a rower is ever-changing.

Being a part of Pittsburgh’s only inner-city public school with a rowing team adds something special to the physical nature of the sport. With just under thirty rowers, our team is relatively small within the world of high-school rowing. Although some may see smaller teams as less advantageous in terms of results, the intimate aspect of our team creates a special environment. Coaches Emma

Schauf, Gabe Espinoza,

and Mabel Barlett have the means to work in depth with each rower in terms of physical and mental skills. Rowing, by nature, is a competitive sport, and with this, the culture surrounding it can create tension in the minds of athletes. However, during my time rowing with Allderdice, our coaches have always prioritized the athletes’ mental wellbeing and general love for the sport. There’s a significant emphasis on personal enjoyment, and that sentiment has had a big influence on my appreciation for crew.

The moment I arrived at the boat house for the first time, I observed a great energy and passion for simply moving on the water. This perspective on rowing carried over during practices but also within the midst of racing season. I always found comfort in the fact that as long as my teammates and I were enjoying ourselves on the water, and trying our best, results weren’t a big deal. While medals are always celebrated and strived for, simply racing is too, no matter the outcome. Our coaches have built a community based on good sportsmanship, character, and personal growth. The accepting culture of our team makes being a part of the rowing community worthwhile.

Becoming a rower has allowed me to create a new relationship with myself and with the Allegheny River. With each moment on the water, I was learning how to row and simultaneously was learning more about myself. I quickly became captivated by the sport because of the lessons it taught me. As a bowperson—the rower closest to the bow—I needed to become comfortable navigating the expanse of the Allegheny, avoiding other boats on the water, and calling commands, all while developing basic techniques. As overwhelming as it was to learn all this, it was also rewarding to acquire the situational skills

it takes to move along the river efficiently and safely. These skills are vital during the racing season, which takes place in the spring and fall. After bowing my first race on a course I had only rowed once, I felt as if there wasn’t anything I couldn’t learn how to do. Overcoming the anxiety that comes with navigating a new river is empowering.

Aside from navigational skills, having a strong mentality is equally important as a rower. Whether it’s on water or while erging (practicing indoors on a rowing machine), rowers tend to have a high capacity for discomfort. During my first winter season on the erg, former coach AJ Smith said before practice, “It’s about becoming comfortable with discomfort.” AJ often had many motivational lines at the ready, but this is one that stuck with me. If anything, rowing has taught me that our capacities for pain can be trained and shifted. You can decide how much you’re capable of accomplishing. Becoming comfortable with discomfort is a skill that has unlimited value not only within the realm of rowing, but also within the movements of daily life.

From spending hours upon hours moving along the Allegheny River, I also developed a strong sense of admiration for the natural beauty that the river offers. Rowing provides a unique perspective, one that cannot be achieved by driving past the river, seeing it flow as you cross a bridge, or even standing next to it. There’s something incredibly special about being in such close proximity to the water, surrounded by the slopes of trees, with an expansive sky above. Small details of the river’s

Each oar is buried in the water, eyes are gazing forward, legs are pushing away from the foot plates, and the long shell of the boat is set into motion.

curves and edges become ingrained into memory, acting as landmarks during each row. The banks of trees and tall grasses that line the shores become almost like street signs, telling you when and how to shift the direction of the boat to create the most efficient path. It’s difficult not to feel small when you’re met with a wall of greenness against the expansive backdrop of the water.

While rowing offers a connection with nature, it also provides ways to co-exist with the river’s inhabitants. Parts of the Allegheny act as a sanctuary for wildlife. With each row, we often pass by blue herons, standing patiently along the grassy banks, and see the occasional bald eagle soar overhead. We watch goslings grow in the spring, their delicate, fluffy feathers expanding into shiny ones. Watching life move and change along the Allegheny River is nothing short of awe-inspiring, despite the occasional goose poop that lines the dock.

Rowing with Allderdice gives students the opportunity to explore what they are capable of, not only within the realm of sports, but in terms of mental fitness as well. The ability to connect to the river and to a community that fosters personal growth has proved incomparable. Pittsburgh provides numerous ways to traverse the city, but moving by river is by far the finest.

PHYSICIANS AND VETERINARIANS SHARE MANY common concerns. One of the big issues we have is overweight patients. After consuming too many calories it is common for pets, like people, to become obese.

Some estimates suggest that more than half of pets are carrying too much weight. Discussing a body condition score at a veterinary annual exam is so important for good pet health. A score of 5 on a scale of 9 is a perfect weight. One to four is too thin and six to nine is too heavy. It is common for pet parents to be in denial about overweight pets.

A simple solution for dogs and their owners is to get off the couch and take a walk. Walking is a low impact exercise that almost everyone can start and continue long term for better health. Walking as exercise is easy and can progress to an active lifestyle.

All that is necessary to walk for exercise are comfortable shoes, a leash, a plastic bag for picking up waste, and a flashlight for night walks. Squirrel Hill has beautiful walking trails in Frick and Schenley Parks and

MOBILITY OF PETS AND PEOPLE

By Lawrence Gerson, VMD

is within walking distance to Mellon Park. If walking does not increase your heart rate enough, add some hills to the routine.

Beyond its exercise benefits, walking with a dog is a fantastic way to experience the bond between people and animals. Another example of the human-animal bond is the relationship between people who are blind, have low vision, or are hard of hearing and their trained service dogs. My favorite patients were dogs who literally had the life of the owner in their control.

Photo by Carissa Rogers

Walking with a dog is a fantastic way to experience the bond between people and animals.

Bonnet and Cupid nuzzled, wrestled, and wagged their tails like any two Golden Retrievers would. This was their down time, a chance to relax. At other times, Bonnet and Cupid work as guide dogs for Joyce Driben of Greenfield and Eddie Reid of Squirrel Hill. Now, though, the two human friends had removed their dogs’ harnesses to let them play.

“Once you have a [guide] dog, your whole life changes,” said Reid. There’s the special partnership you develop with the animal and a new way of moving through the world.

For people who are blind or visually impaired, a guide dog brings mobility and independence, but there are always challenges. These include uneven sidewalks; cars that turn right on red without stopping; and drivers that speed into a parking lot without looking, carelessly entering a space that is already difficult for a guide dog to navigate.

And then there are the dog-lovers who want to pet Bonnet while she’s working, or feed her a treat, or give her commands. Doing so, according to Driben, “is like taking the wheel from the hands of a driver.” It’s just not safe.

Sometimes, though, it’s the dog that seeks out the treat. Once, Driben recalls, she was riding a bus when her previous guide dog began to sniff a pizza box held by another passenger. While Driben tried to separate the canine from the delicious meal, she warned her fellow bus-rider, “You might end up sharing it, if you don’t move away!”

A working dog needs to focus, so if you encounter Bonnet, Cupid, or any other guide dog in a harness, remember that they are on the job and should not be distracted. While they may look like a pet, they play a different role in the lives of their handlers.

Service dogs are specifically trained for assisting people with lifesaving help in everyday activities. Guide dogs go through rigorous training for years to help people navigate in their environment. It is important to not pet or distract guide dogs. They are working dogs, and it is best to admire their skills from a distance.

Declaring pets as emotional support pets is not the same as having a trained service animal. Even airline travel has been impacted by people who claim that emotional support pets have the right to travel in the passenger compartment. Recent clarification of the rights of service animals hopefully will differentiate between true service dogs and emotional support pets.

With the help of guide dogs, people who have lost their vision or hearing can gain independence to live a fuller life. Together, they can enjoy simple pleasures like going for a walk. Sometimes, efforts to make the city more accessible to bicycles, scooters, and skateboards end up making travel more difficult for some citizens. Traffic circles where traffic never stops create difficulty for guide dogs, people with disabilities, children, and elderly that are attempting to cross streets. Other obstructions—like scooters left lying on sidewalks and street curbs—create trip hazards for everyone. More attention must be paid to safe movement for all.

Joyce Driben and her guide dog Bonnet.

Driving Squirrel Hill

By Helen Wilson, Vice President, Squirrel Hill Historical Society

IN SQUIRREL HILL, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT GETTING AROUND MORE EASILY.

In 2017, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) asked me to help plan a walking tour of Squirrel Hill. As I thought about it, I concluded that a two-hour walk wouldn’t allow people to see more than a slice of the business district and maybe a few

residential streets. I felt it would be better to drive the neighborhood to experience the entire scope of its many distinctly different historical and geological places, so we put together a bus tour instead.

Squirrel Hill North and South together form a neighborhood larger and more populous than any other in Pittsburgh and bigger than many municipalities surrounding the city. Within its 3.89 sq. mile area are a mile-long business district, Frick and Schenley Parks, a golf course, Carnegie Mellon and Chatham Universities, Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, a number of other public and private schools, dense areas of large and small apartment buildings, the Murray Hill Avenue

The Forbes and Murray business district is roughly the midpoint of the driving tour.

Historic District, synagogues, churches, several urban villages, and various kinds of residential areas ranging from imposing mansions on wide avenues to vintage houses on old rural roads. It has the oldest domestic log structure in Pittsburgh—the Neill Log House in Schenley Park—and the newest residences—in Summerset, the brand-new neighborhood of gracious homes built on an old slag dump in Nine Mile Run valley. Squirrel Hill also has a section of an interstate highway and what could be the seventh longest tunnel in Pennsylvania—the Penn-Lincoln Parkway and Squirrel Hill Tunnel. It has over 200 avenues, streets, roads, lanes, terraces, courts, places, ways, bridges, and boulevards. There are around 70 miles of roadways within Squirrel Hill and miles of hiking trails in the parks.

But wait—there’s more!

Squirrel Hill’s geology is the reason everything developed in the neighborhood the way it did. The neighborhood sits on a high hill almost completely surrounded by deep valleys—Nine Mile Run and Fern Hollow to the east, the Monongahela River valley to the south, the Saline Street ravine and Junction Hollow to the west, and Fifth Avenue to the north. It wasn’t until trolley bridges spanned those valleys, beginning in the late 1800s, that urban development began in earnest. Before that, the hill was almost inaccessible. From early on in Pittsburgh’s history, development swirled around the base of the hill along the wide, flat valleys created by melting ice sheets during the Ice Age, which

The first Murray Avenue bridge (pictured in 1913) connecting northern Squirrel Hill and southern Squirrel Hill/Greenfield. Pittsburgh City Photographer Collection, 1901-2002, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Bridges span Junction Hollow in 1893. Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Source: Art Work of Pittsburg, The W.H. Parish Publishing Company, 1893.

later became Wilkinsburg, East Liberty, Shadyside, Hazelwood, Oakland, and Downtown Pittsburgh. Railroads ran through the valleys; industries and factories opened along their routes; bustling business districts grew.

Squirrel Hill didn’t. It remained a rural area of country estates and farms well into the 1800s because its steep slopes were too difficult to climb. Squirrel Hill was unsuitable for factories and mills because railroads couldn’t climb the slopes. Before trolleys, industrial workers had to live close enough to walk to their places

I felt it would be better to drive the neighborhood to experience the entire scope of its many distinctly different historical and geological places …

“Street Car #1753 at Carnegie Mellon University.” Pittsburgh Railways Company Collection, Blaine S. Hays, February 5, 1966, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

SQUIRREL HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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. The SHHS has returned to live programs at the Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Ave. The programs are also on Zoom. Go to www.squirrelhillhistory.org to request a link to the Zoom program and for updates and announcements of upcoming lectures and events. Please consider joining the SHHS. Membership is only $15 per year ($25 for families). There is no charge for attending the meetings.

TUESDAY, APRIL 11

Good Questions About Pittsburgh

KATIE BLACKLEY, a digital editor/producer for 90.5 WESA and host of the station’s Good Question! series and podcast, will share inquiries from curious listeners, with a focus on things related to the East End.

TUESDAY,

MAY 9

An Overview of Doors Open Pittsburgh

BONNIE BAXTER is executive director of DOORS

OPEN Pittsburgh, which provides historical tours inside Pittsburgh’s iconic buildings. She will discuss Pittsburgh’s unique architecture and history, including that of some buildings in the East End.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4 , 1:00–3:00 PM SPECIAL PROGRAM—A History of the Stained Glass Windows at Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS)

BARBARA OLEINICK, a member of CBS and maven on the history and themes in the main sanctuary’s stained-glass windows, will share her wealth of knowledge in this field trip to Beth Shalom on Beacon St. at Shady Ave.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

A History of the Bridges Over Fern Hollow

SHHS Board Member TODD WILSON is an engineer who has been photographing and writing about bridges his whole life. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon with a double major in Civil Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy and is a trustee of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

TUESDAY, JULY 11

A History of the Steps of Pittsburgh

LAURA ZUROWSKI, a Pittsburgh-based writer/ photographer, will discuss her forthcoming book on Pittsburgh’s steps. It builds upon the content of Bob Regan’s 2004 book, Pittsburgh Steps: The Story of the City’s Public Stairways

of employment, so Squirrel Hill never developed the densely packed and often substandard housing found in industrial areas. When electric trolleys came to Squirrel Hill in 1893, not only did they climb the slopes, they traveled across bridges that soared over the deep valleys and rough terrain. A little-known part of Squirrel Hill’s development is how much the hill has been “manicured.” Steep slopes have been shaved down, ravines filled in, and streams culverted. The landscape

looks natural, but much of Squirrel Hill has been groomed and its contours smoothed out.

The trolleys sparked the growth of Squirrel Hill’s business district. Forbes and Murray became a crossroads, taking people back and forth from Downtown, south to Homestead, east to Wilkinsburg and Braddock, and north to East Liberty. When the hill became accessible for residential development,

the brand-new houses attracted wealthy owners of factories and businesses that catered to the workers in other parts of the city.

Automobiles joined trolleys in the early 1900s, quickening the pace of urban development in Squirrel Hill. Trolley right-of-ways gave way to paved roads that brought increasing numbers of residents to the neighborhood, making the business district thrive. A business district can’t exist without a population to support it. Many of the newcomers were Jewish, giving the business district its distinctly Jewish flavor. Through the years, the character of the business district has become more eclectic, with stores and restaurants of many nationalities now offering a global assortment of goods and services. In a little over a century, Squirrel Hill transformed from a sparsely inhabited rural area into a destination of its own.

Driving around Squirrel Hill is a great way to experience all of its history. You can access an expanded version of the PHLF driving tour on the Squirrel Hill Historical Society website, squirrelhillhistory.org. I teamed with SHHS member Lauren Winkler, a Geographic Information Systems Specialist extraordinaire, to morph the original tour into an online, interactive “Driving Tour of Squirrel Hill” that features a map of the route, descriptions of more than fifty places of interest to see, and suggestions for getting out of the car and walking to other nearby things to see. The route is designed to touch on all areas of Squirrel Hill, from its lowest to its highest points and from its beginnings to its future. The tour can be found by clicking on the “Driving Tour of Squirrel Hill” link in the main menu of the SHHS website.

You might have noticed in reading this article that I didn’t go into detail about the route and the sights to see. That’s for you to discover when you check out the driving tour for yourself. The route is around fourteen miles long. It can be dizzying as it maneuvers around Squirrel Hill’s curvy roads and altitude changes from riverbank to Beacon Heights, but it’s well worth driving to experience the whole of Squirrel Hill.