4 Smithfield Street, Suite 1210 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
GOT A NEWS TIP?
E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com
WANT TO PLACE AN AD?
EMAIL rachel@pghcitypaper.com
PGHCITYPAPER PITTSBURGHCITYPAPER
JULY 5-12, 2023 // VOL. 32 ISSUE 27
Editor-in-Chief ALI TRACHTA
Director of Advertising RACHEL WINNER
Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD
News Editor JAMIE WIGGAN
A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ
Art Director LUCY CHEN
Photographer JARED WICKERHAM
Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST
Digital Editorial Coordinator HANNAH KINNEY-KOBRE
Senior Account Executive OWEN GABBEY Sales Representatives SIERRA CLARY, MARIA STILLITANO
Digital Coordinator MORGAN BIDDLE
Marketing Coordinator LEE HOOD
Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH
Contributors KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON, REGE BEHE, LYNN CULLEN, MEG ST-ESPRIT, MATT PETRAS, JORDANA ROSENFELD, JORDAN SNOWDEN
Intern AUGUST STEPHENS
National Advertising Representative
VMG ADVERTISING
1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529
Publisher CARS HOLDING, INC.
GENERAL POLICIES: Contents
copyrighted 2023 by CARS Holding, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of CARS Holding, Inc. LETTER POLICY: Letters, or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by CARS Holding, Inc. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper
FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $250 per year (52 issues), $150 per half year (26 issues), or $32 per six weeks. For more information, visit pghcitypaper.com and click on the Subscribe tab.
COVER DESIGN: LUCY CHEN
IT’S NO SURPRISE that the popularity of camping has risen in the last few years — there’s nowhere better to social distance than in the middle of the woods. In fact, a survey by Kampgrounds of America found that 9.1 million Americans tried camping for the first time in 2021.
Camping doesn’t always mean roughing it, though. If you decided you disliked camping in a musty scouting tent three decades ago, it’s time to give it another shot. Some campgrounds can feel more like mini-amusement parks — with water
slides, daily activity schedules, and other amenities that take the entire experience up a notch.
Good news: There are a slew of these luxury (or, at least, not-so-rustic) campground resorts around the Pittsburgh area. Every campground included here has sleeping options ranging from tent sites to RV rentals to deluxe treehouses, so there is no need to sleep on the ground if you don’t want to. We’ve rounded up just a few of the best, so grab your s’mores stick — and your selfie stick — and head to one of these posh spots.
SOME CAMPGROUNDS CAN FEEL MORE LIKE MINI-AMUSEMENT PARKS — WITH WATER SLIDES, DAILY ACTIVITY SCHEDULES, AND OTHER AMENITIES THAT TAKE THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE UP A NOTCH.
These deluxe campgrounds step it up with arcades, water sports, themed events, and much more
BY MEG ST-ESPRIT // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
KOAs, as they are affectionately known, are a brand of franchised campgrounds spread out across the country. While there are commonalities to all KOA’s, since they are individually owned and operated, each one is a bit different. A few of the most popular in this region — the the
over the Ohio border fun swimming pools, inflatables, golf carts for tooling about, and live music and movie nights.
Like KOA, Jellystone Parks are a network of privately-owned campgrounds that comprise a larger brand. If you’ve ever wanted to ride in a giant pic-a-nic basket pulled by a tractor while the Yogi Bear theme song blares, this is the spot for you. Seriously, though, these camp grounds do it right. Arcades, water slides, mini-golf, and foam parties — it is actu ally impossible to be bored. Some of the most popular locations for Pittsburghers are Highlands and Slippery Rock. Each spot features slightly different amenities, but both guarantee nonstop entertainment.
If you’re not ready to book a weekend away, many bougie campgrounds offer day rates for use of their amenities. Check one out for a day of fun, and we bet you’ll be booking a few nights soon after. While there is so much value in the peaceful state parks and quiet campgrounds dotted throughout this region, sometimes you just really need to go all-out at one of these deluxe parks.
To rent an RV to take to one of these parks, check out gorvrentals.com or outdoorsy. com, which let you rent travel trailers and motorized recreational vehicles just like Airbnb. If you want to go the tent route, camping gear is a popular item to lend in local Buy Nothing groups, so ask around before purchasing. 3 Rivers Outdoor Co. and companies like Kit Lender and LowerGear also rent camping gear out so you can try before you buy.
Now open, Phipps invites you to Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter. This spectacular new show features brilliant horticultural displays and breathtaking fashion designs inspired by Billy Porter’s local roots and iconic array of accomplishments as an award-winning actor, singer, director, composer, and playwright. With the help of six professional fashion designers and costumers and students from Billy’s local alma maters, Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh CAPA High School, Phipps has created an unforgettable experience for all.
Stunning scenes in room after room will place you directly into a fantastic world of fashion and flora, surrounding you with bursts of bright blooms like geraniums, begonias, philodendron and so much more.
Exhibit features include the following:
· Enter the show as an intricate, Pittsburgh-inspired gown takes center stage in front of a pink neon sign in our Welcome Center.
· Stroll among elegant blue and green costumes inspired by Porter’s Unprotected: A Memoir beneath gleaming globe chandeliers in our Sunken Garden.
· View a captivating gold costume that hovers in the Victoria Room as blue water lilies circulate in the pond below.
· Strut your stuff into the Broderie Room featuring a vibrant Kinky Boots-inspired display.
· Lights, camera, action! The South Conservatory transports you to a red carpet holding three award-worthy dresses constructed with dried plant material.
· Marvel at the live fish swimming within the aquaponics costume in the Serpentine Room.
· Don’t forget to strike a pose in front of the pink and green vertical wall on your way out!
The concept for this year’s Summer Flower Show came to be when Billy filmed his directorial debut, Anything’s Possible, within Phipps itself in 2021. Collaborating further on an upcoming flower show focused on fashion seemed to be the obvious next step! To prepare for this show, Phipps horticulturists spent countless hours growing and caring for the 96 different plant types that are featured.
For the South Conservatory, the Phipps Exhibits team constructed three fashion pieces out of dried plant material, all seeking inspiration from nature. Exhibit Associate Mary Lou Linton-Morningstar designed the costume silhouettes in the fall of 2022 and enlisted help from horticulture to gather and preserve plant material for each design that would be fabricated over the course of four months.
Throughout the intensive design and installation process, Billy and his team provided valuable and insightful feedback that was subsequently incorporated into the show. Associate Director of Exhibits Jordyn Melino recalls one specific instance regarding the red carpet featured in the South Conservatory. “Billy commented how a red carpet is just begging to be walked on and asked if there was any way we could make it interactive for guests. We were able to adjust our design so that the red carpet of flowers extended as an actual red carpet that spills over the garden and down the pathway to where guests could stand on it while using the selfie shelf for a photo!” This photo opportunity has already proven to be a fun and immersive feature for guests of all ages.
Prepare to be wowed as you behold unique designs and gorgeous gowns enhanced by beauty that only Phipps can provide. Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter, designed by Associate Director of Exhibits Jordyn Melino and featuring the work of Madison Michalko, Thee Suburbia, Cathy Olivar, Gloria Swanson, Damian E. Dominguez, Mindy Eshelman, and the students of Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh CAPA 6 – 12, is open daily this summer at Phipps. 1.800.272.3900.
BLOOMFIELD residents and East End commuters may have noticed something new in the last few months at the BP gas station on the corner of Liberty and 40th — a sign featuring a grinning clip-art taco and the name “El Pariente.”
I’m from the American southeast, so the ambiance of the El Pariente side of the BP is deeply nostalgic for me. Back home, gas station eateries are common, sometimes even taking the form of fullsize diners. Countless times, I’ve eaten barbecue on a communal folding table swathed in a freshly-wiped vinyl tablecloth, flanked by the hum of machines, both slot and slushy.
This BP has hosted other restaurants, including an offshoot of Quik-It Chicken and a rolled ice cream enterprise, but El Pariente’s set up is more separated from the traffic of the gas station side, and the space feels more dedicated to the restaurant.
puts it, is “along for the ride”) walked me through the straightforward menu, featuring tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and tortas. It’s your typical “choose a protein, preparation, and toppings” fast-casual concept, at least for now.
huevos rancheros.
And in general, I’m psyched to have Mexican food available at the same place I get my Rap Snacks and slightly meltedthen-refrozen ice cream novelties.
Behind the counter, owner Marco Cantera and his wife Amber (who, as she
El Pariente hit a snag last month when it was briefly closed by the Allegheny County Health Department over some food safety issues. Thankfully, though, the taco spot is back in business, and now fully permitted, with big plans on the horizon. The Canteras hope to be open late and running the grill outside by midsummer. They also plan on starting breakfast service around August, complete with breakfast burritos and
Soups in 10-ounce containers occupy a prominent space on the printed menu, but depending on the day, the availability of the soups and proteins change. The first time I visited, they were out of soup. “My husband’s mom makes them,” Amber tells Pittsburgh City Paper , “and she’s been really busy.” (To be clear, I’m the kind of person who would rather not have the soup sometimes but know that the owner’s mom makes it.)
El Pariente is the gas station taco shop you didn't know Bloomfield needed
The second time I visited, Marco’s mom, Maria, came through with menudo, a spicy tripe stew. Being a
take-it-or-leave-it offal eater, I was fully prepared for any of the imagined complications of eating spicy stomach-lining soup on a blazingly hot day in late spring, but I was not prepared for how fully, transformatively delicious this menudo would be.
The tripe was like silk, with a creamy, clean taste, sans the aggressive minerality you can sometimes get with offal. Maria cooks it overnight, so it’s tender and not chewy, and it swims in a broth of such chile- and lime-scented clarity that it smells like someone opened a bottle of Tajin right under your nose. Get it how Marco serves it up, with plenty of raw white onion, cilantro, and a generous dousing of fresh lime — the onions add a freshness and bite, the cilantro an essential herbiness, the lime a must-have to balance the depth of the broth. By the end of my bowl, I was tipsy on chiles and ready to join the menudo fan club.
of the good stuff. The bolillo for my steak torta was huge, fresh, and pleasantly toothsome, and all their salsas are made in-house.
Pittsburghers have an unconditional love for this city and everything it produces, which is great in some ways, but I think local food enthusiasts can be prone to hyperbole. I don’t want to do that here. El Pariente probably isn’t going to be for the person specifically searching for vegforward or West Coast-style tacos. It’s not gussied up or gentrified, yet people on a quest for “authenticity” when eating regional or cultural cuisines might find it too Americanized.
My biggest wish for El Pariente would be for every menu item to have the precision and oomph the menudo has, but here’s the thing: El Pariente is solid. It’s a specific subset of good — it’s hungover good, on a tube in the middle of the Kiskiminetas River good, “oh my god
This level of excellence varies more with the other options on the menu, but in general, there’s a lot to love. Portion sizes are generous, the prices are reasonable, and there’s no skimping on the extras — my carnitas burrito, with pork crisped on the grill to order, had plenty
I’m so hungry” good. Appropriate to its setting, snagging a burrito at El Pariente and the biggest mango White Claw you’ve ever seen might be the number one convenience move of a fun and thrifty Bloomfield summer, and I, for one, am happy to fill up there. •
THE TRIPE WAS LIKE SILK, WITH A CREAMY, CLEAN TASTE ... IT SWIMS IN A BROTH OF SUCH CHILE- AND LIME-SCENTED CLARITY THAT IT SMELLS LIKE SOMEONE OPENED A BOTTLE OF TAJIN RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE.
BRIAN CONWAY ADMITS it’s a gutsy move to venture into print media in 2023 — especially in a withered local market such as Pittsburgh.
The day after the June 11 launch party celebrating the first Pittsburgh Independent print issue, a close digital competitor, The Incline, laid off its one remaining Pittsburgh staffer. Two years before, the Pittsburgh Current’s shortlived attempt to introduce a second alt-weekly into Pittsburgh’s fragmented media landscape quietly concluded. Meanwhile, the city’s legacy outlets are marked by layoffs and labor strife.
Somewhere within all this, though, Conway sees opportunity. People still want to know what’s going on in the city, he says, and they want to read about it from independent sources they can trust.
“There’s a lot of stuff in Pittsburgh that just isn’t getting covered,” Conway tells Pittsburgh City Paper . “Not because it’s the journalists’ fault or anything like that. There’s just only so much time.”
Conway launched the Independent last spring as a digital-only publication centered around a weekly roundup of top news stories for the casual consumer, and supplemented with occasional deep dives and original reporting. The print edition rolled off the press this month to commemorate the one-year anniversary. There may or may not be more forthcoming.
Embracing the tagline “Pittsburgh’s above-ground underground newspaper,” Conway says his goal is to expose the ills of the powerful while highlighting overlooked artists and small businesses.
“I think that if we’re able to do independent reporting and shine more of a spotlight on, you know, these authentic, independent places, I think that that could resonate with readers,” he tells City Paper
In an opening note introducing the issue, Conway points to a 2021 report by the American Journalism Project, which concluded, “Pittsburghers feel the absence of strong local news media and want basic watchdog journalism.”
He says his inaugural print product is already asking those hard questions with a piece exposing the emptiness of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent sustainability pledge and another questioning the Warhol Museum’s ethics for participating in an arts festival sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s “brutal regime,” which presumably paid a handsome loan fee.
It also has an entire two-page spread dedicated to many of the hidden wonders
of Pittsburgh’s Mexican culinary scene, written both in Spanish and English. Meanwhile, the back two pages reveal a litany of DIY music listings presented in a suitably minimalist DIY aesthetic.
Emma Diehl, a contributor to the Independent who won a Golden Quill for her profile of a South Side boudoir photographer, says the publication is creating opportunities for freelancers like her to tell stories that other outlets might shun.
“I was really excited to give her an opportunity locally for coverage when it was not getting touched by other outlets,” Diehl says of the piece’s subject, Kelsa Blaine.
"NOW THE CHALLENGE FOR ME — AND THIS IS LIKE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE — IS HOW DO WE MAKE THIS THING SUSTAINABLE?”
“PITTSBURGHERS FEEL THE ABSENCE OF STRONG LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND WANT BASIC WATCHDOG JOURNALISM.”
Having successfully rolled out one press run, the primarily digital operation. Conway says he hopes to establish a quarterly print ing schedule, but he’s taking things one day at a time.
“Now the challenge for me — and this is like the biggest challenge — is how do we make this thing sustainable?” he says.
Conway says he essentially broke even on the 4,000-issue print run even without the suggested $5 donation, from where his only profit was gained. But the road ahead, where he can sustain his own living costs and build up a team of con tributors, remains unclear.
Rather than attempting to drive up traffic to a scale that can squeeze mean ingful sums from pay-per-click advertis ing platforms, Conway hopes to seek out targeted ad placements that match his product. But, he acknowledges, invest ing there — whether of his own time or through someone he hires — will draw resources from his content production. So his approach is to “scale up” slowly.
Conway says the Pittsburgh Media Partnership — an initiative of Point Park University working to unite the city’s
varied news outlets around common goals — has sustained some of his more involving reporting through its collabora-
“Everybody in Pittsburgh media has been super supportive,” he notes.
Not all share Conway’s optimism, though. Nick Keppler, author of the scathing “Penguins Pledge” takedown , lacks much hope at all for the future of local news.
“Over the last five years, there has been such a consistent flow of bad news about Pittsburgh media,” he says. “Naturally, people see a lot of hope in these smaller projects that are new, that are ambitious, that are optimistic. It’s very hard to sustain those kinds of things
Keppler says smaller novel newsrooms like Conway’s, PublicSource, and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit News, form an “exciting” constellation, but he’s unconvinced it can fill the void left by hollowing legacy outlets.
Diehl remains more optimistic.
“You see that in-depth coverage and curiosity, and I just hope to continue to see that as the publication grows.” •
NOMINATIONS CLOSED ON JUNE 25 HERE'S HOW WE DID:
60,000 NOMINATIONS
12,435 PARTICIPANTS
250 CATEGORIES
VOTING ROUND OPENS JULY 10!
AMELIA POSSANZA thought she was writing about a “niche topic.” Her first book, Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives, published in May by Catapult, is a collection of stories about women whose lives, professionally and certainly personally, went unnoticed because of their sexual orientation.
But since the book’s publication, the Squirrel Hill native has garnered press from NBC, NPR, Interview Magazine, and other mainstream outlets. Readers she didn’t expect have embraced the stories Possanza features in the book.
“I have been surprised by the response it’s getting,” Possanza tells Pittsburgh City Paper . “People, in this hilarious way, have felt the need to sort of announce their sexuality to me when they talk about the book. A lot of people say, ‘I’m not a lesbian but I really enjoyed your book, I really related to your book,’ and that’s’ been kind of incredible, too, because I started the project very much for myself. I wanted to find the stories that had been missing from my upbringing.”
of their own words, whether it was oral history tapes or memoir,” Possanza says.
“In the book I wanted readers to read their words — I didn’t want to be just speaking for them.”
She expands on this, adding, “And I do think that that rubbed off on me, too, their way of looking at life, their sense of humor. So maybe my day job prepared me to be more of a sponge than I realized, and I absorbed those different styles, characteristics, types of jokes, and be able to sort of slide into those different characters for each different chapter.”
As a student, Possanza says she wasn’t into history, partly because those who are featured in textbooks were generals or politicians. “I think history really favors big, decisive moments,” she says.
She adds, “The idea that what started out as a personal project would resonate with people — and people who aren’t even lesbians — is pretty exciting to me.”
Possanza, who attended Winchester Thurston School and works full-time as an associate director of publicity for Macmillan, dug into library and internet archives to unearth the stories of lesbian couples. Some are more familiar, such as Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics, competed in men’s golf tournaments, and was a founding member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
But the majority of chapters feature women such as Mary Casal, whose 1930 autobiography, The Stone Wall , was edited by two men studying sexuality, or Mabel Hampton, a Black woman who fought for civil and gay rights, and was grand marshal of New York City’s Pride March in 1985. Possanza also interviewed Joan Nestle, a founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
While her day job gives Possanza proximity to an array of writers, the subjects of Lesbian Love Story influenced her storytelling the most.
“I was deeply affected by the writing styles of the different lesbians that I studied, and I ended up using so much
And even queer history, Possanza notes, is often focused on events such as the Stonewall riots of 1969, “another battle story.” When people asked why certain individuals were included in the book, Possanza initially talked about their jobs; Mabel Hampton, for instance, was an air raid warden during World War II, a dancer, and one of the founders, along with Nestle, of the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn.
“But what I began to realize,” Possanza says, “that what makes [Hampton] inspiring to me is she offers up a blueprint for us: Practice resistance in your everyday life, practice community caretaking. … And I think the impact it had on my life was being more communityminded, being more invested in the dayto-day. We live in such an individualistic obsessed culture, and I do think that the inspiration this collection of lesbians gave me was what do I want my day-today life to look like, who do I want to be in it, and how can I make sure that every day I’m resisting some of the dominant structures in our society.” •
Random House
This sci-fi work is described by Penguin Random House as “part cyberpunk, part hardboiled detective fiction, and part parable of South Korea’s neocolonial ambition and its rippling effects.”
Simon & Schuster
A miniature black hole threatens to consume a Silicon Valley start-up worker as she contends with corruption, ambition, and an unplanned pregnancy.
Hachette
America’s gun culture is taken to task in this tale about a woman grappling with the accidental shooting death of a child in her Southern hometown.
Penguin Random House
Scratch your true crime itch with this insightful look at Stéphane Breitwieser, an art thief who, over the course of eight years, carried out more than 200 heists throughout Europe.
HarperCollins
Three generations of a Black family in North Carolina struggle to, as HarperCollins puts it, “overcome trials and trauma and free themselves from the darkness of the past.”
Pengin Random House
A professional character actress gets more than she bargained for when she trades acting for writing a salacious Hollywood gossip column. •
“PEOPLE, IN THIS HILARIOUS WAY, HAVE FELT THE NEED TO SORT OF ANNOUNCE THEIR SEXUALITY TO ME WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE BOOK.”
CLOSE TO A YEAR after a judge ruled that the Schenley Park Christopher Columbus statue could lawfully be removed, the statue remains in place. The monument has been covered over since 2020, but it has recently been sighted with large parts exposed.
“It seemed like more and more of it was being uncovered, and now, the last time I went by … it was kind of weird … almost like an executioner,” says Richard Varner of Wilkinsburg. “They put the hood over the head.”
Local Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 that erupted from the killing of George Floyd led to questioning over the place of the Columbus statue, due to a reevaluation of his character as a symbol of colonialism and slavery. Some locals who claim Italian heritage opposed removal of the statue due to Columbus’ Italian origins, but the city's art commission decided to remove it in a decision later affirmed by a judge in October of 2022.
Immediately after the ruling, the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, a Pittsburgh-based, political group representing Italian-Americans, appealed the decision in court.
In a press release announcing the appeal, the group’s lawyer, George Bochetto, claims former Mayor Bill Peduto lacked the authority to remove the statue.
“The Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter is clear that some rule-making authority is reserved for City Council, and the Mayor must comply with those rules once enacted. In this case, the City Council passed a binding ordinance to keep the Columbus Statue in Schenley Park, Bochetto said. “Unless and until that ordinance is repealed, the Mayor must comply with it.”
Since then, it has progressed in court behind the scenes, with both sides filing
briefs before a judge issues a ruling.
Olga George, press secretary for Mayor Ed Gainey, told Pittsburgh Paper there are no updates to share about the statue and declined to detail any plans for removal of the statue. “If the statue is mostly uncovered, it's probably due to the elements or someone removing the covering,” she wrote.
In October, a spokesperson for Gainey told City Paper the administration is "looking into our options and reviewing the opinion before announcing any next steps in regards to the statue."
The Italian Sons and Daughters and its attorney did not respond to questions from City Paper about the progress of the appeal.
Seeing the statue still standing frus trates Varner, he says. He emailed a pho tograph he took of the partially exposed statue to some friends of his, including Emily De Ferrari, who has been involved in local activism for years and spoke at the 2020 Art Commission Special Hearing about the statue. An Italian-American herself, she opposes the statue, and has been taken aback by the Italian-American backlash.
“It’s just embarrassing to listen to other Italian-Americans talk about Columbus in an unaware way, or unsym pathetic way, to the effect that that might have on other people besides ItalianAmericans,” she tells CP
Seeing the statue mostly uncovered alarmed Varner, not just because he opposes the statue for what he believes it stands for, but because it seems to him like the energy behind removing it has died down.
“I kept thinking, is this someone trying to uncover it? Forget about it. That was my biggest fear,” Varner says. “The more time passes from 2020, when this all came about with George Floyd, it seems like people forget.” •
Rich Fitzgerald has filed suit against Allegheny County Council for passing a new minimum wage policy he claims is unconstitutional.
Fitzgerald opposed the council’s minimum wage bill from the outset, and attempted to knock it down with a veto after it passed last month. But council members overrode this executive maneuvering by holding down their two-third’s majority.
In the suit, filed June 28, Fitzgerald claims the council lacks the right to set terms for employee compensation, and asks the court to clarify that in a legal
Steve Zappala is hoping to retain his seat next year as a Republican after losing the Democratic Primary contest in May to newcomer Matt Dugan.
Zappala, first elected in 1998, has, in recent years, clung to his party’s hollowed center ground as others in Allegheny County have swung left. His prosecution records and limited
judgment.
Council President Pat Catena referred to Fitzgerald’s move as “Trump-like,” and accused the executive of throwing “temper tantrums.”
“Now, after consistently losing at every turn with this bill, he’s willing to throw County employees under the bus in a last ditch effort to assert his rapidly waning authority,” Catena said in a heated statement.
If it stands, the bill will guarantee all county employees earn a minimum of $20 per hour by January 2026, with incremental raises taking place each year until then.
support for diversionary policies were seized on by Dugan, who shot to victory amid a surge of progressive wins.
Lacking a candidate of their own, some Republicans rallied behind Zappala as a write-in option during the primary season, where he picked up nearly 10,000 votes. County records show he has now accepted the nomination. •
MUSIC • DOWNTOWN
Grace Kelly. 4:30 p.m. Pittsburgh Playhouse. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. $25. playhouse. pointpark.edu
EVENT • MUNHALL
Local history buffs will recall a pivotal moment in Pittsburgh’s labor history when the Battle of Homestead Foundation presents the 131st anniversary of the 1892 Homestead Steel Strike. Taking place at the Pump House, the event includes refreshments, music, and a chance for attendees to look back on a bloody clash between exploited steel workers and hired Pinkerton agents, which changed the nation’s view on workers’ rights. 6-9 p.m. 880 E. Waterfront Drive, Munhall. Free. battleofhomestead.org
THEATER • SOUTH PARK
She Loves Me. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., July 15. South Park Theatre. Brownsville Road and Corrigan Drive, South Park Township. $20. southparktheatre.com
LIT • BLOOMFIELD
The Queerpunk Slamjunk 5 p.m. The Big Idea Bookstore. 4812 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. facebook.com/ qpsjpgh/events
MUSIC • HILL DISTRICT
All That Jazz in the Hill District. 5-9 p.m. 1825 Centre Ave., Hill District. Free. facebook. com/achclearpathways/events
PARTY • FRIENDSHIP
Hot Jam 6 p.m. Pittsburgh Glass Center. 5472 Penn Ave., Friendship. Free. pittsburghglasscenter.org
FESTIVAL • OAKLAND
Experience Hawaiian culture, food, and flora when Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens presents the Tropical Forest Hawai‘i Festival. Bring the whole family to make flower crowns, kapa cloths, and leis, view rare plants, and sample Hawaiianinspired food from Café Phipps. There will also be a traditional dance demonstration and workshop. Don’t miss the chance to learn about what Phipps describes as one of the world’s “most botanically and culturally rich forest regions.” 11 a.m.-2 p.m. One Schenley Park, Oakland. Included with regular admission, free for members and kids under 2. phipps.conservatory.org
• MONROEVILLE
Pittsburgh Vegan Expo & Arts Festival
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monroeville Convention Center. 209 Mall Blvd., Monroeville. $5 in advance, $6 at the door, free for youth 17 and under. pittsburghvegan.com
Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but make the right choice, don’t drive impaired.
THU., JULY 6
MUSIC • SPRING GARDEN
Cider Saturday Concert Series 6-9 p.m. Threadbare Cider and Mead. 1291 Spring Garden Ave., Spring Garden. Free. threadbarecider.com
COMEDY • EAST LIBERTY
Amit Tandon will bring knee-slapping humor to the Kelly Strayhorn Theater with his new show Masala Sandwich. Touted as the best stand-up comedian in India, Tandon has performed in hundreds of shows around the world, and recorded his own Netflix special, Family Tendencies. His latest show promises to showcase Tandon’s brand of “refreshing and contemporary” observational humor. 7 p.m. 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. $45-85. kelly-strayhorn.org
SUN., JULY 9
OUTDOORS • LEEPER
Birding Expedition: Cook Forest with National Aviary Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill
8:30 a.m. Cook Forest, Leeper. $55. aviary.org
PARTY • STRIP DISTRICT
The Heinz History Center indulges in some local nostalgia with Kennywood Day: 125 Years of Memories, a day of family-friendly games, amusement park food, and panel discussions based around the Pittsburgh theme park. Enjoy Eastern European cooking demonstrations by Chris Fennimore and join Pittsburgh documentarian Rick Sebak during a screening of his film That Kennywood Summer, plus much more.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. Included with regular admission. heinzhistorycenter.org
FILM • SEWICKLEY
Live the Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys 2 p.m. Lindsay Theater. 418 Walnut St, Sewickley.
$8.75-33.75. thelindsaytheater.org
OUTDOORS • DOWNTOWN
Move-It Mondays. 5:30 p.m. Market Square, Downtown. Free. downtownpittsburgh.com
TUE., JULY 11
LIT • BLOOMFIELD
Hemingway’s Summer Poetry Series: Chandra Alderman, Kevin Finn, Matt Ussia, and Bart Solarczyk. 7 p.m. White Whale. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. whitewhalebookstore.com/events
WED., JULY 12
MAGIC • DOWNTOWN
Jimmy Ichihana in The Cards. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Aug. 13. Liberty Magic. 803 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $40-65. trustarts.org
MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE
Altin Gün with Rogê. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $22. thunderbirdmusichall.com
PUBLIC NOTICE
Attempting ownership of abandoned trailer. 2014 Big Tex, 70CH-18BKDT, SN:16VCX18XF3074459.
Civil Divisions Motions Judge of Allegheny County room 703 at City County Building, 414 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA. On 7/11/2023 at 11:00am
TRiNDS LLC, (Pittsburgh, PA): Responsible for all data management tasks from study start-up database lock according to applicable study docs & dept standard operating procedures for TRiNDS contracted studies. Telecommuting from within the U.S. allowed. Min
Reqs: Master’s in Pharmacology & Toxicology, Biostats, Epidemiology or closely rel field or in the alternative a Bachelor’s in Pharmacology & Toxiocology, Biostats, Epidemiology or closely rel field w/ 5 years of data management exp. Spec reqs: dem wkng knwl of SAS (coursework accepted). Any suitable combo of edu.,training, or exp is acceptable. Qualified applicants email resumes to tfettinger@trinds.com w/ ref to Job Code: SS22
PUBLIC NOTICE
A petition for Involuntary Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle has been filed by Wain Maszkiewicz, Case No. GD-23-7849 for a 1999 Isuzu Amigo, Vin# 4S2PN57W9X4302502.
A hearing is scheduled on August 1st, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. before the Civil Division Motions Judge of Allegheny County.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005 E Entry Drive Pittsburgh PA 15216, July 19, 2023 at 11:30 AM. TW Enterprise 5133. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
ESTATE OF BALDAUF, GEORGE
C., DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA
GEORGE C. BALDAUF, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 022207851 of 2022.David Baldauf, Adm. 628 Industry St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201.
Or to Michelle D Smith, Esq. Murray, Hogue, & Lannis, attorneys. 3400 Gulf Tower, 707 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206 July 19, 2023 at 1:45 PM. 1025 Sadie Moore, 3082 Rashad Grant, 4002 Rochell Brewton, 4105 Tima Pierce, L049 Raymond Rucker. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of the leased space to satisfy the Extra Space Lien at 3200 Park Manor Blvd, Pittsburgh, Pa 15205 on 07/19/2023 at 1:00pm.
3109 Tracy Norman. The Auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd, Pittsburgh PA 15226 July 19, 2023, at 1:15 PM. 2179 Andrea Holmes, 3255 Wayne Copeland, 4096 Kasheena Washington, 4173 Gary Bacon. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at 110 Kisow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on July 19th, 2023 at 11:15 am. Maurqel Watts 221, Eric Clark 328. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
1. Scotch partner
5. Home base
8. Chance to go down swinging
13. “Drink up, fellow Teutons”
15. With 24-Across, United Arab Emirates’s capital
16. Break in the play
17. Keenly perceptive
18. George Mikan Trophy league
19. Iowa senator Joni
20. Genre used by Salman Rushdie and Gabriel García Márquez
23. “Too funny, but
I’m not going to laugh”
24. See 15-Across
27. David Bowie hit that begins
“They pulled in just behind the fridge”
33. Tête-à-tête, for short 34. Stopped longer flying 35. “Things could NOT get any worse” 36. Catchment ___ 37. Capital with the suburb Carthage 39. Can-do 40. Tire adornment 41. Wrestling star ___ Storm 42. Heaped 43. Transcript entries
47. Notre Dame coach Rockne
48. Untrustworthy, for short
49. McDonald’s beverage that, when drunk, supposedly leads to ridiculous and frightening consequences (and a literal description of the shaded letters)
56. Mexican goalie Guillermo
59. Blonde alternative
60. Individual
61. Spot for stitches
62. Picture in a frame
63. “Capisce?”
64. Yearns (for)
65. Splitting tool
66. Back muscles, for short
1. Phishing memo
2. Killer in the deep
3. Second
Gentleman
4. Italian wine region
5. Au Bon Pain rival
6. Swedish pop group originally called Festfolket
7. Going both ways
8. Wild and crazy
9. Taxiing surface
10. Barbecue bread
11. Dumb cluck
ancestor worship
14. Daft Punk or Aphex Twin genre
21. Car-waxing aid
22. Elba in a Booking.com ad
25. Decorative item
26. Fireplaces
27. Head case in Hamlet?
28. Like some bands or bobsleds
29. ‘Hoos’ school
30. Demented
31. Shiloh priest of the Old Testament
32. She ___ (spot for the girls)
33. Model/actress
Delevingne
37. Rourke’s The Wrestler costar
38. Cellular opening
39. Leg up
41. U2 and Led Zeppelin, e.g.
Elapse
Manatee’s cousin
Musical run with one sharp
Feel remorse over
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-7226.
In re petition of Mark Frederick Doyal and Jonathan James Fobear for change of names to Mark Frederick Daybear and Jonathan James Daybear. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 1st day of August, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-007124
In re petition of Jared Stephen Imperatore for change of name to Jarbo Stephen Imperatore.
To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 1st day of August, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
William G. Ball, Fiscus & Ball, P.C, attorney for petitioner. Address: 1605 Carmody Court, Suite 102, Sewickley, PA 15143. Phone: 412 456-9700
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-007125 In re petition of Emma Rose McGreevy for change of name to Emma Rose Andreen. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 2nd day of August, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
William G. Ball, Fiscus & Ball, P.C, attorney for petitioner. Address: 1605 Carmody Court, Suite 102, Sewickley, PA 15143. Phone: 412 456-9700
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-007348, In re petition of Jordan Wright-Antantis, parent and legal guardian of Luna Brock, for change of name to Luna Grace Marie Wright-Antantis. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 13th day of July 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
Meringue
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
