Author: admin

08/07 2017

Testing For Lead Levels In South Oakland Water

Water Test Results and Call to Action
 
One South Oakland residence's water recently tested at a 25 ppb for lead, well over the 15 parts per billion (ppb) considered a high level of lead based on government standards. That particular house is fairly newly constructed, so the source is likely the connection to the house or the main supply lines. We encourage everyone to have their water tested in South Oakland. 
 
For more information on getting a free testing kit, visit
pgh2o.com/lead-testing-kits 
 
PWSA is currently mandated by DEP and EPA to replace seven percent of publicly-owned lead service lines per year. With a unanimous vote, City Council recently passed legislation that positions the city to help Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers replace private lead service lines when PWSA completes adjacent line work, but no funding yet.  If more people get their water tested in South Oakland, and the readings are similarly high, we as a neighborhood can appeal to Council President Kraus to make South Oakland a priority when the City plans any action. 
 
Click here to read the Post-Gazette article
07/28 2017

Applications for Civic Leadership Acad due 8/4/17

 

APPLY NOW!
 
Applications for Civic Leadership Academy are due August 4! 
  
Civic Leadership Academy is a free, 11-week course that encourages more informed, effective and inspired community and civic leadership by giving City residents an opportunity to learn about their local government.
  • Classes are every Wednesday, 6:00-8:30 PM, from September 6 – November 15, 2017
  • Applicants must be residents of the City of Pittsburgh or own a business within the City limits
  • Applications are due by Friday, August 4, 2017
For more information, visit the CLA Website at
http://pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/cla
or call Molly Onufer, the CLA coordinator at 412-255-4773
 
Click here to get the printable flyer.
07/24 2017

PRC Hard To Recycle Event – La Roche College – Sat 7/29 9a-1p

pdf icon HTR-La-Roche-2017.pdf

HARD TO RECYCLE COLLECTIONS WESTERN PA 
 
Since 2003, PRC has held Hard to Recycle collections in Southwestern PA with the goal of providing responsible and convenient recycling for items not able to be recycled at the curb. At these events individuals have been able to recycle such item as e-waste, cell phones, polystyrene, compact fluorescent bulbs, alkaline batteries, Freon-containing appliances, tires and more. 
 
Saturday, July 29th
La Roche College 
 
Saturday, August 12th
Century III Mall 
 
Saturday, October 7th
Settlers Cabin Park 
 
See attached flyer or
click here to check out the PRC website for more information

07/18 2017

Pgh City Wide Steps Assessment Mtg – Thu 7/27 6pm

Pittsburgh City Wide Steps Assessment Meeting 
 
Thursday, July 27th, 6:00 p.m.
William Pitt Ballroom 
3959 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 
 
The City of Pittsburgh is currently engaged in an effort to assess City Steps in order to develop a way to strategically manage and repair these treasured assets. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) will hold a public meeting on July 27, 2017 from 6-8pm at the William Pitt Ballroom to introduce the project and kick-off the public outreach component of the study. Please distribute this meeting notice to interested community members and groups. 
 
More information on the project and how to get involved can be found on the Step Plan project webpage: http://pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/steps

07/10 2017

EcoInnovation District Plan Public Draft Open House – Tue 7/11 6:30pm

Tuesday, July 11th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. there will be a community celebration and open house where the City of Pittsburgh and project partners will reveal the public draft of the EcoInnovation District Plan. 
  
Snacks and refreshments will be provided and sign language interpreters will be present. 
 
Can’t make the meeting? The plan will also be available on the project website (http://www.ecoinnovationdistrict.org/) along with an online comment form. 
 
They hope you will consider coming and providing comments on the draft plan.
07/04 2017

City Of Pgh 2018 Comm Devt Block Grant Hearings – Thur, 7/13, 6-8 PM

pdf icon CDBG-2018-1.pdf

City of Pittsburgh 2018 CDBG HEARINGS
Thursday, July 13, 2017, 6-8 PM
Manchester Citizens Corporation
1319 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15233
OR
Wednesday, July 19, 2017, 6-8 PM
West End Senior Center
80 Wabash St., Pittsburgh, PA 15220 
 
The City of Pittsburgh will hold two public hearings to seek
input from interested residents and community
organizations on the 2018 Community Development Block
Grant Program.
The hearings are being held prior to the release of the 2018
Capital Budget to enable the City to adequately review
citizen testimony. In addition, those attending the hearings
are invited to comment on the prior use of the City’s CDBG
funds and other federal funds.
For more information, please contact the Office of Community Affairs
(412)-255-4773
06/27 2017

Thieves Posing As PWSA Employees

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) was notified that two men impersonating Authority employees entered a home and committed a theft in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon. The incident was reported to the police who are conducting an investigation. 
 
PWSA employees rarely enter a home. Occasionally, PWSA workers will ask a customer to flush while they wait outside. In the rare event that PWSA knows they will need to enter a home, the company will call ahead and schedule an appointment. These visitations are becoming more common as PWSA works to mitigate lead contamination. In the event of an emergency, a PWSA worker might request entry without an appointment, but residents should still verify their identity in that event. 
 
If a resident is suspicious of a PWSA worker, they can verify the identity of an employee by checking for identification or by calling the PWSA hotline at 412.255.2423.   
 
Click here to read Post Gazette Article with more info.

06/26 2017

Public Mtg For Forbes Ave Corridor Improvements Project 7/17 5p

Public Meeting for Forbes Avenue Corridor Improvements Project 
 
Monday, July 17, 2017, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Carnegie Mellon University, Cohon University Center
5032 Forbes Ave, Rangos 2 – 2nd floor 
 
The purpose of this Public Meeting is to share the design plans for the corridor. Project team members will be on hand to provide project details, answer questions, and gather public feedback.     
06/20 2017

Pgh Bureau of Animal Care & Control Information

The Bureau of Animal Care & Control serves the residents of the City of Pittsburgh by providing care, control and resolution to situations dealing with domestic animals and wildlife. 
 
The Bureau of Animal Care & Control provides assistance to Bureaus within the Department of Public Safety, other City Departments and the Allegheny County Health Department in situations involving animals, both domestic and wild. The Bureau enforces City and State codes dealing with animals; issues citations and appears in court; helps to keep our City’s parks animal-nuisance free; works with non-profit animal shelters; provides consultation to other municipalities concerning animal issues; and assists the Pennsylvania Game Commission in tracking the rabies virus. 
 
Animal Control Agents capture stray animals, assist in pet/owner recovery, resolve neighbor disputes over animals, assist the elderly and physically-challenged with animal concerns, advise and teach residents of their responsibility as pet owners, advise non-pet owners of their rights, and assist in the removal of nuisance wildlife. (Nuisance wildlife is defined as wildlife that causes, or is about to cause, property damage or that presents a threat to the health or safety of the community by means of disease transmission or direct attacks.) The Bureau also quarantines animals, provides removal of deceased animals and assists police and the District Attorney's office with humane investigations. 
 
Click here for the Bureaus of Animal Control webpage.
Click here for their information brochure.

06/19 2017

Volunteer Opportunity For Community Emergency Response Teams

Volunteer Opportunities
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) 
 
The City is looking for a minimum of 10 Oakland residents to train as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members.  The classes are about a 16 hour commitment, that can either split it into 1 evening a week for 2 hours or 2 full Saturdays. The choice will be up to the group. 
 
CERT is a training program that allows civilians and government employees to take the necessary steps in an emergency to save lives. During emergencies citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the medical emergencies by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective. CERTs are not intended to replace a community's response capability, but rather, to serve as an important supplement to it during emergencies when government response capabilities are spread thin. 
 
Click here for the CERT pamphlet.
Click here for the CERT Volunteer Interest Form.

06/13 2017

Parade for 2017 Stanley Cup Champion Pgh Penguins

The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County announced that a victory parade for the 2017 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins will take place in downtown on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. 
 
The parade route will follow a similar route as previous championship parades that took place in 2009 and 2016 but will now end at Point State Park. 
 
Click here to read the full press release with more info.
06/13 2017

Suspect In Car Break-Ins 6/10/17

These are images of a man caught on camera breaking into a car in South Oakland.  He appears to be a heavy set white male, beard, long wavy/curly hair, backpack, might be carrying a small towel with him. He's seen walking around Oakland between 2:30am to 4:00am on June 10.  If you have any information on this guy, please alert police or let us know.
06/12 2017

Rash Of Car Related Thefts – June 2017

pdf icon Zone4-CrimeReport-June5th_to_June_11th.pdf

There have been 6 or 7 theft from cars and 2 cars stolen in South Oakland the last 2 weeks on Hardie Way, Dawson and Parkview. 
 
    We are urging residents to take basic precautions to prevent crimes.   This includes like making sure doors are locked and the importance of leaving nothing visible inside your car.  Obviously this includes anything like laptop, camera, cell-phone, purse, etc., but also anything not as obviously valuable, like an old pair of jeans or worn-looking crumpled sweatshirt. To a hopeful thief, they could contain a wallet, jewelry, etc., 
 
    A related precaution:  Never leave a charger plugged into your vehicle’s accessory-socket!  A potential thief seeing that telltale wire draped across the center-console, might hope to find a cell-phone or GPS, etc. 
 
    Attached is the City Weekly Crime Report for last week. 
06/08 2017

Oakland Community Land Trust Information

pdf icon CLT-brochure-w-poster.pdf

Here in Pittsburgh, Oakland is one of several neighborhoods, including Lawrenceville and Garfield, that is launching a Trust to combat the critical shortage of quality, afford-able homes available to regular homebuyers. Many other neighborhoods are engaging residents to decide if this model works for them. 
 
See the attached pamphlet for an overview and links to more info, and watch for local meetings to discuss implementation.
06/07 2017

FREE Admission Days At Heinz History Center Fri 6/9 – Sun 6/11

Visit the Heinz History Center on Friday, June 9 through Sunday, June 11 for FREE Admission Days, sponsored by the Jack Buncher Foundation. 
 
All visitors to the History Center, including adults, children, and seniors, will receive free admission throughout the weekend. 
 
Enjoy all six floors of the “Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh,” including its newest exhibition, #Pixburgh: A Photographic Experience. The exhibition showcases nearly 400 photos from the History Center’s extensive collection, including many never displayed in public before.  
 
Click here for more info