Oakwatch seeks to improve the quality of life for residents, employees and visitors by enforcing codes on negligent property owners, housing violations, parking violations, disruptive behavior, excessive noise and underage drinking in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Check their website to confirm time and location.
For more info and agenda, or to contact them, check out their website.

Next meeting: Wednesday, August 21st, 6pm, Oakland Career Center, 294 Semple Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Call for volunteers: Oakwatch is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh this summer in a widespread campaign to educate incoming students about responsible living in Oakland. We need volunteer help! Supplies and meals will be provided.

Oakwatch collecting disruptive party data: When there’s a disruptive party near you, make sure you call 911 and document what happened on this Incident Report (click here). Please turn these forms into Oakwatch.

Join the Oakland Business Improvement District for a tour of the University of Pittsburgh’s newly renovated University Store on Fifth and the brand new Nordenberg Hall. This will be an excellent opportunity to get a sneak peak at the new construction.

Wednesday, July 24th, 3:30 — 5:30 p.m.

Tour begins at the University Store on Fifth,

4000 Fifth Avenue

RSVP appreciated, but not required; 412.683.6243mary@oaklandbid.org

The Pittsburgh Green House, a project of ACTION-Housing, Inc., is a weatherization training and educational facility where contractors and the general public can learn about residential energy usage, water savings and improving the comfort of housing.

  • How To: Building an Attic Hatch Box and Insulation Basics – Monday, July 22 10:00AM – 11:30AM – $10
  • Effective Solutions for Stormwater Management with Clean Rivers Campaign – Wednesday, July 24 6:00PM – 7:00PM – $5
  • Home Energy Audit with EECO Center – Saturday, July 27 10:00AM – 11:00AM –
  • Home Water Audit – Tuesday, July 30 6:00PM – 7:00PM – $5
  • Residential Solar with Standard Solar – Saturday, August 3 10:00AM – 11:00AM – Free
  • Composting Basics with Allegheny Organics – Saturday, August 17 10:00AM – 11:00AM – $12

Register for workshops  online

Check out their website

Link to Newsletter

In This Issue

 

On Saturday 7/11/13 , 3 hispanic men allegedly robbed a family on Gorman Way around 1PM by distracting the owners outside while one went inside.

Here are several video stills of two of them.  If you click on them, they should display larger.  If you happened to see them around, or have any other info, please contact SONG for contact info for the detective investigating the case.

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Next meeting to plan for South Oakland Community Day (SOCD)
    6PM Monday August 12 2013,  Frazier Fieldhouse, Frazier St and Dawson St,
    The festival is scheduled for Saturday September 7, 2013.  More details to come.
    If you know anyone that is interested in participating/volunteering for various planning, preparation and activities, but cannot attend the meeting, please use the contact page to give us their contact information so we can coordinate and plan for this event.  The current subcommittees and general tasks and responsibilities:
  • Marketing & Recruitment – Advertising/Media contact, Volunteer recruitment
  • Operations & Activities – Event operation planning for games/activities/sports, food/beverage storage/prep/cooking/menu/cups/plates etc,  setup & teardown, work with Finance subcommittee on budget.
  • Fundraising, Sponsorship & Finance – Plan budget, set funding goals, secure donations, plan fundraisers.
    Check out the SOCD Page for more details.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD FOR FALL CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CLASS

Sent 07/09/2013 @ 2:24 pm

(PITTSBURGH, PA) July 9, 2013   Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications for the fall 2013 Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) are now available. One of the Mayor’s 10 servePGH initiatives, CLA is a free 10-week course that aims to educate residents about local government. Beginning September 18, and concluding on November 20, participants will attend 10 weekly sessions on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to learn how different City departments work to ensure a safer, more livable City and to become more informed civic leaders. Applications are available at pittsburghpa.gov/cla and must be submitted by August 23rd. 

This Monday, July 15th  at 6pm there will be a free Dollar Bank Homebuyer workshop at The Corner in West Oakland, 200 Robinson St.

This is a great opportunity for first time homebuyers looking for resources and guidance through this process!

Attached is a flier with all the details – please spread the word to all your networks.

• Credit counseling and restoration programs*
• Grant money for closing costs*
• Affordable mortgage and down payment options
• Programs to help public housing residents,
section 8 tenants and renters (Minimum annual family income requirements)
• Your free credit report including an evaluation

To register, please call 412-683-1400 or  info@cornerpgh.org

During the most recent OTF meeting which was held on Tuesday, June 11, 2013,  a brief review was provided for the planned installation of Bike Share Stations in Oakland. There were many questions being asked at the time of that discussion. Unfortunately we only had a DRAFT map of the City of Pittsburgh – Bike Station System plan showing the proposed installation locations of 50 stations throughout the City of Pittsburgh to reference for the discussion.

Since that time, we have been able to obtain more Detailed plans that provide:

  • ·         Station dimensions
  • ·         Optional station configurations
  • ·         Detailed station installation plans/street, and/or intersection, or sidewalk (location within public right-of-way, station size and dimension, abutment property owner)
  • ·         View of Station footprint/street, and/or intersection, or sidewalk

The proposed station locations for Oakland include:

1.       Atwood Street/Bates Street

2.       Bayard Street/Neville Street

3.       Carlow University (West side of Halket Street between Euler Way and Fifth Avenue)

4.       Cathedral of Learning (East side of Bigelow Boulevard between Fifth Avenue and Forbes Avenue)

5.       S. Bouquet Street/Forbes Avenue (East side of S. Bouquet Street, south of Forbes Avenue on sidewalk adjacent to Law school)

6.       Schenley Drive/Frew Street (West side of Frew Street, north of Schenley Drive)

7.       Zulema Street/Coltart Avenue (off-street location, North side of Zulema Street, west of Coltart Avenue)

Some plan diagrams available on request from SONG.  More info as it is released.

Monday, July 15 the Green Team is partnering with Tree Pittsburgh to care for Oakland’s trees. We will be working from 5:30-7:30 pm at Frazier Field at Frazier St and Dawson St in South Oakland. Please sign up here http://treepittsburgh.org/events/tree-care-oakland-0 or email me to RSVP David at dzwier@opdc.org for this fun event.

· We will be taking a break from official Green Team meetings for July. The next meeting will be Thursday, August 15.

· Fall is approaching and with it the deadline for next spring’s TreeVitalize application. This fall we expect to plant over 100 trees in the Oakland neighborhoods. This feat would not be possible without the efforts you made to talk to your neighbors, friends, and co-workers, thank you. We want to keep this momentum going; if you’re interested in helping get the word out please email or call me. Let’s put the Oak back in Oakland!
David Zwier
Community Programs Manager
Oakland Planning and Development Corporation (OPDC)
235 Atwood Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Celebrate at our Root Beer Float Social!
5:00-8:00 PM
CLP – Main, Oakland
Join us for activities, music and root beer floats (while supplies last) on the Library Lawn.
Visit the Pittsburgh National Night Out website (pittsburghpa.gov/publicsafety/nno) for crime
prevention resources and tips on building positive relationships within the community.
Find us at: facebook.com/carnegielibraryofpittsburgh
Want to know more? Ask a librarian.
412.622.3151 | newandfea-tured@carnegielibrary.org | carnegielibrary.org

ReuseFest ReTurns on August 3
Summer is upon us.  Did you finish your spring cleaning and realize you have a ton of stuff that you no longer need?  Wondering what in the world to do with it?  Well we have the answer:  come to the second annual ReuseFest on Saturday August 3rd at the Goodwill Workforce Development Center in Lawrenceville!

ReuseFest is a one-day collection event for materials destined for reuse that will take place on August 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the Goodwill center located at 118 52nd Street, Pittsburgh 15201.  This year’s event includes many great local nonprofit organizations including Global Links, Construction Junction, Off the Floor, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Goodwill, FreeRide and the Animal Rescue League.  All of these great local non-profits will be collecting materials for FREE for reuse including: bikes, medical supplies, usable building materials, gently used furniture and mattresses, clothing and household goods, art supplies, pet carriers and much much more.  All materials donated will be reused in some fashion, whether resold, repurposed or given to those in need in our region and around the world.

Visit www.zerowastepgh.org/reuse or call 412.488.7490 ext. 236 for a longer list of items that will be collected as well as more information on all of the participating partner organizations.  The second annual ReuseFest is presented by the Pennsylvania Resources Council with the support of the American Eagle Outfitters Foundation.   See the event flyer!

SUPPORT THIS NEW DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP TO UPLIFT CITY OF PITTSBURGH YOUTH
Sent 07/09/2013 @ 12:23 pm
Greetings,

I am happy to announce that Dream Cream Ice Cream in Downtown Pittsburgh has partnered with the Jeron Xavier Grayson Foundation to provide funds to support local youths in Pittsburgh for scholarships.
The Jeron Xavier Grayson Foundation has been chosen as a ‘Dreamer’ for the month of July, and have chosen ‘Cookies & Cream’ as their flavor. For each sale of the Cookies & Cream ice cream that takes place this month, a portion of all sales will go the the Grayson Foundation.
This is a fun and refreshing way to support the youths in our community and your support would be greatly appreciated. I encourage everyone to go to Dream Cream Ice Cream located at 539 Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District to be a part of this amazing fundraising opportunity.
For more information on the Jeron Xavier Grayson Foundation, please contact Harry Johnson at JXGFoundation@gmail.com
Thank you,
R. Daniel Lavelle

The City will be repaving the following streets this week. Please note posted signs and be sure to move your car or it will be towed. On Tuesday, July 9th: Atwood Street, between Forbes Avenue and Dawson Street. Wednesday, July 10th: North Bellefield Avenue, between Fifth Avenue and Bayard Street; Wilkins Avenue between Fifth Avenue and Beeler Street. Thursday, July 11th: Tennyson Avenue, between Bigelow Blvd. and Parkman Avenue.