Earth Day, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from AlicePopkorn’s photostream

Earlier this year, Pittsburgh City Council declared April 22nd — Earth Day — to be “Greener Pittsburgh Day” in the City of Pittsburgh. GreenerPittsburgh.com connects people and businesses with greener products and services. This first-of-its-kind platform is made possible by the creation of key alliances with the City of Pittsburgh, community nonprofit partners and corporate sponsors. Pittsburgh-based Greener Expressions is the company behind Greener Pittsburgh. Greener Pittsburgh launches on September 15th with a party at Phipps Conservatory.

Via Eco News Network:

“There’s nothing else like Greener Pittsburgh in the marketplace,” said Greg DiMedio, CEO of Greener Expressions. “It’s a location-based platform that connects people and businesses throughout our region to greener products and services. The fact is that the majority of businesses today are already taking steps toward sustainability and this green business directory helps to promote these companies on common ground with supportive users and content.”

As we’ve reported on this blog — Councilman Bill Peduto has been a covener and advisor to Greener Pittsburgh. He helped announce the initiative last year and providing funding. He also introduced the founders of the company, Greg DiMedio and Bob McNeice. Also from Eco News Network:

“I’m proud to have played a role in helping to make Greener Pittsburgh a reality,” said Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto. “I firmly believe it will revolutionize the way consumers search for sustainable products, services and companies. More than a listings website, it’s the combination of grassroots community development strategies, social networking, and a strong commitment to principles of sustainability that makes Greener Pittsburgh so special.”

To be part of this green marketplace and online community, go to GreenerPittsburgh.com. You can join as an individual. You can list your business or organization. And, you can tell your favorite business to join now. The more people and businesses who join in, the better and more vibrant the marketplace will be.

gutter flash, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from D’Arcy Norman’s photostream

The East End of the City experienced a major flood on August 19, 2011 resulting in the tragic loss of four lives on Washington Boulevard and untold financial damages for residents and business. While the events of August 19 served to focus attention on this issue, it is not a new problem. Over the past three years, many residents and business owners in my district have suffered more than $10,000 worth of flood damage on as many as six separate occasions. This is clearly unacceptable to all of us and must be addressed. To be certain, the problems on Washington Boulevard begin upstream in the watershed and must be addressed in a comprehensive strategy.

Therefore, I have called for a public meeting on Tuesday, September 6 at 6:00 PM at the Winchester Thurston School. This meeting will be co-hosted by my office and community and business groups in Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, and East Liberty. The meeting will be an opportunity for residents to voice their concerns directly to the PWSA, the Mayor’s Office and county and state elected officials. It is important that the community be provided a public forum to stand up and tell their stories about how these repeated floods have affected them.

I hope that this forum will be the catalyst for a serious focus on these issues and a search for long-term, sustainable solutions.

September 6, 2011, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Winchester Thurston School
555 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15213

The Street was a River I., a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Andy.Schultz’s photostream

Switches?, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from feesta’s photostream

UnSmoke Systems Artspace hosts The Lost Pittsburgh School exhibit, lecture and performance series from August 6 – 27. Councilor Bill Peduto will be one of the featured speakers (details below). While the artwork is real, the artists listed on the project’s website are archetypal and reflect our region’s industrial roots and changing economy. The work itself includes environmental and conceptual outdoor art and the website includes geotagging via Google Maps for some of the works featured in the show. Here’s a description of The Lost Pittsburgh School by novelist Stewart O’Nan:

For over 30 years, the city that made the weapons which defeated the Confederacy, the Kaiser and then the Nazis, that provided the steel for all the cars from Detroit and the beams for the Chrysler and the Empire State Buildings, that gave the world Gertrude Stein, Billy Strayhorn and Andy Warhol — the city that endlessly inspired W. Eugene Smith — was known exclusively as the home of a football team. Except to those who lived here, and even to many of them, the city itself was invisible.

In those underground years, the artists of what has been dubbed The Lost Pittsburgh School took on the project of self-definition, glorying in the radical changes to the city’s landscape. The work is a nearly unfiltered reflection of the moment. Decay and chaos rule.

Actor and writer David Conrad, who is one of the organizers of the project, describes members of this heretofore lost school of art as “imagined exemplars of an era, vehicles to help us reconceive what is art, and what is Pittsburgh.”

Thus, we get artists like “Gil Dugita” who’s “never held a job outside of a bar or a non-union construction site” and who has five children by four different women. “Gil” is obsessed with light and the color white and he “regularly buys out the supply of Bell and Mason White from TT hardware on Carson St. on Pgh’s South Side.” Then there’s “Danilova Navratilova Malloy” who received a degree in fine and industrial design from Carnegie Mellon and worked as a civil engineer until the economy and the legacy of her grandfather — a master of ceramic and glass design from Bratislava — caught up with her. She became one of Pittsburgh’s finest mosaic and stained glass artists.

The Lost Pittsburgh School exhibit, lectures and performances can be seen for free each Saturday at 7:00 PM (the exhibit can also be seen by appointment during the week: info@unsmokeartspace.com). This Saturday, August 13th, will feature lectures by Charlie Humphrey, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Pittsburgh Filmmakers; Bill Peduto, Pittsburgh City Council Member; and Doug Shields, Pittsburgh City Council Member. The UnSmoke Artspace is located at 1137 Braddock Ave., Braddock, Pa. 15104.

“Gil Dugita”

Work by “Danilova Navratilova Malloy”

Brushes, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from john_a_ward’s photostream

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council needs you! The Arts Council is an “arts service organization” which means they exist not to create art, but to help others do so by offering many levels of support for artists. They have a membership of over 250 organizations and nearly 3,000 artists. They need your help because the walls of their new office are screaming for art. Of course that art does need to consist of work by local and regional visual artists. Better still, not only do they want to display your art, they want you to sell your work. “Art on the Walls” is a bi-annual, solo exhibition opportunity for individual artists in the greater Pittsburgh region. The exhibition is free and is open to the public during regular business hours.

They do need to be able to display the work on their walls so they’re looking for printmaking, photography, fiber, painting and drawing formats. (Lightweight sculptures will be considered if they can be hung.) Your application must be received by 5:00 PM on Friday, August 19, 2011. Click here to apply.

Longleat Maze, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from joncandy’s photostream

“All the world’s a stage” is a line from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, but in Pittsburgh, it applies equally well to Twelfth Night. Quantum Theatre will be staging a production of Twelfth Night — one of Shakespeare’s best-beloved comedies. Founded in 1990, Quantum Theatre is “interested in real life and how it intersects with a theatrical experience.” Their innovative productions are staged in non-theatre locations that have included abandoned industrial sites, a horse barn and a tombstone-covered plot at Allegheny Cemetery. Twelfth Night will be held under Millvale Street in Bloomfield. It features Robin Walsh as the bereaved Lady Olivia. The play is directed by Karla Boos, Quantum Theatre founder and Artistic Director.

Cafe Sam sits on the border between Shadyside and Bloomfield and was opened in 1987 by Andrew Zins. It’s housed in a stately 1911 building that was originally a private residence — and at one point a brothel. Cafe Sam is notable for its reliably great food, extensive menu and reasonable prices. And, it has a connection with Quantum Theatre. Nearly 30 years ago, Cafe Sam co-manager Mary Turyan and Karla Boos were waitresses together at a small French restaurant in Shadyside. Karla and Mary have remained friends and Quantum Theatre and Cafe Sam have partnered in the past on a theme-based Prix Fixe dinner for theatre goers.

Now, with an assist from Councilman Bill Peduto, Quantum Theatre and Cafe Sam have created an “East End Night” for Quantum Theatre’s Twelfth Night. You can enjoy a Prix Fixe dinner (menu below) at Cafe Sam with Director Karla Boos and Councilman Peduto and then enjoy Quantum Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night all for the special total cost of $50. This event will be held on Sunday, July 31st and the performance is outdoors.

To participate in this special evening:

1) Purchase tickets online for Twelfth Night for the Sunday, 7/31/11, 8:00 PM show here. ($35)

2) Email bill@billpeduto.com to make reservations for the special, reduced-priced Prix Fixe dinner at Cafe Sam. ($15) Please indicate the number of people attending in your email. Reservations must be made by noon on Friday.

3) Pay for dinner (cash/charge) at Cafe Sam.

Tickets will sell out very quickly — make your plans to attend now!

Cafe Sam
Twelfth Night Prix Fixe Dinner with Karla Boos and Bill Peduto
Sunday, 7/31/11, 6:00 PM
5242 Baum Blvd,
Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Quantum Theatre’s Twelfth Night
Sunday, 7/31/11, 8:00 PM
West Penn Hospital Foundation Research Facility
720 Gross Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15224

TypeCon 2010 Los Angeles: Famous LA Traffic Jam, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from FontFont’s photostream

Sustainable communities promote sustainable living by providing people with access to affordable housing, increasing their transportation options, lowering their transportation costs, and at the same time, protecting the environment to better support local economies. Being able to live in a diverse community that is close to where you work and where you can purchase local produce and patronize local businesses helps the environment, the local economy and your pocketbook. Additionally, healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods are communities where people want to live. With this in mind, two years ago, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to form The Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

The Partnership “works to coordinate federal housing, transportation, water and other infrastructure investments” to help accomplish sustainability. They do this through providing new funding opportunities, working to reduce barriers at the federal level, and by talking to residents and businesses in hundreds of communities. On June 16th, The Partnership for Sustainable Communities will celebrate their two year anniversary. They have created webinars which you can participate in to learn more about their efforts (listed below). You can also learn more about sustainable communities at Smart Growth America.

A Variety of Transportation Options:

DC Dupont multimodal, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from faceless b’s photostream

Celebrating Two Years of Partnership
What: Join the senior leadership of the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities to celebrate the Partnership’s two-year anniversary and to talk about what initiatives are coming next.
Who: Beth Osborne, Deputy Assistant Secretary, DOT; Shelley Poticha, Director, Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, HUD; John Frece, Director, Office of Sustainable Communities, EPA; and Derek Douglas, Special Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs (Invited)
When: Thursday, June 16, 2011 – 1:00 PM EDT
Where: Click here to register for this webinar. Call-in information will be sent to registrants.

Long Term Affordability Near Transit
What: A webinar that will highlight innovative affordable transit-oriented development initiatives across the country, including Austin, Texas and Fairfax County, Virginia – two jurisdictions that have put long-term affordable homeownership mechanisms into place to create and sustain equitable transit-oriented communities.
Who: Co-Hosted by Cornerstone Partnership, the Center for Housing Policy, and the National Housing Conference; Allison Brooks, Chief of Staff, Reconnecting America; John L. Payne A.I.A, Deputy Director for Real Estate, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development; Kelly Weiss, Executive Director, PeopleTrust in Austin, TX; Moderated by Ryan Sherriff, Center for Housing Policy
When: Thursday, June 16, 2011. The two-part event begins at 2:30 p.m. ET with a 90-minute webinar that will provide an opportunity to listen to each speaker as well as ask questions.
Where: Register here

Understanding Mixed-Income Transit-Oriented Development
What: This event will focus on introducing participants to the benefits, strategies, and challenges of mixed-income transit-oriented development and will introduce a useful tool, the “Mixed-Income TOD Action Guide.”
Who: Center for Transit-Oriented Development
When: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EDT
Where: Click here to register

Mixed-Income Development:

B-dairy tnhome with SFD PDX, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from faceless b’s photostream

Pedestrian Street:

Pedestrian Street – Athens, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from UrbanGrammar’s photostream

Walkable Communities:

Housing Community, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from www.urbancityarch.com’s photostream

water works, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from laszlo-photo’s photostream

The quality of our water has been a big issue in the news and even in local elections lately. An article in The New York Times in February reported that the dangers from hydrofracking were far greater than previously thought and that the wastewater produced from fracking “contains radioactivity at levels higher than previously known, and far higher than the level that federal regulators say is safe for these treatment plants to handle.” They noted that a 2009 E.P.A. study — which had never been made public — warned that the waste produced from drilling the Marcellus Shale “is a threat to drinking water in Pennsylvania.” Pittsburgh City Council had already passed an amendment three months prior to that report which banned gas drilling in Pittsburgh — a first for any city in the state. This Monday, you can attend a discussion of local water issues and public health with environmental and academic leaders. At he meeting, Dr. Patty DeMarco, Director of the Rachel Carson Institute, Chatham University will discuss water issues and choices for the 21st Century. Dr. Charles Christen, Director of Operations for the Center for Healthy Environments & Communities (CHEC) at University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health will address the public health implications of water and Marcellus Shale development. Dr. Christen worked closely with Dr. Conrad “Dan” Volz who recently resigned as Director of CHEC. This discussion is free and open to the public and those attending will have the opportunity to ask questions.

The event is part of the exhibition Too Shallow for Diving: the 21st Century is Treading Water being held by The American Jewish Museum of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. Guest curated by Carolyn Speranza, the exibit:

[C]omprises painting, sculpture, video, installation, spoken word, and photography. The artists’ work inventively addresses aesthetic issues as well as environmental problems surrounding water, examining global topics including oceans, and the decreasing availability of drinking water on a local and global scale, and local topics including the effects of natural gas drilling on our water supply. The projects explore ways issues surrounding water impact health and public welfare. Able to cross disciplines, propose solutions and pioneer change, ecologically charged artwork is a powerful genre.

The exhibition runs through July 28th. Monday’s event has been organized by participating artists Ann Rosenthal and Steffi Domike. Attendees will also be able to view the exhibition.

WATER’S WAYS: A Presentation & Discussion of Local Water Issues and Public Health
When: Monday, June 6, 7:00pm
Where: Jewish Community Center, 5748 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh 15217 (Squirrel Hill near Murray Ave)
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114515461964266

A shadow of the past, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from CubanoConFlickr’s photostream

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is the regional planning agency for our area (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties). According to SPC, “The Commission develops plans and programs for public investments; fulfills federal and state requirements for transportation, economic development, and local government assistance programs; and operates with public involvement and trust.” They direct approximately $33 billion in state and federal funds through 2030. The last time we wrote about SPC, they were taking public comments on their Public Participation Plan. This time, they have set up a public comment period and regional public meetings on the draft of their 2040 Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania. There are four components to the plan. You can review each by clicking on the following links:

2040 Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania

Environmental Justice Benefits and Burdens Assessment for the 2040 Plan

Air Quality Conformity Determination for the Pittsburgh Transportation Management Area

Southwestern Pennsylvania Public Transit Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan Update

The 30-day public comment period for the 2040 Long Range plan began on May 18th and will conclude on Friday, June 17, at 4:00 p.m.

You can attend a Public Participation Panel meeting to hear presentations, look at maps, ask questions, and submit your comments. The Pittsburgh meeting will take place:

June 8, 6:00 p.m.
Regional Enterprise Tower
31st floor
425 Sixth Avenue
Pittsburgh 15219-1852

If you cannot attend that meeting, written comments may be submitted:

Online:
www.spcregion.org

Mail:
SPC Comments,
425 Sixth Ave., Suite 2500
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1852

Fax:
Comments, 412-391-9160

E-mail:
comments@spcregion.org

You can view the public notice here, for a full schedule of regional meetings.

Silk Fabrics, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Kelly McCarthy’s photostream

The Silk Screen 6th Annual Asian Film Festival kicks off this week in Pittsburgh with an opening night Gala on May 6th at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Silk Screen aims to put Pittsburgh on the map not only for having one of the best Asian film festivals, but by creating a center for Asian culture. As they note on their website, over 40,000 Asians live in Western PA, but there’s “not one central place for all Asian groups to meet together or to interact with the mainstream community.” The Silk Screen Asian Arts and Culture Organization hopes to build a world class Asia center in Pittsburgh as there is no significant center of this kind between New York City and San Francisco. This year’s film festival runs from May 6th to May 15th and includes films from China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, the Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. You can see a full list of the films to be screened here and purchase festival passes here.

The Gala and Opening Night promises to be exciting:

Taste sensational sips and exotic ethnic dishes from Japan, China, India, Korea, and more. Dance with Pittsburgh’s premiere Asian performers. Mingle with celebrities, gaze upon international fashions, and enjoy a world of colorful fabrics and faces.

The Gala is on Friday, May 6th (8:00 PM to midnight) at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place in Downtown Pittsburgh (map). To give you a taste of a Silk Screen Gala, here are some photos of last year’s performers (more photos here):

The 2011 festival opens with the Indian film “I Am” which the Post-Gazette describes as “weav[ing] together four stories exploring dark themes about child abuse, criminalization of homosexuality, single motherhood and political tension in Kashmir.” Here’s the film’s official trailer:

Councilman Bill Peduto has been a part of the festival from its inception. He secured grant funds to get Silk Screen started and he currently serves as a member of its Advisory Board. Peduto has also recognized Silk Screen and its founder, Harish Saluja (seen below), with proclamations before Pittsburgh City Council for “for providing year round education and entertainment to the Pittsburgh region.”

Wanna get painted?, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from ma.co.’s photostream

Take a look under your kitchen or bathroom sink. What do you see? How about in your basement or garage — what’s there? If you’re like most people, you may find some ammonia or oven cleaner, perhaps some old cans of paint or paint thinners, maybe some antifreeze or motor oil, or weed killer or mothballs. All of these items are classified as “household hazardous waste” (HHW). These are common household chemical products that, if we think about it, we know we shouldn’t be tossing into a trash bag because it would be bad for the environment. So, in many homes, they sit and collect dust. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an average home can easily accumulate 100 pounds of these common chemicals.

There is a safe way to dispose of HHWs. The Pennsylvania Resources Council has announced the 2011 Schedule of Household Chemical Collections. There are several of these taking place in our area this year. Individuals can drop off waste materials at these events. There is a $2 per gallon fee which must be paid in cash (no checks or credit cards will be accepted). The events are are being held in conjunction with PRC’s Zero Waste Pittsburgh project in partnership with Allegheny County Health Department, UPMC, NewsRadio 1020 KDKA, the HHW Task Force and other private and public sector partners.

The first event this year is for residents of Allegheny County:

Allegheny County Household Chemical Collection Event
Saturday, May 7, 2011
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
North Park
Swimming Pool Parking Lot

You can view a flyer for the event here and all event dates here. The flyer also includes what items are and aren’t accepted. And, be sure to visit the Zero Waste Pittsburgh website to learn how to reduce waste and to see more about Household Chemical Collections in particular here.