Issue 6 June-July 2013

mount
on the
NEWS, PARKS, PEOPLE, DEVELOPMENT, AND BUSINESS

This issue of On the Mount was made possible in part by:

Runners leaving the starting line at the Emerald of Mount Washington 5K

River City Brass Band Concert on June 15

The Mount Washington CDC and River City Brass Band (RCBB) are excited to announce an outdoor concert at Grandview Park, part of Emerald View Park on June 15. Bring your picnics and a blanket to enjoy the music beginning at 7:30pm. The concert will have a suggested donation of $3 for adults to benefit the MWCDCs h o u s i n g development initiatives. We will also raffle a Night Out package to include two tickets to a River City Brass Concert and a $50 gift certificate to the Georgetowne Inn. Tickets for the raffle will be $1. Following the concert and a brief break while the musicians depart, the Dollar Bank 2013 Cinema in the Park movie will be Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted (PG). Grandview Park is located at 499 Bailey Avenue, 15211. A rain date is planned for August 31. For additional information, contact christina@mwcdc. org.

Energy Efficiency: A Better Choice

By Kendra McLaughlin A window salesman phoned a homeowner. Hello, Mr. Brown, said the window salesman. Our company replaced all your windows with tripleglazed weather-tight windows a year ago, and you still havent sent us a single payment. I know times are tough, but we really need to get paid. Mr. Brown replied, But you said theyd pay for THEMSELVES in 12 months. Funny, but if Mr. Brown equated safety or better health with energy efficiency, maybe he would have acted differently, and thats what the MWCDC is hoping youll do. Theyve partnered with ReEnergize, a program created by Gtech and designed to teach you how to reduce CO2 in the air and increase comfort in your homes and named me, Kendra McLaughlin, Program Ambassador. My goal is to help you reduce energy use so
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MWCDC Hires Director of Economic Development

The MWCDC is pleased to announce that James Eash has accepted the position of Director of Economic Development. James comes to Mount Washington following three years as Community Planning and Project Manager for the Lawrenceville Corporation (LC). His responsibilities at the LC included all real estate and community planning programs, including development of the Residential Facade Improvement Program and Sidewalk Reconstruction Program, leading the Upper Lawrenceville Visioning Process, and managing the LCs real estate activity and RFP processes. James received a Masters in City and Regional Planning with a focus in Urban Development from the University of Pennsylvanias School of Design, and a B.A. in Art and Communications from Goshen (IN) College. James currently serves on the board of directors for Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE). As Director of Economic Development, James duties include business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts, multi-neighborhood initiatives, and implementation of the neighborhood 10-year housing strategy.

Friends of Grandview Park Community Festival

Get ready for a family-friendly afternoon of fun! On June 22, from 12pm-3pm, the Friends of Grandview Park will hold their annual Community Festival. Activities will include Citiparks Roving Art Car, bringing exciting new art projects and local artists into the community for hands-on fun. New this year will be a No-Track Train traveling through the park for children to ride on. A magician, face painting, music, more arts & crafts, and good food will round out the day. Bring your family and expect a great time! For more information visit www. friendsofgrandviewpark.com, call 412.589.9586, or email grandviewparkfriends@gmail.com

The Emerald of Mount Washington 5K and Festival Recap

Saturday, May 11 may have been a rainy morning, but spirits ran high for the Emerald of Mount Washington 5K and Festival. Neighbors stood on their porches and in their doorways, cheering the runners and walkers on. Leadership Development Initiatives XX Class (LDI) arranged for plenty of volunteers and police to staff the route and direct runners and traffic. And not only did we have a great race and festival afterwards, the residents of Mount Washington opened their community up for everyone to enjoy! The winning runner posted a time of 16 minutes, 34 seconds, running a mile every five minutes! Other runners included a small Dorothy, a fully decked out Tin Man, and Dorothys father, who dressed as the Cowardly Lion. Back at Grandview Park, the Festival was getting under way. Grandview Bakery brought delicious cookies, sprinkles, and icing and let everyone decorate their own cookies. The bounce castle was a huge hit, and some folks enjoyed a guided hike of the trails around Grandview Park. Prizes were awarded for the best mustache and LDI acknowledged some of its members for their exceptionally hard work in making the event a success. Not only did the Pirates Parrot show up, but the Pierogies and Steely McBeam came to entertain the kids. Food from local restaurants Packs & Dogs, Bigham Tavern, Micro Diner, and RedBeards made the festival smell heavenly after the long run. The MWCDC thanks every resident and business owner who moved their car, changed their Saturday morning plans, found a different route, and cheered on the runners. You opened your community up for the entire city to enjoy for a morning--THANK YOU!

Protecting the View, One Tree at a Time

Do you remember a time when you walked along Grandview Avenue and the City was completely obscured behind Norway Maple, Tree of Heaven and Sumac sprouts? Well, those days seem to be long gone. One of the MWCDCs signature Emerald View Park initiatives over the last 6 years has been establishing and maintaining select areas in the Park to protect and sustainably manage the spectacular views afforded throughout the northern slopes of the Park. We currently have three areas, totaling nearly six acres, designated as view and habitat restoration zones Western Grandview from Republic Street to the Point of View statue, Eastern Grandview from Ulysses Street to the Monongahela Incline, and Bigbee Field. The special treatments these sites have received include replacing tall and invasive trees with low growing native trees, shrubs and grasses, and continuing minimal annual removals of invasive plants, so that the view will never be blocked again. Because all of the sites have shallow, rocky soils, we had to start with very small plants, but if you visit Eastern Grandview Avenue near the Mon Incline, you will see that these small plants have grown into hearty trees and shrubs that are well-placed to keep the view open. At Bigbee Field, the plants have grown so strong that this spring we were able to free them from the cages that protected them from browsing deer. The plants along Western Grandview Avenue are also doing well, although because they are less protected from bitter winds, just like plants at the seashore, they are growing less rapidly. These sites are the results of thousands of hours of volunteer and staff labor, a formidable partnership with the City of Pittsburgh and our consultants, Civil and Environmental Consultants, Inc., and the generosity of a long list of funders. It may be hard to remember

Above: Before, the view along Grandview Avenue was significantly obstructed by overgrown vegetation. Below: After, the view has been restored.

what the view used to look like before this new management regime, but as the saying goes, Weve come a long way baby.

MWCDCs May Service Month Report

Almost 50 people volunteered on May 16th to clean up and paint McCoy Park. The group painted railings and equipment, collected garbage, and covered graffiti. The group enjoyed a cookout courtesy of Councilwoman Theresa Smith with hot dogs cooked by Mary McCoy. The Park and Conservation Committee met outside to conduct playground surveys in five public playgrounds Grandview Park, Mount Washington Park (Dilworth), Olympia Park, Ream Recreation Center, and McCoy (Shaler) Parklet. Volunteers recorded existing conditions in and immediately surrounding these playgrounds, noting any safety concerns as well as overall appearance and any deterioration. MWCDC staff will be collecting and analyzing the data and working with the Park & Conservation Committee to determine next steps. On May 18, the MWCDC board and Neighbors of Grandview beautified a corner parklet at the entrance to Shiloh St. on Grandview Ave. Volunteers installed paving stones, removed graffiti, and planted flowers. A Love Your Block Project, the Grandview Avenue Beautification was sponsored by the Mayors servePGH program and Home Depot. Grand Brew and DiFiores is generously donating water for the new plantings.

Kambach Street Parking Update

Over the winter, Mount Washington suffered a tragedy with multiple fires occurring on Kambach Street. The fires were made more severe by the fact that fire trucks were unable to approach the homes due to the tight parking on Judicial Street leading up to the homes. Discussions at Community Forum meetings helped to call attention to the problem and come up with a solution. Working with the Pittsburgh Public Works, Councilman Bruce Kraus, and concerned citizens, a fire lane was installed on Judicial Street. This fire lane will help protect against this type of tragedy happening again.

Upcoming Events
Redeemer on the Mount Church Service in Grandview Park Sundays, June 2-August 25, 10am Come enjoy fellowship and free donuts, coffee, and juice 499 Bailey Avenue, 15211 River City Brass Band Concert Saturday, June 15, 7:30pm Suggested donation of $3 per adult; raffle to win River City Brass concert tickets and a gift certificate to Georgetowne Inn. Grandview Park, 499 Bailey Ave. Friends of Grandview Park Community Festival Saturday, June 22 12pm-3pm Arts & Crafts, Food, Music, Childrens Activities, and More! Grandview Park, 499 Bailey Ave. grandviewparkfriends@gmail.com Movies in Grandview Park Saturdays, June 8-August 31, at dusk 499 Bailey Ave. Citiparks Roving Art Cart Saturday, July 19, 10am-1pm Grandview Park, 499 Bailey Ave. Pillar of Light Exhibit at Phipps Conservatory April through September 2013 View our glass mosaic pillar created by Daviea Davis and featuring Emerald View Park. www.phippsconservatory.org Fitness Boot Camp at Grandview Park Sundays, May 19-July 7, 7-8am A certified personal trainer hosts an intense, full-body exercise and cardio class. $15 per session, walk-ins welcome! 724-201-WOLF (9653) tlfitness24@yahoo.com Free Video Production Consultations Through July 31 Playground Productions is offering free consultations for creative, full service video production. Kendra McLaughlin: 412-779-4449 If you would like to submit your event to our online event calendar, please send a detailed description to christina@mwcdc.org.

Upcoming Events, cont.

Carnegie Library of Mount Washington Events
School-Age Fun: Underground Explorers Wednesdays, June 19-August 14 2-3pm Join us as we dig into Summer Reading by learning about fossils and exploring ancient Egypt. Baby & Me Storytime Tuesdays, 11-11:45am Family Fun: Storytime Thursdays, 11-11:45am Teen Time: Beneath the Surface Tuesdays, June 18-August 13 3-4pm Join us as we Dive into Summer Reading by exploring under the ground. Mermaids, shipwrecks, time capsules and more! eTools: Legal Resources @ Your Library Thursday, June 13 - 7PM Saturday, June 15 - 2PM Access thousands of do-it-yourself legal forms right at the library. Well cover legal databases and websites you can trust.

Upcoming Meetings
MWCDC Board Meeting Thursday, June 6th, 6:30pm Mount Washington Senior Center 122 Virginia Ave, 15211 Mount Washington Community Forum Third Thursday of each month, 7pm Mount Washington Senior Center 122 Virginia Avenue, 15211 MWCDC Park and Conservation Committee Meeting Second Wednesday of each month, 5:30pm MWCDC Offices 301 Shiloh Street, 15211 MWCDC Economic Development Committee Meeting Fourth Thursday of each month, 6:00pm MWCDC Offices 301 Shiloh Street, 15211 For a complete list of events and meetings, visit mwcdc.org/calendar.

For more information about any of the Carnegie Library of Mount Washingtons free community programs, go to www.clpgh.org

Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park at Grandview Park, 499 Bailey Avenue on Saturday evenings, beginning at dusk
June 8: The Pirates! Band of Misfits (PG) June 15: Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted (PG) June 22: Hook (PG) June 29: Thunderstruck (PG) July 6: Hotel Transylvania (PG) July 13: The Goonies (PG) July 20: Rise of the Guardians (PG) July 27: Finding Nemo (G) August 3: ParaNorman (PG) August 10: Dr. Seuss The Lorax (PG) August 17: Jumanji (PG) August 24: Jack the Giant Slayer (PG-13) August 31: Chimpanzee (G)

Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

Thank you to the following individuals, organizations, and businesses for their valuable time and services!
Alex Kantner, MWCDC Restoration Intern Allegheny Cleanways Carnegie Mellon University Engineers without Borders Carrie Evans Chipotle Mexican Grill Councilwoman Theresa Kail Smith Diane Delmer Eva Simms--hike leader extraordinaire Explorers Club of Pittsburgh Foxs Pizza Howard Todd, Grand Brew Cafe Joseph L. Pendzich, Jr. Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc. Maddy Kelley, MWCDC Restoration Intern Mary McCoy MWCDC Board of Directors Redd Up Zone Volunteers University Business Fellows of Pittsburgh Katz School Woodcock

Venture Outdoors

Connect with Your Community

Have you liked the MWCDC on Facebook yet? Or followed us on Twitter @mtwashingtoncdc? We post business and community news, daily updates of our programs, pictures, and anything else relevant to the Mount Washington community.

412-381-2440

17 Southern Ave
21 years experience

Energy Efficiency (continued from page 1)

that your kids are healthy, your families safe and your houses more marketable. Learning starts from interviewing people like Heather Nally, owner of the Micro Diner on Shiloh Street and her landlord, Mike Ciak. KM: What do you like about being energy efficient? Heather: I think its important to be openminded to change. People shy away but when you compare the cost to the long term, I try to look at what is the best solution 10 years from now. I will spend to save. KM: What changes did you consider? Heather: Well, we had a high electric bill, $800. I looked at my cooling and heating system and realized it would be a quicker solution to switch out to gas. I (also) bought a brand new Energy Star compressor, and all my cooking equipment is new Energy Star. I am also going to invest in awnings and blinds to reduce heating and cooling costs. Mike, my landlord, did the remodeling. The way the lights are, they dim when you leave a room. I thought it was the neatest thing! KM: Mike, as a real estate investor in this neighborhood, what are the benefits of energy efficiency? Mike: Well, whether youre a homeowner or a major developer, from a global standpoint, people are more educated today about not only reducing their carbon footprint but also making the world better for the next generation. With that said, any step, within your financial means, is going to make an impact. Here are some steps you can take right now: Unplug all unused electrical appliances Switch to compact florescent bulbs Turn lights off when not in a room.

Look for the Energy Star appliances Take 10 minute showers. Scrape, instead of rinse, dishes. Hang clothes to dry, if possible.

Many programs exist to help you lower your utility bills, and finance energy efficiency projects. Call 412-223-7319 to learn more. Energy efficiency: a better choice!

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

301 Shiloh Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 Serving the Mount Washington and Duquesne Heights neighborhoods with a mission to cultivate growth, development and community investment. Total circulation: 7,000 copies 6,000 mailed 1, 000 dropped. To advertise, contact Christina Howell at 412.481.3220 x 206 or christina@mwcdc.org. Deadline for the August-September On the Mount is Monday, July 6. MWCDC Staff Jason Kambitsis, Executive Director Ilyssa Manspeizer, Director, Park Development and Conservation James Eash, Director, Economic Development Kathryn Hunninen, Manager, Park and Community Sustainability Christina Howell, Coordinator, Marketing and Outreach Alphonso Randolph, Administrative Assistant Thomas Guentner, Emerald Trail Corps Leader Diane Schmidt, After School Coordinator Joshua Jones, After School Assistant 2013 MWCDC Board of Directors Jon Lusin, President Ed Preston, Vice President Breen Masciotra, Secretary Andy Spanoudakis, Treasurer Tom Brady Victor Cianca Marilyn Caye Justin Cipriani Darla DAnna Phil Delmer Gloria Ostermeyer Eric Horwith Peter Karlovich Terry Moss Mike Tabachnick

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