This afternoon will feature a march from Wood St. to what the kids are calling the UPMC Tower; pitchforks will be most welcome. (PBT, Kris B. Mamula)
The Pittsburgh City Paper ran a guide for locals to next week's primary elections; what it lacks in having discerned any pizazz it makes up for in having been published. (CP, Team Effort)
Councilman Corey O'Connor is calling in his banners. Will they rally to his standard? (P-G, Joe Smydo)
Governor Tom Corbett also launches a volunteerism program which sounds potentially extremely cool. (Trib, Tony LaRussa)
State Auditor General Jack Wagner joins the chorus of those who would prefer raising taxes on gas at the pump to waiting until a bridge collapses. (PN, Charles Thomspon, h/t Triadvocate)
An Internet host which just has to be named "May First" is declining to cooperate with the FBI in certain inquiries relating to the Pitt bomb threats, citing "the survival of the human race." (P-G, Jon Schmitz)
An Allderdice mom writes a letter to the editor, regarding that school's new 7:11 am start time.
My daughter's first thought was that many Allderdice students already miss first-period classes because of difficulty getting to school on time for whatever reason; starting nearly an hour earlier will mean many, many more late kids.
Her second comment was telling: "Mom, but do you think the people behind the Pittsburgh Promise want this to happen?" So many kids are going to be late, she said, that they may not be able to fulfill the requirements. She added, "Maybe the people putting up the money want that to happen so they don't have to pay out." (P-G, Dianne Shenk)
How absolutely delightful, that my alma mader is still producing such rebellious cynicism! I am genuinely tempted to invite this young Dragon to write for the Comet. Meanwhile, another letter writer cites evidence from the National Sleep Foundation. Had I been required to be in homeroom at 7:11 am, I would have spent 1st and 2nd period at Bagel Nosh thrice as often as I did, and probably would not have graduated.
There is a bagel place inside Allderdice? We never had anything fancy like that.
ReplyDeleteThis bagel place was about 8 blocks away and frequently better populated with students than most classrooms.
ReplyDeleteYou were allowed to wander that far? We didn't get off campus until the last two weeks of our senior year.
ReplyDeleteKorey's Krew is having an eyes and ears meeting at Bagel Nosh Saturday morning to help old ladies spread their schmears. Call Lynette or Damon to volunteer.
ReplyDeleteIs somebody going to tell me what is now where Bagel Nosh used to be? I never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:15 - Well played. Though I don't think I know Damon.
ReplyDeleteMH - It was on north side of Forbes near to Shady, where Chesapeake Bagel also used to be only still more recently. I have no idea if that lot is still producing bagels under yet another name; perhaps it's something like these so-called ultra lounges.
There are no ultra lounges in Squirrel Hill yet. That would be about where the Bagel Factory is now, but I have no idea how old that is.
ReplyDeleteFrom today's Joe Smydo article:
ReplyDelete"Damon Andrews, who managed Mr. O'Connor's campaign and now is a city-paid consultant in the councilman's office, said crew members could help reduce flooding by keeping catch basins free of leaves and other debris.
Mr. Andrews said crew members also could help residents clean up after storms, tutor students in city schools or find other ways to put their expertise to work for neighbors."
The other person quoted in the story, besides Corey, is Joe Divack, who has been deeply involved for years with clean up efforts across the county, with numerous media mentions as well as winning a Jefferson Award recently for his work with Allegheny CleanWays. And yet, Smydo's article characterizes him as a "newcomer" who was just so mesmerized by Corey's redd up leadership that he just couldn't help but sign on to the crew. Ridiculous.
Similarly, a number of the clean up efforts noted in the article have and will continue to happen without O'Connor, who is proving to be exceedingly adept at latching on to others' work and selling it as his own. Good political instincts and points for self-promotion, though.
I don't understand the PG's love affair with O'Connor. There have been numerous stories about him, with photos, just since he took office in January. Believe me, I feel good already. Enough about Corey and Katie and Judy and Fr. Terry. Let's save some ink for when, and if, something substantive comes out of the Fifth District office.
I can't ... recall at the present moment ... anything unarguably substantive coming out of City Hall so far this year. From any quarter. Probably why it's been so peaceful. I wonder if this is the new drab normal, or the calm before the storm?
ReplyDeleteCity Hall is quiet because Lukey bought off all the votes!
ReplyDeleteWell, that's one vote for "new normal".
ReplyDeleteThe "new normal" is the bond money that will be doled out according to votes and the frienimy list. All of Burgess's hard work and water carrying has now paid off!
ReplyDeleteSo what's the story? Will the $80 million bond issuance from January break us? (Which come to think of it, was probably unarguably a substantive maneuver.) Council unanimously approved it. Peduto quoted in the papers to Kunka: "You have me 100%".
ReplyDeleteAnd I mean, at the same time, there was something about, "a new financial management system, a new debt policy and new rules for capital spending portend significant changes in how the city manages its capital program." The Citizen Capital Projects Prioritizing Board of Joy. Has that all fallen into place?
Chuck Half might have some opinions on the new spending rules.
ReplyDeleteSay what? Who's Chuck Half?
ReplyDelete