Morningside Gets Merry!
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lplp Morningside News A publication of MACC Morningside Area Community Council January-March 2012 MORNINGSIDE GETS MERRY! Merry Morningside First Place Prize Winner Merrymakers enjoy refreshments Photo: Steve Chiang Photos: Anita Boehm Dear Neighbors, 2011 generated a lot of innovative activities and accomplishments for MACC. From organizing the first Morningside Mile and holiday events like the Merry Morningside Light Up Caroling and Lights Contest, to creating the Allegheny River Greenway and hosting the Pop Up Café during the annual Falloween Festival, we were able to successfully bring folks together and accomplish some really unique achievements. We couldn’t have done so without great partnerships. By working with our neighbors in Stanton Heights and city administrators, particularly the Office of Councilman Patrick Dowd - the preservation of the lush green hillside would not have been possible. Together, with the help of the Morningside VFW, we were able to raise several thousand dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project- a charity benefiting wounded veterans. Assistance from Representative Costa helped us demonstrate the spirit of the Holiday Season (and keep warm after a long night of caroling) and with help from the Home Deport Foundation and the staff from Mayor Ravenstahl’s Love Your Block program we were able to demonstrate the potential for a curbside café in the business district. With the spirit of partnerships in mind, participants at this year’s strategic planning event set out to develop an agenda for 2012. Attendees were joined by Father Joe Sioli of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church and Talia Piazza of the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, a local community grant provider. Father Sioli helped frame the conversation for the day by sharing insights and priorities of the parish. Meanwhile, Ms. Piazza was able to supply community members with a citywide perspective and explain several innovative projects that her organization has supported in recent years. The common theme in each of their presentations was the impact that partnerships have on a community. (continued on Page 3) March 9, 2012 �op �’ �he �orningside See p. 5 for more info ��. �a�rick’s �ay �ar�y Also, SAVE THE DATE In Partnership with the Morningside VFW & the Pittsburgh Ceili Club Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser benefits the Morningside Area Community Council (MACC) MAY 5, 2012 See p. 3 for more info Date: Friday - March 9, 2012 PO Box 40313 Pittsburgh, PA 15201 www.macconline.org Page 1 Time: 7:00pm – 12:00am Place: 1820 Morningside Ave. Veteran's Banquet Hall Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Who: Morningsiders + Friends & Family ***Over 21 years of age ONLY, Ticket & ID required*** Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Morningside! Even if you don’t have a drop of Irish blood come and enjoy live Irish music, Ceili Dancing by the Pittsburgh Ceili Club, Dance DJ, Irish Foods, Irish Beer and more! For tickets, follow the paypal link on the M.A.C.C website: www.macconline.org • $20.00 per person if registered by March 1, 2012 • $25.00 per person after March 2, 2012 • 150 people maximum. Tickers are first come first serve. “Best Dressed Lad and Lassie” Contest Wear your GREEN and/or ORANGE to show your Irish spirit! To learn more visit www.macconline.org or call Lassie Amy at 412-414-7407. a ERIN GO BRAGH! a Saturday, September 8, 2012* * Permits Pending The Morningside Mile is a one-mile run/walk stretching from the Morningside business district to Heth’s Field to promote fitness and build community through physical activity. The Mile memorializes the tragedies of Sept 11th, 2001 by celebrating community and recognizing the men and women in uniform who serve our country in the armed services and public safety forces. Support the Morningside Mile -- Eat Spaghetti! On Saturday, May, 5, 2012 (the evening before the Pittsburgh Marathon), join the Morningside Mile committee for a great meal at a great price. Enjoy spaghetti, salad, bread and a beverage for $10.00 (adults), $5.00 (kids 12 and under) with early registra- tion. “Day of ” cost is $12 (adults) and $7 (kids 12 and under). Purchase your tickets on- line at our website www.morningside-pgh.org/run or at the VFW beginning April 19! Nominate a Morningside Hero to be the 2012 Race Honoree Honor Guard, 1st Annual Morningside Mile Photo: Keith Hodan, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Each year the Morningside Mile will honor one individual from the Morningside area who has served our country and/or its citizens unselfishly in the face of crisis. Nominate someone you know for this distinguished honor. Nominations are due no later than March 17, 2012. To submit a nomination, visit www.morningside-pa.org/run or send the nomination form below to Morningside Area Community Council - PO Box 40313 - Pittsburgh, PA 15201 All nominations must be received by mail or online by March 17, 2012. Mail paper forms to MACC, P.O. Box 40313, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Complete form online at www.morningside-pgh.org/2012nomination Nominee ___________________________________________ Years of Service _______________________ Branch of Service/Public Safety Department _____________________________________________________ Rank _______________________________________ Awards ____________________________________ Nominee’s relationship to Morningside __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Reason for nomination: Please write a short essay (500 words or less) describing why the nominee should be honored and attach it to this form. Nominator Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________ Email: _____________________________________ Relationship to nominee: ____________________________________________________________________ merry merry If the nominee is deceased, please provide name and contact information for next of kin and request approval of next of kin prior to submitting nomination. Next of kin name _________________________________ Phone __________________________________ All nominees must be willing to provide a photo if selected to be the 2012 Morningside Mile honoree. PO Box 40313 Pittsburgh, PA 15201 www.macconline.org Page 2 MACC PRESIDENT’S LETTER TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1.) In this and future issues of the newsletter, you will see the results some of MACC is committed to helping everyone who lives in Morningside the ideas generated from the strategic planning event and the partners feel like they are a part of the neighborhood. We realize that some that are helping to make things possible, but I want to draw your of you might not even realize MACC exists. We realize that some attention to several upcoming items for 2012. First, MACC recently of you just aren’t the kinds of folks who want to get involved, or who received a grant from the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh are already overcommitted in other parts of your life, and we can through their Design Fund. The grant will help convene residents and really appreciate that. provide support for a team of professional architects and engineers to So we want to make sure that you know what’s going on in the work with the community to develop a vision and investment plan to neighborhood and that you always feel invited to participate in all improve Natoli and Heth’s Fields. MACC is looking forward to working the cool things this neighborhood has to offer. Whether you stop with CDCP, local sports teams, city officials and residents of all ages to by a meeting at the VFW on the first Wednesday of the month, or begin the process of breathing new life into these unique assets. Second, whether you attend one of the cool events which tend to be free, MACC was the first recipient of the Awesome Pittsburgh Foundation or whether you don’t participate at all, this newsletter is for you. Grant Program for the idea of a creating a “pop-op grocery store” in the It’s a little bit of connection to the neighborhood if you want it. No neighborhood. Building on the sidewalk café idea and the long desire obligation, no commitment. for the return of a community grocery, we hope to collaborate with local food vendors to craft a temporary grocery store in the community You may know that we have a digital newsletter and a great website – with the hope of attracting potential operator. Third, start training or and a very active Facebook page too, and you might be wondering consider volunteering for the 2nd Annual Morningside Mile coming why we haven’t given up on the print edition. Not only have we not back this September. And finally, many residents have asked can MACC given up on it, but last year we actually doubled its size - to make organize a fun activity or adults? Ask and you shall receive…on March sure that people with limited access or interest in computers could 9th, in partnership with Morningside VFW and the Pittsburgh Ceili still get some news. And because we are committed to making even Club, we’ll be hosting the Top O’ Morningside St. Patrick’s Day party this small connection to everyone who lives in Morningside, we are – complete with traditional food, beverages and music. committed to continuing to mail the newsletter to every house. So mark you calendars and get ready for another busy year in We’d really like to get your feedback. We’d like to think all the time Morningside. and money we spend getting this newsletter out is worthwhile. Grant Ervin We’d like to implement some improvements for both the print and MACC President digital versions throughout the year. Would you be willing to let us know: • What do you like, if anything, about the newsletter? Save the Date! • What could we do to improve the newsletter for you? • Do you read the emailed newsletter or only the print? (benefitting the Morningside Mile) Spaghetti Dinner • Would you be interested in contributing an article sometime? When: Saturday, May 5, 2012 For the more tech-inclined among you, I’ve created a super short Where: St.