NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PITTSBURGH, PA Permit No. 2403 Volume 36, No. 10 Covering Bloomfield, Friendship, Garfield, East Liberty and Lawrenceville since 1975 October 2011 A CREATIVE “TOOLBOX” FOR GARFIELD By Paula Martinac The Bulletin Would you like to see a T-shirt design contest that generates a unique neighborhood identity for Garfield? How about a monthly flea market on Dearborn Street, or a café run by and for kids? If the answer is “yes,” read on. These were just some of the ideas for attracting innovation and investment to Garfield presented at a community meeting on September 7 by cityLAB, a nonprofit neighborhood “do tank” (as opposed to a “think tank”), that has Paula Martinac/The Bulletin been working in partnership with the THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY’S NEW CAMPUS FEATURES A BRIGHT, AIRY ART STUDIO, WITH STOOLS Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation. PAINTED BY THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. FOR MORE ON THE MOVE, SEE PAGE 3. cityLAB calls its Garfield project “6 Percent Place.” “When a neighborhood has 6 percent creative workers, these Changes Slated for Champion Commons Building neighborhoods are very lively, more people want to live and work there, more people want to invest,” explained By Paula Martinac move several of its programs there in will spend the majority of their time cityLAB leader Eve Picker. At present, The Bulletin early 2012. out in the community.” only about 0.1 percent of Garfield’s “We’ve outgrown the Drake The services centered at Penn population qualifies as “creative work- In 1986, a vacant commercial laun- Building,” Ellie Medved, Vice Avenue will include: Mobile ers.” dry at Penn Avenue and North President of Ambulatory & Crisis Medication, in which nurses and peer Examples of “creative workers” Atlantic was converted into Operations, told The Bulletin about support teams visit people in recovery include artists, writers, architects, Champion Commons, a first-class the space they currently occupy on to make sure they are taking their graphic designers, engineers, and office building – and the first million- Liberty Avenue. She added that no medications; the Neighborhood media, advertising and entertainment dollar investment on Penn Avenue significant build-out has to be done to Living Project, which helps the home- professionals. Metropolitan areas with since the 1960s. In the years since Champion Commons. “The space less find housing; and the Community concentrations of people in these fields then, some of its tenants have includ- works for us already.” Treatment Team, consisting of doc- have stronger economic prospects and ed Garfield CISP (Community The offices will house about 200 tors, nurses and social workers who higher property values, according to Intensive Supervision Program) and staff in several of Western provide treatment out in the field. The CEOs for Cities, a national network of The Neighborhood Academy, a pri- Psychiatric’s community-based offices will also be home base to urban leaders. vate, college-preparatory school for behavioral health programs – those in Service Coordinators, a team of sup- cityLAB spent months interviewing grades 8 to 12. which staff actually go out into the portive staff who help clients with set- Garfield residents and stakeholders, as well as people outside of Garfield who Now, the building at 5231 Penn will field instead of having clients come to ting goals for recovery. Medved said might consider moving to the neighbor- be welcoming a new tenant – Western the office. “The offices will be for that a few clients a day might actually hood, and collected a range of com- Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of staff meetings, checking in, documen- come to the building, but that the vast ments about changes that might make UPMC has signed a lease on offices at tation, other traditional office activi- Champion Commons, and plans to ties,” Medved explained. “But staff See CHAMPION, page 11 See TOOLBOX, page 5 The final deadline for all articles, ads, and Bulletin Board items for the November 2011 issue is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011. Placement is first-come, first-served. For more information: 412-441-6915. Page 2 • The Bulletin • October 2011 Are We the Losers in the War on Drugs? By P.J. Maloney debate, discussion and education nity dialogue with no preconceived programs that don't work. Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation. about drug policy, with particular notions. “We want everyone to go into “I want our neighbors to give us attention to the conclusions of the this process with open minds and a their personal opinions and personal The Bloomfield-Garfield Corpora- Global Commission on Drug determination to identify problems stories, and their ideas,” she said. “We tion has arranged a community meet- Policy...We suggest that this edu- precisely so we can discuss possible all need to come together on this w ing on October 17, asking this impor- cation and discussion could solutions without rancor.” issue.” tant question: Are we, the tax-paying, include...the scheduling of a com- There seems to be consensus on law-abiding citizens, the losers in the munity meeting...” at least one point: current policy isn't “War on Drugs”? working and street violence associat- Community Although the current U.S. drug “We hope that our neighbors who ed with the drug culture is a commu- policies have been in effect for 40 are concerned about drugs and drug nity-wide concern. Meeting on Drugs years, we still see almost daily media violence will join us at the communi- “Illegal use of drugs is compromis- and Drug Policy reports of drug busts and violence on ty meeting so we can discuss our ing the integrity of many families, the streets of our neighborhoods. problems and work together toward exposing children to constant danger, creating a solution,” said BGC board and driving up the costs of our crimi- Many of us witness drug-related may- When: Monday, October 17 hem regularly right in front of our member Eileen Kraus-Dobratz, whose nal justice and corrections’ systems,” efforts were the catalyst for the board said Aggie Brose, BGC deputy direc- Where: Morningside Church homes. We know the routine: call the of God in Christ, 5173 police, the police come, the druggies resolution. She said she was inspired tor and chair of its Public Safety Task Dearborn Street scatter, the police leave, and the drug- by Tony Norman's June 3rd column in Force. “We know of police officers, gies return. While many of our young the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. prosecutors, and judges who are frus- Time: 7 p.m. men and women are in jail, others The Global Commission on Drug trated by the laws as they exist today, have been killed or maimed, and the Policy report was compiled by a and how they tie up valuable Confirmed Panelists: street violence continues unabated group of internationally recognized resources that could be better with the drug culture as prevalent as policy experts including George deployed to achieve safer communi- Jonathan Caulkins, CMU ever. There has to be a better way. Schultz, U.S. secretary of state during ties. The police arrest the dealers and Professor; co-author The Bloomfield-Garfield Corpora- the Reagan administration. The report users, the system has no room for includes a long list of recommenda- them and cannot reform their behav- of Drugs and Drug Policy: tion board of directors wants to help What Everyone Needs to find a better way. After much discus- tions, among them replacing criminal- iors, and they are back out on the ization and punishment with the offer street in no time.” Know (2011) sion and debate, the BGC board Rev. David Else, founder and passed a resolution last month urging of health and treatment services; and Kraus-Dobratz said she is hopeful Director Emeritus of the a community dialogue. Here's an creating government-sponsored mod- that the October community meeting excerpt: els of legal regulation of drugs will be an important first step in ener- Center for Spirituality in designed to undermine the power of gizing public support for a revised Twelve Step Recovery “We believe drug policy signifi- organized crime and safeguard the government policy that will have a Commander Tim O’Connor, cantly affects the health and safe- health and security of citizens. positive impact, while redirecting the Zone 5, Bureau of Police ty of our neighborhood and its But Kraus-Dobratz emphasized flow of billions of tax dollars away residents. We encourage open that the BGC is initiating this commu- from enforcement and interdiction October 2011 • The Bulletin • Page 3 FRESH FACES FOR PENN FAÇADES Neighborhood Academy Leaves By Joshua Barsczewski Avenue,” he said. He anticipates Garfield for New Campus The Bulletin that repainting Rappaport’s studio will be an easier task but still said, This fall, two venerable Penn “It could use some help.” Avenue institutions will receive Sauer’s application was chosen as much-needed facelifts, courtesy of a one of 10 projects to receive paint grant from Keep Pennsylvania and funds. According to the award Beautiful, PPG PITTSBURGH® letter, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Paints, and The Home Depot received 48 applications. The proj- through Keep Pennsylvania ect will receive paint directly from Beautiful’s Fresh Paint Days PPG PITTSBURGH® Paints. The Pennsylvania Program. The two Home Depot provided a $200 gift storefronts are Kraynick’s Bike card in order to purchase additional Shop at 5003 Penn and Richard supplies for the projects. Rappaport’s studio at 5120 Penn. Additionally, Sauer will be using Jason Sauer, owner of Most separate funds to coordinate two Wanted Fine Art and the Events and other paint jobs on Penn Avenue: his Paula Martinac/The Bulletin Volunteer Coordinator for the Penn own gallery and Bob’s Auto at 4808 THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY’S NEW CAMPUS INCLUDES AN Avenue Arts Initiative, chose the Penn.