Polish Hill Voice We are the community...we are one voice! 3060 Brereton Street ☼ Pittsburgh, PA 15219 ☼ (412) 681-1950 ☼ [email protected] ☼ www.phcapgh.org Big Effort, Little Park, Mały Park! November 2009 by Myra Falisz Since landing in Polish Hill a few short months ago, I have been mesmerized by Contents: this sense of place that binds us together. It’s like a crazy quilt of random You Can Get There from 2 patterns, shapes and pieces, Here: Saving the 54C strung together with the strongest of threads. I witness this interlocking technique as it weaves LIHEAP information 3 through every community Neighbors put out the project every day. call I’m one of the newer pieces Members of the Polish Hill green team spent a day in late August PHCA 40th anniversary 4 of our village’s quilt, putting in new plantings at the lot on Dobson and Herron, now party arriving from Southern called Mały Park. Light Up Night California just as spring unfolded into summer. And Pittsburgh’s Green Team plants to survive and thrive. living in one of the and Penn State Extension, The blanket of textures and apartment’s above the the PHCA’s own Green colors Josie and Debbie PHCA store—order 5 PHCA is like having a front- Team began creating plans envisioned now features buttons, t-shirts, and row seat at a quilting bee for what is now called Mały butterfly bushes, roses, more called “It Takes a Village.” Park. What was once a lot decorative grasses and an Preparing for flu season 6 in need of some care at the additional weeping cherry Magically, and at times, intersection of Dobson and tree. The selections were mysteriously, the most Herron is now becoming planted by community incredible series of events our little urban oasis -- that volunteers one Saturday Polish Hill Block watch 7 takes place. A seemingly visual respite to happen morning in late August. random cast of characters President’s Message upon whether you are finds that common thread dropping off mail, waiting Our foundation fabric was Community Calendar and a new chapter is woven. for a bus or simply strolling shored up by Kevin Quigley The latest one is something by. and Rick DeCarlo of the Signs of Me! 8 I fondly refer to as Big City of Pittsburgh’s Green Effort, Little Park. The first stitch was taken Team. Not only did they Progress report on the 9 when community members bring our green lot into coffee shop It began earlier this year Josie Ramsey and Debbie shape, they also added great and has grown into an Jozwiak paired up with touches. Just like a crazy Mayor’s Newsletter 10 intricate collaboration Lauren Byrne of the quilt is created from scraps Council-to-go involving exceptional Mayor’s office to submit a of everyday clothing, they West Penn programs resources and community Green Up application. added a retaining-wall volunteers. It seems like Joining in next was Joe border using stones from PHCa membership 11 that’s how things often application McCarthy, the Urban the recently demolished happen here on Polish Hill. Greening Coordinator from Davis Avenue Bridge. Penn State Extension. His Bolstered by The Mayor’s soil testing revealed office, the City of excellent conditions for (Continued on page 8) Page 2 Polish Hill Voice You Can Get There From Here: Saving the 54C By Patrick Singleton and Jennifer Kirk simpler and easier 54C, Concept 2 Although we are relatively proposed the complete elimination of new residents to this neighborhood, Polish Hill from the 54C’s route, hav- we know the sounds well by now: the ing it instead run only via Penn and machine-like hydraulic noises, several Main. Concept 1 proposed retaining shrill warning beeps in a row, the dis- the existing split, but it was an overall tinctive whoosh of a large vehicle go- less ambitious plan with fewer possi- ing by the front door. Whether they ble system benefits than Concept 2. put you to sleep or usher you out of a In June, when the citizens of Polish pleasant dream, these are the sounds Hill found out about the proposed loss of the 54C bus traveling Herron, Dob- of our community’s transit lifeline, son, or Brereton, taking workers, they rallied the collective Polish Hill shoppers, and other riders to and The 54C at the intersection of Brereton and voice and made their concerns known. from their jobs, chores, and recrea- Dobson streets. Many residents wrote to Port Author- tions. Although not as reliable as ity expressing how the loss of the 54C clockwork, like potato salad at a sum- would hinder their ability to travel to improvement of the 54C included mer picnic, the passing of a 54C the Strip District, Bloomfield, Oak- truncating the route at 18th and Car- through the heart of Polish Hill is con- land, and other neighborhoods for son Streets, eliminating one in every sidered an expected occurrence. groceries, school, and work. The four bus stops, and operating with a However, just as the nicest neighbor- Mayor’s office and Councilman more regular frequency. No mention hood picnic can be ruined by rain, Dowd’s office were made aware how was made of Polish Hill, except to say there was a time this summer when much the loss of the 54C would hurt that there were relatively fewer people the future of the 54C through our Polish Hill’s elderly and transit- getting on and off the bus in the neighborhood was in jeopardy. But dependent population, and harm the neighborhood as compared to the rest thanks to the mobilization and public survival of our budding business dis- of the route. comments of our concerned residents, trict. With alternative transit service Port Authority used this past the threat has passed and we can en- only on the periphery along Bigelow spring to gather public comments and joy the benefits of good transit service Boulevard and the East Busway, and develop conceptual plans for transit for many more years. growing public support for the pro- service in the Pittsburgh region. In As some of you may be aware, posals of Concept 2, losing the 54C June, the two concepts, both of which the Port Authority of Allegheny was a serious issue, and a serious pos- worked off of the current system’s County is concluding a multi-year sibility. strengths, were presented at public Transit Development Plan to compre- Many people in Polish Hill open houses. Concept 1 focused on hensively evaluate their entire transit waited anxiously until the end of sum- improving direct radial transit service system, simplifying bus routes and mer for Port Authority to release their to Downtown and Oakland, whereas improving overall service while at- final proposed system. When the final Concept 2 did even more radial im- tempting to keep system costs in draft came out in the last days of Au- provements through priority corridors check. As a part of this process, Port gust, we residents were shocked. Not and higher-frequency distinctive rapid Authority and its consulting firm only would the 54C remain in Polish bus routes. Both concepts changed looked into each route in-depth, Hill but it would provide more fre- bus patterns downtown, decreased the evaluating ridership trends, sched- quent service! It seems that citizen concentration of bus stops system- ules, costs, and overall role in the sys- response assured that we will still wide, and eliminated many route tem. Released in December 2008, the have bus service through the heart of variations and numbering systems. 54C’s route evaluation noted its Polish Hill. Indeed, at a public hear- The idea was that a simpler, faster, unique role as an effective cross-town ing in mid-September, two Port Au- and easier-to-understand system route, its high number of route varia- thority planners noted the surprise- tions, and its lower-than-average op- would attract more riders. erating cost. Recommendations for Unfortunately, when these (continued on page 3) methodologies were applied to craft a Polish Hill Voice Page 3 Help with heating: to heat their homes the entire winter, Neighbors put out the call LIHEAP Opens Nov 2 LIHEAP consumers are urged to keep their thermostats at 65 degrees – Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home unless they have young children or Does your weedwacker have separation Energy Assistance program will older adults living in the home. Visit anxiety? Does your wheelbarrow feel open for the 2009-10 heating sea- www.turnsealsave.org to learn left out? Bring them along and join us! son on Nov. 2. The Crisis program about available assistance programs, Polish Hill has more green lots and little will open Jan. 4, 2010. energy conservation and home parks than ever—more helpers are weatherization tips. LIHEAP provides cash grants to needed to keep them looking help low-income households pay Household sizes and income limits good. Please contact the PHCA office for home heating fuel and crisis for LIHEAP’s 2009-10 season: and leave your contact information for grants to address heating emergen- 1 -- $16,245 Green Team Chair Josie Ramsey. cies. While the Department of Pub- 2 -- $21,855 lic Welfare originally considered 3 -- $27,465 opening LIHEAP on Dec. 1 due 4 -- $33,075 to funding concerns, a recent in- 5 -- $38,685 The Neighborhood Academy in Garfield, crease in federal funding will allow 6 -- $44,295 a non-profit charter school serving 74 it to open Nov. 2. 7 -- $49,905 under-privileged youth, boasts a 100% 8 -- $55,515 college placement rate, on-site sports During the 2008-09 LIHEAP sea- (For each additional person add and electives and extended service son, approximately 547,000 fami- $5,610).