the inside BOROUGH 3 WCDC 4 SCHOOL DISTRICT 5 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 7 VOL. 9 NO. 2 October 2015 A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER BRINGING YOU GOOD NEWS ABOUT WILKINSBURG Tastes of Wilkinsburg Finding unique and delicious food nearby; the second in a series. It’s been nine months since Markie Maraugha and Greg Stocke reopened Nancy’s as Nancy’s East End Dinner. They have preserved the retro decor, personable service, and classic diner food, but they have added their own flair. For one thing, they have been intentional about featuring local sources: 2014 filming process of Southpaw brought trailers and cameras to Wallace, Penn and Rebecca Avenues. Fortune’s Tanzanian peaberry coffee, Wilkinsburg Lights! Camera! Wilkinsburg! In 2012, CNN wrote that Pittsburgh his former glory; Tick Wills, the trainer is “fast becoming the Tinseltown of he uses to get his life back on track, and the East.” With 3 movies filming in Jordan Mains, Billy’s manager. the Borough in 15 months, perhaps Earlier this year, the Blackridge area of Wilkinsburg should be known as the Wilkinsburg was covered in white; despite Tinseltown of the Eastern Suburbs! the winter that would not die, the crew In July and August of 2014, Southpaw of Let It Snow had to use the fake stuff —now in theaters—used Wilkinsburg to re-create a snowy Christmas Eve that locations as background for the story transforms one small town. Since retitled of Billy Hope, a successful boxer sent Love the Coopers, the all-star cast includes into a tailspin by personal tragedy. Jake Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Gyllenhaal, Forest Whittaker and 50 Diane Keaton, Anthony Mackie, Amanda Cent graced the streets of the Borough Seyfried, June Squibb, Marisa Tomei and as Billy Hope, the boxer trying to reclaim continued on page 3 Community Meeting about Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh Public School Partnership Photo by DrewPhoto by Gordon Co-owner Markie in a misnomered t-shirt. The community is invited to a meeting between Wilkinsburg School District and Natrona Bottling Company Soda, Mancini’s on Thursday, October 15, from 6 p.m. to Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS). bread, DJ’s Butcher Block meats, and 7:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Westinghouse 6-12 The agreement proposes that Leona’s Ice Cream Sandwiches. Academy, located at 1101 N. Murtland Wilkinsburg High School will close and They’ve also added some signature Street in the Homewood neighborhood of all students enrolled for 7th through menu items including the Nancy burger—a Pittsburgh. The purpose of the meeting 12th grade in Wilkinsburg will attend continued on page 8 is to discuss the proposed agreement continued on page 5 PSO Returns October 22, p. 2 • WHS Alumni Reunion October 17, p. 5 BULLETIN BOARD www.wilkinsburgsun.com www.facebook.com/wilkinsburgsun Volunteers Wanted for Mulching Trees On Thursday, October 1, from 5:30- 7:30 p.m., there will be a tree mulching [email protected] event at Holmes Playground at the corner of Holmes and Wood Streets in P.O. Box 86064 Wilkinsburg, PA 15221 Wilkinsburg. This volunteer activity is sponsored by Lynne Gordon, Editor the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS who generously donated and planted 13 Jason Cohn, President Minister Linda Kirkland-Law, Vice President trees in the playground. John Irwin, Treasurer The Wilkinsburg Parks and Recreation Pittsburgh Urban Christian School first grade students Vanessa McCarthy-Johnson, Secretary Board will be assisting and doing a clean- enjoyed harvesting the potatoes they planted last spring Richard Bradford up of the playground if needed. in the school’s new Outdoor Classroom. The classroom was made possible through a grant from PNC Charitable The Wilkinsburg Sun is a free Neighbors interested in helping may monthly community newsletter published Trusts. In addition to potatoes, the children planted call board member Mike Milberger at by the volunteer Wilkinsburg Community radishes, lettuce and spinach. Students pictured (from left) Newsletter Board, with the support of the 412.242.8512. are Sabeel Collins, Caleb Jackson and Charlotte Barker. Wilkinsburg Borough, the Wilkinsburg School District, the Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce and the Wilkinsburg Community PSO Returns to Wilkinsburg October 22 Development Corporation. The Sun is printed by Knepper Press. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra For the past 12 years, the PSO has Please submit all articles and calendar returns to the auditorium at Wilkinsburg collaborated with a community-based events to: [email protected], High School at 7 p.m. on Thursday, planning committee to create an annual or by mail, P.O. Box 86064, Wilkinsburg, October 22. Francesco Lecce-Chong will concert at the high school. All proceeds PA 15221. Please submit articles 5 weeks before publication and be conducting and Katy Williams will be a go directly to the music programs in the calendar events 3 weeks before featured vocalist. Wilkinsburg school district. publication. To advertise, The program will The symphony raised e-mail [email protected], or call 412.638.5238. The Sun accepts include: Bizet’s Suite No. 1 over $6,000 from their submitted articles provided they are related from Carmen; Grieg’s Suite concert here in April. to Wilkinsburg and are civic-minded. The No. 1 from Peer Gynt, Opus. Because the they have a Sun reserves the right to withhold articles from print. Please note that The Sun does 46; Strauss’ “Mein Herr European tour in May, this not publish political or opinion pieces. Marquis” from Die Fledemaus; Puccini’s time they are coming to Wilkinsburg in “Quando me’n vo” from La Bohème; the fall. Rossini’s Duetto buffo di due gatti; selections Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess; and students. Tickets are available at the door Offenbach’s Overture to Orpheus in the (cash or checks) and at Nancy’s East End Sign up to receive The Sun by email at eepurl.com/v0iBP Underworld. diner. and friend us on Facebook. Focus on Local Activist Who Fought for Women’s Right to Vote The next meeting of the Wilkinsburg Historical Society will be Monday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. in South Avenue United Methodist Church. The evening will focus on the women’s Suffragist Movement in Pittsburgh a hundred years ago. Women in the United States were not allowed to vote until 1920. Each state had women who organized to fight for the right to vote. In the Pittsburgh area one of the leading activists was Winifred B. Meek Morris who kept a scrapbook of all the activities of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Equal Franchise Federation. Their group efforts will be discussed, along with vintage photographs and news articles. The meeting is free and open to members, guests and all interested people. Refreshments will be served. Attendees should use the left Ross Avenue entrance. 2 Wilkinsburg Sun I October 2015 WILKINSBURG BOROUGH www.wilkinsburgpa.gov LIGHTS! CAMERA! from page 1 Wanted: PILOTs! Olivia Wilde, many of whom were spotted No, Wilkinsburg is not starting an on local governments have led to more out and about in Southwestern PA. “Love airline, but we are in need of PILOTS! municipalities using PILOTs to help offset the Coopers” opens November 13 of this PILOTs—Payments In Lieu Of Taxes—are the increased costs of providing services. year, just in time to kick-off the Christmas voluntary payments made to compensate Both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh use shopping season! a local government for some or all of the PILOTs, and Wilkinsburg has requested Next up is “American Pastoral”, a tax revenue that it loses because of the them in the past, most recently in 2013. period piece based on the Philip Roth nature of the ownership of a particular This year, Wilkinsburg is again asking tax- novel about a Jewish All-American golden piece of property. Generally, tax-exempt exempt nonprofits, who consume public boy, nicknamed “the Swede”, whose nonprofit organizations are asked to make services, to contribute towards the cost. seemingly perfect upper middle class a payment to help cover lost revenue from This month, letters will be sent to life is shattered by a family event. Ewan property taxes. Property taxes provide local nonprofits requesting voluntary McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, and Dakota services—police, fire and emergency donations, and Borough Council is asking Fanning are starring in this movie that will response; street maintenance, including that recipients consider a donation so be filming for 4 days in Wilkinsburg over snow and ice removal, and street cleaning; that services do not need to be cut. For the next several months. and code enforcement—to all residents and more information, see The Pew Charitable For those familiar with the novel, businesses, including nonprofits. Trusts or the Lincoln Institute of Land Wilkinsburg locations will serve as the In recent years, revenue pressures Policy websites. animal hospital and the interior and exterior of Merry’s tenement. Please UPCOMING MEETINGS note that this is a closed set, so if you see filming, maintain a respectful 10/5 (Wed.) 6:30 P.M. Wilkinsburg Planning Commission distance so that the cast and crew report 10/6 (Tues.) 2 P.M. Public Safety Forum positive experiences making movies in Wilkinsburg, and encourage other movies 10/6 (Tu 5 P.M. Special Events Committee (Wanted: new members) to consider filming here. 10/7 (Wed.) 6:30 P.M. Council Work Session And when you see these movies on the big screen, be sure to look for familiar 10/9 (Wed.) 10:30 A.M. Finance Committee, 1st floor conf. room. locations, especially those in our home 10/14 (Fri.) 6 P.M Civic Sector & Constituent/Business Outreach town.