Carrick

• The John Phillips Historical Marker was dedicated on October 31^st. Members of the Phillips family came from across the country for the dedication.
• The Carrick Community Council has a new website: carrickpa.com
• An artist will be painting flowers on the windows of two currently vacant properties in Carrick
• Carrick will be receiving trees from the City’s TreeVitalize program

Overbrook:

• Overbrook Community Council is selling reprints of Overbrook Looking Back and the program for the Dedication of the New Municipal Building in 1929. The books are $20 a piece or both for $35
• Overbrook Community Council is in the process to moving into their new space at the Overbrook Firehouse. The new meeting room and office space is on the first floor of the firehouse.
• Overbook residents are concerned about the proposed merger of the Carrick and Knoxville library branches because it will make it more difficult for Overbrook residents to access the library

Beechview:

• Beechview Bundle Up: Beechview Area Concerned Citizens are collecting winter items for those in need in our neighborhood. Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, jackets, coats, boots, blankets, etc. that are clean and gently worn can be dropped off at the Beechview library for the next two weeks. Please leave a comment if you would like more information.

Upcoming Events:

• Thursday November 5^th, 7 p.m.: The monthly meeting of the Beechview Area Concerned Citizens at Beechview United Presbyterian Church (1621 Broadway Avenue) will be about the Beechview Library. Two members of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s executive staff will be in attendance.
• Saturday November 7^th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Friends of the Beechview Library Customer Appreciation Day at the library. (1910 Broadway Avenue). Brian O’Neill, award winning columnist for the Post-Gazette will sign copies of this new book: “The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the 21^st Century.” Cost of books will be $17.00 including tax. Brian will donate $5.00 for each book sold to help save the Beechview Library.
• Sunday November 8^th, 11:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: St. Catherine’s Nationality Day at St. Catherine’s Church.
• Sunday November 29^th, 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Tree lighting and visit with Santa at Beechview United Presbyterian Church (1621 Broadway Avenue). Pre-register by calling 412-341-8768.

• Saturday December 12^th, 10 a.m.-4p.m.: Christmas Cookie Sale and Flea Market at Beechview United Presbyterian Church (1621 Broadway Avenue)

Friends of the Beechview Library Customer Appreciation Day Book Sale/Author Event with special guest Brian O’Neill!

The Friends annual Customer Appreciation Day and Book Sale will take place on Saturday, November 7th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Beechview Library, 1910 Broadway Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15216. All are invited to stop in for refreshments and to browse the book sale. At 1:00 pm, Brian O’Neill, award-winning columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, will sign copies of his new book, being released November 15th, “The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the 21st Century”. The books will cost $17.00 including tax. Brian will donate $5.00 for each book sold to help save the Beechview Library. Please stop by to purchase a book, say hello and thank him for supporting our cause.

New this year is the Members Only Preview Sale at 9:30am before the doors open for the regular book sale hours.

Donations of “gently used” books will be accepted at the library until November 5th.

For more information, please call the library at 412-563-2900.

SAVE OUR LIBRARY PETITION

If you haven’t yet signed, there is a petition to the Mayor and the Library Board online at http://www.petitiononline.com/CLP123/petition.html to stop the closure of the neighborhood libraries in Beechview, Hazelwood, Lawrenceville and West End. You can read the signatures and messages already posted, and preview any message you write before approving your signature. If you care about our communities, sign it. We need lots more signatures, so please pass this link on.

Brookline was featured in the Post-Gazette blog, City Walkabout

The post features Pitaland, Mazza Shoes, and the great stores in Brookline’s business district, and says that “As business districts go, Brookline’s is one for lots of us in more depleted neighborhoods to envy.”

And don’t forget, Carrick was featured in the City Walkabout blog in March!

There will be a Carrick Community Council Meeting on Wednesday June 10, 2009 at 7pm at Pittsburgh Concord K-5 auditorium located at 2350 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh PA 15210. This will be a public safety meeting with Officer Christine Luffey as speaker. Come to learn some important information about the safety of the Carrick community

The next Safe Neighborhoods Network meeting is around the corner!

Safe Neighborhoods Network Quarterly Meeting

DATE: Wednesday, June 17, 2009

TIME: 6 pm – 8 pm

LOCATION: PCRG conference room

1901 Centre Ave, Suite 200

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Join the Safe Neighborhoods Network on June 17th as individuals from neighborhoods across the city gather to discuss how we can work together to address safety issues!

Safe Neighborhoods is a collaborative network of block watches across Pittsburgh.

Sponsored by PCRG, our goal is to bring neighborhood public safety activists together to share strategies, discuss root causes of crime across communities, receive training from public safety experts, and build safe communities from the grass roots up.

Join us at 5:30 pm for light snacks. The discussion will last from 6pm to 8pm in the PCRG Conference Room. The discussion will include available resources for community groups; any problems that you might be having in your own neighborhood and how we can work together to address them; and National Night Out 2009. If there is something specific that you would like the group to address, please let me know so I can make sure it is on the agenda for the evening.

RSVP by June 15th by contacting Sarah at sstutts@pcrg.org or (412) 391-6732 x210

Brookline

• There was a meeting held to discuss the Brookline Blvd reconstruction project
  • Construction to begin in 2011 season.
  • Repave/reconfigure the Pioneer/Brookline intersection
• The BACC Potluck had a strong turnout
• SPDC will continue meeting throughout the summer; BACC is off for the summer
• A history class from Brashear High School repainted the Cannon and worked on the landscaping around the cannon in preparation for Memorial Day
• Upcoming Events:
  • August 8^th: Brookline Breeze and  Neighborhood Sidewalk Sale

Beechview

• A community meeting with Port Authority had a strong community presence
  • PAT staff will present their proposed changes to the board in June/July
  • Decision will be made in September
  • Currently, PAT is considering eliminating stops in Beechview based on data collected in Spring 2008
• The Memorial Service and Flower Sale were successful events
• The old Beechveiw pool was demoed, and construction for the new Spray Park should begin shortly
• The Beechview Summit is now available online at www.beechview.org
• Upcoming Events:
  • Appraisal fair June 16^th, 6-9 @ library, 3 items, $5 per item with the money goes to the library
  • Beechview Area Concerned Citizens will have their monthly meeting on June 4^th, 7pm at Beechview United Presbyterian Church
  • June 6^th, 8:30am-3pm: Beechview United Presbyterian Church Flea Market
  • Beginning on June 18^th, Beechview will have a Farmer’s Market from 3:30-7:30 every Thursday in the Upper Parking Lot of St. Catherine’s Church
  • August 4^th: Beechview’s annual Night Out Against Crime

Overbrook

• Overbrook Community Council met Tuesday 5/26 and will have elections at the June 23^rd meeting
• Paty attended a Port Authority meeting in Greentree hosted by the Local Government Academy
  • Documents have been added to the Carrick listserve
  • Port Authority would like to use what resources/infrastructure is available
  • There was an ACCESS presentation
  • The Airport Corridor Transportation Association also presented their services
  • Need to find ways to get people to PAT stops
  • There is a proposed Park-n-ride in Greentree
    • Residents would be able to park for free but non-residents would be charged for parking
• Overbrook Firehouse: bidding for downstairs remodeling has started
  • There will be a new bathroom
  • The current kitchen will be used as a meeting room
  • The upstairs will be closed off to meet ADA requirements

Carrick

• Upcoming Meetings:
  • June 10^th 7pm, the Carrick Community Council will meet at Concord Elementary’s Auditorium
    • Officer Christine Luffy will be attending the meeting
  • June 15^th, 6pm: Tree-tenders will meet at Brownsville and  – new trees have been put up; need to have some old ones removed; 6/15, 6pm, Brownsville and Sankey. Tree tenders will also meet on July 13^th and August 17^th at 6pm, with a location to be determined
  • August 23^rd, 12pm: Carrick Corn Fest at Phillips Park
  • There will be a block party tentatively scheduled for September 12^th in the 1800 block of Brownsville Road

Banksville

• Beechview seniors picnic attended a picnic at Banksville Park
• Beechview and Banksville community members have been working to have a van or bus to transport Beechview youth to Banksville’s pool
  • Want to encourage use of the pool
  • Beechview youth don’t have easy access to the pool
• Upcoming Events:
• June 11^th, 7pm: Ribbon cutting at Banksville Park for the renovated park facility

• Brookline
  • Brookline’s Candidate’s Night and Cleanup were both successful events
  • Upcoming Events:
    • May 18^th: Old Fashioned Pot-Luck at St. Mark’s Church. Event is sponsored by the Brookline Area Community Council who asks that guests bring a dish to serve 8-10 people
    • May 23^rd: Woodbourne Avenue will hold its annual yard sale
    • May 31^st, 10am: Brookline-Dormont Memorial Day Parade
• Beechview
  • Beechview’s Candidate’s Night, Little League Parade, and Neighborhood Clean Up were all successful events
  • A Citiparks Farmer’s Market will be coming in June. The Farmer’s Market will be at St. Catherine’s Church at the corner of Broadway and Belasco Avenues
  • The Beechview Spray Park remains on schedule to open in the summer of 2009
  • Beechview and Brookline will sign an MOU to outline how they will work together with a forthcoming shared staff person
  • Community members are actively working on bring a Boys and Girls Club of America to the South Hills with a location in Beechview
  • Along with Mt. Washington, Allentown, and Beltzhoover, Beeechview was approved for a Transit Revitalization Investment District planning study. The communities will have $227,000 for the study
  • Transportation Issues:
    • Port Authority may remove some of the T stops in Beechview
    • There will be a community meeting on May 7^th to discuss these issues with community members, and a community meeting on May 12^th so that the community can meet with Port Authority about their concerns and input
    • The T is frequently full of riders when it reaches Beechview, making it difficult for residents to ride
    • BACC is working with Banksville to have a potential bus to get Beechview kids to the Banksville swimming pool
  • Upcoming Events:
    • May 16^th, 10am-3pm: Flower sale pick up and book sale at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh—Beechview Branch:
    • May 17^th, 1pm: Planting at Monument Park
    • May 23^rd, 10am: Memorial Service at Monument Park
    • June 16^th, 6pm-9pm: Appraisal Fair at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh—Beechview Branch
• Carrick
  • Carrick’s clean up and Athletic Association Parade were successful events
  • The Post-Gazette featured an article about Carrick by Diana Nelson Jones. The article can be found here
  • Carrick was selected as 1 of 3 locations in Allegheny County for a historical marker. The marker will be located at the former Phillips House, now the site of St. Pius Church. You can read more here
    • The Carrick-Overbrook Historical Society is still working on a potential marker for Mrs. Harriet Duff-Phillips as well
  • Concord Elementary has started the Concord Chronicles, a newsletter for students
  • Work is being done to have a fire hydrant equipped with a special valve for the Mother Statue at Ravilla Avenue and Overbrook Boulevard so that the landscaping can be properly watered
  • Carrick’s trees are doing well and 20-25 more trees are expected to be planted
  • Upcoming events:
    • May 13^th, 7pm: Carrick Candidates Night at Roosevelt Elementary School
    • May 13^th, 3:30pm-7:30pm: Carrick Farmer’s Market returns for the season at Carrick Shopping Center. The Farmer’s Market is open every Wednesday until November 23^rd
• Overbrook
  • Candidates Night was a successful event
  • Overbrook Community Council will hold an election in June
  • The Community Council has also adjusted their bylaws to have 4 executive positions and an advisory board

Mark your calendar for the next quarterly Safe Neighborhoods Network Meeting

The Safe Neighborhoods Network is a project of the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group

DATE: Wednesday, June 17, 2009

TIME: 6 pm – 8 pm

LOCATION: PCRG conference room

1901 Centre Ave, Suite 200

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Meet other local community leaders and discuss local safety initiatives!

Join us on June 17th as individuals from neighborhoods across the city gather to discuss how we can work together to address safety issues! Light snacks will be available at 5:30 pm with the discussion beginning at 6 pm.

Community groups in Brookline and Overbrook will be hosting Candidate Forums so that community members can learn more about the candidates for city council:

Monday, April 27^th

Brookline Forum, hosted by the Brookline Area Community Council
St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 933 Brookline Boulevard
7:00 – 9:00 pm

Tuesday, April 28^th

Overbrook Forum, hosted by the Overbrook Community Council
Fairhaven Methodist Church, 2415 Saw Mill Run Blvd
7:00 – 8:30 pm

PUBLIC MEETING OPEN HOUSE

Brookline Boulevard Improvement Project

The City of Pittsburgh, Department of Pubic Works, Bureau of Transportation and Engineering, will hold a Public Meeting Open House concerning the Improvements to Brookline Boulevard from Pioneer Avenue to Starkamp Street.

The purpose of this Public Open House is to update the status of the project, display preliminary plans, and discuss potential impacts.  Public comment on the project is welcomed. Representatives from the City of Pittsburgh and their consulting team will be available for questions and discussion.  Refreshments will be provided.

The meeting room is accessible to persons having disabilities.  Those who require special accommodations, or have any questions should call the number listed below.

For more information contact:

Fred Fischer, P.E.

Project Manager,

City of Pittsburgh

Department of Public Works

Bureau of Transportation and Engineering
301 City-County Building
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA  15219-2455
Phone:  (412) 255-2472
Fax:  (412) 255-8847