Positively Pittsburgh Live News 5-6-13

Positively Pittsburgh Live News

5-6-13

Listen to the show online here.

Cultural Clues

Celebrate Broadway's biggest night with the Cultural Trust!
Sunday, June 9 • 7pm, Cabaret at Theater Square, Tickets $50

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is pleased to announce a chance to join together with Broadway lovers, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust staff and special guests on Broadway's most glamorous night!

Come walk the red carpet in evening attire. Enjoy food and drink and a classic party, and watch as the Tony® Awards take center stage.

Your ticket purchase supports the arts in Pittsburgh. New members will receive a Partners level member of the Trust. For more information about membership levels, visit TrustArts.org/support.


From Our Friends at the Soul Pitt

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company Presents MA NOAH


This play by PPTCO Artistic Director and Founder Mark Clayton Southers won the 2004 Theodore Ward Prize at Columbia College. It blends humor and hard-hitting truth in the heart of the family unit. Rebecca Pratt, a single mother of four, struggles to keep her family intact despite the social ills of drugs, pregnancy and unemployment. She must draw upon all her reserves of hope and courage in her fight to save her children’s souls.

Tracey Turner directs with Chrystal Bates (Aunt Esther - Gem) playing the lead. Also for the very first time Chrystal's daughter Cheryl Bates-White will share the stage with her as her daughter Mary. The cast also includes August Wilson Monologue winner Heaven Bobo, and DeVaughn Robinson, a winner of both the August Wilson Monologue and the Shakespeare Monologue & Scene contests. And it's capped off with Point Park freshman Trevor Butler as Pig, making his Pittsburgh Playwrights debut.

Ma Noah runs through May 12th. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets are now on sale. 

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Showcases Rising Dance Talent in Spring Performance 2013 & Pre-Professional Showcase 2013 

As the capstone of the 2012-2013 school year, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School will spotlight the talent and diversity of nearly 200 students in the 2013 Spring Performance and Pre-Professional Showcases onstage this May in the Cultural District. Read details here. 

Tickets for Spring Performance 2013 range in price from $16.75-28.75, and can be purchased online at www.pbt.org or by calling 412-456-6666. Tickets for the 2013 Pre-Professional Showcase are available for $20 online at www.pbt.org or by calling 412-281-0360.

54th Annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival 

The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, is set to fulfill its mission of connecting the community to the arts this summer, June 7 – 16, 2013, in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 10-day Festival is free and open to the public and presents high-quality and diverse visual and performing art attractions sprawling from the newly renovated Point State Park at the confluence of the city’s famed three rivers, through

picturesque Gateway Center, and into Pittsburgh’s world-renowned 14-block Cultural District. During its vast and varied history, the Festival has featured more than 12,000 artists and entertained millions of residents and visitors, including an annual crowd of 400,000.

This year’s Festival is significant for its role as a foundation to a number of cooperating high-profile cultural events bringing national and international attention to the City of Pittsburgh. Together, the events symbolize Pittsburgh’s 30-year transformation into a global city with a thriving quality of life. For a full listing of events, please visit www.3RiversArtsFest.org or call 412.456.6666.

Kids Korner

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Presents the 27th Annual Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival
May 15-19, 2013
The Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater, a division of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, presents the Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival, Wednesday, May 15, through Sunday, May 19, 2013 at the University of Pittsburgh theaters and Schenley Plaza. Programming will showcase international and local theater premieres, including a brand new interactive luminarium installation from Architects of Air (UK). Giant Eagle is the lead sponsor of the 2013 Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival. Additional partners include Citiparks, University of Pittsburgh School of Arts & Sciences, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Parks Conservatory.

The Festival will feature performances and artwork by artists from the U.S. and around the globe, including Australia, Russia, Ireland, and the UK. “The 27th annual Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival presents a wide variety of unique performances and is a way for people to see many shows back-to-back or over the span of a few days,” comments Pamela K. Lieberman, Manager of Children’s Theater Programming with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Executive Director of Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater. “It highlights a combination of art forms that are inspiring, not only for children, but for adults as well.”

Charlotte Blake Alston, featured narrator and story teller of African Pourquoi Tales, provides an interactive experience by tweaking her stories based on the audience’s participation and according to Lieberman, her performances are “engaging and amazing.” In addition, Alston is PennPAT funded, allowing her to make the most of every performance.

Back by popular demand, Aga-Boom (Russia/USA) returns to the festival and will delight audiences with their art of clowning, comedy and theater performance.

This year’s Festival will feature extended hours for the evening shows on Friday, May 18 & Saturday, May 19. Friday evening performances include Aga-Boom and Dinosaur Zoo at 6 p.m.; Saturday performances include Dinosaur Zoo at 5 p.m., and The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly and African Pourquoi Tales at 6:16 p.m.

In addition to the featured ticketed performances, the Festival will include 30+ free hands-on academic, cultural and international activities, as well as performances at the free outdoor Community Stages located in Schenley Plaza and on the front lawn of the Carnegie Library. Participants can enjoy stories and activites from the Citiparks Alphabet Trail and Tales and the Roving Art Cart. Free outdoor activities and performances are 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Plenty of bus, lot and street parking is available in the area.

For information and tickets, visit the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh, or visit: www.PGHKIDS.org

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to Premiere First-Ever Autism Friendly Performance of The Nutcracker Marking the final day of Autism Awareness Month, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre announces the 2013 premiere of its first-ever autism-friendly production of The Nutcracker, the first of its kind in the country to make the magic of the holiday classic accessible to children on the autism spectrum and their families. The autism-friendly performance will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, December 27, 2013 at the Benedum Center.

“The Nutcracker is a holiday staple in ballet companies across the country and an annual tradition for many families here in Pittsburgh, so we are particularly excited to pilot this program with a timeless story that reaches so many people year after year,” said PBT Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr. “With this special performance, we want families to know that we are performing with them in mind and welcome them to experience this production in a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere.” Read the entire release here. 


TRI-STATE STUDENTS HONORED IN WQED PITTSBURGH PBS KIDS GO! WRITERS CONTEST 
WQED Pittsburgh is proud to announce local winners for the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest sponsored by EQT Corporation. All first place winners will be entered into the national PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, where they will compete against other winners from across the country. WQED was one of 12 public television stations across the country that participated in this year’s contest. WQED partnered locally with Penn State Public Broadcasting (WPSU) which serves central Pennsylvania and West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) which serves West Virginia statewide. 

For the first time this year WQED introduced an online voting portal and invited the public to view and listen to finalists read their stories aloud and choose the Kid’s Choice Award. The winner of the 2013 Kid’s Choice Award was If I Ran the Circus by Griffin Snowberger of Martinsburg, PA with 816 votes. All of the winners’ stories may be viewed and heard at writeonkids.org. 

All finalists were invited to WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio in Oakland, May 4 to celebrate their efforts. Twenty-two 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention winners had the opportunity to see their stories turned into a puppet play called “Recipe For A Clue” created and performed by Pittsburgh Puppet Works and could even get their face painted. Children in Kindergarten, grades 1, 2 and 3 submitted over 1,600 stories this year. 

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is produced annually by PBS KIDS and managed and created by WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto, and is a part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national initiative that uses the power of public media to build the reading skills of children ages two to eight. More information on PBS KIDS Raising Readers and the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest can be found at pbskids.org/read.

Women and Girls Advancement

Women and Girls Foundation
Education is the surest form of advocacy. The Women and Girls Foundation was founded on the principle of empowering women to invest their dollars and knowledge to create change. To broaden your knowledge, WGF is giving away a brand new Kindle Fire HD to a donor of $100 or more. We’re also including a $25 Amazon gift card with a list of the best feminist non-fiction. View the list online. Your gift right now helps girls from our region and across the state learn about civic engagement and activism in a way that is not taught in schools or anywhere else.

Make your tax-deductible donation before May 31st and the new Kindle Fire HD could be yours. Simply visit our website to make your gift online today.


Dress for Success Essence of Leadership Breakfast 
Thursday, May 30th 
Candi Castleberry-Singleton, Chief Diversity Officer, UPMC, Living with Power and Joy! 

 

Candi Castleberry

Are you living the life that you've always imagined? Or do you find yourself longing for more?

We all want to get the most out of life, but sometimes we encounter roadblocks. As we navigate work-life integration, managing relationships, career, household, and finances, it's easy for the years to quickly pass by us.

That's why learning to live with Power and Joy is so important. It's about thinking of your life as a BIG DEAL and getting the most important areas of your life under control. It's more than simply getting things done; it's involves becoming aware of your own importance and of your responsibility to create your own happiness.

Learn how to take care of yourself first, your career second and the world third. By making yourself the priority in your life - while still giving back to others - you can enjoy the personal satisfaction that can result from living with Power and Joy. To register or for more information, Click Here!

Business Buzz

"Jessica Lee's Entrepreneurial Thursdays"

Musical Networking Happy Hour, EVERY THURSDAY!!! Cover Charge: Only $5.00

Vocalist Jessica Lee & Friends, Little E's Jazz & Blues Club,

949 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, 2nd Floor above Mahoney's Restaurant

5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Jessica Lee

Pre-show networking session at 5:30 pm. Informal matchmaking for job seekers, employers & new entrepreneurs! Live music starts at 6:00 pm.

May 9, 2013: "Commercializing New Technologies-Failures and Successes!" 

Featuring interviews with: 

Karl Schieneman, Founder - Review Lesssm http://reviewless.com/

Dave Nelsen, President - Dialog Consulting Group www.wesocialize.biz/blog/home

Tom Anderson, Founder - Maritom, LLC http://noctivagan.com/maritom/

Community Interview, Spring into Reentry 

Scott Albert, Owner of The Albert Institute, and Belinda Ashley, Chief United States Probation Officer for Western Pennsylvania will discuss the Spring into Reentry Virtual Conference.

NORTHSIDE WORKS JOB FAIR

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Find Work

Fri, May 17, 2013 | 1PM - 5PM @ The NorthShore Community Alliance

1439 North Franklin Street | Pgh, PA 15233 

Some Prestigious Employers:

Allegheny General Hospital

Rivers Casino

CCAC

Dollar Bank

Job Corps

Express Employment

Sky Vue Nursing

CJ Grant Enterprises

Formerly Convicted Citizens

Community Options, Inc.

And more!

*Employer suggested workshops

will be available to job seekers.

High School and University News

From our friends at Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council 

GED Deadline Looms

Forty thousand Pennsylvanians face a critical deadline this year. Few of them know about it.

Forty thousand is the number of the state's residents who have started the process of getting their high school diploma by taking the GED tests. They have passed one or more of the five tests, but they have not completed the entire series.

The GED Testing Service in Washington, D.C., is completely revamping the GED tests. The deadline is Dec. 31 to complete and pass all sections of the current GED test. As of Jan. 1, students who have not completed the five tests must start over with the new 2014 version of the GED tests and will have to pay the test fee again. Read the rest of Don Block's article at the 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's website.

Non-Profit Events Sponsored
by Black Tie Pittsburgh

Sent in by PositivePittsburgher Fran Treloar 

Samuel’s Mother, Foundation Founder interviewed on PPL 

The Samuel J Foundation (http://www.samuelj.org/) supports research as well as providing patient support for families going through childhood brain cancers.

This fundraiser is only $10 to walk in the door, food and raffle are included (and it looks like the raffle prize will be worth over $500!). I will be one of ~20 vendors at the show; my entry fee was written directly to the foundation. ALL PROCEEDS from the event go to the charity; space, food, etc were all donated, for an affordable night of fun for everyone, all for a great cause.

Raffle tickets are free; the only requirement to enter the drawing is to visit each vendor table and get stamped. Since there will be about 20 tables to visit, all featuring great products and services to pamper you, this should be a fun game!

LADIES EVENING  SPRING FLING 

Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Hall , 456 First Street, Heidelberg, PA

Saturday, May 18, 2013 

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. 

Come join us for an evening of shopping with over 20 vendors and pampering with free chair massages, mini-manicures and self-defense demos! 

Complementary wine, soda, and pizza. Raffle Donation: $10 

ALL proceeds will benefit the Samuel J Foundation

From our friends at SteelCityLive.com 

STOP THE VIOLENCE PITTSBURGH PRESENTS MEMORIAL WEEKEND COMMUNITY AWARENESS DAY 
Saturday May 25, 2013 @ Stage AE 
400 N. Shore Drive, 12PM-4PM 

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS 


Stop The Violence-Pittsburgh will conduct a Community PEACE Aware Day that will bring together some 20 grass-root groups to address violence within the communities and provide a platform to the local agencies and organizations who offer viable, reputable and well thought-of experiences and options to children, youth and young adults in their development towards adult hood. These organizations range from Music Institutes, Victims Centers, Mental Health Specialist, Domestic Violence Groups to HIV advocates. We are offering a universal platform to illustrate to the community the high quality supportive services that are available. 

Motivational Speakers, Resource Info, Live Entertainment, Food and Various Presentations 
The event program will include a "Gone But Not Forgotten" commemoration segment and roll call with family members of the murdered victims of 2012/13 with Inter-faith Religious Leaders, local community leaders and advocacy organizations along with a Community "Difference Makers" program highlighting those individuals who are fighting these issues daily.

East End Co-op Ministry's A Flavor Of The East End 
Join the 7th Annual A Flavor of the East End, May 17th at the Pittsburgh Opera from 7–10:30pm, and celebrate and support 43 years of service to those most in need. 

Sample delicious fare from notable East End restaurants and listen to the musical stylings of Dr. James Johnson & Mrs. Pamela Johnson, co-founders of the Afro American Music Institute. Purchase a famous Mystery Boxes, bid on silent auction items or take part in a restaurant raffle. Tickets on sale now. Get them while you can!

Neighborhood Hi-lights

From Our Friends at the URA 


I Want to Ride My Bicycle...Indoors! 

It’s been over six years since Harry Geyer started looking for a suitable building to house his vision, and over 12 months since he and his wife, Sheila, signed the lease for the entire block of 6815 Hamilton Avenue. Now, Pennsylvania’s first indoor bicycle park, called The Wheel Mill, is finally open to the public.

Although there was no shortage of local talent to help design, build, and staff The Wheel Mill, the unique concept made it hard to find comprehensive funding. That is, until the URA (along with a local bank) realized the beneficial impact a business of this nature could have on a neighborhood like Homewood. “I don’t know how we would have completed this project without the support from the URA and the public/private partnership,” Harry confesses. “As much as everyone wanted this to happen within Pittsburgh’s large existing cycling community, there is not a lot of precedent for this business model.”

The Wheel Mill received a $150,000 Pittsburgh Business Growth Fund (PBGF) loan from the URA. “Harry was great to work with, and his vision and unique concept were refreshing,” said Rochelle Lilien, URA senior business development specialist. “This is exactly the type of deal the URA loves to get involved in. We used our PBGF funds to finance the gap to make this project work. The result was the re-use of a large vacant warehouse in Homewood, one of our targeted City neighborhoods, adding brand new life to the street!”

What’s an indoor bike park? Picture a building the size of an entire city block, 80,000 sq. ft., with 20 ft.-plus ceilings, filled with mountain bike trails that you’d expect to see in the woods, and quarter pipes and jumps that you’d expect to see at a skate park. You use it like you would a ski resort, buying a day pass or a season pass. Bring your own bicycle or rent one there, and while pads are highly recommended, helmets are always mandatory. The Wheel Mill is built for all ages and skill levels from first timer to expert, and it is marked like a ski slope with green circles for the beginner routes, blue squares for intermediate, and even black diamond lines for the highly skilled.

Eric Boerer, advocacy director for BikePGH, thinks The Wheel Mill will add to Pittsburgh's esteem. "We're already an outdoor destination for cycling in general," he said. "This adds one more reason to come here."

Also from Our Friends at the URA—Shadyside 

Buzzing and Barking in Shadyside

On April 13 the Shadyside Chamber of Commerce kicked off Bark Shadyside, a dog-friendly initiative funded through the Pittsburgh Biz Buzz Small Grant program, with the Bark Shadyside Pup Walk. The Pup Walk, a one mile walk through the neighborhood and business district, featured 169 dogs and their owners. Thirteen vendors also participated with tables in the registration area.

Proceeds from the event ($1,835) benefitted the Animal Rescue League and Wildlife Center.

Afterwards, organizers surveyed participants via email about the event, and asked (among other questions) about their favorite part of the Pup Walk. Here are some responses:
“Getting the chance to walk through the business district on Walnut Street with my dog and to be greeted so warmly by several of the merchants who had representatives standing outside.”
“Meeting other dogs and their owners.”
“Finding out about all of the pet friendly businesses in Shadyside.”
“It was great walking our dogs together as a community.”

The Bark Shadyside program is providing dog-friendly amenities such as water bowls and fully stocked treat jars to more than 50 participating businesses, as well as doggie waste bag dispensers throughout the neighborhood and walking maps.

The Biz Buzz grant also enabled the launch of www.barkshadyside.com, an online presence for dog friendly businesses and attractions in Shadyside. 

Roving Pittsburgher Report

LL Strangelove Multi-Media Experience 

Yes, Lou Lombardi’s band is not just any band but a multi-media experience with psychedelic patterns and video clips that make you wonder if you should listen to the great music or watch the great multi-media show. 

They rocked out the Hard Rock Café.

Chocolate Blues Festival 
This took place at the Epiphany Church Hall by Consol on May 2. There was quite a variety of vendors, including accountants, jewelry sellers, one on one business counseling, Send Out Cards, even Avon. What a great place to meet scads of new people and catch up on some niche shopping like Miche bags, skin care and great nutritional stuff, not discounting the flash fried hot dogs. And of course chocolate everywhere. Great friends, great networking, great chocolate. Watch for November’s Event, it's worth saving the date. Shout out to buddies the Soul Pitt and New Pittsburgh Courier who were also there.

Champion River Dogs and Fries normally at Main St. and Park Ave. in Monongahela

This was a welcome addition to Chocolate Blues Festival and Networking. Flash fried all beef Angus Hot Dogs and fresh cut REAL French Fries. $2.00 for a dawg and $5.00 for fries, but they cut them right in front of you. It tasted like your moms that you used to eat with half a bottle of ketchup on the back porch in the summer time. If you would like the fun of these Fried Dawgs and Fresh Fries, contact Rich to bring his cart to your event: 724-518-1642.

Monte Cello’s, 2198 Babcock Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15209

Prime rib Tuesday night - John Pournaras and TechnoGranny have decided this is the only place to eat after the No BS Marketing Meeting, which is on a Tuesday Night. Great meeting then great food. Sumptuous Prime Rib Dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and either a vegetable or a salad for $15.99. I ate for two days because 20 ounces was too much for one sitting. But it was so good I really wanted to eat it all, then I would have been like the old alka seltzer commercial, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

Del’s Italian Restaurant, 4428 Liberty Ave  Pittsburgh, PA 15224

In the heart of Little Italy, Bloomfield, a family run gem which has been there since I first came to Pittsburgh in 1971.Techno Granny had tripe, which is an acquired taste admittedly, but it was in marinara sauce and the sauce was so great that she saved what was left of her take home sauce and put it on everything until it ran out. She has decided it is one of the best marinara sauces in the City. They also have a great 3 for $12.00 deal. TG’s partner had Chicken bruschetta, which had wonderful tomatoes on pasta with chicken, salad and spumoni came with it for $12.00.

***

This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2013 All rights reserved.

Listen to the show online here. 

Tara Darazio is a Positively Pittsburgh Live reporter, an independent copywriter, blogger, article writer, and social media strategist. If you are in need of writing assistance, or need help with your social media efforts connect with Tara on LinkedIn here.