Pittsburgh Live News 7-1-13 Part II

Pittsburgh Live News Part II

7-1-13

Listen to the show online here.

We admit it, the staff of PositivelyPittsburghLive partied too much last weekend and this week. However we normally do not schedule a show on holiday weeks. But this week, there is just too much good news to wait until Monday, we were just having a time fitting in the show in between partying. Co-host today, JoAnn Forrester of the Empress of Biz Talkcast had two Roving Pittsburgher Reviews herself.

Part II: NON-PROFIT EVENTS SPONSORED BY BLACK TIE-PITTSBURGH: JUNETEENTH STOP THE VIOLENCE Community Awareness Day, Wes Lyons Wine Tasting and Auction Benefiting Cystic Fibrosis sponsored by PositivelyPittsburghLive 


NEIGHBORHOOD HI-LIGHTS: Renaissance Center in North Homewood, Deutschtown Music Festival, FARMERS MARKETS 


POSITIVE PITTSBURGHERS SEGMENT: Megan Boboige and Charlie Batch on TechVibe Radio 

PITTSBURGH LOCAL SPORTS : Pirate Ticket Specials for July 

VETERANS AND MILITARY NEWS: OTA ranked Number 9 Charity in the nation

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NON-PROFIT EVENTS SPONSORED BY

 BLACK TIE-PITTSBURGH

Neighborhood Hi-Lights

From our friends at Pop City

A new type of community facility will be at the center of an effort to revitalize North Homewood.

The Renaissance Center

After plans to put a dollar store in the space at 7258 Frankstown Avenue fell through, Dollar Bank agreed to donate the building — valued at $2 million — for what the Homewood Renaissance Association is calling The Renaissance Center.

Among its features, the 12,000-square foot Renaissance Center will include classrooms, community space, a kitchen, a recording studio and other recreational amenities, in addition to housing the Homewood Renaissance Association’s new offices.

Apart from acting as a community center, the space will have 4,000-square feet dedicated to four retail storefront spaces. Businesses local to Homewood will occupy three of the spaces, and the fourth will act as a business incubator, according to Homewood Renaissance Association spokesperson Kelley Denny. Get the whole story here.


Also from our Friends at Pop City

The sounds of Deutschtown
Over on the Northside, the Deutschtown Music Festival makes its debut on Saturday, July 6th. You know the nabe for its sports stadiums, soft pretzels and Victorian homes, now get to know the Northside's thriving live music scene.

Showcasing a variety of indoor and outdoor music venues located throughout the historic Pittsburgh neighborhood--including an outdoor stage--the unique event will feature more than 40 bands--all performing within walking distance of the East Ohio Street business district. And did we mention that it is all free?

A wide range of musical genres and styles will be highlighted, including jazz, blues, rock, bluegrass, acoustic, German, and electronic. The daytime portion of the Deutschtown Music Festival will be family-friendly, starting at 2 p..m. with concerts on the outdoor stage, while the evening programming (8 p.m. until the venues close) will be more adult-focused.

Participating venues are: Allegheny Elks Lodge #339, Artists Image Resource, Bistro To Go & Company, James Street Gastropub & Speakeasy, Key West, Peanutz, The Ratskellar @ Max’s Allegheny Tavern, Stedefords Records, and an outdoor stage on Foreland Street hosted by comedian Krish Mohan.

Featured performers include Meeting of Important People, DJ Harry Lurker, Grand Piano, Chet Vincent and the Big Bend, Big Gypsy, Tracksploitation/Mega Def, Gene Stovall, Nerve Ending, Motometer, Weird Paul Rock Band, Al Dowe, Etta Cox, Sleep Experiments, The Wreckids, The Red Western, Triggers, Locks and Dams, Brewer's Row, Neighbours, The Harlan Twins, Nic Lawless & his Young Criminales, Legs Like Tree Trunks, and more.

From Our Friends at Eat Street, Pittsburgh Magazine. 

Farmers Markets Keep You Stocked With Seasonal Finds Ripe, dark berries make summertime such a joy. Finding the perfect recipe for jam, pie or something new is always fun. Snag freshly grown, in-season crops from local farmers markets, where dedicated producers and purveyors set up regularly. Here are a few recommended stops: 

Crowd at Market Square
 Farmers Market

Market Square farmers market: Locals look forward to the annual May debut of this market, where customers are treated to good food and music (concerts are often scheduled during market hours). While Simmons Farm has all your basics, Pittsburgh Pie Guy and Rise Above Bakery take care of your baked-good needs. (Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) 
Fresh Fridays at the North Side farmers market: In addition to snagging veggies and other necessities, you can watch a chef demo. (Fridays, 3:30-7:30 p.m.) 
Farmers Market Cooperative of East Liberty: Celebrating more than 70 years in operation, this market is open year-round, it gets you through the simple produce seasons and the ones that bring bright, juicy and colorful fruits and veggies. Pick up bread from Wood Street Bread Co. or ravioli from Fontana Pasta. (Saturdays, 5 a.m.-noon) 
— Kristina Martin, PM Associate Editor

Megan Boboige on TechVibe Radio

Megan Boboige, Founder of Meg’s Photo Booth.

Derica Sanchez and Megan Boboige

The business sells Meg’s photographs printed in high resolution on canvas. Meg is part of Entrepreneuring Youth’s program in Beaver County delivered through a partnership with the Franklin Center and the Community College of Beaver County. Meg is completing the 11th grade at Moon Area High School.

She recently did an interview with Audrey Russo, Jonathan Kersting, Jerry Cozewith, and Charlie Batch for TechVibe radio to air last Saturday. They recorded it at Marty's in the Strip. The other student in the picture is Derica Sanchez.

Pittsburgh Local Sports

Sent in by Joyce Kane of Cybertary, Inc.

Discount Pirate Tickets

Here is your July Business Perks special offer. Your special coupon code is KELLEM (ALL CAPITALS). This month’s offer includes:

Pittsburgh Baseball Club tickets for just $43 (Savings of $9 per ticket)
Outfield Box tickets for just $22 (Savings of $6 per ticket)
Grandstand tickets for just $16 (Savings of $2 per ticket)

Steeltown Hero

Winner of Small Business Administration Small Business of the Year

Regina Brodie of Clayton Kendall

Veterans and Military News

Operation Troop Appreciation

Three huge pieces of news we are thrilled to share!

1) OTA has been inducted into the George W. Bush Presidential Library

2) OTA finally aired on the CBS Nightly News with Scott Pelley

3) OTA ranked #9 Charity in the nation

Bush Library
OTA was among 8 charities in the whole country selected for inclusion in the George W. Bush Presidential Library, which opened to the public in May 2013.

As some of you may recall, OTA Founder Kristen Holloway met President Bush in 2006 when he presented her with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. This is the highest honor a volunteer organization can receive.Then in 2008, Kristen was invited to the White House when OTA was featured in a speech the President gave on the White House lawn promoting volunteerism.

In his speech, he referred to OTA as the "epitome of what it means to serve others." Now, Kristen is featured in the "Call to Service" display in the Bush Library.

So, if you ever find yourself in Dallas, TX, please stop by Southern Methodist University to visit the library. And be sure to mosey on over to the OTA display! In the meantime, enjoy these photos from our exhibit.

OTA Display at George W. Bush Presidential Library

OTA on CBS Nightly News with Scott Pelley

Four months after on-camera interviews with CBS Correspondent Michelle Miller, OTA was finally featured on CBS Nightly News on Memorial Day, May 27. 

It was thrilling to see our story come to life in front of a national audience, and CBS did an outstanding job capturing the spirit and enthusiasm of OTA! If you missed it, here is a clip of the segment

Top Rated Charity

OTA has been named a "Top Rated Charity" by Great Non-Profits for the 3rd year in a row and is currently ranked #9 nationally! 

This designation is the result of having received over 100 Five Star reviews from our donors, volunteers, and most importantly, the troops we serve. You can read some of the reviews by visiting Great Non-Profits, the nation's leading provider of reviews and ratings of nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S.

We are honored with these accolades. As we near our 9th anniversary, we have helped 125,000 members of the US Military and maintained our 98% efficiency ratio every step of the way. That means, 98 cents of every dollar we spend goes directly to the troops - not to salaries, an office cappuccino machine, or other overhead costs.

On behalf of our volunteers and the troops we serve, THANK YOU for the contributions and support you have given to OTA over the years. Because it's YOU who have enabled OTA to reach these exciting heights. - Kristen Holloway Querriera, Founder and CEO; Monica Orluk, President; Amanda Thompson, Vice President

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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.