THE WEST END ELLIOTT CITIZENS COUNCIL - NOTES SEPTEMBER 2008

The purpose of Notes, our newsletter is to inform the residents of events, issues and concerns.

We are able to mail you this newsletter because of a grant we received this summer from State Senator Wayne Fontana. We hope to mail a newsletter every other month in the upcoming year.

If your organization, church or business has an upcoming special event you would like to share in our newsletter. Please send your information to our office at 922 Chartiers Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15220. Our next newsletter will be in mid November so we would need your information by the end of October.

Citizens against litter have designated Sunday, October 12 at 2:00 PM to have a community clean up in Elliott.

Volunteers are asked to report to the entrance of Townsend Field.

We would encourage all residents to make this a special clean up week end. If every citizen cleaned the side walk in front of their home or business then the volunteers could devote more time to the park and vacant lots.

Remember a community is not a few but everyone who lives in that community. Every day strangers pass through our streets on their way to the West End Elliott Overlook, the finest view of the city. Our streets make a statement and leave an impression on them of who we are. What impression are you making?

Elliott and West End are part of the Weed and Seed program that is beginning the second year in the West
Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Chariters
City, Crafton Heights, Elliott, Esplen, Fairywood, Sheraden and West End.

The purpose of Weed and Seed is 1.) to weed out crime and 2.) to seed into the community’s revitalization and beautification.

Chuck O’Neil, Coordinator, Operation Weed and Seed, of the mayor’s office sent out the following announcement on August 29, 2008.

“On behalf of Mayor Ravenstahl, I am pleased to announce that the Office of Justice Programs has recently approved the City of Pittsburgh’s application for funding under the CCDO FY 08 Weed and Seed Program Guide and Application Kit: Continuation Sites in the amount of $150,000 for West Pittsburgh”.

The annual membership drive began September 1 and everyone is urged to join. Membership gives you a voice in the direction that the council pursues in the community interests.

Membership is $2.00 a year and you may renew or join at the general meeting on September 22 at 7:00 PM in the auditorium of Stevens School.

If you are unable to attend the meeting on September 22 you may cut the enrollment form from this newsletter and mail it and a check to the council office at 922 Chartiers Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15220.

Congratulations to Elliott’s Brewers 10 to 12 year old boy’s baseball team. The CitiParks BIG League each year sponsors a tournament at PNC Park. The best team of each city league is invited to participate to win the title of “City’s Best”. The Elliott Brewers on July 31 at PNC Park defeated the Squirrel Hill with their excellent pitching and defense along with some big hits in the early innings of the game.

The members of the Brewers are Ron Julian manager, coaches Tony Kohen, Vic Joseph, and Rege Sauer, scorekeeper Rob Keck, Memphis Carpenter was their bat boy and photographer Larry Dawgiello.

The players are Eric Cleis, Matt Dawgiello, Marc Holtz, Robert Julian, Cameron Kohan, Dominic Joseph, Justin Keck, D J Lawrence, Zachary Byerly, Rege Sauer, Jr. , Corey Bryan, Billy McGuire and Vincenzo Joseph.

The Athletic Association however, does more than offer baseball to the youth of our communities. Currently under the direction of Steve Smith their fall soccer program is beginning.

They are sponsoring the Halloween Parade and Family Night at Herschel Field Saturday, October 25.

Each newsletter the council would like to recognize an organization or someone in the community who is making a difference in our communities.

This newsletter we would like to honor Gary Pletsch of Comstock Way. You may have read Mr. Pletsch’s story in the Pittsburgh Tribune on Thursday, August 21.

Mr. Pletsch purchased for $200.00 the vacant city lot next to his backyard that was filled with overgrown weeds and trash. Mr. Pletsch turned that once ugly lot into what he said, “It’s become my magical Eden”. He was quoted as saying in the Tribune that “my theme was that I wanted to dazzle people” and dazzle he has with his unique garden sculptures.

There are many similar lots in Elliott and the city all waiting for the creativity, the hard work and pride that Mr. Pletsch placed on the forgotten little lot in Elliott.

Mr. Pletsch has made a difference in Elliott and each of us can in our own way make a difference. If you are interested in obtaining a vacant city lot you may contact the Mayors office or call the council office and we will try to assist you.

This summer saw the birth of the CARE Program at Emanuel Church on the corner of Lorenz Ave. and Crucible St. Thirty children took part in the experience of one or more of the classes offered. The free classes consisted of learning to play a musical instruments, drama, cheerleading, dance, creative writing and painting.

They are currently working on the fall schedule and we hope to get it to everyone as soon as it is released. Those interested my visit the church website http://emanuelumc.org and click on activities.

The Meals on Wheels program for West End, Elliott and Sheraden needs your help. This program is so vital to our seniors and those who can not prepare a meal for themselves. Will you help?

If you can volunteer one day a week, or one day a month it would be greatly
appreciated. For more information please call Mariel Connell at (412) 343-4146.

Residents over sixty are invited to join the FREE Senior Citizens Center in the West End at 80 Wabash Ave. The center is open from 8:00 AM till 4:00 PM. weekdays. Lunch each day is fifty cents. They have bingo on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and a variety of activities, trips and events. Drop in and meet Marge the director or a member of her staff. You can call them at (412) 937-3068 for more information and calendar of events.

The current hours of the West End branch of the Carnegie Library are  Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 AM till 7:00 PM, Wednesday and Saturday from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM. The library is closed on Monday, Friday and Sunday.

Perhaps you would like to stop in to get a book to brush up on the history of Pittsburgh since it is the city’s 250th birthday in October.

The ladies of Emanuel Methodist have for sale their latest cookbook with receipts of members and friends. The cover of the book features a Linda Barnicott picture of the city of Pittsburgh from the West End Elliott Overlook. The books are $15.00 and you can order one at the church website http://emanuelumc.org or call the church at (412) 921-1042.

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming elections is OCTOBER 6.   Voting is the responsibility of every citizen. Cast your vote for your candidate November 4.

More about the local voting districts can be found here.

Hello,

For those of you who do not know me I am Elmer Clark. I have been working hard for Elliott for over ten years as a member and officer of the West End Elliott Citizens Council.

Last summer a group of officers, community leaders and business owners came together to formulate a plan for the renewal of Elliott. It is my hope that we may be able to share that plan with you at the September meeting.

We have had some disappointments this year due to the housing market and financial climate of the nation. The development at the top of Marlow Street has been set aside at this time.

Sometimes we get our hopes up and they are dashed but I am certain that working together we can and will make Elliott and the West End some place very special to live.

The construction on the West End Circle has created not only some extra traffic and delays also hardships on the small businesses in the West End. I would urge you to patronize these businesses as well as those in Elliott. If we want businesses and services in our communities then we need to be sure to support them.

To help you to support these businesses we are listing below those in the Elliott community this newsletter. We will list those in the West End in the next newsletter. If we have missed any in Elliott we certainly will list them in a future newsletter and include any and all new businesses in our communities.

The council is in the process of creating a directory of all the small businesses in Elliott and the West End. If you have a small business in these communities we would appreciate it if you would send us your name, address, phone number and hours of operation so that we can include them in the directory. Simply mail the information to 922 Chartiers Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA  15220.

Looking forward to meeting you and seeing you again at our monthly meetings that are held the 4th Monday of every month during the school year at Stevens School on Crucible St. in Elliott.

Sincerely,
Elmer Clark, President

All Purpose Cleaning Service
Anthony Staab Funeral Home
Barber Shop
Battaglia Auto Recycling
DiStefano Plumbing
Eastern Mirror Glass
Elliott Market
Elliott Coin Laundromat
Lorenz Café
Ron Reiss Upholster Co.
Schulers Auto Service & Convenience Store
West End Floral Shop

Emanuel Methodist

Guardian Angel Parish
Hope Chapel
New Life Fellowship
United Church of Christ

The council is excited about the new laundromat that is opening this month on the corner of Chartiers Ave. and Lorenz Avenue.  We believe that it is a welcome addition to our community and we wish them many prosperous years.

If you are a Bingo player you may be interested to know that every Friday evening at 7:30 PM bingo is played at the K of C at Lorenz Ave. and Aimsworth St. in Elliott.

Bingo is played every Sunday evening at Guardian Angel Parish on Logue St. Doors open at 5:00 PM Early Bird Specials begin at 7:00 PM.

Every Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM is family night at New Life Fellowship on the corner of Steuben Street and Lorenz Avenue.

Have a few openings for the morning session 9:00-11:30 AM for the four year olds. Call Stacia or Diana at (412) 921-0442 for more information.

The council receives complaints from residents on a number of subjects. The subjects range from abandoned cars, weeds and grass that needs to be cut, trash, nuisance houses, building code violations; and a wide variety of complaints. We forward them to the correct authorities. We have in our office SILENT COMPLAINT FORMS that residents may submit and we will forward - they do not require your name or address. Forms are at our general meetings or you may call 311 for the Mayor’s Complaint Center.

The WEECC is not a policing body; we do not site or give out any forms of warnings or citations.

If we receive a number of complaints about a property the president of WEECC and only the president will send a certified letter to the property owner advising them of the multiple complains filed against them by several residents (no names are revealed about who complained).

We do not leave notes on property; rather we report all complaints to the proper authorities.

The Sheraden Citizens Council was the recipients of a Sprout funded mural on the building at Hilboro St. and Sheraden Blvd.

The public is invited to the dedication of this mural in Sheridan on October 3 at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Hillsboro St. and Sheridan Blvd in the parking circle. There will be music by a DJ. .Refreshments and pizza will be served.  

The public is invited to attend a free anti-predatory lending workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at the Pittsburgh Project dinning hall room, 2801 North Charles St. from 6:30 PM to 7:50 PM.

The workshop is sponsored by State Senator Wayne D. Fontana, Northside Leadership Conference and Pittsburgh Reinvestment Group.  Along with the sharing of valuable information refreshments will also be served.