News and Updates

Stanton Heights Map Pittsburgh Passes City Planning Commission.
Map Pittsburgh is a community-driven process to update the zoning of Pittsburgh neighborhoods in order to reflect current usage and community input. The new plan has now received approval from the City Planning Commission. You can find the current zoning and proposed changes at Pittsburgh’s City Planning.

Stanton Heights Memorializes Fallen Officers Kelly, Mayhle and Sciullo.
April 4 marks the one-year anniversary of the fatal shooting in Stanton Heights which took the lives of three valiant Pittsburgh Police Officers. There will be memorial services throughout April including two in Stanton Heights on April 4 and April 17 (see below).

Council Passes Bicycle Parking Legislation.
In a 9-0 vote, council approved a measure requiring developers to provide one bicycle parking space for every new project that is between 6,001 and 20,000 square feet and another space for every additional 10,000 square feet. Building on the city’s addition of bicycle traffic lanes in recent years, this move promotes Pittsburgh as a City that is truly going green.

Lifeguards Needed.
Need or know someone who needs a summer job? Citiparks is looking for summer lifeguards.

Upcoming Events

Council to Go
April 16: From 7:30 to 9:00 am, Councilman Dowd and staff return to Lawrenceville’s Perk Me Up.
April 28: From 5:30 to 7:00 pm, Councilman Dowd and staff will be in Morningside at Morning Glory Coffee at 1806 Chislett Street.

Community Events
April 2: Geek Arts and Green Innovators Festival – Pittsburgh’s First Art+Technology+Ecology Festival – takes place from 10am-12noon (for kids) at the Union Project, 801 N. Negley Avenue, and again from 5pm-11pm (for everyone) along Penn Avenue during “Unblurred.”

April 4: There will be a community Luminaria Lighting from 6:45pm-9pm to create a visual tribute to the Fallen Pittsburgh Police Officers who gave their lives on April 4, 2009. Two luminaria stations will be set up at Sunnyside Elementary School in Stanton Heights and at the bus shelter at the intersection of Woodbine and Stanton Avenues. All materials for the luminaria will be provided. For more information please contact stantonheightspgh@gmail.com.

April 17: All communities are welcome to join a Memorial Service from 11am-12:30pm for the Fallen/Injured Officers of the April 4, 2009 tragedy. The service, to take place at Sunnyside Elementary School, will conclude with a Field Dedication in honor of Officer Eric G. Kelly. For more information please contact stantonheightspgh@gmail.com.

April 22-25: Citizens Against Litter expects more than 15,000 volunteers to take to the streets in 200 neighborhood and community clean ups around the region in celebration of Earth Day. In a collective show of concern for the environment, all of the neighborhoods in District 7 will be participating. Community leaders who want to sign up and individuals who want to be matched with neighborhood groups should contact Boris Weinstein at 412-688-9120 or boris.weinstein@verizon.net.

April 24-25:
Art All Night will be held April 24-25th, 2010, at the Iron City Brewery 3340 Liberty Avenue in Lawrenceville! This joyful celebration of arts and the community is one of Pittsburgh most popular events and brings thousands of people from all over the region into Lawrenceville.

Did You Know?
Earth Day is an annual event first celebrated by 20 million people on April 22, 1970, that aims to inspire awareness of and appreciation for our environment. There are two different observances of Earth Day, both held annually during spring. The United Nations celebrates Earth Day each year on the vernal equinox (which is often March 20); while a global observance in many countries is held each year on 22 April.

Fun Facts about Earth Day and our Environment

* Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day, chose the date in order to maximize participation on college campuses for what he conceived as an “environmental teach-in.”
* If every newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year. Unfortunately only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.
* Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to watch a TV for three hours – equivalent to half a gallon of gasoline.
* Here is an example of the water we use everyday:

! 5 gallons are used per flush in older Pittsburgh toilets compared to 1.6 gallons in newer toilet models;
! 25-30 gallons for tub;
! 50-70 gallons for a 10 minute shower;
! 1 washing machine load uses 25-40 gallons;
! 1 dishwasher load uses 9-12 gallons.