Help the City envision the future of Pittsburgh’s open space, park, and recreation systems.

Garland Park – photo by Katherine Camp

For the Open Space, Parks, and Recreation component of the City’s comprehensive plan process, City Planning is asking everyone to fill out this survey: http://exchange.planpgh.com/portal.  There is one version for adults and one for youth. By sharing your opinions about Pittsburgh’s open space, park, and recreation resources (including what types of programs, facilities, and opportunities are important, where they should be located and how they should be maintained), you will help the City make informed decisions about future vacant land, open space, parks, and recreation efforts. Tell your friends and family – the survey will be open until August 31st. Printed copies of the survey are available from City Planning as well.  Click here for contact information.

While you’re on the PLANPGH Exchange website, you can register to be notified of additional opportunities to give your opinions and public meetings or events for PLANPGH, the City’s Comprehensive Plan process.

photo by John Colombo

East Liberty’s iconic fountain sculpture, “Joy of Life,” by Virgil Cantini, has a 40-year history that’s intertwined with the forces that have shaped the neighborhood.  Learn more about this unique work of art at the Pittsburgh Sculpture blog.

City officials are asking Pittsburghers to check in on elderly and at-risk neighbors during this heat wave.  Today’s temperature may be in the 90s.  Residents over 60 years old may go to the City’s senior centers to stay cool: click here for info.

To conserve energy when air conditioners are working overtime, utility companies recommend keeping thermostats set at 78 degrees, or 85 degrees when away, and to wait until evening before using appliances like clothes dryers and dishwashers.

Interested in pursuing a career in the field of construction?

On Thursday, July 29, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, come to the Building Trades and Crafts Career Fair at the Kingsley Association, located at 6435 Frankstown Avenue, to provide awareness about careers, trainings, and registered apprenticeships and general industry information.

Participating organizations include the Builders Guild, MWELA, CCAC, Master Builders Association, and Renaissance III 2000, Inc., as well as workforce development agencies.  For more information, please contact Kevin Mickens, Workforce Coordinator, at Kevin.Mickens@eastliberty.org or at 412.361.8061.

There’s a new flavor on the block, and it comes from halfway around the world.

In the spirit of the Waffle Shop, which is both a place to eat waffles and the set of a reality TV show, we now have Kubideh Kitchen: more than just a place to get a delicious Iranian sandwich.

Kubideh Kitchen is the first in a series of Conflict Kitchen features. Every 4 months, Conflict Kitchen will feature food from a different country with which the U.S. is in conflict. It is attached to the Waffle Shop and runs out of the same kitchen, serving up to-go kubideh sandwiches with freshly-made barbari bread, spiced ground beef, and fresh mint, basil, and onion.

The Tehran/Pittsburgh YouTube Mix

On Saturday, July 10th, Conflict Kitchen (in Pittsburgh) and Sazmanab Project (in Tehran) will present a live screening of videos curated directly from YouTube posts shot both in Tehran and Pittsburgh. A back and forth format will utilize the vast and idiosyncratic resources of YouTube to present first-person video accounts that reflect on the daily life of each city. The forty-minute screening will be followed by a live Skype conversation between attendees in Pittsburgh and Tehran.  The event will take place next door at the Waffle Shop, 124 S. Highland Ave., at 11:30 a.m. (EDT).

KUBIDEH KITCHEN is open every day from 11am-2pm and on Friday and Saturday nights from 11pm-3am.

Check out their blog at www.ConflictKitchen.com.  Kubideh Kitchen has also been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.

Kokolatte’s Coffee Tea & Eatery is becoming a favorite East Liberty café. Located in the Medical Center East, the café specializes in balancing its culinary offerings between healthy fare and heartier favorites.

The focus at Kokolatte’s is fresh food and personalized service. All of the food is made to order. The café offers breakfast sandwiches, salads, cold sandwiches, paninis, wraps, snack foods and more.  Kokolatte’s is not afraid to take a risk adding something new and exciting to the menu. For this reason, Kokolatte is currently offering delicious barbeque from their patio grill. Customers love the beef hot dogs, Kielbasa, burgers and especially the jumbo wings!

The café also offers sweet treats, like jumbo chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, pumpkin roll and banana-walnut bread (cold or grilled with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle).

The café wouldn’t be a fan favorite without its signature drinks! They serve locally roasted coffee, espresso, cappuccino, lattes, fruit smoothies, iced coffee drinks and blended crèmes. Once customers come off the beaten path and try Kokolatte’s, they come back again and again.