Student with the Murals Program shares her story for the “Spirit of Home” project

Spirit of Home: Old to New, a showcase of artwork from refugee and immigrant students at Pittsburgh Arsenal 6th-through-8th grade, will be presented at Blackbird Artist Studios, located at 3583 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. The opening reception will be held Saturday, April 5th from 6 to 9 pm.

Through their Murals Program, the MGR Foundation has teamed up with the Fiber Arts Guild of Pittsburgh, WYEP 91.3 fm, and the Blackbird Artist Studio to bring the stories of Pittsburgh refugee and immigrant students to the forefront.

In recent months, these middle school students have been sharing their lives through the use of fiber arts techniques and by recording their stories and songs at WYEP. Join the students on April 5th when we will celebrate community and the spirit of home!

Join State Senator Jim Ferlo, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and PNC Bank for a Homeownership and Foreclosure Prevention Fair this SATURDAY, March 29 from 11 am to 4:30 pm downtown in the Regional Enterprise Tower (426 6th Avenue , 31rst Floor Community Room).

Use this opportunity to get FREE personal help from nonprofit housing counselors, refinancing opportunities, programs and first-time home-buyer assistance. Also, meet with lenders to find the best financial options for you, possibly switching from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate. These lenders include HSBC Bank, EMC and Countrywide among others.

To register or for more information call 412.441.6551 or visit Senator Ferlo’s website.

Margaritas + uncoordinated dance partner = Good Time!
This Saturday, March 29th from 7 to 9 pm at the Union Project, enjoy a night of festive drinks and dance lessons! They will be hosting Margaritas in March, and for $6, you will get a complementary margarita and dance lesson. Enjoy!

Are you aware and active in the 2008 Presidential Election news? Well, now it is easier to get informed about one of our candidate because the Pittsburgh Office for Barak Obama’s Presidential Campaign is located in our own East Liberty!

Located at 208 N. Highland in the heart of East Liberty’s commercial district, take a moment out of your day to stop by, talk to some of the volunteers and pick up information about the candidate.

If Obama is your man for ‘08, you can take advantage of the Obama store, offering buttons, bumper stickers, yard signs, t-shirts and more in support of the campaign. They are also always looking for volunteers, so if you would like to get involved in Obama’s efforts for East Liberty, Pittsburgh and the Nation, get involved!

Visit his website or listen to his speech from from Tuesday, March 18 on acknowledging and repairing our country’s race issues.

Won’t you be my neighbor, East Liberty?
Tomorrow, Thursday March 20 is being recognized as “Won’t You Wear a Sweater?” Day as part of the “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Days.

Tomorrow would be the 80th Birthday of America’s favorite neighbor, and to honor Mr. Rogers, Mr. McFeely — aka David Newell, the public relations director for Family Communications, Inc. (the nonprofit company founded in 1971 by Fred Rogers) — has a special request.

Mr. Rogers’s friend and speedy-delivery postman is asking everyone to wear their favorite sweater in recognition of Mr. Rogers and his neighborly legacy.

So tomorrow, THURSDAY MARCH 20, put on your favorite sweater, give an extra “hello” and smile to all of your neighbors and remember Mr. Rogers’ and the open-armed friendliness that he stood for.

content from press release of Ya Momz House, LCC

COME TOUR THE BUILDING THAT IS THE PULSE OF EAST LIBERTY!!!

“A Warm Welcome to the Werner” Open House Celebrates a Mix of Multicultural, Urban Businesses and Artists in East Liberty

Historically known as East Liberty’s Chamber of Commerce, the Werner Building, is now celebrating a cornucopia of multicultural initiatives. To celebrate, the business owners announce the “Warm Welcome to the Werner” Open House on TONIGHT Friday, March 14 from 6-9 PM.

The “Warm Welcome to the Werner” event TONIGHT! Friday March 14 from 6-9pm is meant to open the doors of the businesses in the building to the community to help educate it on what the building has to offer.

On the first floor, AVA and the Shadow Lounge are the cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s music and spoken word scene.

Upstairs, Ya Momz House, LLC features a full-service recording studio and Hip Hop L.O.C.K. Project ; designers learn sewing skills at Cut & Sew Studio ; and people of all ages gleefully sweat through classes at LV Fitness.

Chuck Brown Photography , Okapi Braiding Salon , Royal Caribbean Restaurant , and private art studios fill every corner of this building with a creative and entrepreneurial ethos.

For More Information Contact:
Lynne Ventress
Tel: 412-418-8671
Email: lynne@lv-fitness.com

The Penn Avenue Revitalization Plan community meeting held Tuesday, March 11 drew residents and stakeholders from Friendship, Bloomfield, Garfield, Lawrenceville, East Liberty and beyond to discuss street improvements ideas. After a short presentation of the studies, planning process and finances put in place up to this point, community members broke into groups speficied by the section of Penn Avenue to their interest (or for the overall plan.)

The two mile stretch of Penn Ave being proposed for redevelopment spans from 34th Street in Lawrenceville to Negley Ave on the border of Friendship and East Liberty. Because it is so long and runs through multiple neighborhoods, it has been broken into sections for Doughboy Square (34th St), Arsenal District, the new Children’s Hospital corridor, and the Arts District (up to Negley.)

Community members discussed the use of funds for new traffic and pedestrian signals, new crosswalks and sidewalks, new street lighting, street paving, new sidewalks, new utility lines, new signage and pavement markers, transit/cyclist accommodations, street trees and furniture, and other street facade improvements.

For more information about the project or to voice your opinion, visit the online discussion group. Or you can contact Patrick Hassett with the City of Pittsburgh at 412.255.2883, Aggie Brose with the Penn Ave Corridor Phasing Plan Committee at 412441.6950 or the Project Manager, Brain Krul at 412.201.4900.

Every year, the Open Door (a church that makes its home in the Union Project) seeks to provide an opportunity for budding, emerging and established artists to create artistic interpretations and meditations on the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross. This year they have 18 artists exhibiting.

Open Door hope to encourage and enrich our neighborhood and its residents through the vision of these visual artists.

The show will be in the heart of East Liberty at the old PNC bank building on the corner of Highland Ave. and Penn Ave. Stop by for a time of contemplation and reflection during holy week, the hours of the exhibit are as follows:

Monday March 17th (opening reception) 5pm-9pm
Tuesday-Thursday March 18-20, 5pm-9pm
Good Friday March 21st, 11am – 8pm

Home ownership can be a confusing and overwhelming life change and because of this many homes are being foreclosed on.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is urging those in need to call 3-1-1, the city’s information phone number, to be directed to agencies and services designed to assist homeowners facing foreclosure.

Here are two articles offering some advice and resources about foreclosure which ran in both the Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review this morning.

There will be a public meeting held for the ongoing Penn Avenue Corridor Phasing Plan Study Tuesday, March 11 at 6:00 p.m. at the Saint Lawrence O’Toole Activity Building on North Atlantic Avenue in Garfield.

The City of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Penn Avenue Corridor Phasing Plan Committee will present the scope of the Penn Avenue revitalization project and gather feedback from community members on how they use the corridor and what issues they have had with Penn Avenue.

The project extends along Penn Avenue from 34th Street to Negley Avenue, approximately 2 miles in length, and includes the neighborhoods of Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Garfield, Friendship, and East Liberty.

Attend this meeting and be a part of the revitalization and planning Penn Avenue!