Tomorrow, Friday May 1rst beginning at 7 pm at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater will be a First Friday celebration of Spring!

Stop by to hear performers Joy Ike and Sonji, as well as DJ Illeso while enjoying refreshments from Tana Ethiopian Cuisine and Oh Yeah! Ice Cream.

Mingle at this mixer on a warm Spring evening! Admission is $5. Hope to see you there!

Take a look at the new tab for the newly-constructed homes on the 700 block of Euclid Avenue in East Liberty! Click the link on the right-hand tab of this front page!

Susan Werner Concert – May 3, 2009 7:30 pm
Admission: Tickets at the door – “Pay-What-You-Can” concert
East Liberty Presbyterian Church 116 S. Highland Avenue
Contact Information: Randy Bush, 412-441-3800 x23

It is a joy to welcome back to Pittsburgh singer/songwriter SUSAN WERNER, one of the boldest, creative forces on the acoustic music scene today. Susan has cultivated a reputation as a daring and innovative songwriter who puts on a powerful, live show. Most of her work infuses traditional music styles and methods with her unmistakable contemporary worldview, challenging listeners to experience music from a fresh and unexpected perspective.

With nine recordings under her belt, Susan has offered music ranging from Folk/Bluegrass to Americana to R&B/Soul/Spiritual to fresh contributions to the Great American Songbook. I Can’t Be New (2004) re-presented works in the style of Cole Porter and George Gershwin. The Gospel Truth (2007) fleshed out a musical examination of personal and political faith in America, which Susan Stamberg of NPR called lyrical works by “a hip, wry, gifted performer.” The Gospel Truth was named 2007 Top Folk Album of the Year by NPR/Folk Alley and WUMB. Her latest CD, Classics (2009), delivers new string arrangements of mainstream popular songs from the sixties and seventies, drawing on her unique training as a classical vocalist.

Susan Werner will present a 90-minute solo concert on May 3rd, beginning at 7:30 pm at East Liberty Presbyterian Church (116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh). Underwriting for the concert has allowed it to be presented as a “Pay What You Can” program, with donations for the admission tickets accepted at the door.

Due to the route of the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon, the morning worship services at East Liberty Presbyterian Church have been canceled. A special 6:00 pm worship service will be held in which Susan Werner will provide several selections of special music. The public is invited to both the 6:00 p.m. worship service and the 7:30 p.m. concert.

Rape is a serious issue across the world, affecting (mostly) women of every race, culture and background. To bring light to this problem and re-frame the conversation, Aishah Shahidah Simmons has created a documentary examining this problem in the African American culture.

For Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime (CVVC) in conjunction with New Voices Pittsburgh (NVP), Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) and Urban League Young Professionals (ULYP) will host a free community film screening of No! The Rape Documentary by Aishah Shahidah Simmons on Friday, April 24, 3-6pm at CVVC, 5916 Penn Avenue in East Liberty.

RSVP is required for security reasons. RSVP to 412.482.3240 ext. 109 or lmayes@cvvc.org. The deadline to RSVP is April 22. Space is limited. This film is appropriate for ages 14+. All are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Allowing water to run into our overcrowded sewers creates a health hazard for us.

Many eyes are on Pittsburgh for taking a strong lead on a problem many other cities face across the country. Our current urban infrastructure does not have the capacity to handle the amount of water we see from our homes, rainfall and city amenities.

Pittsburgh’s green partners are using creative, environmentally friendly methods to nip our water problem in the bud. Instead of spending ten or hundreds of million dollars on expanding the pipes in the sewer system, street trees and porous pavement cut down on the amount of water which reaches the sewers.

To learn more about this read the Science of Stormwater article.

Kidsville Daycare is a start-up organization that provides day care services in Friendship, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The mission of Kidsville Daycare is to provide quality care for children in a safe and nurturing environment. They provide a home like atmosphere where children are encouraged to grow academically, socially and imaginatively.

This child care facility serves children from 6 weeks to twelve years of age. Kidsville Daycare offers more than just a babysitting service, it offers the following: learning environment, recreational activities, nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks, affordable child care, intergenerational activities, Socialization, entertainment, opportunities to explore hobbies and educational programs and qualified staff to service the children.

Kidsville Daycare is a business that has become necessary in today’s fast-paced world. There are an increasing amount of families who have become dependent on two incomes, which has created the necessity of the child care industry. The vision of Kidsville Daycare is to provide a second home for children while their parents are away at work or school. Children will be happy when they step in the doors of Kidsville Daycare and sad when they have to leave, because they are having so much fun. Children will be treated like family at Kidsville Daycare.

Kidsville Daycare
113 S. Aiken Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Kidsville Daycare hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. -11:30 p.m. For more information, please contact (412) 770-8036 or by email at tcoffee@kidsvilledaycare.com. Please visit our website at www.kidsvilledaycare.com.

Photo and copy taken from Sojourner House Winter 2009 newsletter

Sojourner House plans to develop two vacant, city-owned lots into a natural playground and community garden that will provide the children of Sojourner House MOMS families with a safe play space and will return vacant land to productive use to benefit the entire neighborhood.

With the necessary funding secured by spring, the MOMS Green Project will turn adjacent run-down lots on Black Street in East Liberty into a fenced natural playground and community garden space. Currently, there are no playgrounds or other safe areas in the neighborhood for children to play.

“We became acutely aware of the need for adequate, safe recreational space for the children and families as we were building our two new MOMS residences,” explained Joann Cyganovich, Sojourner House executive director.

Sojourner House reached out to its long¬time collaborative partners, Negley Place Neighborhood Alliance and East Liberty

Development Inc. (ELDI) to help with the project. The land already has been assigned by the city to ELDI for development, and cleanup of the lots is underway. To jumpstart the project, The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh has given a $5,000 grant to the MOMS Green Project to underwrite design of the play park and garden area.

It is hoped that the play and garden area will open for use this summer, helping to promote community livability and to re¬build the social fabric along Black Street where urban flight has greatly reduced home-ownership in the neighborhood. Most importantly, the MOMS Green Project will provide a fenced in, professionally designed play yard and garden for MOMS children and nearby neighbors to enjoy.

Contact Sojourner House at 412.441.7783 if you would like to help with clean up and planting of the lots this spring.