The Parental Stress Center’s (PSC) Green Space Project will transform a half-acre vacant lot on Penn Circle West. The lot is adjacent to the PSC Family Center between Baum Boulevard and Commerce Street near Whole Foods Market. The project provides youth between the ages of 13 and 18 with an opportunity to learn leadership skills and teamwork while improving their community. They will put environmental concepts pertaining to landscape design, bio-fuels production, and urban gardening into practice.

The youth participants, who come from various schools in the area, have begun designing an urban parklette for the section facing Penn Circle West. The parklette will feature a variety of flowers, shrubs, and other plantings. In addition, pathways and benches will be worked into the design to provide the East End community with a pleasant and enjoyable place to stop and smell the flowers.

Another section is reserved for sunflowers. With assistance from GTECH, Green Space Project youth have learned about the science behind biofuel production and how sunflower oil can be converted into a non-toxic, renewable, carbon-free source of fuel. The youth plan to cover one-third of the lot with a biofuel-producing field of sunflowers. The last section of the lot may be the most ambitious – planting an urban vegetable garden. In the coming months, the youth will decide what to grow in the garden and will eventually share and/or sell the produce.

The Green Space Project draws on a variety of sources for expert guidance and helping hands. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will provide information about native plants, East Liberty Home Depot staff members are ready to teach the youth group about landscape design, and Bank of New York Mellon employees have already volunteered twice to help clean up the lot.

While the Green Space Project is off to a good start, there’s much more to be done. We need more young, creative minds and helping hands to make the parklette, the garden, and fuel-from-sunflowers a reality. For more information about the PSC Green Space Project, or if you would like to join this group of dedicated young leaders, contact Dominique Reed, Youth Services Associate at the Parental Stress Center, 412-361-4800, dreed@pscfamily.net.

The Young Preservationists Association (YPA) is a regional provider of value-added preservation services that encourage the participation of young people in historic preservation. YPA provides events, tours, research, training, technical assistance, and special projects that encourage the next generation to take a leadership role in preserving their communities. YPA is more than 350 members strong from 19 states, working to engage the next generation in historic preservation. YPA operates in the nine-county southwestern Pennsylvania region that includes the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington, and Westmoreland. The organization encourages people to become involved in a civic dialogue about how to create a better human experience in the Pittsburgh area.

Come out and learn more about the Young Preservationists Association on Wednesday, November 18^th during their “Fun-Raiser” Event at Tana Ethiopian Restaurant, located on 5929 Baum Boulevard from 6-8:00p.m.. The event is open to the public and guests are encouraged to bring friends to the event. The cost of the event is $10. Attendees can then join YPA for a reduced rate of only $15.00. The event includes complimentary food and music. Learn about YPA, what they are working to accomplish, and meet some new friends!

Pittsburgh. Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest (FPUF) in cooperation with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority will begin installation of trees and shrubs on five Pittsburgh Parking Authority surface lots in East Liberty. FPUF aims to reduce stormwater runoff from the parking lots through retrofitting with green infrastructure. 91 trees and over 1,000 shrubs will be planted throughout the five parking lots. According to the USDA Forest Service’s STRATUM analysis of Pittsburgh’s street trees, on average, “a single tree intercepts about 1,400 gallons of rainfall annually.” The effort will complement greening efforts led by East Liberty Development, Inc. and local stakeholders to improve the health and appearance of the neighborhood.

The project is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2010. The lots include:

Sheridan/Harvard

Sheridan/Kirkwood

Harvard/Beatty

Penn Circle NW

Tamello/Beatty

FPUF was awarded $274,393 by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A designated pot of funding was made available through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to support green infrastructure projects across the state of Pennsylvania.

Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest is an environmental non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the City’s vitality by restoring and protecting the urban forest through tree maintenance, planting, education and advocacy.

For more information, contact Matthew Erb, Director of Urban Forestry, at (412) 362-6360.

Penn Circle, a major one-way ring road created during Urban Renewal, has caused confusion for drivers and constricted major investment in the neighborhood’s commercial core for more than three decades. In 2002, part of Penn Circle South was reconfigured during the construction of the EastSide development. The City of Pittsburgh is now working with ELDI to convert the next major section of the road into two-way traffic from Highland Avenue to Penn Circle North. The bus loop and parts of Penn Avenue and Broad Street near Penn Circle will also be reconstructed.

All community members are invited to learn about the project and its impact on the community on November 16^th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church. City of Pittsburgh Public Works representatives will present the conversion plan, timing of the project, and answer questions. If you are interested in attending, please R.S.V.P. by November 11^th with Tiffany Clark at ELDI, 412-361-8061 ext 15 or tiffany.clark@eastliberty.org. We look forward to discussing this exciting project with you!

The Minority Networking Exchange, Inc. strives to increase the amount of successful minority owned businesses in the Greater Pittsburgh area. They firmly believe that networking is the key to success. They provide events every month where professionals, business owners and customers can network with each other.

On Thursday, November 9^th at 6p.m., they will be hosting a Networking Night Cap at the Shadow Lounge located at 3972 Baum Boulevard in East Liberty. The Networking Night Cap is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. There will be an open mic at the event, where entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders have three minutes to introduce their organization to the audience. In addition, Carl Knoblock, District Director of U.S. Small Business Administration Pittsburgh District Office will be in attendance at the meeting on Thursday to mix and mingle. For more information call Vernard Alexander at 412-303-0808 or visit http://www.minnetexch.com.