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.

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.

Allegra Elson, a teacher at the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council located at 100 Sheridan Square in East Liberty, has been recognized as an outstanding teacher! Ms. Elson teachers English as a Second Language to immigrants, refugees and long-time foreign visitors.

Read more about her in the Post Gazette. Thanks to Ms. Elson for all of her hard work and dedicated to adult education!

East Liberty has a rich and intriguing history, and here is an opportunity to learn more about our neighborhood!

The East End-East Liberty Historical Society has released, Pittsburgh’s East Liberty Valley, a new book dedicated to the history of this area.

Part of the Arcadia Publishing local neighborhood series, “Pittsburgh’s East Liberty Valley” brings the reader from early pioneer days, including the era of the Shadyside Iron Furnace, to the late 19th Century Industrial Revolution. The promoters and inventors of iron and steel, oil, manufacturing, air brakes, aluminum production, and others — such as Carnegie, Frick, Armstrong, Mellon, Heinz, Scaife, Westinghouse, McCune, Lockhart, Phipps, and Hunt — all lived in East Liberty.

Retailing for $20.00, the book is available for purchase at the Franklin West office (272 Shady Avenue, Pgh., PA 15206; 412-661-1151; rentals@franklinwest.com) and through the East End-East Liberty Historical Society (5907 Penn Avenue, Ste. 305, Pgh., PA 15206; 412-661-9660; pbrecht@eastlibertychamber.org). It can also be purchased at any book store that carries the Arcadia “Images of America” series, including Borders Books.

Don’t miss out on this gem of local history!!

East Liberty Development received an honorable mention at Friday’s (January 25th) Seventeenth Maxwell Awards of Excellence luncheon sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation and the Partnership to End Long Term Homelessness. East Liberty Development was also awarded a $10,000 grant from the Fannie Mae Foundation to continue its work in the field of supportive housing for homeless families.

“We are pleased and honored to have the Sojourner House MOMS project acknowledged as one of the best community-supported housing programs for homeless families in the country,” said Maelene Myers, executive director of East Liberty Development, Inc. “Sojourner MOMS offers a home and neighborhood connections to mothers recovering from addiction, as well as their children. These facilities are so important in combating homelessness in Pittsburgh’s East End and we plan to expand this project.”

“The Fannie Mae Foundation commends East Liberty Development for their outstanding efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We are pleased to award East Liberty Development a grant to continue its efforts to provide supportive housing to homeless families,” said Peter Beard, executive director of the Fannie Mae Foundation.

“East Liberty Development has greatly improved the lives of homeless families through its ability to provide appropriate supportive services and permanent housing for its tenants. They are a wonderful example of an organization committed to ending homelessness in their communities,” said Bob Hohler, executive director of the Melville Charitable Trust and executive committee chairman of the Partnership to End Long Term Homelessness.

Winners were selected by an independent advisory committee for having produced the best examples of supportive housing in four categories: Housing for Homeless Veterans; Housing for Chronically Homeless Individuals; Housing for Homeless Youth; and Housing for Homeless Families. Maxwell Award winners’ case studies are posted on the Partnership to End Long Term Homelessness website at www.endlongtermhomlessness.org.

Photo courtesy of PHLF.

Last Thursday, January 24, a press conference was held to announce the $1.135 Million investment in East Liberty’s Downtown. The former YMCA building, located on Whitfield Street behind East Liberty Presbyterian Church, will become market-rate condominium lofts which will, ideally, continue to boost East Liberty’s market.

The Landmark Community Capital Corporation (LCCC), a new non-profit subsidiary dedicated to local capital investment while preserving the historical integrity of the building, awarded the project a $885,000 loan. This project has been in partnership between LCCC, the URA, MEIZ Development Corporation, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Senator Jim Ferlo, Congressman Mike Doyle, State Representative Joe Preston and Dr. Howard B. Slaughter, Jr.

“This is the first project really in the core of East Liberty that’s really going to bring life back to the neighborhood,” Maelene Myers, executive director of East Liberty Development, Inc., said at a news conference. “I cannot say enough about partnership.”

Read more about the project:
Tribune Review

Post Gazette

Pittsburgh Business Times

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Thanks for your interest!

Kevin Mickens, Section 3 Coordinator through COR and ELDI

With so much business and development coming to the area, it is important that East Liberty residents benefit from the neighborhood’s improvements. The Coalition of Organized Residents of East Liberty, Inc. (COR) and East Liberty Development, Inc. (ELDI) are working together to link low-income, local residents with the economic opportunities that are being generated as a result of East Liberty’s revitalization. The result of this cooperation is the realization of a long-time dream of COR, which is the creation of a community-based Section 3 job training and referral initiative.

This initiative will provide a community-based hiring pool to ensure new businesses hire within the neighborhood, as well as job coaching and service coordination to potential employees.

Kevin Mickens was hired by COR and ELDI as the Section 3 Coordinator to facilitate this connection between East Liberty residents and local employment opportunities. Before beginning his work with COR and ELDI, Kevin was an employment consultant with Education Data Systems Inc. (EDSI). From his work with EDSI and Garfield Jubilee, he has a great deal of experience designing and coordinating employment and job readiness training programs. Kevin’s constant smile represents his positive, approachable nature.

If residents have any question or are interested in filling out an application, Kevin can be reached by calling 412.361.8061 ext. 27.

East Liberty’s shopping District is hearing the patter of ballet and tap shoes! Visionary Performing Arts Academy recently moved from inside the Kingsley Center to the storefront of 6107 Penn Avenue. Classes are offered for students, ages 2 to 18, in ballet, tap, jazz and creative movement.

Nicole Carter, owner and instructor, has been dancing for 26 years and teaching dance for 12 years. She has performed at the Benedum Center, Carnegie Music Hall, NAACP Convention, The Peace Awards Banquet and several area schools and churches.
Nicole feels her dancing abilities are a blessing and she uses her gift to give back to the community, teaching her students self-confidence, pride and discipline. She is a mother of four and her upbeat, encouraging attitude is reflected in the positive affirmations decorating the studio walls.

Classes range from $45, for the younger students, to $55 a month. Private lessons are offered, as well as alternative payment plans. For more information, call 412.441.1907 or email at visionarydance@yahoo.com.

East Liberty is welcoming a new, healthy neighbor!
Children’s Community Pediatrics/GIL has relocated from Magee Women’s Hospital to the new office spaces above the Trader Joe’s in the Village of East Side. We would like to welcome all of the doctors; Keith Somers MD, Harold Glick MD, Leroy Indorato MD, Sheldon Levine MD, Sunita Chaudhari MD, Jamie McNanie MD, Kim Ogle MD, James Shaver MD and their staff to the area!

One unique features of this doctors’ office is the space offers green, healthy alternatives to most building norms. With high ceilings, skylights and innovative light-distributing glass tubes, this office allows more natural light which means less electricity use and a more appealing environment.

Children’s Community Pediatrics/GIL Pittsburgh takes mores insurance providers. For more information or to make an appointment, call 412.681.2200 or visit their website.