Articles Archive - Page 60 of 154 - Pittsburgh Quarterly

Leave your preconceived notion of an opera in the car. Whatever Squonk Opera is, it certainly isn’t what you’re thinking. A description that succinctly encapsulates this Pittsburgh native is futile. Not quite a rock band, anything but an opera. So, what then? Squonk’s strength lies in its innate pliability. Each show is built atop a …

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History

Finding Solitude in Westinghouse Park

by David Bear

Its pastoral charms are pleasant but unremarkable: 10 acres of well-tended lawn sprinkled with mature trees, a children’s play area and a utilitarian cement block park building. Other than the name, there is no reason to suspect that Westinghouse Park in the city’s Point Breeze North neighborhood was once the beating heart of a web …

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Sports

All Smiles in Steel City

by Matthew John Milligan

We’ve eclipsed the halfway mark, but nothing is quite set in stone. Only two teams maintain a three win advantage within their division (Saints and Patriots), while another four divisions have one win or less of separation. One underlying story that’s beginning to take shape is the race for the #1 overall pick in the …

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Regional News

A Slight Dip, but Workforce Numbers Hold Steady

by Bill O'Toole

Despite a slight increase in the unemployment rates, overall workforce trends in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area continued to mostly hold steady through September, according to preliminary figures from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Overall unemployment for the seven county region stands at 4.0 percent, an increase of one tenth of a percentage …

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American Spirit

The Meticulous Carpenter

by Kate Benz

Kevin’s got to get back inside of the house on Marshall Road on Observatory Hill. There’s work he needs to do. But first, he wants to get Donnie some water. “Here, man,” he says, appearing a few minutes later, handing Donnie the water, which has been poured into an empty gallon of Dean’s Dairy Pure …

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Creative Capital

It Turns Out Hong Kong Is Different

by Greg Curtis

“‘One country, two systems’ was always little more than a useful fiction, but… China has shown just how unrealistic the idea ultimately was.” —Rodger Baker, Stratfor As my longest-suffering readers know—I have been saying it since 1997 and putting it in writing since 2003—the Chinese Communist Party is doomed. I’ve written about it in two books …

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Arrivals

Thomas, Luke, Fragman, Huang, Tripathi, Woods, Gregerson

by PQ Staff

Mark Anthony Thomas is president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. He is responsible for creating, developing and executing the region’s economic development strategy and advancing partnerships to drive job creation and business investment. Thomas came to Pittsburgh from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where, …

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History

Exploring Andy Warhol’s Ancestral Home

by PQ Staff

Andy Warhol once said that he came “from nowhere.” And if ever you find yourself exploring the Lower Beskid mountains along the Polish-Slovak border, you might think he was right. At first glance, it appears there are no signs human beings were ever there. But if you look closer, you’ll realize that the holes and …

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Regional News

Region Adds Jobs, But Growth Slows

by Julia Fraser

Employers in southwestern Pennsylvania continued to boost their payrolls in September, but at a slower pace than what has characterized the regional job market over the past year. The seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area added 1,100 jobs from September 2018 to September 2019 – a 0.09 percent year-over-year increase, according to new data from the …

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Health

Is It Possible to Target Areas of Unwanted Fat?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I’ve been on a diet and lost several pounds but still want to get rid of unwanted fat in a few areas, primarily on the back of my arms and hips. How can I target these areas?” Targeting specific areas of the body for weight loss, commonly known as spot reducing, has been a …

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Sports

Controversy Waiting in the Wings? Steelers Bye and a Look Around the League

by Matthew John Milligan

Week seven is in the books. Injuries piled up, and a few rainy cities produced some sloppy results. The 49ers trudged through the mud in Landover to remain perfect against Washington while the Falcons continued their free-fall in Atlanta against the Rams. The Steelers were off, but are now heading into their Monday night tilt. …

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Creative Capital

The Brits Blew It in Hong Kong

by Greg Curtis

“[China] looks increasingly like it has reached a dead end.” —Frank Dikötter, Professor, University of Hong Kong As we learned last week, from 1898 until 1997 Britain owned two of the three regions of Greater Hong Kong—in perpetuity—while China owned the third region, subject to a 99-year lease to Britain. Yet, in 1997, all of …

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Contest Ideas

Ideas for a Better Pittsburgh: Semifinalists, Part VIII

by PQ Staff

Pittsburgh Quarterly invited readers and neighbors to offer up their best ideas for improving the region through the Spring 2019 Pittsburgh Tomorrow Contest. The 13 finalists chosen by the Pittsburgh Today advisory board were published online and in the Fall 2019 issue of the magazine. But the ideas of another nearly three dozen thinkers made …

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Architecture & Neighborhoods

The New MuseumLab: Past Transformed for Future

by Charles Rosenblum

At nearly 130 years old, the building is an antique, but the Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny, known casually as the Carnegie Library of the North Side, was built to look centuries old from the start. Following the Romanesque Revival style of H.H. Richardson’s recent Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, cut stone, rhythmic arches and …

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Opinion

On a Pedestal: Fallingwater, Allegheny Conference, Natural Areas Association, Healthcare Truce

by PQ Staff

Now, a world treasure: Fallingwater has gone global. Thanks to efforts from the Western Pa. Conservancy, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece of modern architecture nestled in the verdant Laurel Highlands has been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage List. It’s recognition that in our backyard is a treasure considered in …

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PQ Poem

Highland Meadows, Allegheny County, 1979

by Janine Certo

Sunday afternoons, we escaped across green waves of fenceless yards, hopscotched streets with split- level homes—their windowed eyes and garages’ open mouths. We screamed past the chained dog’s bark, lawns skirted with azaleas or crowned with the Virgin Mary. We lifted animals like bracelets from creeks and sat on Central Pharmacy’s curb snapping twigs of …

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Events

Chatham University Celebrates 150 Years With “Long Purple Line” Gala

by PQ Staff

On Saturday, October 12, Chatham University’s Athletic & Fitness Center was transformed into a reminiscent walk along Chatham’s “Long Purple Line from 1869” for a gala held as part of its 150th Anniversary Celebration Alumni Reunion Weekend. Guests were guided through the four eras of Chatham’s history: Pennsylvania Female College, Pennsylvania College for Women, Chatham …

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Sports

Flying High: Duck Hodges Victorious in Debut

by Matthew John Milligan

A mix of ho-hum performances sprinkled in with a few eyebrow raisers made up the week six slate. The unbeaten 49ers and Patriots took care of business, the Saints kept marching on, and the Cowboys’ spiral continues. Even Washington got a win, albeit to the Dolphins. One thing is for sure: nothing is set in …

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Contest Ideas

Ideas for a Better Pittsburgh: Semifinalists, Part VII

by PQ Staff

Ideas for a Better Pittsburgh: Semifinalists, Part VII Read More »

Events

Fall Festival at Southpointe Town Center Benefits American Cancer Society

by PQ Staff

On Thursday, October 10, over 2,000 people attended Southpointe Town Center in Canonsburg, Pa. for the annual Fall Festival benefitting the American Cancer Society of Washington County’s Access to Care Program. Attendees enjoyed the kids zone, which included a free pumpkin patch, face painting, games and a make-your-own pretzel station from My Favorite Sweet Shoppe, …

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Creative Capital

In China, the Unraveling Begins

by Greg Curtis

“It is time for the United States to stand up to China in Hong Kong.” —Elizabeth Warren Just for fun, let’s go back to 1842, which is when China “lost” Hong Kong. Most Westerners seem to think that the Brits had a 99-year lease on Hong Kong, that that lease terminated in 1997, and that …

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Business

A Liberal Approach to Business

by Chris Allison

Because you study anything and everything at a liberal arts college, you might say that it resembles an episode of Seinfeld, the observational comedy show about nothing. And because nothing really prepares you for a business career, the liberal arts might make the best choice. Late one night in 1992, my father phoned, asking me …

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