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A Win for Wilkinsburg
After five years of construction and $6.5 million, the Wilkinsburg train station has changed from being nearly a ruin to being completely and beautifully restored. The restoration of the historic landmark provides a striking and hopefully catalytic example of what is possible in building a new Wilkinsburg. The 10,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts building opened in 1916, serving …
Ilkin, Stabile, Weizenbaum, Harper, Wholey
Tunch Ilkin, 63 The Steelers two-time Pro Bowl tackle, team captain and longtime broadcaster on the Steelers Radio Network died of ALS. He played 13 seasons with the Steelers and one with the Green Bay Packers before retiring in 1993. Ilkin was also vice president of the NFL Players Association from 1989 to 1994. He …
Stepping into the Breach Pt. III
JANE WERNER, executive director, Children’s Museum of PittsburghWe have been amazed to see the commitment of our visitors and community in keeping kids safe while they explore joy, curiosity, creativity, and kindness at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. As challenging as this year and a half has been, and while we were waiting for younger children …
Hanna, Haley, Fu, Smyrnes-Williams, Brendel
Howard Hanna Sr., 101With an initial investment of $40, which may have included the plywood for his desk, Hanna started a real estate company in 1957 that now has more than 13,500 employees and more than 400 branch offices in 11 states. Today Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the largest independently owned real estate …
Stepping into the Breach, Part II
AUGIE CARLINO, president & CEO, Rivers of SteelWhile there have been many memorable experiences that demonstrate meaningful reciprocity between Rivers of Steel and our communities throughout the pandemic, one, in particular, stands out—our relationship with Mon Valley artist Kathleen Ferri. In mid-2020, after news of Rivers of Steel’s new Vice President Amy Buchan Baldonieri reached …
Stepping into the Breach
J. KEVIN MCMAHON, president & CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural TrustOne Saturday morning early on in the pandemic I received a call from a longtime Cultural Trust trustee, Murry Gerber. Murry read an email I sent to the board detailing challenges the Trust was facing, including canceling thousands of events and performances. He felt compelled to do …
Holiday Temptations
As the festive spirit creeps slowly back into our lives, there’s a new appreciation for the simple pleasures of dining out. Take out was great during the pandemic, or at least it offered some variety and relief to homebound cooks. But not all foods travel well and some of Pittsburgh’s better restaurants chose not to …
Shelley, Kiesel, Green, Lichtveld, Walker, Moynihan, Adore
The Rev. Austin Crenshaw Shelley will become the senior pastor and head of staff at Shadyside Presbyterian Church on Sept. 27. Currently associate minister at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, Rev. Shelley is nearing completion of her Ph.D. in practical theology homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she received a master’s of …
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Back in the Lights!
After a one-year hiatus, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Pointe in Time gala returned to The Westin Saturday with an evening of dining, dancing and performance, including a sneak peek at choreography from Artistic Director Susan Jaffe’s new staging of “Swan Lake,” which will debut at the Benedum Center in May. The event welcomed 400 guests and took …
Trumka, Strassburger, Deitch, Krupp, Frank, Parham
Richard Trumka, 72: A native of Eighty Four, Pa., Trumka was the president of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a coal miner, working shifts in both college and law school. At the age of 33, he successfully ran …
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Building Health Systems and Addressing Climate Change and Diversity
Q: With 18 years at the CDC and 40 years in public health, you’re particularly well qualified to analyze how the CDC has done during the pandemic. How would you judge its performance overall, and what specific strengths and weakness have been brought to light? A: Rather than critique the CDC, I’ll attempt to approach …
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Franklin, Cosetti, Mann, Robinson, Hillebrand, Eide
Don Franklin, 82: A renowned Baroque musicologist, Franklin was professor of music, emeritus, at the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as chair twice from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. A Willmar, Minn. native, he was the youngest trumpet player to play taps at the Willmar Cemetery and was a gifted pianist who earned …
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Wertz, Wilde, Zappala, Rosenberg, Rangos, Blasier
Ricki Wertz, 86: From 1959 to 1969, Wertz hosted the popular children’s show ”Ricki and Copper” on WTAE. Her co-host was a retriever mix who came from a shelter and was Wertz’s own pet, a wedding gift from her husband. She went on to host “Junior High Quiz” on WTAE for the next 20 years …
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On a Pedestal, Fall 2021
Jeffrey Romoff After nearly 50 years at the university of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Jeffrey Romoff can look back at what he has created with a sense of accomplishment that few, if any, people in Pittsburgh during that period can match. He is the visionary leader who, along with the man who hired him 48 years …
Just Askin’… Gretchen Baker
Q: What’s the most interesting thing about your job? A: Within a single day, I can spend time with dinosaur experts looking at fossils, review plans with talented exhibit designers, watch an energetic educator engage a group of kids in our galleries, meet with community partners, and work on a budget. My job activates almost …
Pennell, Gregovits, Pauls, Johnson, Capogrosso, Hutton, Bonham
Page B. Pennell, M.D. will become the next chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine on July 1. She comes to Pitt from Harvard Medical School, where she is a professor and vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Neurology. She also directs research in the …
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Twilight Picnic for the Parks: Back in the Swing
Twilight Picnic for the Parks: Back in the Swing made a triumphant return to its in-person fundraising gala Saturday, August 21 under white peaked tents at The Meadow at Hartwood Acres. This signature fundraiser of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation paused last year to ride out the pandemic but came roaring back, raising nearly $420,000 …
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The State of Higher Ed: Pitt, Penn State, La Roche, IUP
We asked the presidents of the region’s colleges and universities to answer this question: As we move closer to the end of the pandemic, what strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have become more apparent to you for your institution than they were pre-pandemic? Lina Dostilio, University of Pittsburgh (Associate Vice Chancellor) The pandemic has heightened …
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The State of Higher Ed: Allegheny, Clarion, Waynesburg
We asked the presidents of the region’s colleges and universities to answer this question: As we move closer to the end of the pandemic, what strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have become more apparent to you for your institution than they were pre-pandemic? Hilary L. Link, Allegheny College Allegheny College has been fully open all …
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Celebrating 75 Years at the CLO
In order to bring life in Pittsburgh back to normal, we need leaders with the courage to make bold decisions even when conditions may not yet be perfect. And that’s just what the Pittsburgh CLO did this winter and spring in deciding to move ahead with its 75th anniversary season and bring entertainment back to …
Neighborhood Academy to Host Author and Candidate Wes Moore
On Sept. 29, The Neighborhood Academy’s Nancy and Paul O’Neill Speaker Series will feature Wes Moore: best-selling author, combat veteran, social entrepreneur and former CEO of Robin Hood — one of the largest anti-poverty forces in the nation. Moore recently announced his run for governor of Maryland in the 2022 elections. His book, “The Other …
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The State of Higher Ed: Slippery Rock, Westminster, Saint Vincent
We asked the presidents of the region’s colleges and universities to answer this question: As we move closer to the end of the pandemic, what strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have become more apparent to you for your institution than they were pre-pandemic? William J. Behre, Slippery Rock University The pandemic has confirmed something that we …
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