Swim pool attendance data from Summer 2012. We more than doubled the volume of use!

In the summer of 2011, the total swim pool attendance at the Ammon Swim Pool, Bedford Avenue, Hill District, was 5,471.

In the summer of 2012, the attendance was 12,278.

In the official Citiparks records, the Summer Dreamers for 2012 accounted for 529 visitors. 

We did NOT use Ammon in 2011. 

Less than one year ago, the City Controller, Michael Lamb, did an extensive audit of all the swimming pools in the city. In past years, the average daily attendance was 74 people. 

Of course when I say, "we," I mean us all. There were plenty of other camps, groups, visitors, swimmers, waterpolo players, swim lessons and citizens that graced the Ammon Pool with their presence beyond what I drove and ran into those gates. The church groups, the day-cares the Ozanam Basketball Players -- all should be proud. 

Further, as a point of clarification, the 529 for Summer Dreamers was assumed to be the number of splashes for the morning participation. That averages to about 26 people per day over the 20 days we went to the pool in the mornings. On the first day of camp, we didn't go to the pool because the kids didn't know if they're choice of swimming was given to them. The kids didn't even know to bring their swim suits with them to camp, for example. There were a few other times when there were storms and we didn't get to go to the outdoor pool. On a couple of days we all went to the indoor Thelma Lovette YMCA pool too. 

In reality, some days we took 12 or so to the Ammon Pool and then another day we could take 40. 

Regardless, we got there on foot, after traveling a full mile from school with a combination of running and walking. And, we got back to school for the dismissal or for lunch following the morning swim on foot too. So, our swimmers were doing urban renewal at the same time. We were taking back the streets of The Hill District for kids and fitness. We owned those hills. And, throughout the supervision of the 3,000 miles of total travel in The Hill District this summer, we didn't even suffer a single bee sting nor scraped knee as a result of those travels. Thank goodness.

So, in 2013, the plans are different, sadly. The middle school kids are not going to be going to Summer Dreamers at U-Prep. All will be going to CAPA, downtown. Going from Downtown CAPA to the top of The Hill District's Bedford Avenue and Ammon Pool is more of a stretch. But, we're proposing we do it with some changes. 

The new solution to fit the CAPA setting for middle school students being proposed has Hill District kids departing CAPA after lunch and going on the fitness run / walk and swimming in the afternoons with their activity periods. However, those campers won't go back to CAPA after the swim and activities. They'll have dismissal in their own neighborhood rather than in Downtown. Going back to CAPA just to get on a bus to go back to The Hill District is too much. 

How Libertarianism Can Help to Solve the Homelessness Problem in Pittsburgh

Guest posting by Eve Pearce epearce -at- andalemono.com

According to the charity Pittsburgh Cares, there are over two thousand homeless people in the Pittsburgh region. Seventy-eight percent of them are adults and twenty-eight percent are children. Of the adult homeless population, seventeen percent are veterans. Over one hundred homeless people have died on the city’s streets since 1989. What can be done to help alleviate this problem? According to award-winning libertarian author and social commentator Dr Mary Ruwart, the situation would not be anywhere near as bad as it is today if libertarians were running the country as opposed to the current leaders, who are stifling American society with far too many rules and regulations.

Stop the Government from MeddlingRuwart highlights the fact that towards the end of the 1990s, Mother Theresa’s church order the Missionaries of Charity purchased two abandoned buildings in New York City for a dollar each and managed to raise the sum of five hundred thousand dollars to fund the repair work that was necessary in order for them to be usable as homeless shelters. City officials initially stated that they were fine with the order’s plans to create shelters for the homeless but after work had begun, inspectors broke the news that a hundred-thousand-dollar elevator needed to be installed so that disabled people would have easy access to the accommodation. The nuns responded that the religious vows that they had taken meant that they weren’t allowed to routinely utilise modern conveniences. They suggested that they could carry disabled residents into the shelters manually and applied for a waiver from the regulations governing handicapped access, stating religious reasons. However they had their application rejected and as a result of this, the project was cancelled and the homeless people remained without a place to live. In a libertarian society, the regulations and restrictions that forced these individuals to carry on sleeping on the streets would not exist.

License to Sleep RoughThe USA is becoming a nation where the people are left desperately struggling to remain afloat within a sea of rules that dictate every element of their lives. The problem is that the authorities don’t know when to stop sticking their noses in to matters that don’t concern them. Over the course of the last few years, they have been inflicting unnecessary regulations upon the credit industry, encroaching more and more upon the constitutional rights of the public and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Officials in Nevada City, California, are even pushing for a law that will prohibit individuals from being homeless until they are given a license. Only a small number of these licenses would be handed out, effectively making it a criminal offence to have nowhere to go. What would become of the city’s homeless people if this law came into effect? They would be constantly on the lookout for policemen looking to arrest them simply for being homeless, which would push them even further into the margins of society. 

Ruwart’s Solution

Ruwart states that by removing some of the regulations that the government places upon the US, the economy would improve and less people would lack a fixed abode. There would also be no laws in place that persecute the homeless. She is however realistic and admits that some people would still have nowhere to live. The difference is that more Americans would be wealthy so the homeless would receive more donations.   

She claims that seventy-five percent of every tax dollar goes towards administration costs rather than those who really need it. This means that the main form of help that homeless people receive is from volunteers working in soup kitchens, kindhearted health workers who provide medical care free of charge and people dishing out spare change. In a society where people were wealthier, they would be in a better position to help other people, meaning that the best way to aid the homeless would be to adopt libertarian principles, which would also be extremely beneficial to society as a whole. Perhaps once those without a place to live were financially better off than they are at the moment, they could finally begin to address the issues that had led them to become homeless in the first place and get their lives back on track.

Fwd: KidsVoice Resolves School Segregation Case For Abused and Neglected Children

From: Scott Hollander [mailto:shollander@kidsvoice.org] 

JUSTICE FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN AS SCHOOL SEGREGATION CASE SETTLED

Resolution of Lawsuit will Improve Educational Opportunities
for Abused, Neglected and At-Risk Youth

On the same day that the Governor's Task Force on Child Protection released its recommendations in response to the Sandusky scandal, abused and neglected children right here in Allegheny County benefitted from the settlement of a lawsuit ending educational discrimination against children living in one of our county's largest group homes.  Yesterday the remaining details were finalized by the McKeesport School District in settling a class action lawsuit brought by KidsVoice to enforce the educational rights of our clients and other abused, neglected and at-risk children living in the Auberle group home in McKeesport.

KidsVoice filed the lawsuit jointly with the Education Law Center because children from Auberle were not allowed to attend the McKeesport Area Schools. Instead they were segregated in a separate building where 7^th- 12^th grade children from Auberle were educated together in the same classrooms, despite various ages and grade levels, and were not afforded the same opportunities, resources and extracurricular activities as other McKeesport students.  The Auberle children did not receive textbooks, only worksheets, had almost no computer access, and were not provided access to the library, AP courses or science labs.

Within 60 days of filing the lawsuit, the District agreed to discontinue segregating the children and worked to develop new policies and procedures to guarantee the educational rights and meet the needs of the Auberle students. 

Scott Hollander, KidsVoice Executive Director, pointed to the progress that children residing at Auberle already are making because of the District's changes.   "McKeesport deserves credit for closing the separate classrooms and implementing procedures and policies which are a model for other school districts to follow for how to successfully enroll, support and educate children in foster and group homes.  One of the greatest outcomes of this case is that once the Auberle students attended the regular classrooms, more than 30% of the students residing at Auberle made the honor roll, which is higher than the overall district percentage."

One of our clients, Jeffrey,* was an honor student at Pine-Richland High School until his father passed away and his mother struggled with addiction.  When he enrolled in the McKeesport School District, he no longer had access to the types of course work and teaching he previously had and instead had to bide his time in a segregated classroom without advancing his education or being challenged academically.   As he said, the biggest difference was that in his old school, "the students wanted to learn and the teachers wanted to teach."  

Some of the Auberle children were deprived of their education for more than two years.  While they cannot get that back, the settlement approved by Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge R. Stanton Wettick provides for compensatory educational services and funding for tutoring, educational software, post-secondary education and job training, and compensatory educational services for children with disabilities.

Sadly, this continues to be a problem in other districts where children in foster and group homes are discriminated against in violation of federal and state law.  KidsVoice, along with K&L Gates and the Education Law Center is in the midst of negotiating what hopefully will resolve similar issues in one of those other districts.  

Your support helps to make outcomes like this possible for Jeffrey and other children.  Every year, KidsVoice advocates in court and in the community to ensure a safe and permanent home for 3,000 of our most vulnerable citizens-abused and neglected children.  Please consider supporting KidsVoice in your year-end giving to help us end these practices in the several remaining school districts where they continue.  Abused and neglected children deserve to have the opportunity to heal and to succeed in school -- not be further abused and stigmatized by those who should be helping them.  You can donate through our website, www.kidsvoice.org, or through United Way Contributor Choice #78.

Also, if you know of or are someone who resided at Auberle, please know that Class members include all children and youth who resided at the Auberle Group Home at any time from October 14, 2008 to the present and were educated in classrooms designed exclusively or predominantly for students who resided in the Auberle Group Home, known as transition rooms or Auberle-student classrooms.  If you believe you may be a Class Member please contact Jennifer Fox Rabold, Settlement Administrator at (800) 543-8921 or email MASDFund@fedex.com.  Notice of the class action settlement is available here .

View the recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on Child Protection here.

*The child's name has been changed to protect his identity and maintain client confidentiality. KidsVoice does not disclose the names of clients.

Obama Academy salutes record number of students taking IB Diploma and Certificate tests

The Eagle

---

Obama Academy salutes record number of students taking IB Diploma and Certificate tests Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:56 PM PST The registration is complete, the names are in, the seats are set, and it's time to celebrate! Celebrate what, you ask? Well, the number of students who are have chosen to take tests for the IB Diploma or Certificate, that is. This year had such a great turnout that we just had to sit down with Mr. Ehman to get his view on things. We asked him why we [as a school] take this test so seriously. He went on to explain how it "is the highest level of high school" and that "it will be interesting to see where we stack up against the world." Naturally, because there's always more to Mr. Ehman, we had to ask at least one more question. How did he feel about the huge turnout of testers this year? Of course he, like any other person would have said, that "It's amazing how they [the numbers] have grown over the years, and it will be even more amazing to see the benefit that the students will this eventually gain from this experience." As this year goes further and further along, you learn many things that will better you in the long run. So, why not take a test that can help you truly reach that goal of yours down the road. Just wait and keep an eye out because next year could be your testing year. The International Baccalaureate Candidates Of 2013 Scott Moore – Diploma Renee Eddy Harvey - Diploma Taylor Dawkins - Diploma Shelby Campbell - Diploma Max Okabayashi - Diploma Mosqon Anderson - Diploma Micah Byrum - Diploma Sam Lapp - Diploma Demetri Lardas - Diploma Anthony Tolliver - Diploma Annie Widom - Diploma Anna Vitti - Diploma Chelsey Sirmons - Diploma Jonah Raether - Diploma Caley Donovan - Diploma Sharin Berman - Diploma Fletcher Jones - Diploma Shae Wofford - Diploma Erik Rauterkus - Diploma Daniel Golstein - Diploma Daniel  Denliinger - Diploma Danielle Pelietiere - Diploma Rina Matsuda – Certificates HL History, HL Mathematics Hannah Green – Certificates HL Film, HL English, HL History Karlissa Council – Certificate HL Visual Arts Maeve Hendricks – Certificates HL English, HL Spanish, HL Film Wendy Levenson – Certificates HL English, HL Visual Arts, SL Mathematics Ben Junker – Certificates HL English, HL History, HL Psychology, HL Mathematics Sakae Nakahara – Certificates HL Physics, HL Mathematics Luke Miller – Certificates HL English, HL Film Matt Lampl – Certificate HL Film Aliyah Weathers – Certificates HL English, HL History Maya McCray – Certificates HL Visual Arts, HL History Rondell Harris – Certificates HL English, HL History, HL Film Dynae Shaw – Certificates HL English, HL Visual Arts, HL German Daniel Wimer – Certificates HL English, HL Film Ash Lanith – Anticipated Diploma Mathematics SL Ben Freidman – Anticipated Diploma Mathematics SL

One man's fall from the bottom. A battle ground candidate gets 34,000 votes and zingers from various directions, including self.

Political junkies might like this story of a guy who got 34,000 votes in the recent election. The guy stepped up, again, to toss his hat into the ring as a candidate so the sitting politician didn't run without opposition.

http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/how-an-embattled-state-senate-candidate-busted-for-drugs-ran-for-election/Content?oid=3197151

The story seems to be similar to what could happen in Pittsburgh in the months to come with the election of a mayor. Will the Republicans offer a candidate like him? 

Perhaps not for mayor, but for the city council seat? 

And will the stings happen as they did in North Carolina? 

Time will tell. Lets know history so that the same mistakes are not repeated.

Fwd: Swarthmore College Men's Swimming Suffers First Loss of the Season to Rowan, 145-108

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Swarthmore Athletics" <manskis1@swarthmore.edu>
Date: Nov 17, 2012 10:11 PM
Subject: Swarthmore College Men's Swimming Suffers First Loss of the Season to Rowan, 145-108
To: "mark@rauterkus.com" <mark@rauterkus.com>

November 17, 2012 The Swarthmore men's swim team suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday, falling in non-Conference action to Rowan University by a 145-108 score. Junior John Flaherty accounted for the Garnet's lone individual win, taking the 200 butterfly in 2:03.56. Senior Daniel Duncan scored three second-place finishes, none of which were more than eleven-hundreths of a second behind the top time.  His 200 freestyle (1:47.18) missed out on the top spot by a mere tenth of a second; in the 500 freestyle, he was outtouched 4:55.51 to 4:55.61; and the 200 IM was decided by 0.11, with Duncan touching second in 2:02.19. The Garnet will return to action on the weekend of November 30-December 1, as the team hosts the Swarthmore Invitational.

To unsubscribe from this email, click here

Terror

Terror is not just about harm: it is about powerlessness in the face of harm. Terror = harm + powerlessness.

PPS shrinks by about 1,000 students every year

In the past 10 years, Pittsburgh Public Schools has lost about 10,000 students.


When 1,000 students exit PPS every year, I figure that is very much like a loss of the following from the ranks of PPS student body:

2 x 75 member football teams (Freshmen, JV, Varsity) (+150)

2 x 50 member swim teams (+ 100=250)

4 x 20 member waterpolo teams (+80=330)

3 x 15 member tennis squads (+45=375)

2 x 25 member soccer teams (+50=425)

1 x 25 member hockey squad {+25=475)

1 x 40 cast musical (=515)

1 x 100 marching band with dancers, cheer, flags, colorguard (=615)

6 x 10 member chess and debate squads (=675)

1 x 25 member (insert favorite) club sport (=700)

+ 300 siblings = 1,000 students.

Fwd: Invitation: Tackling make or break issues on our watch! Dec.13 Smart Growth Conference

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sustainable Pittsburgh

Register now for the 12th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference! View this email in your browser Thursday, December 13, 2012 8:00 am - 3:30 pm David L. Lawrence Convention Center Downtown Pittsburgh Networking Lunch Included Our region is faced with a multi-billion dollar price tag for clean water, transportation, and redevelopment. Time has run out for band-aid approaches. But what are the sustainable solutions we deserve and how can we turn problems into lasting opportunity? Regional sustainability, and thus prosperity, hinge on a new way of thinking and partnering for increased collaboration between businesses and local government. This conference comes at a critical juncture for our region. Clean water, transportation, and innovative finance for redevelopment are top priorities as defined by emerging and established leaders in SWPA. Attend to learn what is at stake and how you can become involved. Learn about breakthrough ways businesses and local government can work together to solve problems regionally and unleash our full potential for sustainable development. Featuring joint keynote discussion:                                       Mario Leone Manager, Borough of Monaca Panel Keynotes:                           Transportation Funding - Beyond quick fixes Barry Schoch Secretary of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation High Stakes Case for Green Infrastructure - What would you rather pay for? Jim Good Interim Executive Director, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (Veolia Water North America) Innovative Finance for Urban Redevelopment - Smart growth or otherwise? Michael Pehur Development Finance Consulting Director, Duane Morris Government Strategies Each keynote will be followed by a moderated panel discussion and Q & A session. Additional Speakers:           Steve Bland  Port Authority of Allegheny County Lynn Colosi  Clear View Strategies Chad Davis  Michael Baker Jr., Inc. David Dudo  Beemack Trucking Craig Dunham  Dunham reGroup LLC Steve Feller  Mt. Lebanon Bill Gatti  TREK Development Group Steve Gifford  Greensburg Community Development Corporation Susan Hockenberry  Local Government Academy Joe Massaro III  Massaro Corporation Mark Minnerly  The Mosites Company Ruthann Omer  The Gateway Engineers, Inc. Mark Peluso  Town Center Associates Mary Ellen Ramage  Borough of Etna Allison Robinson  UPMC John Schombert  3 Rivers Wet Weather Alex Sciulli  Highmark Michael Silvestri  Peters Township Mayor Maggie Stock  City of Butler Ken Zapinski  Allegheny Conference on Community Development Sponsored By:                    Event sponsorship opportunities available: gvinski@sustainablepittsburgh.org 412.258.6646 Dennis Yablonsky CEO, Allegheny Conference on Community Development Registration Early bird: $35 $30 for Members of Sustainable Pittsburgh, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Students, and Elected and Appointed Officials members After 11/28: $45 $40 for Members of Sustainable Pittsburgh, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Students, and Elected and Appointed Officials members To register: www.sustainablepittsburgh.org Presented By: Allegheny Conference on Community Development Local Government Academy Sustainable Pittsburgh   Media Sponsor:                   Copyright © 2012 Sustainable Pittsburgh, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Sustainable Pittsburgh 425 Sixth Avenue Suite 1335 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Add us to your address book

Fwd: FREE Cultural Competency Training THIS THURSDAY!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Neighborhood Learning Alliance

Make your program safe and inclusive for ALL students! View this email in your browser LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Cultural Competency Training! Thursday, November 15th 10:00AM-12:00PM Room 527 William Pitt Union University of Pittsburgh Campus Join J Wester, Training and Marketing Coordinator at Neighborhood Learning Alliance, for an engaging training on LGBT Competency! At this training, attendees will learn the ABC's of LGBT, learn how to address bullying within their programs, and learn how to integrate LGBT-relevant curriculum into their programs! At the end of the training, a panel of LGBT students will be available to field questions about their experiences in school, what helped, and what kind of support they wish they would've had. REGISTER HERE! Copyright ©  2012 Neighborhood Learning Alliance, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 5429 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206 unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences

Driven

Fwd: USO won

University Prep 47, Somerset 38

Somerset - 0 - 22 - 8 - 8 - -- - 38

University Prep - 6 - 20 - 7 - 14 - -- - 47

UP -- Clay Moorefield 26 pass from Akil Young (kick failed)

UP -- Marcus Johnson 82 pass from Young (Michael Wright pass from Ryan Daniels)

S -- Matt Boyer 74 run (pass failed)

UP -- Nicholas Stallworth 45 pass from Young (run failed)

S -- Blake Faulkner 3 run (Tanner Stull run)

UP -- Wright 5 pass from Young (pass failed)

S -- Stull 25 run (Stull run)

S -- Jordan Wilkow 25 pass from Stull (Stull run)

UP -- A.J. Roberts 14 pass from Young (Dan Denlinger kick)

UP -- Johnson 22 pass from Young (Denlinger kick)

S -- Wilkow 26 pass from Stull (Stull run)

UP -- Daniels 3 run (Denlingher kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

Somerset - - University Prep

15 - First Downs - 14

259 - Rushing Yards - 62

205 - Passing Yards - 462

464 - Total Yards - 524

15-29-1 - Comp-Att-Int - 30-46-0

1-1 - Fumbles-Lost - 0-0

7-65 - Penalties-Yards - 10-108

1-37 - Punts-Average - 2-35.5

Soccer for the girls team, Obama Eagle Article

Senior Spotlight

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:47 PM PST

Obama seniors Ryann Lane and Renee Eddy-Harvey have been in the soccer team since freshmen year. They have had their share of success and failures. Remaining on the soccer team for 4 years becomes a real challenge when there are disputes, arguments, and changing coaches. In their case, they have had three new coaches in 4 years.
"Junior year and senior years have been very challenging," Ryann says, "Entering into the WPIAL was different." She also added that things were more difficult in the preseason when there were no coaches; they lacked preparation, and had hardly any motivation, mentality, within the team.
In the past years, the "spirit" within the team has been constant, but changes in coaches can be a very crucial change. According to Renée, "In the first two years the coach was bonding in a way; [in] our second and last coach [it] was not apparent."
Ryann adds that this year was very different. There was more detachment within the team, less motivation or dedication, and more "slacking off", compared to freshman and sophomore years. Their first years in Obama soccer started off on a good tempo with various wins and team motivation, and because of a "steady pace with leadership".
Both the girls have agreed that their transition in soccer did not go as anticipated.  Once, the entire team was very close. But as years passed, players started to separate and a number of "disappointments" started to develop. The soccer team recently lost to Alderdice High School, who they had beaten three times before.

In the future, they plan to be more involved in soccer, such as watching and following the games through television and playing it for fun; however, they feel as though this is the last year they will be in a formal team. In college, neither of them intends to play for a team. Both agree that they would love to have a team reunion in later years.

Letter to Linda Lane, PPS Superintendent, concerning some age-old issues at Obama Swimming

Letter dated November 7, 2012 to PPS superintendent.

page 1

page 2

page 3

page 4

page 5

page 6

page 7

page 8

page 9

Sports in New York now.

Yesterday at a public meeting with 60 people gathered to learn and support a new fitness venture of the United Way of Allegheny County, I made a statement about the Pittsburgh Marathon.

There had been some nice hype and props given to the three pro teams in town, #Steelers, #Pirates, #Penguins, as well as the #Pitt basketball teams.

I said, "The pro teams are great, but the Pittsburgh Marathon people are fantastic, and to me, with the Liberty Mile have helped as a resource 100-times more than the others."

Mark Rauterkus Should the NYC Marathon be held this Sunday? I think it should turn into a fitness run for any interested. Stopping an unofficial jog is impossible and would take more resources to stop than holding it for real. But the masses should be asked to come back for the official race in 3 weeks. Lend a hand until then, or at least get out if the way.

Mark Rauterkus Likewise, the Steelers at NY Giants NFL game presents a big problem. If possible, I'd have been trying to move that game to State College, Syracuse, or perhaps to Pittsburgh.

Fwd: Get Out The Vote Rally and Concert

Nice event below, but, I would much rather go and have others attend the City League Football Championships at South Side Cupples Stadium at 1 pm kickoff and 11 am pre game tailgate at our house.

Mark Rauterkus

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Black Political Empowerment Project(B-PEP)

GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY AND CONCERT "GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY & CONCERT SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2012" Several community entities have come together to host the 'GET OUT THE VOTE NON-PARTISAN RALLY & FREE MUSICAL CONCERT", scheduled for Saturday, November 3, 2012, with doors opening at 12:30 pm and the event concluding at 4 pm in the Hillman Auditorium at the Hill House Association, 1835 Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh's historic Hill District. The event is aimed at encouraging and inspiring voter turnout for the crucial Tuesday, November 6 Presidential Election.   Featured artists include Artistree, Pittsburgh's own Yolanda Barber who recently performed magnificently in NBC's "The Voice", pianist Donna Davis, 'Destiny of Faith" musicians, Davey Jones, 'Chip' Jones and Leonard Johnson, III, gospel vocalist Beverly Bowie-Taylor, "United For Christ Praise Team", "Walk By Faith", vocalist Flo Wilson Of The Old School Band, and vocalist Rev. Brian Wright. The Corvette Club expects to have ten to fifteen cars in front of the Hill House beginning at 12 noon on Saturday. This effort is aimed at helping to instill a community-wide commitment to the "OCCUPY THE POLLS - The CAMPAIGN FOR VICTORY" movement in the Pittsburgh region, originally suggested by the Black Political Empowerment Project. Talk Magazine founder Luther J. Sewell, who is helping to coordinate the event, has stated that the Black voter turnout in 2008 was 62% in Pittsburgh, but he'd like to see a turnout of at least 70%. The event is being coordinated by B-PEP, Champion Enterprises, Talk Magazine and the W. PA Black Political Assembly. 'MAJOR SPONSORS' for this GOTV Rally and Concert include A Plus Schools, the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), Brotha Ash Productions, The New Pittsburgh Courier, the Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc., the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Soul Pitt, Talk Magazine, and the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, and Urban Media. 'CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS' include The Rankin Pittsburgh Women's Business Association, Restoration Church, Brenda Tate, and the W. PA Black Political Assembly. 'DONORS' include The Alleghenians, Ltd., Inc. and Champion Enterprises. Scheduled speakers who will bring inspirational remarks throughout the afternoon include Esther L. Bush of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, former Pittsburgh Steeler great Robin Cole, Rev. Glenn Grayson, pastor, Wesley Center A.M.E. Zion Church and Presiding Elder for the A.M.E. Zion Church, Pittsburgh District, Anna Hollis of Amachi Pittsburgh, Bishop Loran Mann, Khari Mosley of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, E. Richard Phipps of the W. PA Black Political Assembly, Luther J. Sewell, Editor & Publisher of Talk Magazine, Rev. Tom Smith, pastor, Monumental Baptist Church and Co-convener, W. PA Black Political Assembly, Tim Stevens, Chairman & CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), Celeste Taylor, B-PEP Voting Rights Community Organizer, Rev. Dr. David Thornton, pastor, Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church and former Vice President of the PA Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN), Rev. Samuel Ware, pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Monroeville and representative of the Pittsburgh District of the A.M.E. Church. For information call 412-823-4007 or 412-758-7898. GOTV CONCERT INFORMATION

The Black Political Empowerment Project(B-PEP) | C/O The Hill House Center | 1835 Centre Avenue | Pittsburgh | PA | 15219