Press Release about visiting swimmer

News Release

August 14, 1999

Local Contact:

Mark Rauterkus

General Manager, Three Rivers Aquatics

Founder, FreeTeam.Org & SportSurf.Net

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA

412-481-2497 = office

Mark@SportSurf.Net

The Significance of Byron's Visit to Pittsburgh in 1999

--- The start of bigger plans for 2000 and beyond.

New Lecture Series Tips Its Hand with Preview Encounter

Byron Davis is much like a modern-day Jackie Robinson. A comparison to Tiger Woods applies too in that he excels in a country-club sport. Byron is gearing up to swim in the Olympic Trials again in the year 2000, at age 30, striving to be the first African-American on the USA Olympic Swim Team.

Davis began swimming at an inter-city YMCA at age 8, graduated from UCLA and is an inspirational spokesperson for USA Swimming. Davis visited Pittsburgh for three days as a guest of Three Rivers Aquatics (TRA). Davis and the local swim officials took their story directly to the kids and parents. On Saturday, the crew mingled and evangelized the swimming lifestyle at two meets, visiting the City of Pittsburgh Aquatic Divisions' summer meet in Highland Park as well as the Eastern Zone Championships at Pitt.

Byron's goals for swimming and speaking match well with those of Mark Rauterkus, a former sports publisher and the new general manager of TRA. Rauterkus wants to rev-up the regional swim scene, and announced a new sports-lecture series. Nicknamed, S6, the non-profit endeavor is to be called the Sport, Spirit & Soul Story & Song Summit.

S6 expects to host events in the year 2000 and aims to bring Davis back to Pittsburgh as its first headline speaker following his Olympic Trials quest. For added family appeal, Byron's next trip to Pittsburgh might even be made to include his wife, Annett Buckner Davis, pro-beach volleyball player currently #2 team on the tour.

"By and large, Pittsburgh's kids don't know of Byron, his saga, and his message. Same too for Annett. I'd love to create a vehicle to help change that tide. A goal of S6 is to raise awareness for positive messages of those who strive for excellence," said Rauterkus.

"We call ourselves a sports town, yet I feel we miss out on these types of messages and gatherings. Our kids and our community can learn a great deal about ourselves with in-depth appearances and contacts. Byron, and many others in sports from around the world, present interesting, energizing messages."

What about the players on the Women's World Cup soccer team? Tell us about the relationship with the game of baseball and the rules from a MLB umpire's perspective.

How and why discussions fail as media sound-bites. This concept goes way beyond the ESPN highlights of the 100-Greatest Athletes of the Century.

"We could use additional fun, fresh, enrichment experiences. I want my young boys to grow up with a healthy diet of sport influences that doesn't include the WWF. Sports participation is much more than stadium sitting."

S6's seasonal, if not monthly, occurrences would bring a diverse group of international experts to the area. "Keynote talks, event mingling, technique demonstrations, psyche clinics, sport schmoozing -- all bolstered by literacy components would jazz our perspectives and stretch our spirits," said Rauterkus.

Those connected to schools, civic groups, and companies can step forward now. Individual volunteers from throughout Western Pennsylvania are needed for planning and early stage implementation. This village can host frequent engagements. The call to others who share the vision is here: Email: Mark@SportSurf.Net. Call: 412-481-2497 (extension 2)

Additional information about Byron Davis, the weekend clinics, news on other programs such as a new Swimmers' Zoo Camp is online at: www.FreeTeam.Org/tra.

---- end ----

=============

Photo and interview opportunities on Saturday ONLY with Byron Davis

++ Highland Park Pool -- 8:30 am to 1:00

++ Pitt's Tree's Hall -- 3:00 - 4:00 pm (an awards presentation)

++ On the grounds Outside of Pitt's Swim Pool from 6:00 - 8:30 pm.

Swim Meets occurring at both locations, each with local participants.

Three Rivers Aquatics folks are local, of course, and available at other times as well:

GM is Mark Rauterkus, and

Emeritus Coach is Hosea Holder

=============

Suggested pointers and other news, including an electonic version of this can be found at:

http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

=============

Tips:

See the invite letter abut NEW directions with TRA

Swimmers' Zoo Camp News

New Lecture Series Tips Hand with Preview Encounter

Byron Davis visits Pittsburgh

Attention Swimmers and Citizens!

Byron Davis,

TRA, and the

Eastern Zone Swimmers (from Maine to Virginia)

invite you and yours to a special gathering outside the grounds at the Univ. of Pittsburgh's swim pool (Trees Hall) at 6:30 pm tonight.

- - - - - -

Byron, 29, visiting from Los Angeles, an Olympic trials finalist (1996) and a qualifier (2000), is an inspiring spokesperson for USA Swimming.

Three Rivers Aquatics (TRA) practices on the South Side. New swimmers are welcomed starting September 8. TRA coordinated Byron's visit to Pittsburgh. TRA now has a professional General Manager to support emeritus coach Hosea Holder.

The Eastern Zone Meet concludes at Pitt tonight! Talented all-star swimmers from Maine to Virginia have been competing at Pitt for the past four days. Admission to both the meet and Byron's presentation is FREE! Championship finals races occur from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

It's for decompression and inspiration.

Learn more, including new on the Swimmers' Zoo Camp and S6 at:

http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

Hope to see you there!

Letter to Market House about swim

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Market House Athletic Assn.

City Parks Recreation Directors

Dear Friends of Sports on the South Side,

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the programs at the South Side Market House, including the directors and booster-board, to begin a serious dialog concerning joint programming efforts.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA is a swim team, Three Rivers Aquatics that practices in the school months at the Oliver Bath House at 10th Street. The team used to be city-sponsored, then called, DPR (Dept. of Parks and Recreation). For the past number of years the team was organized with a parents board, and that has just recently changed so now the team has a "general manager." With new leaderships, the team is out to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past.

We are going to "profesionalize" our management, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to work with the folks at the Market House to allow for an expansion of programming efforts so we can better serve the needs of the children in Pittsburgh. We want to put forth both the highest quality swim

experience with a competitive team capable of getting our kids onto the Olympic Team -- as well as offering well-rounded introduction to swimming programs that get the kids exercising in a new environment, making new friends, learning about themselves and having fun!

working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Letter to reach out to Penn Hill Dolphins with TRA

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

home: 412-481-2540

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Head Coach

Board of Directors

Penn Hills Dolphins

Dear Friends of Swimming in Penn Hills!

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the Penn Hills Dolphins, including coach and board-of-directors, to begin a serious dialog concerning our programming efforts.

TRA and PHD shared a practice facility and meet hosting events in 1999. We need to work on plans for 2000 as soon as possible.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA team is going to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past. I'm in a new role as "general manager" and this new responsibility and opportunity means that TRA is NOT going to be a typical AMS team that is lead a "parents board." Just to be clear, Hosea is still going to be the swim coach. We are going to "profesionalize" our management with a new GM, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to keep working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Dear Citiparks Swimmers and Guardians - Citiparks Swim Meet letter

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA

412-481-2497 = office

Mark@SportSurf.Net

Dear Swimmers and Guardians,

You are strongly encouraged to check-out and consider joining Three Rivers Aquatics (known as TRA). Kids that love the water, and youngsters that feel at home with either fit bodies or mindful activities have got to look into some of our NEW opportunities.

TRA is changing for the better in 1999. We are hoping to grow with a new crew of "rookie' swimmers. Boys and girls ages 5 to 12 are ideal prospects. We're affordable, instructional, recreational! We're competitive and fun.

This September the activities -- family friendly -- are geared to be enrichment experiences first and foremost! Yea, we love to swim! But, we expect to explore, stretch and soar in many ways -- beyond Fly, Back, Breast and Freestyle.

Emeritus coach Hosea leads our practices as usual, but now he'll be backed and supported by a new General Manager. That's me. Our team's infrastructure is getting an overhaul. I'm Mark Rauterkus, 412-481-2497, a South Side resident, stay-at-home dad, retired publisher (www.SportSurf.Net) and swim coach. I've coached teams in PA, MA, Ohio and Illinois -- and swimmers on these teams have set new STATE Records. My background and concerns for sports advocacy can bring another level of excitement to the happening as our South Side practices. Plus, throughout the year, we want to get more swimming going into more of Pittsburgh Public School pools.

Now is a great time to make a new connection with the team. Many short term clinics and mini-camps are being organized as well. Notice the new Swimmers' Zoo Camp!

Please, if you do nothing else, do this:

1. Get your name, address and phone number (email too if you have it) on our TRA mailing list. We'd like to keep you posted about our progress.

2. Talk with our visiting guest from Los Angeles -- Byron Davis. He grew up in Cleveland! Now we need some Pittsburgh kids to grow up swimming and hit Olympic Trials. Come up and meet him as he is talking tonight at the Zone Meet outside of Pitt's Trees Hall to 8:30 pm.

3. Know that you're invited and warmly welcomed to get into the swim with the TRA team in 1999! See more news on the web: http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

Thanks for your interest. Hope you have fun at today's meet.

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

To PHD

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Head Coach

Board of Directors

Penn Hills Dolphins

Dear Friends of Swimming in Penn Hills!

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the Penn Hills Dolphins, including coach and board-of-directors, to begin a serious dialog concerning our programming efforts.

TRA and PHD shared a practice facility and meet hosting events in 1999. We need to work on plans for 2000 as soon as possible.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA team is going to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past. I'm in a new role as "general manager" and this new responsibility and opportunity means that TRA is NOT going to be a typical AMS team that is lead a "parents board." Just to be clear, Hosea is still going to be the swim coach. We are going to "profesionalize" our management with a new GM, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to keep working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Letter for Byron's Visit to Citiparks

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA

SportSurf.Net

Dear Swimmers and Guardians,

You are strongly encouraged to check-out and consider joining Three Rivers Aquatics (known as TRA). Kids that love the water, and youngsters that feel at home with either fit bodies or mindful activities have got to look into some of our NEW opportunities.

TRA is changing for the better in 1999. We are hoping to grow with a new crew of "rookie' swimmers. Boys and girls ages 5 to 12 are ideal prospects. We're affordable, instructional, recreational! We're competitive and fun.

This September the activities -- family friendly -- are geared to be enrichment experiences first and foremost! Yea, we love to swim! But, we expect to explore, stretch and soar in many ways -- beyond Fly, Back, Breast and Freestyle.

Emeritus coach Hosea leads our practices as usual, but now he'll be backed and supported by a new General Manager. That's me. Our team's infrastructure is getting an overhaul. I'm Mark Rauterkus, 412-481-2497, a South Side resident, stay-at-home dad, retired publisher (www.SportSurf.Net) and swim coach. I've coached teams in PA, MA, Ohio and Illinois -- and swimmers on these teams have set new STATE Records. My background and concerns for sports advocacy can bring another level of excitement to the happening as our South Side practices. Plus, throughout the year, we want to get more swimming going into more of Pittsburgh Public School pools.

Now is a great time to make a new connection with the team. Many short term clinics and mini-camps are being organized as well. Notice the new Swimmers' Zoo Camp!

Please, if you do nothing else, do this:

1. Get your name, address and phone number (email too if you have it) on our TRA mailing list. We'd like to keep you posted about our progress.

2. Talk with our visiting guest from Los Angeles -- Byron Davis. He grew up in Cleveland! Now we need some Pittsburgh kids to grow up swimming and hit Olympic Trials. Come up and meet him as he is talking tonight at the Zone Meet outside of Pitt's Trees Hall to 8:30 pm.

3. Know that you're invited and warmly welcomed to get into the swim with the TRA team in 1999! See more news on the web: http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

Thanks for your interest. Hope you have fun at today's meet.

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Letter from TRA GM to Market House Athletic Assn

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

home: 412-481-2540

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Market House Athletic Assn.

City Parks Recreation Directors

Dear Friends of Sports on the South Side,

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the programs at the South Side Market House, including the directors and booster-board, to begin a serious dialog concerning joint programming efforts.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA is a swim team, Three Rivers Aquatics that practices in the school months at the Oliver Bath House at 10th Street. The team used to be city-sponsored, then called, DPR (Dept. of Parks and Recreation). For the past number of years the team was organized with a parents board, and that has just recently changed so now the team has a "general manager." With new leaderships, the team is out to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past.

We are going to "profesionalize" our management, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to work with the folks at the Market House to allow for an expansion of programming efforts so we can better serve the needs of the children in Pittsburgh. We want to put forth both the highest quality swim

experience with a competitive team capable of getting our kids onto the Olympic Team -- as well as offering well-rounded introduction to swimming programs that get the kids exercising in a new environment, making new friends, learning about themselves and having fun!

working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Letter from CP

Letter to Cannonsburg team , but must be 99

Political Uses of the Internet to Explode in Many Ways

Political Uses of the Internet to Explode in Many Ways

To build a space that can become a spot that helps to create and strengthen releationships needs to include many elements that leverage many political opportunities. The notion of the "electronic town hall" was made popular in past national elections, CNN, Ross Perot, and many other examples. The buzz has started, but the execution is far from reaching a potential.

Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania do have impressive www sites. Much work is being done in this area, but much more is needed.

Steve Forbes uses the net to launch his second White House bid. He says it's time to jump into the information age, come March 1999.

---

The Tribune-Review reports, "This rather novel approach to announcing one's presidential condidacy won its share of attention...."

"I'm going to run the first full-scale presidential campaign in American history on the Internet, because I want you to be involved every step of the way," Forbes posted.

http://www.Forbes2000.com

---

Washington Politicians Are Stuck In The Stone Age

Pittsburgh area people and politians are going on-line and are moving in the right directions. But, to make on-line communications effective, the first hurdles involve the old "Chicken and Egg" debate -- as to what needs to happen first?

If the people are not pushed and pulled to the internet, then the politicians are not going to be pushed and pulled to use the internet. We all have to tug at technologies to make a critical mass to allow better economy of scale.

The On-Line Mission Is A Valuable Corner Stone Here

The visions put forward in this position paper call for the creation of a high-tech incubator for community building activities. Passion Park can host many sessions, both on-line and in-person, to help citizens, politicians, team captains, coaches, athletes and health-care folks mingle and be better informed.

Not only do league officials and coaches have a place to put their game schedules and line-up, but politicians need to put in their schedules, hold debates, use teleconference appearances to go to Harrisburg, Washington, and the local meeting at the Block Watch.

Given a City Council Defeat, Then What?

Given a City Council Defeat, Then What?

Should City Council vote to NOT sell the land from the URA to UPMC for the football compound, what might happen next?

Back to the Drawing Boards

1. UPMC, Oxford Developers the Steelers, and the URA would do well to go back to the drawing boards and re-tool a facility plan that fits and is fair.

2. Or, UPMC might opt to turn up the political heat, with or without the Mayor's office help. Then the site plan can be better crafted in its presentation, and re-submitted.

3. Or, UPMC might try to tip the scale in its favor with a better suite of buy-outs to the community groups. A $30K offer went to $75K, and the amount might need to go much higher. Everything has a price.

4. Or, UPMC might opt to move to a suburban site. Fine. UPMC can't take the land with them. UPMC is not going to move to Florida, to North Carolina, to Columbus, Ohio. And, Pitt athletes are not going to go far from Oakland.

Watch for Pitt's Rounds of Settlement Overtures

Pitt should settle this mess. The problem comes as to who is going step up and attempt to broker the deal to settle.

Pitt could have tried to settled various concerns months ago. But Pitt was too arrogant to admit any wrongdoing or pig-headed thinking and planning. Pitt is too deep into its 'we are innovators, top job-providers, know-what's-best' posturing to backtrack.

As much as the citizens of the South Side and the region want to get this over and move beyond Plan B, we can't. We won't be able to avoid another long string of embarrassing rounds of blunders. Developments in the past months don't offer much hope.

Settlement from Pitt are described as "minimalist" and "nowhere near" acceptable. Those scraps don't sound like the makings of a settlement to us.

Best Interests Should Not Be Egos

Fighting against SUN Corporation and a coke oven is one type of foe. The corporations have the foregone conclusions that actions are geared to the shareholders best interests.

Pitt has no shareholders. UPMC is not a corporation that trades stock on the big boards. Pitt's top shareholders are students, faculty and the academic ethics of knowledge discovery and sharing.

Pitt has its pride on the line. UPMC is not driven by the share-holders interest, rather by the interest of its management.

Will UPMC and the Pitt AD come up with settlement terms that are acceptable to all? Or, has the Pitt PR ploy worked?

Pitt's Athletic Department, its students and our communities will fare better when Pitt's leadership gets in sync with the community, its roots and its vision of what sports are.

Pitt's arrogance is taking a back seat to that of UPMC's.

Burt Out

Burnt Out

I want the stadium to stay more than anything, but ....

The administrators at Pitt won the battle and the war, as expected. They won due to attrition.

"I want the stadium to stay more than anything, but this has ruined other Student Government Body (SGB) projects, relationships with administrators, and almost friendships for me.

One student sighed for relief and wrote of life beyond SGB, "... with two other jobs where I put in about 6 hours a week at one and 12 at the other.

The students have classes, projects, and a double majors. One wrote, "I just can't do it anymore. Sorry."

Pitt News, front page headline with photo (of me) Pitt fan poised to stop stadium demolition and UPMC facility

My photo ran on the front page of the Pitt News, Thursday, April 8, 1999. Here is the story, retyped.

Hal Turner, Editor in Chief

If a South Side Pitt fan gets his way, about $100 million worth of Pittsburgh sports developments will be postponed or canceled.

Mark Rauterkus handed City Council members three ring binders filled with the lyrics to Pitt's alma mater, the Pitt victory song and "Hail to Pitt" - and about 90 reasons not to cary out the athletics department's plans.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is planning a $30 million Pitt/Steelers practice and rehabilitation facility on a former steel mill site, the LTV site, in Rauterkus' neighborhood. If the facility is not built, it could put the brakes on Pitt's proposed stadium demolition.

But Rauterkus is vehemently opposing the entire plan, saying the time constraints are limiting the number of avenues Pitt, UPMC and the city Urban Redevelopment Agency are willing ton consider. Rauterkus collected the signature necessary to ask City Council for the special public hearing, the begged the council to not permit the practice facility's construction.

"We need a swift, stern message from City Council to go out to Pitt, UPMC, and the URA and the other power that be," Rauterkus said. "Their plans possess fatal flaws. The outcomes come up short. The citizens demand more."

No Pitt or UPMC representative was at the hearing. City Council President Bob O'Connor assured Rauterkus that all groups involved could make their case to the council later and debate before the nine members vote on the side of th LTV land to UPMC."

Rauterkus contends the facility would slam the whole region with problems, not just the South Side.

First, he said, the site is too small. Eighty-yard indoor fields will be built, similar to the field at Pitt's Cost Center, when two years ago a Pitt football player broke his neck running into a wall.

Second, the timing is bad considering the delays Pittsburgh is about to endure during extensive road consturction around Downtown. Pittsburgh will be gridlock, Rauterkus said, and this construction can only add to the problems.

The project upsets South Side residents worried about taxes, noise, bright lights, crowds and traffic; it worries Pitt students who want to see Pitt sports headquartered on campus; and it conflicts with several NCAA rules about college and professional teams sharing space, he said.

Rauterkus and NCAA officials have hinted that violations can be avoided, but Rauterkus believes it can only come at a great price involving too many scheduling sacrifices on the student-athletes' part.

Jerry Dettory, a represntative of the URA, said the neighborhood residents will no longer need to worry that the nonprofit, tax-exempt UPMC won't have to pay taxes. The company has agreede to make payments as though it weren't tax-exempt.

Also, UPMC will offer $75,000 to the South Side Planning Forum to distribute as it sees fit among neighobhood projects.

The indoor facilities will be available to public groups, such as football camps and YMCA special events, and Pitt, UPMC and the Steelers often will be involved, Dettory said.

He added that while the plans may seem inadequate to some now, no definite blueprints have been drawn up.

"There is no final plan," he said. "It

The article ends in mid-statement. Not typo on the blog. The article will be put into its rightful date in a few days.

The 'blast from the past' re-looks at an issue that got my blood to a boil about politics. This was my first big brush with Bob O'Connor and those on city council. At the time, Michael Diven was on council too. Diven was a football player as well.

At the time, in the hearing, much was said beyond the snip of news coverage. I didn't stress problems with traffic and downtown being torn apart (Ft. Pitt Bridge, North Side Stadiums, Convention Center construction, no Hot Metal Bridge yet (nor pedestrian passings on the Hot Metal Bridge (still not completed).

The one suggestion as an alternative was to put a temporary practice facility on the site and then move the Steelers to a long-term home, along with Dr. Fu and UPMC in the top floors of parking garages on the North Side. Then the Steelers would have been able to stay, long term, at or near the North Side's stadium. Plus, the parking garages would have been put on a fast track.

Georgetown's football team in DC practices on a football field built on the roof of a parking garage.

Today, if the Steelers and UPMC Sports Medicine were on the North Side, the areas around the stadium would have already been developed. The Steelers and Pirates are WAY, WAY, WAY benind of thier promises to develop the land around the stadiums.

Today, we face the possibility of a casino going onto the North Side -- to the displeasure of the Rooneys and others. They should have taken a bigger footprint, be it vertical, in the area around the stadium for their prime uses -- football.

One of the other suggestions I put forth at that time called for a development effort of Hazelwood by the University of Pittsburgh. The new Peterson Event Center should have been built on Pitt's side of the river, around graduate student housing, along the river, behind Pitt's main campus. We'd be able to have a "River Campus" with a new basketball facility joined, perhaps, with a new hockey facility for the Penguins.

Bob O'Connor's eyes opened wide as we talked about these suggestions. He loved the idea. He said, "To bad these ideas didn't come up a few months earlier." His objection was the timing.

My reply was that Pitt Stadium has survived for 75 years. It could still make it another year. Pitt was okay with its practice facility needs. The Steelers needed a field. But, the Steelers already had Duquesne University and that bubble too.

The objections didn't wash.

Now as we still look at Hazelwood -- we see a squandered opportunity.

Now, as we still moan about equal opportunities for females -- we still have Pitt with a guys only state-of-the-art (but still not regulation sized) facility!

The trend..... they thought small. I wanted them to do better. What they put on the table wasn't good enough.

I went to the first football practice at the new facility. The coaches had put orange cones on the 10-yard line (outdoor) and ran around shouting -- "Ten 's the goal!" They played with the goal at the 10-yard line so as to make for more of a buffer past the endline.

Red Zone Hypnotics has been used to various stages of success with teams since then.

Public Hearing, called by Mark Rauterkus, City Council Chambers

The public hearing was held on April 7, 1999, in city council chambers. This was the first public hearing I called. I presented council members with a 'position paper' and had it in a 3-ring binder. It was more than 60 pages.

Calling Citizens - Public Hearing - Come to City Council Chambers on Wed. April 7, 2 pm

The Citizens fo Pittsburgh have put forth a petition to City Council for a public hearing concerning the sale of land by the URA to UPMC for a football compound at the LTV site. Your input, ideas and appearance in City Council chambers are welcomed. Council members do understand these happenings, yet nudging is needed. 

 Fatal flaws loom large within this planned development. 

 1. These 'state-of-the-art" fields -- to be locked, fenced, lighted, and closed for all times to community use -- are in the flood plain and are only 80-yards in length. 

 2. The NCAA won't allow college athletes to share the same facilities at the same time with professionals. Both the Steelers and the Panthers (football) won't be able to move into this facility. 

 3. Prior planning efforts called for "flex-office space" and a "diversity of jobs" -- not secluded football fields and not high-grade medical offices. 

4. The corporate welfare in the shadows of Plan B needs to end here and now. UPMC's plans don't fit and are not fair. 

We can do better with this space, and we demand it. City Council can move to curb Pitt's disregard for balance in our communities. City Council can put the URA on notice that the needs of citizens outshine corporate greed. Please fight against the pervasive "done-deal mentality" and help with calls, buzz and political presence. See a position paper: http://www.SportSurf.Net/backyard Send email to backyard@sportsurf.net Voice # 412- Okay to copy to others.

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This was the contents of a half-page handbill organized, published and delivered about by Mark Rauterkus.