Cycling season starts for us on Tuesday. Rain kept us away last week.

At the Bud Harris track, the cycle begins anew
By Jason Mackey , FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Thursday, April 21, 2011
 
Chris Popovic laughed while explaining the first cycling race of the year.
 
"Watching boys come back to the bike track is like watching girls show up to
the prom," said Popovic, president of the Allegheny Cycling Association --
the area's oldest and largest cycling club. "Everybody wants to see the new
bikes, the new kits, who's been training hard, who's gained a few pounds.
 
"But it's a good time because everybody gets back to what they love to do."
 
The boys -- and girls -- officially got back to the Bud Harris Cycling Track
on April 6, which marked the recurrence of one of Pittsburgh's greatest
cycling traditions: the weekly criterium races at the 12-year-old oval off
Washington Boulevard in Highland Park.
 
Whether young or old, cyclists gather in early April for 22 weeks of racing
at the half-mile oval, named after a key figure who lobbied the city to
convert the former driver testing center into a cycling venue.
 
The cycling association sponsors the races and uses them to promote bike
safety.
 
Each Tuesday there are races for women and juniors, along with a "C" class
race for both men and women. Wednesdays are the "A" and "B" classes -- more
advanced -- men's races. And, starting the first week of May, races expand
to Saturdays for new rider clinics, skills training and make-up dates.
 
While Pittsburgh-area cycling is hardly confined to this particular track,
located next to the Zone 5 police barracks, the Bud Harris Cycling Track
serves as a weekly gathering spot for cycling enthusiasts, a neighborhood
bar without the beer and nuts.
 
"Racing at the Bud Harris track has become the centerpiece of the Pittsburgh
racing community," said Mike Carroll, a local race promoter.
 
"A lot of people will go as far away as Oklahoma and South Carolina, but
having that weekly competition to work with your friends and get faster
really positions riders to do better at events on a national scale. They
challenge each other every week to train, and that extra bit of motivation
really helps."
 
*On the right track*
 
A night of racing costs $10 for adults, $5 for juniors, and all participants
must be licensed through USA Cycling. Rider without a license can buy one on
race night.
 
On a typical Tuesday after registration, the festivities begin with a short
instructional segment -- touching on safety, nutrition or bike maintenance
-- before riders take to the track for a few warm-up laps.
 
"Years ago, it was assumed that if you came down to race, you knew what you
were doing," Popovic said. "But it can be a very intimidating experience to
get out on a track, so we try to ensure the riders are educated."
 
Nathan Clair, a seventh-grader in the North Allegheny School District, has
been a regular at Bud Harris for the past three years and finished first in
the Junior Point Series last season.
 
The pack-style races have helped Clair improve on some technical aspects of
the sport.
 
"Whenever I'm at Bud Harris, it helps me because it's not a huge, important
state race," Clair said. "It helps me focus on drafting, keeping a steady
line instead of swerving and getting used to being in a close paceline."
 
Tyler Mower agrees. An eighth-grader in the Plum School District, Mower has
been racing since he was 12.
 
Recently, Mower added Wednesday night races -- a testament to his growing
level of talent and bike control -- to his weekly training regimen and will
travel to Augusta, Ga., for Junior Nationals this summer.
 
"The Bud Harris track got me used to the race environment," Mower said.
 
The city's most popular youth cycling club is one to which Clair belongs:
Team Citius. Formed last year by Fred Gohh, Citius members -- especially
those who aren't yet mature enough to ride with the adults -- use the weekly
races as a way to get accustomed to competition.
 
"This year, I have five or six kids who are 10, 11 or 12 years old," said
Gohh, whose group started with about 18 riders and now has 25. "They might
not be strong enough to ride with the adults, but you can see that they're
excited about going out."
 
A big part of cycling's growth here -- many high schools are incorporating
the sport into physical education classes -- has been the Bud Harris Cycling
Track.
 
According to Suzanne Atkinson, who owns her own cycling coaching company
called Steel City Endurance, it's something that makes Pittsburgh special.
 
"It's a unique venue for a city to have," said Atkinson, who also runs Club
Velo Femme, a women's cycling club. "In talking to friends around the
country, there are not a lot of places that have a dedicated biking oval
that's also traffic-free. It's really outstanding."
 
Read more: At the Bud Harris track, the cycle begins anew - Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_733214.html#ixzz1KA9HQKEy

From Marc Field, golf instructor at First Tee of Pgh, and Schenley's Golf Course

The First Tee program is one of the best things in Pittsburgh -- ever, anywhere. It rocks. And I hate golf. These guys are great. The program is first class. Everything there is splendid. If you are in the city and don't get your kid golfing there -- then shame on you. And, it goes year-round as they have indoor simulators as well.

Grant, 13, is a fine golfer now. Both Erik and I, not so much. So, if you ever want to play a round of golf, contact Grant (through me of course).

Feel invited.

The First Tee of Pittsburgh would like to invite you to join us for The First Tee of Pittsburgh Junior Golf Weekend, April 29 – May 1.  As part of our 10^th Anniversary Pittsburgh City Council, Allegheny County Council and the PA House of Representatives have all issued proclamations to help us officially celebrate.  The purpose of Junior Golf Weekend is to promote golf as a great activity for area youth and families while helping everyone learn our code of conduct  -  respect yourself, respect others, and respect your surroundings.

I hope you are able to join us at The Bob O’Connor Golf Course in Schenley Park for some of the great family activities we have planned:

Friday, April 29 from 4 – 7 PM is Family Golf Night.  We want to encourage all  families to spend time together so we are offering discounted foursomes with special family tees.  All golf equipment will be provided for free.

Saturday, April 30 from 9:30 – 10:30 AM The Greater Pittsburgh Golf Course Superintendents Association will present a free “Care of the Course” clinic.  This will be followed by a free golf instruction clinic hosted by World Golf Hall of Famer Carol Semple Thompson from 11:30 – 1:30.

Sunday, May 1 from 10:30 – 11:30 AM the West Penn Golf Association will present an interactive Rules Clinic for juniors.    From 12 – 2 PM The Tri State PGA will lead a free instructional clinic.

Both Saturday and Sunday will also include many free golf games and skill contests presented by our teen Junior Activity Board.   Junior Golf Weekend is our chance to show you how The First Tee of Pittsburgh promotes positive youth development through golf based on nine core values such as sportsmanship, honesty, courtesy, and respect.  Please join us.

      

       

Marc Field
The First Tee of Pittsburgh
5370 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
www.thefirstteepittsburgh.org
412-682-2403
412-682-2405 (fax)
 

Libertarian monthly meeting tonight at 7pm at Ritters

Why participate?

It is simply the right thing to do. When you see a great wrong occurring, you are complicit in that wrong if you sit back and do nothing. I would acknowledge that there are other ways of participating in politics besides the LP - other ways that may be more effective in promoting change, at least in the short run. However, I see the LP as the most clear and direct way to challenge the political establishment, and so in that sense it is it's own reward.

Wednesday meetings happen once a month. Open to all.

Video Interview -- from four years ago. Sports, technology, and vision

Fwd: Policy Brief: Education Employment Grows by Leaps and Bounds

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Allegheny Institute <aipp@alleghenyinstitute.org>
Date: Friday, April 15, 2011
Subject: Policy Brief: Education Employment Grows by Leaps and Bounds
To: Allegheny Institute <aipp@alleghenyinstitute.org>

Policy BriefAn electronic publication of The Allegheny Institute for
Public PolicyApril 15, 2011

                 Volume 11, Number 23  Education Employment Grows by
Leaps and Bounds School districts around the region and across the
Commonwealth are grappling with the realities of the coming fiscal
year and exploring methods of cost-savings and revenue enhancements.
In recent weeks the possibilities of furloughs, pay freezes, tax
increases, school closures, mergers, and student fees (either
separately or in combination) have been mentioned.  In a visit to
southwestern Pennsylvania last week the Governor said "We're going to
work with school districts and see what they can do…" He went on to
say that there might have to be some consolidations or mergers. This
came on the heels of his request to reopen labor contracts and
negotiate pay freezes. To date the Pennsylvania School Boards
Association has reported that 56 districts across the state have
negotiated a wage freeze with some or all of their employees
(teachers, administrators, or staff).

It is worth exploring what happened in the past decade in Pennsylvania
to assess the current situation. While school enrollment fell,
employee headcount in elementary and secondary education grew.
Employment outpaced the growth in population and local government
employment by a wide margin. The U.S. Census Survey of Local
Government Employment and Payroll provides data on nearly thirty
categories of local personnel, everything from police and fire to
water and sewerage. Elementary and secondary education employment is
the largest category in Pennsylvania, representing 60 percent of all
local full time equivalents (FTE) in 2009. It has two sub-categories
(instructional employees and other employees) that totaled 265,620
FTE. All other local government employment FTE in Pennsylvania
amounted to 176,404. From 2001 through 2009 the education category
grew 24 percent, from 214,968 to 265,620. That was eight times as fast
as local government employment excluding elementary and secondary
education, which grew only 3 percent. It also rose much faster than
the state's population (3%), and greatly exceeded the change in public
school enrollment, which actually decreased (-2% from 1.821 million to
1.780 million). Another way of looking at this is to examine
employment to population. In 2001, there were 175 education FTE per
10,000 people; by 2009, the rate was 211 per 10,000. On a per 100
student basis, the FTE rate grew from 11.8 to 14.9. Category20012009%
ChangeTotal Local Government FTE386,907442,02414%Elem/Sec
FTE214,968265,62024%Non Elem/Sec FTE171,939176,4043%State
Population12,281,05412,604,7673%Public School
Enrollment1,821,6071,780,413-2% At the same time, Pennsylvania's
performance on the SAT exam showed no improvement. The math score was
essentially unchanged while the reading score slipped slightly.
Clearly the enormous growth in education employment and spending is
the result of the belief that education will improve with more
resources. And just as clearly the data for the last decade proves
once again the fallacy of that belief.  The 2011-12 state budget
together with a proposal to begin a limited voucher program are likely
to dramatically alter the employment and spending trajectory in
elementary and secondary education in Pennsylvania. Eric Montarti,
Senior Policy Analyst
                                              Jake Haulk, Ph.D.,
President For updates and commentary on daily issues please visit our
blog at alleghenyinstitute.org/blog. If you have enjoyed reading this
Policy Brief and would like to send it to a friend, please feel free
to forward it to them.

--
--
Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Bruce Kraus raves about his trip to San Francisco. Worry reasons here.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/welcome-to-san-francisco-please-smile-for-your-police-scan.ars

Bruce Kraus raves about his trip to San Francisco. Worry reasons reside in ideas in this news.

Civic Arena: Petition and its easter is just around the bunny trail!

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Melissa McSwigan <melissamiller28@yahoo.com>

Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:35:54 -0700 (PDT)

To: <melissamiller28@yahoo.com>

Subject: Civic Arena: Petition

After the Sports and Exhibition Authority and Planning Commission voted to demolish the Arena this past summer/fall, Eloise McDonald of the Hill District nominated the Civic Arena for local historic designation. Preservation Pittsburgh and Reuse the Igloo co‑authored the nomination.   To date, the Historic Review Commission and Planning Commission have both rejected the nomination even though the Arena clearly meets several of the preservation ordinance criteria, only one of which needs to be met in order to qualify. Thus, the final decision on the nomination rests with City Council (vote could happen in May or June).   Demolishing the Civic Arena will have environmental, economic, and aesthetic impact, and once it's gone it can never be brought back. Why should we tear down this marvel of modernism only to build something ordinary on the site or, even worse, use the area for surface parking? We believe a re-purposed Arena as part of the Lower Hill redevelopment could be an exciting centerpiece and a renewed icon for Pittsburgh.  It could be a win-win situation for all parties –the Penguins, Hill residents, and the region at large.     Despite the odds, there are still reasons to be optimistic.   But we could really use your help by:   -Signing the following petition to government officials at the local, state, and federal level (including City Council): http://www.change.org/petitions/reuse-the-igloo-pittsburgh-civic-arena#opt_new=t&opt_fb=f     If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.     Best,   Melissa McSwigan Board Member, Preservation Pittsburgh     For further information, please visit: http://www.reusetheigloo.org/

Dave mixes sports and politics in a movie

Chuck Half wrote in an email that landed here:

Thank you for expressing your opposition today to a Special Exception being granted by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) for a social club with liquor license at 2214 E. Carson Street. Clearly, the will of South Side property owners, residents, businesses, and community organizations is to be granted a reasonable legal voice in zoning and permitting business options in the South Side. The ZBA will be making a decision based upon its very limited sphere of influence within 30-days.

Mayor Ravenstahl has supported this specific concern since March 2009 when he instructed the Law Department to defend any court action challenging the City’s 2007 Ordinance limiting the number of liquor licenses in a Pittsburgh Local Neighborhood Commercial (LNC) Zoning District. His agreement to support your wishes evolved from lessons learned during 15 meetings of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for the South Side (MACSS).



In mid-March 2011, PA’s Commonwealth Court upheld the decision by Allegheny County’s Court of Common Pleas reaffirming the unlawfulness of City of Pittsburgh’s “liquor saturation” ordinance. The ordinance was judged to be “an infringement upon the power of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). The Pennsylvania Liquor Code vests the PLCB with exclusive power to control and regulate the business of dispensing liquor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. By limiting the number of restaurants with bars in the area surrounding East Carson Street, Defendants [Planning Department and City Permitting Process] are impermissibly seeking to regulate the business of dispensing liquor in the areas so designated in the ordinance.”

Does the PLCB have too much power and impact in determining the balance of businesses in our South Side neighborhood? What do you want? Should the PA state government be operating wines and spirits stores in our neighborhoods? Should a robot kiosk be selling you wine in a grocery store? Should you be able to purchase beer, wine, and liquor in a single location? Should a South Side neighborhood improvement district (NID) be allowed to assess each restaurant with bar a fee based upon occupancy, or gross revenues, to pay for additional police protection, parking enforcement, and neighborhood cleanliness? Are any of these questions inter-connected?

Mayor Ravenstahl has requested, and the City’s Law department has agreed, to carry forth an argument of appeal of this anti-South Side decision to the PA Supreme Court. Until an appeal is officially filed by the City, however, any zoning applications and permits for restaurants with bars to the East Carson Street LNC can not be delayed. When the appeal is submitted, and until a PA Supreme Court determination is made, the liquor saturation ordinance will, again, be temporarily in effect. If the lawyer side of you is interested, go to http://www.pacourts.us/OpPosting/Cwealth/out/11CD10_3-18-11.pdf

Chuck Half

South Side Comminity Representative, and City Performance Manager - PittMAPS

Office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

512 City-County Building, 414 Grant Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

412.255.0819 -office

412.287.2650 - mobile

chuck.half@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

I did NOT go to the public hearing nor make comment about this issue.

What does the city do well?

One slide in Bill Peduto's presentation says, "Best Practice Review: City does some things well." Really. To speak the concept, even many times, does not make it true.

What, exactly, does the Pittsburgh city government do well? Why not list them in the presentation?

City government does not keep track of its finances well, at all.

City government spends too much, as shown by the pension liability. Perhaps the inverse could be made to be true in that the city is GREAT at over-spending on workers who don't work for the city any longer. The city is great at trading votes for political favors: political paving, jobs and patronage, firefighters contract details, etc.

The city had been really good at giving away TIFs and other tax breaks in super creative ways. Remember how clever they were with the hotel developers at Bakery Square and "air rights" so as to not use the ground floor of buildings to skirt union employees.

To be fair, I do think that the city does a fine job at trash collection.

Here is Bill's slide show:

City finance-update-4-12-11-5yr-planb

View more presentations from Mark Rauterkus.

Before you talk about Barry Bonds, read up about jury nullification

This is a great place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

Pgh Public Schools parent meeting April 28th

Hello Parents - Please join Superintendent Dr. Linda Lane for a discussion on the 2011/12 budget and beyond!  This truly affects every family…don’t miss this one – bring a friend!

EVENT:   Excellence For All Parent Steering Committee

DATE:     April 28, 2011

TIME:      Dinner to be served at 5:30p.m.

               Meeting runs from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

            *Childcare is available*

WHERE:  Barack Obama Academy of International Studies / Schenley

               129 Denniston Avenue  

   Pittsburgh PA 15206

TOPIC:    $$$ Budget $$$  Please join Superintendent, Dr. Linda Lane, CFO Mr. Pete Camarda, and Title program coordinator, Mrs. Tamiya Larkin, for an all things budget conversation including:

·         The governors proposed cuts in education spending

·         An overview of it’s impact on the District’s finances

·         A look at the overall district budget

·         Site-based budgeting process

·         Title 1 budgets and parent involvement set aside  

                

RSVP: IMPORTANT: Please e-mail Wanda Spencer at wspencer1@pghboe.net to let her know how many are attending, including children. 

                

The Excellence for All parent steering committee is about parents from every school receiving information and engaging in two-way conversations with the Superintendent and other staff members so they can become more effective in helping their student succeed.  This comes along with the burden of helping other parents become more involved so their children can benefit from their involvement.

We need your help in reaching out to parents in your school or other schools.  Please share information with them.  Please recruit other parents to become a part of this group as well.  Remember we are looking for 1 to 4 parents from each school.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, please remember to RSVP

Mark A. Conner

Director of Family and Community Engagement

Pittsburgh Public Schools

341 S. Bellefield Avenue, Ste 359

Pittsburgh, PA  15213

Phone:  (412) 622-3941    

E-mail:  mconner1@pghboe.net

parent hotline: (412) 622-7920

Sports Headline: Lucky to get zero. These guys got ripped!

I love the sports reporting abroad. Here is annalysis of a rugby game between my old home town of Christchurch / Canteberry Crusaiders of New Zealand and South Africa's Blue Bulls. The Bulls are defending champions from last season. Those Bulls didn't do so well, it seems.

I get a kick out of the tone of the reporting. (pun), all within a single article:

+ Lucky to get zero
+ No threat of All Star players. All teams have their best players get lifted for stints on national teams. That's a good thing, generally.
+ Guys throwing away their names.
+ thrashed
+ Darkest day
+ thrashed
+ pathetic performance
+ unable to catch, unable to tackle, unable to think
+ showed about as much heart as a French soldier during the opening weeks of the Second World War.
+ Players have completely lost the plot.
+ Simple ease of making mistakes.
+ Senior players can't point fingers after his own poor effort
+ Not showing enough courage and passion.
+ display a shocking inability to master the basic skills of the game.
+ we could not keep hold of the ball
* It’s nice to read about a new living room set or a snazzy garden from a player in family magazines, but to gain respect from fans, you should as least be able to catch a ball and wear your jersey with pride. This characteristic is absent among the current crop of players.
+ did not belong on the same field.
+ Best ever example of simply cannot perform worse.
+ half-hearted attempted tackles
+ it was one-way traffic.
+ one handling error after the other halted them from posing any real threat
+ harsh reality: urgent introspection from every member is surely required.

Full article:

Bulls lucky to get zero

Pretoria - The one positive the Blue Bulls Company should take from yesterday's woeful Bulls performance is that they probably won’t lose any players for the Currie Cup competition.

It is incredibly hard to envision them producing any Springboks for the World Cup if they keep on performing like they did against the Crusaders.

The Crusaders thrashed the (current) champions 27-0.

It is not often that you see guys throwing away their names in 80 minutes of rugby like we saw yesterday, which is probably the Bulls' darkest day in recent Super Rugby history.

You would have to go back to 2005, when they also scored zero points (against the Higlanders), to find a more pathetic performance like the one in Timaru yesterday.

The Bulls were unable to catch, unable to tackle, unable to think, and showed about as much heart as a French soldier during the opening weeks of the Second World War.

Yes, they were lucky to get zero.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke simply cannot continue ignoring the reality of the performance from some of his players.

Pierre Spies, Wynand Olivier and Fourie du Preez, to name a few, have completely lost the plot.

And, if they want to have any chance whatsoever against the Reds next week, Ludeke has to make some drastic changes.

Every player makes mistakes, but the simple ease with which players like Spies and Olivier knocks the ball on, is simply unacceptable.

A clearly frustrated Victor Matfield admitted that those mistakes are unacceptable, but he could hardly point any fingers after his own poor effort.

Chris Jack taught him a lesson at lineout time, and his own handling error just after halftime resulted in the second Crusaders try at a crucial juncture in the match.

But, this is their problem. The senior players are not showing enough courage and passion and display a shocking inability to master the basic skills of the game.

"Not once could we build phases, simply because we could not keep hold of the ball," Matfield complained afterwards.

It’s nice to read about a new living room set or a snazzy garden from a Bulls player in family magazines, but to gain respect from rugby fans, you should as least be able to catch a rugby ball and wear your jersey with pride.

Unfortunately, this characteristic is absent among the current crop of Bulls.

However, one should not take away anything from the Crusaders, who currently play top-notch rugby, even without the likes of Dan Carter and Ritchie McCaw.

Sonny Bill Williams is the all beast he’s been made out to be, and the disregard he showed for the Bulls defence to score his team’s first try, shows exactly just how much better he is than the Bulls centre pairing.

The Crusaders completely dominated their opponents in every aspect of the game.

The Bulls simply did not belong on the same field.

If there’s ever been an example of one team giving it as good as they’ve got, and one who simply cannot perform worse, then yesterday’s match was just that.

Williams’ try, after he easily broke through half-hearted attempted tackles by Morne Steyn and Wynand Olivier, and three penalties from flyhalf Matt Berquist, gave the Crusaders a handy, though not unassailable lead at halftime.

Matfield’s blunder though, resulted in a try by Israel Dagg, and after that it was one-way traffic.

The Bulls tried to get momentum, with guys like Zane Kirchner, Francois Hougaard and Dean Greyling giving their best, but one handling error after the other halted them from posing any real threat to the Crusaders line.

The Bulls only chance for points came in the first half, when Morne Steyn missed a penalty.

This is the harsh reality for a team, where urgent introspection from every member is surely required.

And Bruce Kraus thought I gave him a hard time. Ha.

Meet the four Dem Party candidates for nomination for Pittsburgh City Council, District 3. March Debate Videos

From my camera to your brain, thanks to the efforts of the South Side Community Council and the Brashear Assocation, from March 2011.

Each of the 12 parts has the replies from the four candidates, with one miss due to a different camera angle need. The order is mixed among the four with each question.

My opinions are being curbed in this blog post.

Hint: The Viddler video server software is especially valuable as mini-notes can be put into the video along the timeline button. But, to leave a note, you'll need to use a Viddler account and log in.

Part 1: Opening statements:



Part 2: Two problems, quality of life, and realistic solutions:



Part 3: Proposed Neighborhood Improvement District, NID:



Part 4: Saturation of bars on the South Side and the failed attempt to restrict them:



Part 5: Cooperation and relationship with the mayor's office:



Part 6: Cooperation with East Carson Street Business Owners:



Part 7: Best asset of the South Side and its protection:



Part 8: South Side Slopes and Flats distinctions:



Part 9: Parks plans:



Part 10: Bad boy city employees:



Part 11: Keeping tax incomes in the South Side:



Part 12 and conclusion:

Your comments are welcome as part of this blog posting, or at Viddler.com, or best of all, within the timeline of the videos. Click the bead that scrolls along the horizontal timeline and insert your tidbits. Then those remarks show up for others to see as they watch.

Feel free to email this URL to others to have them check out the videos on the Pittsburgh group at Viddler: http://www.viddler.com/groups/pittsburgh .

The direct link to this blog posting is: http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-four-dem-party-candidates-for.html  .

Kites for KidsVoice

I'd love it if you and/or your spouse/significant other might come to the KidsVoice gala, Kitetails and Cocktails, on Thursday, April 28th at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.  Your fellow POP, Randy Tracht, is on the host committee, along with his wife Annie. It promises to be a fun night out with plenty of good food and libations, live music from Tres Lads, and some sweet auction items from sports memorabilia to meals and whiskey tastings to a week's stay in Barbados or at Siesta Key.  There's even the chance to have your kid help coach the Steelers players charity basketball team this Spring.  Kitetails and Cocktails tix are $100.

 

The second part of our April events (in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month) is Kites For Kids, a community event at the zoo on Saturday, April 30th from 11am-3pm. There will be kite themed goings on, and the awarding of a $5,000 educational scholarship to the winner of the American Eagle sponsored kite decorating and design contest for children ages 5-21.  Entries can be dropped off at the Southside American Eagle store.  Other than the usual zoo admission (and many of you have memberships), there's no cost to participate in Kites For Kids.  So please bring your families out to show that you support and believe in the 4,000 abused and neglected children KidsVoice represents in Allegheny County each year.  Many of our clients will be there anonymously to experience that.  Thanks. 

 

There's an electronic version of the Kitetails and Cocktails invite below for your consideration -- and to pass along to others if you're so inclined.  If you're company is interested in possibly being a sponsor for the events, or if you'd like more info about the scholarship contest or events, visit www.kidsvoice.org.

We've been watching the TV series, "The Event."

This is a 25 minute video. It has nothing to do with "The Event." But -- you can connect the dots.

Nice music too if you are into that New Age swing.

Not in Boston -- home of the ZERO win Red Sox.

National Conference for Media Reform is live! More than 2,500 people are in Boston through Sunday to attend panels, plenaries, parties and more. 
Head over to our conference site to watch live video and join online chats throughout the weekend (more details below).

Heather Heidelbaugh's invite for a fundraiser with US Senator, Pat Toomey

Have a good time!

Heidelbaugh Fundraiser with Special Guest Pat Toomey

Heather Heidelbaugh Attorney at Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir, P.C.

Date: April 7, 2011

Dear Friend: You are invited to my Friday, April 29, 2011 Fundraiser Lunch with Special Guest United States Senator Pat Toomey. The luncheon is from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. at The Duquesne Club and the contribution is $300 per person. The Election for County Council at Large is May 17, 2011 and therefore this Fundraiser is the culmination of one (1) year of campaigning and raising money for the Election. It would be my honor if you would attend the fundraiser. The campaign has assembled one of the best Host Committees I have ever seen to sell tickets to the event. In addition, we are sending out hard copy invitations. You are receiving this electronic invite for a couple of reasons: a.) you are my friend and I’m hoping you won’t mind receiving an invitation in this manner, b.) an electronic invitation saves the campaign precious dollars to be used for literature to the voters. If you can attend this event, please reply in an email and I will send you the formal invitation and an RSVP card.

If you have an email database, and can send this email to your friends, I would be forever grateful! Hope to see you on the 29th.

Also, the campaign had a really good day on Tuesday! We received the endorsement of Jim Roddey, Chair of the Allegheny County Republican Party.

Thank you so much for your support.

Heather Heidelbaugh

Sports are For the Betterment of the human condition

This is an important time and an important story. I've posted before that football, as we know it, is on the downward slope. Its peak has been realized. A long march to the fringes has begun.

Former high school football player sues Highlands School District over head injuries

Friday, April 08, 2011, By Vivian Nereim, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A former high school football player who still struggles with symptoms of brain trauma sued the Highlands School District Thursday in U.S. District Court, alleging that his coach and trainer improperly sent him back into games after violent, damaging collisions.

Zachary Alt, 19, of Fawn, also claims in the lawsuit that school administrators shuffled him through classes after a particularly severe head injury, allowing him to graduate though he was barely able to do schoolwork.

"It has been a nightmare, to say the least," said his mother, Megan Alt, at a news conference Thursday. "It has changed my whole family."

In a written statement, school district officials declined to comment, saying they had not yet reviewed the lawsuit.

"When the lawsuit is presented, the district solicitor, Mr. Ira Weiss, will respond through the court system," said spokeswoman Misty Chybrzynski.

The issue of young football players sustaining head injuries -- particularly concussions -- has gained traction across the state recently, spurring legislative bills and awareness campaigns.

At least two Western Pennsylvania boys have received fatal concussions during high school football practices during the last six years.

Mr. Alt's head injuries were life-altering, his mother said. Since a helmet-to-helmet collision with a linebacker in 2007, the young man has experienced hot flashes, depression, insomnia, nausea, dry heaves and vomiting, she said.

"I don't want to stop football..." Ms. Alt said. "But I do want to stop this from happening to other kids. He's never going to be the same again."

Mr. Alt sat silently through the news conference, his face somber. His lawyer, Robert Peirce III, said the young man's mother would speak on his behalf.

Ms. Alt said her son began playing football at age 8, and later joined the varsity team at Highlands High School, often playing fullback despite his smaller size.

"He really was known as being tough as nails..." Mr. Peirce said. "He was proud that he was able to do it."

The injuries the lawsuit details stem from the fall 2007 season, when Mr. Alt was a 15-year-old sophomore.

According to the legal complaint, he sustained a serious hit to the head during an Oct. 12 game, but continued to play. He was not evaluated by staff, his lawyer claimed. The same thing happened Nov. 2, according to the complaint.

Then, Nov. 9, during a playoff game against Knoch High School, Mr. Alt collided with another player helmet-to-helmet.

"Clearly disoriented," Mr. Alt jogged off laboriously, then began to "aimlessly" walk on the sidelines, the complaint alleges.

Mr. Alt was not removed from the game, despite teammates' worries, according to the complaint. Instead, he was instructed to go after the opposing team's middle linebacker, the complaint claims.

"He went to make the block, went as hard as he could, and that's the last thing he remembers," Mr. Peirce said.

After the game, Ms. Alt took her son to the emergency room at the Alle-Kiski Medical Center, where staff diagnosed a substantial head injury, according to the complaint.

Throughout the year, the boy's schoolwork and attendance declined, his mother said. But despite missing much of the spring semester, he received nearly straight A's that year, the complaint claims. He eventually graduated.

Mr. Alt's lawsuit also names the school's principal, assistant principal, football coach athletic trainer as defendants.

The suit was filed federally because Mr. Alt's lawyers believe the school's actions violated his constitutional right to an education, they said. The complaint seeks damages in excess of $75,000, the standard for federal court.

"He is unable to work an eight-hour day." Mr. Peirce said of his client.

"He tries to work," Mr. Peirce added. "His mother is an operator with a local cleaning business. He tries to clean when he can. Other times he will clean a local office building and will have to lie down after an hour."

Ms. Alt's younger son, a student in the same district, has since asked to play football, she said. She refused.

Vivian Nereim: vnereim@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1413. Staff writer Malak Shaher contributed.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11098/1137891-455.stm#ixzz1Ivj6FPCN

Zachary, I hope you have a good day today, and every day. I expect that that wish is not possible, but your care and health are a worry.

Most of all, I wish that Z and his family do not suffer any other pains and harm that stems from anything else in the community about this 'whistleblower' acts that are now stepping forward in the courts. The court case is going to take a life of its own and it might be a monumental or else trivial set of events. I'd hate to see more hardships heaped upon the situation from any party from coaches, trainers, medical folks, peers, district, community and media. The politics might make this football a hard one to handle. Many will try to get this to go away and 'drop the case.'

Marty Griffin of KDKA radio had a show segment devoted to this case yesterday. I posted a reply to his question, "Would you let your son play football?" Marty has a gimpy knee due to his 'playing days' at Central Catholic. He is reminded of that often. My two sons won't play football. Perhaps when they are in college and out from under my roof, that might be an option. But not before then, I'm certain.

Football is the worst. But soccer, with the plays of the ball off of the head, is also very bad. If that element of the game could be removed from soccer, then they might be permitted to play that sport.

I am not ready to launch a crusade against football, just yet. But, it is something to keep under consideration. Too much good comes from the sports experience to remove it fully as an option. Who am I to say that others can't do this or that -- like play football. I won't lead that charge. I'm too much of a libertarian to think I know what's best for others. If there are others that want to play, coach and watch football, and I'm a big fan at times, then so be it.

I don't have any need to see the sport expand, however. I was sad when Robert Morris and Duquesne University put football into their athletic departments. As they put 80 or so guys into football pads, they take the spots that other Olympic sports players could have. The Title IX reality means football is bad news. Since DU offered football, it was able to cut baseball, wrestling and men's swimming. That's 'wrongheaded.'

Remember boxing? These days you need to be someone like Wayne Fontana, D, to support it. One day football will be as popular as boxing is today. And sadly, there won't be heros in this struggle.

In sports, you win by addition. If any victory can occur, in this long trend, it will come with water polo, cycling, ultimate (Frisbee), golf, lifesaving, kayaking, and the grad-daddy of them all, rugby 7s. Toss in eco races as well.

They don't play American Football, or "gridiron" in Australia and New Zealand, for example. It isn't missed. It is played in some instances, but it is a minor sport. That's fine. That might be its destiny here too, even in western Pennsylvania.

I have no problem with a high school not offering football, as is the case at Vincentian High School.

Schenley High School, set to close as part of Pittsburgh Public Schools, as well as Peabody High School, had football teams. Now that those schools are closing, they won't have football teams come 2011, of course. New to the scene will be a football team at U-Prep. (U-Prep is part of PPS and is to have grades 6-12.) There won't be a team at Pgh Obama, 6-12. But those students, as well as the ones at Sci-Tech will play with the U-Prep football team.

With the low number of boys slated for Pittsburgh Westinghouse, I expect it will be nearly impossible to field a team there in the fall of 2011. Time will tell.

Langley football is a stretch too. There are so few kids at some of the schools.

I suggest we consider making a couple of "Football Factories." Put all the players into a couple of schools and then let the other schools pass on football. If you want to go to a school and play football, enroll at one of the few schools that offer the sport.

Fw: Legal Notice from U.S. District Court: EA Sports Class Action

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---

From: "EA Sports Litigation" <ClassActionNotice@EASportslitigation.com>

Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:54:03 -0600

To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

Subject: Legal Notice from U.S. District Court: EA Sports Class Action

To view this email as a web page, click here.

GEOFFREY PECOVER and ANDREW OWENS v. ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal. - Oakland Div.)
Case No. 08-cv-02820 CW

If You Purchased Certain Electronic Arts Brand Football Video Games
Between January 1, 2005 to the Present
You May Be a Class Member.

Membership as a class member in the Electronic Arts Litigation is the result of a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Oakland Division (Case No. 08-cv-02820 CW).

What Is This Class Action About?

The class action lawsuit alleges violations of California's antitrust and consumer protection laws in connection with the sale of certain football video games. Plaintiffs, purchasers of Electronic Arts' football video games, claim that Defendant Electronic Arts entered into a series of exclusive licenses with the National Football League (NFL), National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA), National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and Arena Football League (AFL), which Plaintiffs claim foreclosed competition in an alleged football video game market. Plaintiffs allege that this series of exclusive licenses caused customers who purchased certain football video games to be overcharged.

Defendant Electronic Arts has denied any liability and all allegations of misconduct. The Court has not decided whether the Defendants did anything wrong, and this Notice is not an expression of any opinion by the Court about the merits of any of the claims or defenses asserted by any party to this litigation.

Who Are Class Members?

The Class includes all persons who, during the period January 1, 2005 to the present, purchased the Madden NFL, NCAA Football, or Arena Football League brand video games published by Electronic Arts with a release date of January 1, 2005 to the present. Excluded from the class are purchasers of software for mobile devices, persons purchasing directly from Electronic Arts, persons purchasing used copies of the relevant football video games, and Electronic Arts' employees, officers, directors, legal representatives, and wholly or partly owned subsidiaries or affiliated companies.

What Should I Do? (Getting Further Information)

If you believe that you may be a class member (see above "Who Are Class Members"), you should get more detailed information about the class action and its potential effect on you and your rights. Further information can be obtained by going to the following website: www.easportslitigation.com. Additional information about the lawsuit may be obtained from Plaintiffs' Counsel website at www.hbsslaw.com, or by calling Plaintiffs' Counsel at 1-206-623-7292.

To Remain a Class Member

If you are a class member and you do nothing, you will be bound by the court's rulings in the lawsuit, including any final Settlement or Judgment.

To Exclude Yourself from the Class (Deadline to Request Exclusion: June 25, 2011)

If you are a class member and you want to exclude yourself from the class and keep your right to sue Defendant, you must take further action before June 25, 2011. By that date, you must request exclusion in writing to this address:

Electronic Arts Litigation Exclusion
P.O. Box 8090
San Rafael CA 94912-8090

Or submit a request for exclusion electronically at the following website: www.easportslitigation.com

For further information about excluding yourself from the class go to the following website:
www.easportslitigation.com

Please do not telephone or address inquiries to the Court.
April 6, 2011. By Order of the U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal. - Oakland Div.).

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Controller: City has $13M for projects

Folly. Folly times three. Pittsburgh has folly in a tiny size, folly in a medium size and folly in a massive size. The problems of the three bears and Goldilocks is nothing next to our woes. The ebb and flow, the diversity, the maddness. STOP THE MADNESS. WHERE's MARTY GRIFFIN?

Controller: City has $13M for projects

Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb on Tuesday estimated that the city has about $13 million for capital projects this year, a figure that puts him between a mayor who claims the city has nothing and council members who contend it has about $25 million.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11096/1137267-53.stm#ixzz1Ik0Xux9T

Go figure Scorecard:
* City Council = $25 Million
* City Controller = $13 Million
* City Administration / Mayor = $0

* Citizens = Duhhhh..... 

* OVERLORDS ICA = ______
* OVERLORDS 2 = _______


* Citizens = Duhhh ..... squared.



So, these folks with office on Grant Street, and this time the talk is only about the elected ones, not those that were appointed as OVERLORDS, can't agree on addition and subtraction. This is not rocket surgery. They are off by tens of millions of dollars with three different voices. These problems happen when smoke and mirrors is part of their tool bag, cause "If I had a hammer," was confiscated by the OVERLORDS.

This smells. Pittsburgh's typical confidence comes into question. So, people who are free to invest their assets into a place don't want to be in the choke hold of those who can't even agree upon an understanding of the value of money.

Tue pow wow

Candidates Night Come meet the candidates for local elections at the Next SSSNA meeting on Tuesday April 12th.  We have invited candidates for City Council, County Executive, and County Controller. The meeting starts at 7:00 at St Paul of the Cross Retreat Center Main Lounge, 148 Monastery Avenue.  Email info@southsideslopes for more information.
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Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers)

Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers) (Pittsburgh, PA) - Meetup: "Come paddling with us!"

Hello Kayakers,

Spring is here, and it's time to get the group moving again! Here's some news about what's going on with the group and the site.

First, please take a few minutes to update your profiles. Go to the site, mouse over to the "Members" button, click on "My profile", and then click on "edit group profile". If you haven't already, upload a profile picture and type an introduction. Then please answer these four new profile questions (the old questions have been removed):

1. What kind of kayak(s) do you have, if any? Feel free to answer generally (recreational, touring, sea kayak, etc.) or specifically (color, length, make, model)
2. Where are your favorite places to paddle?
3. What kind of trips are you most interested in? (Easy, relaxed, fitness-paced, adventurous, social, urban, challenging, overnight camping, ??)
4. What other outdoor activities do you enjoy?

You can also update your communication settings, by specifying what types of emails you would or wouldn't like to receive from Meetup.

Second, please consider taking a kayaking class or two this year - some of Venture Outdoors' and Exkursion's classes will be posted on the group's calendar. These classes are fun, and they'll make you a better & safer paddler. The Venture Outdoor "Intro to Kayaking" class this Sunday indoors, so you can get in some nice warm. They teach basic paddling & rescue skills, including what to do if you capsize (yes, you're going to get wet!) The Exkursion classes start in a month and are all outdoors, taught by their friendly expert instructors (ACA-certified). They have a wide range of classes, from their Level 1 beginner class (a "dry" class, everybody stays on top) to advanced paddling, rescue skills, rolling, and coastal kayaking. Exkursion also sponsors our group in return for us promoting their classes. We therefore don't have to charge for Meetup group membership or ask for donations, so when you take an Exkursion class, you're helping the group too!

Third, the group is looking for new trip leaders. If you love to kayak, if you're an instigator, a planner, a teacher, if you like to share your favorite places to paddle with others...there's plenty of reasons why trip leading can be very rewarding. Our biggest demand is for beginner-friendly trips, so you don't have to be a hard core paddler to be a leader. The leader's responsibilities are to post an accurate description of an event (meeting place & starting time, driving directions, distance or time you'll be paddling, difficulty level, etc.), answer posted and emailed questions, show up prepared and on time for your event, do your best to keep everyone safe (the wearing of PFD's is always mandatory), and to have fun! If you'd like to give it a try, please send me an email and let me know.

Welcome to all of our new members. It's great to see this group growing larger, along with the entire Western PA human-powered community - hikers, cyclists, runners, skiers, backpackers.... Hope you all have some great outdoor adventures this year!

Mike

I've got a canoe. Can you canoe? I'd love to spend more time in the river this summer with open water swims. It is nice to have boaters with the swimmers.

Women Ski Jumpers get into the Olympics

------Original Message------
From: SI com Alerts
To: mark@rauterkus.com
ReplyTo: cnnalerts@cnn.com
Subject: 2004 Athens Summer Games News
Sent: Apr 4, 2011 1:05 PM



Alert Name: 2004 Athens Summer Games News

IOC set to approve women's ski jumping for Sochi
04/04/11 10:51 AM, EDT
LONDON (AP) After a five-year wait and an unsuccessful legal battle to get into the 2010 Vancouver Games, women's ski jumping is set to take its place on the Olympic program this week.
Read the full story at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/04/04/womens.ski.jumping.sochi.ap/index.html

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Sad Day for Pittsburgh: Obituary: Nate Smith / Leader who got blacks, women in unions

If you have not seen the Nate Smith video / movie, then you must promise yourself that you will do that soon. It is a classic Pittsburgh story that all should know and be reminded of. It was done by folks at RMU.

Obituary: Nate Smith / Leader who got blacks, women in unions

Wecht Spins Yarns With The Best Of Them On The South Side

In what was once considered “a past life,” I interviewed every important political and leader in Pittsburgh and sometimes Western Pennsylvania. On a few occasions they were even bigger. I interviewed then-Governor Tom Ridge on a golf course during an Arnold Palmer charity event. I was on the tarmac with then-President Bill Clinton.

Once upon a time I interviewed almost everyone of consequence in this region (Mario Lemieux and Fred Rogers notwithstanding) and maintained a fairly decent Rolodex. No list of contacts would be complete in Pittsburgh without Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, one-time Coroner, one-time Medical Examiner, one-time County Commissioner, frequent Democratic Committee kingpin, all-the-time lawyer and omnipresent roustabout.

I've admired brilliant people more than anyone, even more than the less-than-frequent cute girl who would find herself talking to me. I've been fortunate enough to talk with Dr. Wecht lots of times. During a conversation about a dozen years ago he complimented me on knowing a lot about his favorite subject: himself.

I've known about Dr. Wecht since the 1970's or 1980's when he was called in to investigate the deaths of (if I remember correctly) mummified babies a bizarre Gallitzen woman had in her attic at the time. Back then that was a story that garnered only local attention. Today it would be an international controversy.

Before that he was a dissenter of the “Magic Bullet” theory in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He's conducted more than 17,000 autopsies, theorized on countless others, and has been called in for almost every high-profile case there's been for more than 40 years.

It was his word I took when we heard that the jury came back with the O.J. Simpson decision. He was spot on with his conclusion.

In recent years he was targeted for wrongdoing by Mary Beth Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney under the G.W. Bush administration, who happens to be both a fellow California University of Pennsylvania alumnus and Republican. That's where most of our similarities end. I'm a part-time dink, while she's universally revered as a full-timer.

Anyhoo, Wecht was the guest of Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist, at Norman's monthly “Versus” confab. The “debate” is mostly a liberal love-fest (this was Norman's second go-'round, the first being with South Side City Councilman Bruce Kraus), but with Wecht in attendance, the discussion turned more CSI than politics.

Wecht, who recently turned 80 but looks 20 years younger, jumped into action when Norman asked if his JFK assassination theory was hogwash. Wecht effortlessly grabbed a couple from the audience, moved their chairs and in-detail re-enacted the “Magic Bullet” theory better than Jerry dissected the “Magic Loogie” on “Seinfeld.” Wecht's mind remains flawless, and humor almost vaudevillian. The audience of about 80 was enthralled.

Wecht's theories are plentiful. He says that Elvis died of a toxic drug overdose and not from heart disease, O.J. did it, but not by himself, and most remarkably (at least to me) one of Robert Kennedy's bodyguards, Thane Eugene Cesar, accidentally shot the Presidential candidate, and not only Sirhan Bishara Sirhan. He opined that Jon Benet Ramsey's partners were involved in her still-mysterious murder, and motivational speaker Jeffrey Locker rigged his own suicide to look like murder in Harlem (a New York court found a man guilty of the murder in the case nevertheless)..

Norman served as a good host and the hour flew by more quickly than expected. Wecht is no wall flower. He said that the plethora of CSI shows are unrealistic in one distinction fashion: forensic pathology and detective work are two different careers and are not intertwined. That goes along well with the critics who used to say that Jack Klugman's “Quincy” was more nosey than authoritative.

Both Norman and the crowd were disappointed that they didn't touch much of politics. Wecht did blast multi-millionaires (of which he is one many times over) for taking all the money from poor people. He also complained that Marcellus Shale businessmen were raking in big bucks while new Governor Tom Corbett was slashing educational dollars from the budget. It was an extremely easy crowd to excite with such rhetoric. Reminder: Marcellus Shale money goes into job creation, for one. The cash isn't stockpiled in a room somewhere that no one will ever be able to access. The mill jobs aren't coming back to the South Side. There's a Cheesecake Factory there now.

At the conclusion of the night, both Norman and Wecht joked that no Republicans would be in the house. Meanwhile, one sat six feet away. I re-introduced myself to Norman afterward, in front of a couple of typical blue-collar yinzer Democrats who threatened to “string (me) up” upon overhearing my conversation. I retorted that it's always good to hear a tolerant Democrat, and they left, quietly.

Wecht was gone, halfway back to his Squirrel Hill abode. It was good to be back in a room with Wecht.

It was just like old times.

Afterwards, I had a chance to catch up with Mark Rauterkus, one of the most innovative minds I've met in this lil burgh. It's always good to catch up with anyone who thinks creatively and "out of the box."

Those are not ghosts at Bakery Square's hotel, they are ground floor union workers

But the URA needs to know that the joke is on us.

Bakery Square Haunted?

Bakery Square, the transformation of the former Nabisco Bakery plant in Larimer, has received much national attention for its LEED Platinum achievement, and is now making national headlines again.

Guests at the Spring Hill Suites Marriott have been complimenting the hotel manager on the touch of home provided by the smell of fresh baked cookies and cookie turndown service.

“The hotel is really beautiful, and the smell of fresh baked cookies reminds me of my grandmother’s house,” said hotel guest, May Smith. “Boy could I go for one of her chocolate chips now.”

Other guests are confused by the tiny flour footprints found in the hallway, saying it looks as if a group of ghost elves have been up to some nighttime mischief.

“Look, I love cookies and all, but I don’t want some group of ghost elf bandits breaking into my room and stealing my underwear,” said hotel guest, Sherman Oaks.

Hotel Manager Kee Blur says he’s not sure what the guests are talking about. “I have never instructed my employees to leave out cookies, nor have I seen these supposed footprints. Although I have been getting anonymous complaints that our tredmills and other workout equipment isn’t pixie friendly. Whatever that means.”

Concerned for the safety of the guests, developer Walnut Capital has taken action and contacted the guys from Ghost Adventures, suggesting they investigate the situation.

Yeah, April Fools.

But, the development deal from Bakery Square allowed the 'air rights' to the site to be without the need for union workers. So, the ground floor sits vacant with big posters on the windows. That's what doesn't smell right.

Google Motion: I'm hooked

Overview:




As a coach, this makes sense: