Capital Tweets

Stadium renovation plans approved in Montour

Stadium renovation plans approved in Montour: "The plan creates a main entrance by the gymnasium/pool building and a fine arts entrance on the back of the building, near the cafeteria and auditorium. The 9th- and 10th-grade gym will become the main one for competitions, with an entrance of its own."

In the WPIAL, the schools have separate gyms in high schools for 9th and 10th graders. In the city, we've got schools with one gym for those in 6th to 12th grades. So, Jr. High, JV and Varsity -- with both boys and girls teams -- all striving for time on the same space.

Pittsburgh's own world changer, Jessica Flannery, gives address at CMU this week.

Jessica Flannery co-founded Kiva.org. Grew up in Penn Hills. Went to Beulah Church as a child and came to have a first view of poor people there. Her high school days were at North Allegheny. Undergrad as a Bison at Bucknell. Recently, hangs with Bill Clinton, basket-makers, Oprah and other idealists using small investments to create entrepreneurs the world over.



No, that's not basketball! But she is a yoga instructor and surfer too!

Next, I gotta dig for that link to Kiva TV and the poll with Time Magazine for clicks to her as she is ranked as one of the top 100 women of influence this year. Plus, there were some nice interactions from the audience.

Feel free to embed the video into your own blogs and elsewhere. It is in the public domain. Ask if you want the large media files. This segment is 45-minutes.

Jessica and her parents:

Jessica with Erik Rauterkus, 14, 8th grader at Pittsburgh Frick. Erik cut some school and road his bike to hear the guest speaker. Erik has worked to raise money locally for Kiva.org efforts in a few different ways. As a student council member, the profits from a school dance are being put into a Kiva.org loans.

As a mmember of this year's Coming of Age Class at Sunnyhill.org, a service project with a designated offering raised more than $1,000 for Kiva.org too.

License update vote - Wikimedia Elections

Wiki news and democracy.

License update vote - Wikimedia Elections: "The Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation invites the Wikimedia community to vote on this proposal to license Wikimedia material so it is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license (CC-BY-SA), while retaining dual licensing with the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL).

NYRA of Southeast Florida - Home

NYRA of Southeast Florida - Home We are the National Youth Rights Association of Southeast Florida, Inc., a youth-led organization committed to defending the civil and human rights of young people in the United States through educating people about youth rights, working with public officials and empowering young people to work on their own behalf. We believe certain basic rights are intrinsic parts of American citizenship and transcend age or status limits. We are a group of students, neighbors, and friends who want to attain for the youth of America the rights that they deserve.

Can't wait for summer!

Love this photo.

From phillips-swim

Dive on in. This is the start of a swim race at the city's Elementary School Championship Meet. Billy, here in the photo, is in 4th grade. He can walk on water as he is a splendid dancer.

Visit Diversity in Aquatics

Curfew Center

Pittsburgh delays action on proposed curfew center: "Pittsburgh delays action on proposed curfew center"

What is the cost-benefit break down of a curfew center in Pittsburgh?

Cost $500,000 for the first year. Picked up only a few kids in the past.

Look at city streets and see kids 10, 11, 12 at 11, 12, 1 and 2 AM. It is part of a deeper problem in their lives. Not criminalize. Goal of police is to address needs.

Say what?

Where is the packet of information?

RFP, 3RY, Arrests #, victimization, age groups, time spans of day, etc.

Learned about previous mistakes. Changed type of facility. Looks like a residential home, not a jail. Changes in policy and warnings. ??

Want to implement curfew ordinance but can't without the curfew center.

Proposal concentrates on other things in the day. Police are going beyond with a drop-in center, outreach, counseling.

Identify kids that need intervention! OMG.

What happens in year 2? (Kraus question about renewal of contract.)

$500K is a lot of money. Will review statistics. Enforcement. Placements happens. That 3RY does track the kids. What? They won't wait for young people to come in -- I guess they'll go out and nab and nag the youth.

Accountability model has 5 point system to measure affects. Permanency. Number of families. How to value. Looking to increase level of social functioning. Deterred from making at risk decisions. Education another metric. Not engaged in education when out of school. Follow-up 30, 60, 90 days. Concern of safety and life skills. Linking them.

Additional info is a resource index by type, just delivered today.

Have a continumem of services. Run a drop in and homeless center in Strip District. Yadda, yadda about all the other good things they do -- but way beyond the curfew center. You have to go to where they congregate. Not to be a night facility only. Intend to be a broad program.

It will be a program we will all be proud of.

Age group we are targeting is 16 and under, I think.

None from the mayor's office is at the discussion for this major policy discussion. Sheilds want to get to the thinking behind the program. Wants to know about the research of effectiveness and data. The police were asked to prepare the RFP, not a body of work. Others are higher up -- make the decision.

Curfew centers are not wise, IMHO.

Reduce crime and victimization. Address the needs of the kids. Get them in touch with the contacts that they need.

Nothing on gang suppression.

Shields: Curfews are popular. Sound wonderful. Public expectation is not

Numbers of 46 in 1996. Lesser in 97.

A public education opportunity. Accomplished by the outreach efforts. A different level of engagement.

Shields says you don't need a curfew nor curfew center to intervene. Curfew center is 16 and under. So, getting that age group needs to happen in the wee hours of the day??? Golly.

Every paper Doug Sheilds looks at does not support the curfew center. It is a feel good program that is politically smart where the people eat it up and it shows no benefit at all.

This is about a RFP response.

We've had no money. Nada. Loose bit of $500,000 that would be good to target at youth. But, not to curfew center. Not even marginally effective.

Crime stats show that juvenile crime, under 16, it is 10:30-11:30 am or right after school. The crime in that age group disappears in the late hours.

Truancy center is different and what 3RY is getting at.

Shields want to nix it. Put the $500,000 in parks and rec and do an outreach program. In the past, the police didn't do the outreach as it was a nuisance to them. Police say it isn't my problem and not what I need to focus on. Rather, worry about 18, 19, 20 year olds on the street.

Policy without analysis is folly. FOLLY. There is one of my favorite words! Thanks Doug. Finally, who took the biggest hit in the city's crisis? The kids. They saw reduction in crossing guards, closed pools, closed rec centers. Gone. My kids wants to see money invested in kids -- not in a curfew center. I'd rather open rec centers and help agencies. Not the suspension of civil liberties.

Jim Motznik will support the bill. The old numbers were a failure. But what was then and what will happen is much different. We are not able to pick up those kids on the street. There is a need for the curfew center? Sensitive matter. In the past it was jail-like. Police would give warnings. Give more warnings. Didn't work. Now there is no warnings.

Theresa Smith has lots of concerns. In the past, it was in the West End. It was not successful. The ones that needed to be picked up were 18 and older. So, the police couldn't pick them up. The community resource list is missing lots of names too. That is a lot of money. Not one rec center in West. What is the role of CYS? Lots of un-clarity. For me, parenting is huge. Work with the parents. Address them. Otherwise, putting a band-aid on the problem.

Darlene Harris asked lot of questions then. Still. How many hold? 24 over night. Undetermined number in the day. Bed capacity is up to 24. Don't think 24 is going to be necessary. Will take kids home if parents can't get them.

Policy is still under review. Command staff and FOP need to make input and get cheif's approval. City council does not have to worry about the police policy. City Council won't have a say, other than NOW, at the purse string level.

D. Harris wants to know what the policy is before voting. Good go! Policy is in step with the ordinance.

Police hand-off to curfew center after de-brief. Hungry? Phone numbers?

I would like to eliminate the curfew ordinance. That can be done by an act of city council. Darlene wants to see something more well rounded, for 17 year olds, for truency. I want to see something evaporate. A truancy center is not a curfew center.

Patrick Dowd talks about the amazing history of 3RY, of 129 years. Facility is already obtained. Would open in June. Lot of work has already happened. Mayor said it would be opening and city council had not approved it. The 3RY contract is for 1 year and then a review occurs and all bets are off. Burn the mid-night oil.

The RFP got only 2 bids. But only 1 qualified bidder.

They don't know how to anticipate the "demand." Depends upon the police.

What about crime reduction? Well, they'll look at interactions with services. This is public safety document not a youth policy effort. This is being billed as a curfew center that is going to reduce crime. Few crimes are with those ages and very few at those times.

Want to provide healthy alternatives and preventative measures. So, don't do a curfew center. Do recreation.

Homeless of youth in city? Trend lines? Population growing? Data is in the shadows of city.

Dowd: This should not be done by the city by itself. Use county, school, 3RY, and surround the kids. The others are not part of this RFP. Before we authorize this, we need to talk more clearly about the roles of others (school district, county) in this. Wants more people plugged in that is going to put kids in the center.

Dowd sounds like a 'no' vote.

Tonya Payne: What is the intent of the bill? Was there an increase in numbers of violators since we closed the old center? Perhaps there was some chatter in the community for it. We probably should be looking for collaboration with county. Often the actors are not from the city, but outside the city.

The $500,000 should be spent proactive to open rec centers and hiring more youth in summer. That's the track I want. Payne is perplexed about why they are down this path. Look at doing a public hearing. Hear from the administration. Where is Director Huff?

Great suggestion. Hold a public hearing. Holding for a vote for other long-winded comments.

Ricky Burgess: We have an ordinance on books that can't be enforced because we don't have a curfew center. The line-item is in the budget. Some $300K or more is just in the housing component of the yearly contract.

I'm interested in an engagement center for the youth. We need a 24 hour place to call to get social services. Wants to mold the curfew center into a youth engagement center with links to a complete, total program. He is not sure how to carve this out. Willing to offer his services to craft this. The curfew center is only one of the components.

We need a curfew center PLUS. Case management, educational concerns. Part of this can be shifted to the day part. Adjust it for social services.

Wants a public hearing. Wants to craft something that will be more effective for that population.

Bill Peduto: Yadda, yadda. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Peduto thinks it might help way into the future. Would be willing to vote YES for this right now.

Bill Peduto's accountability level will come one year later.

A public hearing is going to come.

Doug Shields is going to get exercised about this because there is no data to support the curfew. We put more analysis in how to tear down a house in Hazelwood than we put in to the decisions on care for our youth.

Nonsense to couch this as a curfew center.

Don't embrace the idea of a failed policy of a curfew in America.

Talk ends about 1 pm.

Technology Leadership Institute: Teachers

Looks like a great program for high school kids in the city.

Technology Leadership Institute: Teachers: "TLI is an opportunity for your student to get a head start on their career in computers and technology. Is your student interested in Web design? Robotics? or Computer Programming? Then TLI is for your son or daughter!

My son has swim practice to 9:15 am. So, he has a conflict. Oh well.

Getting geared up for the weekend trip to Bloomington

Why the $15K for a review of Water Authority Bond Deals was foolish and nothing about 'knowledge is power.'

City council voted 6-3 to not spend $15,000 to hire an outside firm to conduct a review (call it audit, investigation, whatever) of the recent bond dealings of the Water Authority.

I'm fine with that vote. But, I'm not fine with some of the thinking and statements that swirled around this topic. Time to flush.

Bruce Kraus said "Knowledge is power." That's funny.

First of all, city council does have power. But, power does not come with a $15,000 audit by some dis-interested party. Power, instead, resides upon the votes that empowered the water authority to advance with such deals. Months ago, council voted to enable the authority to extend its life which empowered them the opportunity to enter into bond deals with serious questions.

The power is in the vote. The power needs to be applied at the correct time. Power does not linger in a re-do.

Council needs to deploy its power, as keepers of the purse strings, in wise measures when the votes are cast. Council fumbled its chance at power when it entertained Don Walko, D, state rep and water authority board president, as he pulled the wool over the eyes of council then.

Want to talk about power -- let's talk about J.P. Morgan and other finance types who conduct these bond deals. They are able to steal by the millions from the public treasury. They can't be taken down by a $15,000 audit from some disinterested firm. Never go big game hunting with a pea shooter. That's not smart. It isn't powerful either.

The plain English explanation of these deals might be nice. But that isn't going to trip a giant in the slightest.

If that firm wants to work again in the finance sector, it isn't going to pick a fight for $15,000 fee with J.P.Morgan.

Furthermore, if the audit did provide real investigative eureka moments, it would be called 'spin' and would be discounted.

If you want power, turn to the controllers -- for the city, county (perhaps) and state. They have audit powers. And, they are the ones that are to review the dealings of government. Council is to legislate. Controllers audit.

If more muscle and power is necessary, then investigate with the state attorney. The subpoena has power. Call for that. When people steal money from the government, they should go to jail -- or worse. In China, the bureaucrats that cheat the system are killed. France gave the world the guillotine. Those are not the tools of power for Pittsburgh's city council.

The bottom line isn't passing a bond deal. The bottom line isn't complicated bond deals with windfalls by the millions. The bottom line is going to jail. Fix expensive mistakes with jail. If you want to look out for the public interest, even after being hoodwinked, the math that aids the interest of the taxpayers money should be part of the settlement of damages. There is the real bottom line.

Bram wrote in a comment thread on this topic that he does NOT care that the Council should have caught this the first time around. Plus, he does NOT care that it would be better if our Controller to do it. Jeepers. You should care. Purpose matters. Watchdogs need to stay awake and care. I care that we don't have over-reaching members of city council who stretch so much that they remain meaningless for decades to come.

Memo to Council: Get it right the first time. Don't squander your power. I knew that this was a sour deal from the get-go.

Memo to Council: Let the controller do audits.

Memo to Controller: Get moving already.

Memo to Jack Wagner, State Auditor: Hello!

Memo to Tom Corbett, State Attorney General: Hello!

Memo to voters: Don Walko isn't to be trusted and shouldn't be a judge.

Memo to gov reformers: All authority board members should be held accountable with retention votes as a regular part of our charter's framework, until the authorities are liquidated in full. (Pun alert.)

BBC - James Reynolds' China: China's Olympic venues now

BBC - James Reynolds' China: China's Olympic venues now: "China's Olympic venues now"

When are those high school musicals? And, what is the capital of Texas?

Debate meltdown

I'm a big fan of having 'running mates.' Running mates help in many ways.

For instance, running mates can help you get to the finish line in a marathon. Hope all in a cool down stay healthy leading into the Pittsburgh Marathon. Taper time.

Running mates can also help as attack dogs so as to raise issues that are best said by those who are not the top-of-the-ticket candidate. Both Patrick Dowd and Luke Ravenstahl need running mates when jabbing about the lack of debates and the sorry efforts of rescheduled opportunities -- or not.

Humor clip from Hulu, the #2 video site on the web, behind only YouTube, shows Saturday Night Live and President Obama's return to the White House after his trip to Europe and elsewhere.

The 250 isn't over yet -- not until we says its over.

Washington County woman drowns in Fla.

Washington County woman drowns in Fla. Authorities say a tourist from Washington County, Pa., has died while scuba diving with her husband off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

The Broward Sheriff's Office says 58-year-old Mary Darnley, of Eighty Four, was diving with her husband Saturday morning when the pair began to swim to shore. She never made it. Other nearby divers found her body floating in the water. She was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.

Debate details

The League of Women Voters is partnering with the PA League of Young Voters and KDKA-TV to present a televised mayoral debate on April 15th at 7:00 PM. The public is invited to submit questions in a video or a written formatin advance of the debate.

To do so go to the KDKA web site below:

http://kdka.com/formsection?fid=969642

Steel-City Stonewall Democrats is having a Debate Party in conjunction with the above debate at 6:30 PM at There Video Lounge, 931 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Come Watch the debate.
Free Pizza http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=91091553447&ref=mf

Baseball. He's back!

How many games out of first are the Pirates now?

Remember how we were told that PNC Park would turn around the losing ways of the Pirates?

Remember how we were told that it would be impossible to buy single game tickets to PNC Park -- and that every game for years would be sold out?

Those were the days.

Going to a college or high school or sandlot game is still a much better proposition for my sporting interests. There, a local team almost always wins.

Trivia question: The photo of the field show in the posting is where? Bonus Q: What's its significance?

Verona man drowns in athletic club pool

Verona man drowns in athletic club pool The Allegheny County medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy on a Verona man who drowned in a swimming pool at the Downtown Athletic Club of Pittsburgh yesterday evening.

The office identified the man as Lorenzo Williams, 38, of Verona.

Paramedics were called to the athletic club at 1 Bigelow Square near Mellon Arena about 7:30 p.m. on reports of a man drowning in a pool. Homicide detectives were also notified.