Crime

Any solution will have to address the illegal gun flow that puts powerful weapons in the hands of dangerous people. Unfortunately, state and federal lawmakers don't have the backbone these days to tighten state or federal laws and curb even illicit firearms. Education programs, job training and the hope of opportunity for black youths also must be part of the mix, but those elements are beyond the power or control of a city police chief.

Nate Harper's biggest contribution toward putting a brake on the tragic monotony of black-on-black homicide could be his willingness to shine a light on the problem and his openness to try things that could work in Pittsburgh.

Fwd: RenewPittsburgh: Deloitte Impact Day in Sheraden and Esplen, Friday June 10th!

http://www.renewpittsburgh.com/

Dear friends:

We are very pleased to announce that RenewPittsburgh is joining
forces with Deloitte in managing their annual IMPACT Day this Friday,
June 10th.  We have been working over the past few months with
residents and community leaders in Sheraden and Esplen, and have
organized a dozen
exciting projects for 350 Deloitte volunteers to make a lasting impact
in these great Pittsburgh neighborhoods.


Sheraden Community Coffee Shop (future site), 1009 Adon Street
Sheraden Skate Park, Tuxedo Street
Sheraden Swimming Pool (reopens June 16th), Adon Street
McGonagle Field, end of Allendale St.
Sheraden Senior Center, 720 Sherwood Ave.
Schaeffer Intermediate School, 3128 Allendale Street
Re-Paint Boarded-Up Buildings, Sheraden
Real Estate Appraisal, Sheraden
Esplen Vacant Lot Conversions, Esplen
Goodwill Plaza, 612 Hillsboro Street
West End Library, 47 Wabash Avenue
Sheraden Library, 720 Sherwood Avenue


If you would like to volunteer this Friday, please contact
RenewPittsburgh at 412-404-6630 or email me at
Kevin@RenewPittsburgh.com.

Best regards,

Kevin Acklin
Executive Director

350 Deloitte Volunteers to Converge on Sheraden and Esplen June 10

June 10, 2011 – Big 4 accounting and consulting firm Deloitte LLP
will help give Sheraden and Esplen an extreme makeover on June 10 by
spearheading 12 community service projects for the west-end
neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh.

About 350 Deloitte volunteers will help create an upscale
community-based coffee house in the heart of Sheraden, help usher the
re-opening of the Sheraden swimming pool, refurbish a neighborhood
little league park, convert vacant lots and re-paint vacant
properties, and provide  consultation and recreational activities to
senior citizens, among many other efforts.

It's all part of IMPACT Day, Deloitte's national day of community
service.  Across the country on June 10 about 35,000 Deloitte
employees will support more than 800 non-profit service projects in 70
cities.

"Instead of holding different projects across the entire city, we
chose to focus our efforts into one community, which will have greater
impact," said Bob Denove, managing partner of Deloitte's Pittsburgh
office, who noted that last year the office focused on the South Side.
"We feel our efforts can start the process of creating long-lasting
change to Sheraden and Esplen, communities
that are rich in culture and history to Pittsburgh."

In planning its IMPACT Day approach for Pittsburgh, Deloitte
teamed up with RenewPittsburgh, Inc., a non-profit organization
working to revitalize the city's neighborhoods.

Executive Director Kevin Acklin and his team worked for several
months to engage the community and help Deloitte plan a series of
projects that could produce the most benefit to Sheraden and Esplen.

"We appreciate that Deloitte is being strategic with its
community service efforts, wanting to contribute to projects that can
increase the quality of life for residents in the Sheraden and Esplen
neighborhoods," said Acklin.  "At a time when we are focused on
improving volunteerism in our city, it's also revealing that Deloitte
is donating both manual labor and their skills as
business consultants and advisors – it underscores that companies have
a variety of ways to give back to our city."

All projects are being guided by the leadership of City
Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, the Sheraden Community Council and
the Sheraden Kiwanis Community Foundation.

With the Sheraden Community Coffee Shop project, about 40
Deloitte volunteers will refurbish the exterior of a run-down
structure as part of a broader effort to transform the building into a
community-based coffee shop.  The effort will be in conjunction with
Project Coffeehouse, a non-profit agency working to enliven
neighborhoods by launching coffee shops as a place to foster
collaboration
and business development.

At Sheraden Swimming Pool, 25 Deloitte employees will repaint and
provide landscaping to the parking lot, in anticipation for a June
16threopening after being closed for several years.

At McGonagle Field, volunteers will paint the dugouts and
bleachers and repair the fencing in getting the facility ready for
Sheraden's little league baseball team.

And in demonstrating the range of Deloitte's approach to
volunteerism (brawn and brains), about 25 Deloitte business advisors
will provide free financial consultation to residents of Sheraden
Senior Center, including advice related to taxes and estate planning.

Another 40 Deloitte professionals will also conduct a detailed
assessment of houses and real estate properties in Sheraden, ranking
each property according to its condition.  The information will help
real estate agents in promoting home and business ownership in
Sheraden while giving the City of Pittsburgh a list of unsalvageable
properties to be demolished.

IMPACT Day Fact Sheet


IMPACT Day is an annual celebration of Deloitte's year-round
commitment to volunteerism.
This year marks Deloitte's 12thAnnual IMPACT Day.
On IMPACT Day, all of Deloitte's 50,000+ personnel are
encouraged to participate in about 800community service projects in
more than 70 communities. Each volunteer project is organized by local
Deloitte personnel to meet the needs of the nonprofit it supports.
IMPACT Day is unique among corporate volunteer days in that, in
addition to doing lots of traditional volunteerism, we also offer the
skills and innovative thinking of our people to help nonprofits deal
with their strategic, operational and financial challenges.
Approximately one-third of Deloitte's IMPACT Day volunteer
projects are skills-based and require business knowledge. We also
participate in traditional, hands-on volunteer activities such as
painting and beatification projects.

About Deloitte
As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and
Deloitte Services LP.  Please see www.deloitte.com/aboutfor a detailed
description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP.

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Ta.

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

2 minute film festival without any entry fee

Filmmakers: submit your finest—and shortest—video to Carnegie Museum
of Art and your work could be featured in "The Labor Party: A
Two-Minute Film Festival," held on July 21, as part of the Pittsburgh
Biennial.
To get started, use "The Labor Party" as a prompt to create a video
short using media of your choice (camera, camcorder, cell phone,
animation program, etc.). Whether live-action or animated,
documentary, mockumentary, fictional, or non-narrative, your video
should be two minutes or less in length.

There is no fee to enter, and anyone over 18 is welcome to submit. The
deadline for submission is June 20. The Two-Minute Film Festival
audience will be encouraged to vote for their favorite film, and the
Viewer's Choice award winner will be announced at the end of the
evening, with the winner receiving a free one-year individual
membership to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Be sure to attend the
screening event in case your work is the Viewer's Choice!

Promotional support provided by Pop City Media.

How to Submit

Questions?
Email 2minutefilms@carnegiemuseums.org

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Ta.

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

[DW] Summer of neighborly online love - Major Neighbors Forums presentation, webinar, links

---------- Forwarded message
From: Steven Clift

We have exciting news to share about our recent neighborhood Issues
Forums momentum:

     http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/1215

Our "Neighbors Forum" model combines civic engagement from our
city-wide "online townhalls" (started in 1998) with very local
neighborhood "community life" online communities. The hybrid is pretty
magic.

We embrace openness, civility and inclusive outreach with our
neighborhood public spaces that cover areas with 5 to 20K in
population. We don't ban local "politics" or virtually close the gate
behind a password. This maximizes engagement with elected officials
and the community institutions we support with our tax dollars or as
customers.

In my own neighborhood - http://e-democracy.org/se , we have just over
~17% of households participating - over 700 members. Take a look and
ask what you can do to build something similar for your own
neighborhood.  You may have to believe it to see it.

* Neighbors Forums Presentation

Here is a brand spanking new presentation with slides, extended audio,
flyers, links, etc. to go in-depth:

    http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/1215

* Effective Outreach to Diverse Communities

Crucially we've launched the third generation of our diverse community
outreach positions (as we experiment with methods to build inclusive
participation in lower income, highly diverse/high immigrant areas) as
we seek to find ways to leverage minimal resources for maximum impact:

     http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/1197

This all feeds into our summer campaign for online neighborhood
participation focused on the Minneapolis and St. Paul:

    http://tcneighbors.org (Twin Cities)

With support through the end of the year from the Ford Foundation, the
Knight Foundation's donor-advised fund at the St. Paul Foundation, the
Digital Inclusion Fund at the Minneapolis Foundation, and the Blandin
Foundation (for coming second generation outreach with our rural
Native American majority community forum) we've just launched a major
outreach campaign to recruit many more participants (Goal: 1000 total)
as well as launch over 10 new all volunteer-led forums.

(This is on top of our local volunteer-led, unfunded effort in
Christchurch New Zealand to open 25 forums for post-quake community
recovery - http://neighbours.cc .)

* Lesson Sharing

With the Ford support we will be packaging up our lessons and sharing
them later in the year and in 2012 we seek opportunities to take our
Inclusive Social Media - http://e-democracy.org/inclusion - training
and outreach to far more communities. We'd rather not be lonely. The
lack of activity at the intersection of raising diverse community
voices online - particularly those that build bridges among
communities locally - and digital inclusion must be addressed.

To learn about future webinars and other involvement opportunities,
here are some places to tune-in:

1. E-Democracy Blog - http://blog.e-democracy.org - E-mail option on left

2. Projects Volunteer Group - http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/projects

3. Locals Online - A peer to peer online community of practice -
http://e-democracy.org/locals

Steven Clift
E-Democracy.org

P.S. I've left out my this is soooo much more than simply slapping up
a new Facebook Page for a neighborhood commentary. Creating quality
community public space more effort and better design than essentially
opening a virtual strip mall location off in the far corner of the
parking lot and expecting it to attract real community engagement.

Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org

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Ta.

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

Early debates that exclude are poison to our political process. CNN can fix it's evil ways.

If concerned Americans don’t protest the exclusion of Governor Johnson from the debate, he will surely not be included. However, if we let folks know what our opinion on the matter is, they are more likely to give him consideration.
Please request to hear Governor Gary Johnson in the debate!
• There is now a grassroots petition being signed up online Change.org which will be sent to media and GOP leaders.
• Call WMUR at (603) 669-9999 and fill out their contact form.
• Call the NH Union-Leader newspaper at (603) 668-4321 or fill out their news tip suggestion box. You can also e-mail them.
• Call CNN at (404) 827-1500 or (202) 898-7900 or text CNN (space) and your news tip to 772937. You can also submit your comment online.
• Post your comments at CNN’s article about the debate.
Another option is to contact the Advertising Departments for each of these outlets and inform them that you will not be purchasing anything they sell until Gary Johnson is included in the debate. If the Advertising Department believes they will lose customers, they will pressure other departments to change their strategy.
If prospective GOP voters do not get to hear from Gary Johnson, it’s one less liberty advocate providing the solutions our country needs.

Wave At The Bus: Day 150 - Graduation Season

Wave At The Bus: Day 150 - Graduation Season: "' A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps ..."

The noctilucent clouds

ELECTRIC-BLUE CLOUDS: The 2011 noctilucent cloud (NLC) season has begun. For the past few nights, observers in northern parts of Europe have spotted velvety, electric-blue tendrils rippling across the sunset sky. NLCs are a summertime phenomenon first reported by polar observers in the 19th century.  In recent decades, for reasons no one fully understands, the clouds have intensified and spread  as far south as Utah and Colorado.  Visit today's edition of http://spaceweather.com for photos and observing tips.

CHANCE OF MAGNETIC ACTIVITY:  NOAA forecasters estimate a 45% chance of geomagnetic activity on June 4th when an incoming solar wind stream and a CME might deliver a double blow to Earth's magnetic field. High-latitude sky watchers in both hemispheres should be alert for auroras.  Aurora alerts: http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice) or http://spaceweathertext.com (text).

Division III Schools Flex Their Sports Muscles - WSJ.com

Division III Schools Flex Their Sports Muscles - WSJ.com: "The NCAA's Division I has seen a net loss of 106 wrestling teams, 72 men's tennis teams and 18 men's swim teams over the past 20 years. On many teams that remain, scholarships are becoming scarce. As schools rush to comply with Title IX, men's D-I tennis teams usually only have about four scholarships per team (or fewer) while women's teams generally have twice as many."

House Leaders Kill Libya Withdrawal Resolution - Blogcritics Politics

Look again as to who your peace loving friends are again.

House Leaders Kill Libya Withdrawal Resolution - Blogcritics Politics: "This afternoon as the House was getting ready to vote on a resolution demanding that President Obama pull US troops out of Libya when the Republican House leadership had the bill pulled fromt he docket. The apparent reason for this action was that it looked like the bill was getting too much support and might actually pass, while GOP leaders just wanted it to come close to passing to put pressure on the administration.

The reasoning behind this action seems to be pretty convoluted and perhaps somewhat despicable. They apparently want President Obama to take the blame for the war in Libya while not actually going so far as to actually stand clearly against his actions and perhaps even end the war. They had assumed that the resolution would only be backed by Democrats, but to their surprise many Republicans who don't like the idea of an unconstitutional war, were going to vote for the resolution.

This is a perfect example of the effects of the change in the Republican majority coming out of last election. There is now a core group of Republicans who aren't willing to play games and who are serious about issues like making war without even following the guidelines of the War Powers Act, much less the Constitution."

You go long.

Registration opens for Tomlin's Father and Kids Experience: "'All of us at Family First and All Pro Dad are excited that this event continues to be an annual outing for dads and kids,' said Mark Merrill, founder and president of Family First. 'Just as in years past, again this year we are bringing new themes and insights into the program, so the format remains familiar, but the concepts are fresh for returning dads and kids.'"

Wondering if Mr. Lopez still stands by these concepts?

javascript:void(0)

Revolution in Spain—15M: from Anger to Action Crossing The Sun Door

Project-Censored-L mailing list

By Concha Mateos, PhD in Social Communication

Faculty at one public University in Madrid.

Something that looked impossible is happening.

Not a miracle: there is no God acting, no divine intervention. Only human will and the crowd.

Thousands of people were there, with the same ideas, the same objectives, the same desire for
change. They lived in different places and cities and countries, but they were in reality at the same Puerta del Sol, although none of them did know.

One day of May 2011 they happened to gather together driven by the same and only cause.

Have you ever taken a decision together with thousands of people in which each person's opinion is heard and treated equally?

Thousands of people were there, in the same ideas, in the same objectives, in the same need
of changes, in the same Puerta del Sol, but they didn´t know it.

The companions have meet together.

Have you ever taken a decision with thousands of people considering them all the same?

The square, whatever square, has become a school in democracy – pure, radical, real, and effective democracy. (Democracia real ya – real democracy now – is the name of one of the groups making up the movement.) While corporations try everyday to captivate audiences sat in front of the TV, swallowing garbage TV entertainments, the protest is in the form of an acampada (camp) in the squares. There you have people listening to each other sitting on the ground taking and sharing the floor. The sun assembly shines every night at Puerta del Sol.

We build agreement where politicians want rivalry.

We look for solutions where politicians want oppression.

We don't fight: we presist, we protest creatively. Consent, participation, respect (for one another,
for animals, for the environment), dialogue are our methodology. We raise our hands and shout: these are our weapons. And work hard and patiently to reach agreement.

After thousands of years of human civilization, one system of production has appeared in the last period and managed to oppress more people and destroy more resources than ever before.

Beyond its plastic face, capitalism has brought ruin to the way of life of millions of human beings, as
well as those regarded as sub-human, the immigrants trying to survive within the sub-democracy, without rights, a place to live or the entitlement to vote, living on a pittance, a dishonor for them but a cause of shame for the rest of us.

The welfare state is being destroyed, huge areas of the planet are condemned never to become part of it.

Another system is possible. Stop lying with your corporate media.

This Spanish revolution is a revolution because people have been changed in the process. That is the first and the main step forward in any protest, the transformation it brings about within the individual.

We were angry at the beginning. Capitalism has wasted four centuries spreading out reasons for the protest, barriers we have climb over to get a job, to get a house, to get an education, to get healthcare, to win political, social and cultural rights, real rights, to defend our dignity.

Corruption, privilege, politicians paid by corporations to manipulate the economic system, putty in
corporate hands, TV entertainment offered us instead of participation.

Capitalism planted the seeds of the anger of the indignados. But outrage is not our goal. We are not doing this to remain angry.

The indignation we felt was identified a long time ago. But who were "we"? Nobody knew. But we do now. We discovered this "we" in Puerta del Sol on 15th May, 15th, we discovered that our indignation is wide spread, we are thousands of people, a booming process of collective conscience.

A new political subject has emerged. We are the first to be transformed. That is because this
is a revolution.

We have rescued that word from TV and cultural theory. We are giving back its meaning to the people,
ordinary people throughout Madrid's various neighborhoods made their voices heard in meetings held last Saturday (May 28). Hundreds of local assemblies held throughout Spain, with women, men, mothers, grandfathers, students, professors, workers, immigrants, real people living a real democracy taking shape in their local areas for the first time in their lives.

Indignation became joy. And now that joy is seeing us through to organizing.

Anger plus joy produces
strength. Strength plus organization is the start of structural change.

Yes, we camp. We have camped and we will camp into the future.

The Puerta del Sol camp is not going to fade away; it is going to
explode, to set up camp deep in
the thinking of people. No police force or government can remove it
from the mind
of the new political subject that has burst onto the stage shouting Democracia
real ya.

Remove the current electoral system, get rid of the economic
privileges the political class has allowed
itself, make the corporations responsible for the crisis pay for the crisis,
stop the economic reforms dictated by international economic power, and let our
reason govern our world, not the capitalist reason. Claim, support and defend
all this through democratic meetings, horizontally, and peacefully.

It is happening, and it is not a miracle. It is something more
powerful, a lot of people have
experienced the pleasure of recovering the political sense of our lives. Debate
and decide in assembly.

We held two general assemblies yesterday, May 29. The assembly of
local committees in the morning
and the general one at night, lasting more than four hours each. The need and
the plan and the dream of restructuring the camp at Puerta del Sol, a camp that
is a symbol and reference point for so many people. We connected live with
companions in Athens and Paris. We condemned the police actions against them.

Have you ever taken a decision with thousands of people in a public
square? Have you ever experienced
the energy of that collective will and responsibility?

It is hard work. To turn anger into joy, and joy into agreement for
action. Truly hard labor, but
the only one that can give us back our dignity.

Concha Mateos has a PhD in Social Communication and is on the faculty
at a public University
in Madrid. She has been actively involved with Project Censored since 2009.

Use of force by city police declines

A news article from the Post-Gazette reads, in part:

Use of force by city police declines'There is a percentage of people out there who will fight the police at the drop of a hat,' Officer Wright said. 'They don't care.'

Some folks are just so full of rage that they can't control themselves. They don't care if they get wild and are put back into safe distances or into positions where they can't hurt others. Sure. That's out there. Drugs can do that to a person. So too, especially, can booze. Some are fearless and think that they can leap out of tall buildings too. Some just snap or have already snapped when the police arrive.

But, a report is a report and to say that "a percentage of people" is to say very little at all. What is that percentage. How many zeros come after the decimal point? Is it one percent? Is it two percent? Is it point zero three percent?

I like the report and I like the numbers, but I don't like the quote as it tells next to nothing.

Chair Memorial Day Message

MEMORIAL DAY 2011

Dear Fellow Libertarian,

Memorial Day, first just a day and now a weekend, is a time to remember those past and present that serve -- and have served -- their country and communities with honor and dignity. These men and women have done this so that others can enjoy the freedom and liberty we call the American dream.  There is so much I want to say, but for once it will not be political. 

Long before I was a Libertarian, a distinction I grow more proud of every day, I was first American.  Long before you were a Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Independent, Liberal, Tea Party, or Green you were, and are, Americans first.  Let's remind ourselves of that often. 

On this Memorial Day, my prayers go out to all those that are currently serving in the armed forces, especially those serving in combat areas around the world. These prayers extend to POW's and missing in action, asking for a speedy and safe return. 

I pray our leaders find the wisdom in the words of our founding fathers and hear their warning to avoid entangling alliances, so that our troops can come home now. There is a better way. 

Above all, to those families and friends of fallen soldiers, I say a special prayer today that you find solace and comfort knowing that your loss will not be forgotten, and they are at peace with those few that gave their all for the greater good of mankind. 

          With this Memorial Day blog, I would also like to acknowledge an individual that has risen above all odds to give hope, encouragement and a voice to those that fight daily with mental health disorders.   I know first-hand all the obstacles, self doubt, anxiety, and ups/downs this recently announced Citizen of the Year has gone through over the years because it is one of my sisters, and one that I am most proud of, Christine Jasikoff.  (http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/05/07/news/doc4dc5e513a653f529109024.txt )

We are all here for but a speck of time, so why not make the most of it?  In the scheme of things will anyone really remember, or care that you got that report out on time, or made that sales quota?  When you have reached your later years is that what you will remember, or be proud of?  Of course not!

So make that difference now.  Get involved.  Trust me on this, we all have something.  It could be drinking, drugs, gambling, over-eating, too much shopping, the list goes on and on.  None of us is perfect.  Except Libertarians , of course  LOL!  Oh, I forgot I said no politics today, so enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Hopefully you take some time to be with yourself, family and loved ones. The craziness begins again tomorrow!

In Liberty,

Lou Jasikoff, Chair – Libertarian Party of PA

REMINDER: The next State meeting is on June 11 in Harrisburg.

Memorial Day Ride, as per the rain date

We are riding on the RAIN DATE - Memorial Day - 6:45 AM (morning)

Who: Cyclists -- road, recreation, commuter, race, triathlon. All who legally share the road.

What: The Pittsburgh arm of the worldwide Ride Of Silence™ bike
rally. See http://rideofsilence.org

Why:
• to honor those cyclists injured or killed on public roadways
• to raise awareness of cyclists on the road
• to demonstrate responsible road sharing
• to show that cyclists are not going away

When: Monday , May 30 , 20 2011 , 6: 45 AM . We roll out at 7:00 AM sharp.

Pittsburgh start location: Southside - 26th & Sidney (behind REI).

Route is 10 miles, roughly http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/34042598/

THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET
• On the third Wednesday of May around the world, cyclists will take to the roads in a silent protest of the carnage taking place on the streets. (In Pittsburgh, we ride on Memorial Day mornings!)

• Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas in 2003 after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was killed by a passing bus mirror on an empty road.

• The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride at a slow pace and remain silent during the ride.

• The ride hopes to raise cycling awareness during bike safety month to motorists, police, traffic engineers, insurance companies, and city officials. The ride is also a chance to mourn, in funeral procession style, those who have already been killed.

• The ride requests black arm bands be worn, red only if you have had a bike/motor vehicle accident. Helmets are required; bright clothing and lights are highly recommended for the ride home. There are no fees charged anyone to participate.

How we will ride in Pittsburgh:
• Double file, side by side, keeping to a single lane, and to the right of the yellow line where it exists. (Most of the roads we will use do not have lanes wide enough to safely share) Stop and wait at all red lights - we're a big group and will undoubtedly be breaking up and regrouping as we go along. If there is slower traffic in the lane, we'll just wait for it.
• Please bring bikes in good repair, as there will be no official mechanical support or transportation.
• Helmets are required. Ipods and the like are frowned upon.
• Children aged 12 and under should be in trailers, trail-a-bikes, tandems or the like, not riding independently.
• This ride takes place on city streets, with potholes, surface hazards, motor vehicles and other cyclists riding in close proximity.
• Participants must use their own judgement and be responsible for their own safety. If at any time, you feel that you can no longer participate safely, please pull off the route and wait until the rest of the ride has passed.

Pittsburgh Ride of Silence Contact for 2011: Lyle Seaman (lwseaman@hotmail.com)

The Pittsburgh Ride of Silence is endorsed by Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen, Bike Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club.
The endorsers and organizer are bearing

Citizens with video camera to receive $75,000 in Blawnox settlement

WOW - I'm in shock...Melina called to ask for help. Weird they settled
like that "at the insistence of their insurance carrier." They must
have been bound to lose big time!

Forwarded message from {PghAction}

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11147/1149599-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml

Women to receive $75,000 in Blawnox settlement
Friday, May 27, 2011
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A lawsuit accusing Blawnox of illegally restricting public
participation in, and recording of, meetings has been settled, with the
borough agreeing to change its policies and pay a total of $75,000 to
two women and their attorneys. Blawnox Council approved the settlement
Thursday.

Peggy Albright and Melina Brajovic sued last year over a series of
events beginning in 2008. They said the borough council had barred
comment at some meetings; ordered the arrest of Ms. Albright for
disorderly conduct; made non-specific threats when controversial issues
were raised; and barred Ms. Brajovic from filming meetings without
signing up a day in advance and remaining in a designated area.
When the disorderly conduct charge against Ms. Albright was
dismissed in Common Pleas Court, District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala
Jr. took the unusual step of appealing to the state Supreme Court --
but lost.

The borough will now allow public comment at both its business and
agenda meetings and lift the restrictions on videotaping, according to
Frederick B. Goldsmith, who, along with the American Civil Liberties
Union, represented the plaintiffs in U.S. District Court.
"Although the matter has been settled, the borough officials deny
any liability" for any violations of state open meetings laws or
federal civil rights, according to a press release from Blawnox. The
release quoted Mayor Thomas M. Smith as saying the settlement was made
"at the insistence of the borough's insurance carrier."

Both women, along with their attorneys, will get portions of the
settlement amount, Mr. Goldsmith wrote in a summary of the settlement.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11147/1149599-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml#ixzz1NaUeQJH2

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Ta.

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

Rant in school newspaper about education funding

Pierotti’s Point..Thanks, Governor Corbett. An education down the drain

One gym, one budget, and one new school. Those are the only three things that pop into my head when I think about Obama Academy. This year has been out of control with school funding, budgets, and cuts. We as students shouldn’t have to worry about where our education is coming from. For example, we are moving to Peabody, and we may get a new gym, new sporting equipment, and new uniforms with our school colors but what about other things?  For instance, if you’re in journalism, you know that we started off this year with 26 laptops, and now, on May 24th we have just 12 left.  We are willing to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a gym but we have no supplies for school?

Full link: http://www.obamaeagle.org/in-depth/2011/05/26/pierottis-point-thanks-governor-corbett-an-education-down-the-drain/

Bad news for K to 12th grade education in PA. Poor get poorer, sadly.

First this news from the Duquesne School District then a school newspaper rant.

Duquesne schools face teacher cuts
Extracurricular activities also may be eliminated
Friday, May 27, 2011
By Mary Niederberger, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Under a preliminary budget approved Thursday, the Duquesne City School District will see its teaching staff cut from 51 to 29.

Also, all extracurricular activities and after-school programs will be eliminated and its administrative staff pared to a principal and an assistant principal.

And that's the good news.

That's because the $14.26 million budget approved by the state board of control overseeing the district is still $2.52 million short.

The board adopted a preliminary budget that is out of balance because it couldn't bear to make any further cuts to the educational program in the K-8 school for 413 students the district still operates.

Also, its members warned they may not vote to adopt a final budget that contains the bare-bones program presented in the preliminary budget.

"This board will not accept this as a reality," said Juan Baughn, a special assistant to the state education secretary and the newly appointed chairman of the board of control. "This is not over, and we are not going to let it be over until our kids are taken care of."

Fw: Apply Now! EPLC's 2011-12 Education Policy Fellowship Program

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

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From: Ron Cowell <cowell@eplc.org>

Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 15:55:01 -0400

To: Ron Cowell<cowell@eplc.org>

Subject: Apply Now! EPLC's 2011-12 Education Policy Fellowship Program

 

2011-2012 PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

 

Applications are available now for the 2011-2012 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC).

 

With more than 300 graduates in its first twelve years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  Act 48 credits are available to individuals holding Pennsylvania teaching or administrative certificates, and State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants.

 

Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders.  Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.

 

The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 8-9, 2011 and continues through June 2012.

 

Applications are being accepted now.  

 

Click on http://www.eplc.org/leadership_fellowship_about.shtml to see:

 

·         2011-12 Schedule

·         20110-12 Application

·         Past Speakers

·         Program Alumni

·         More Information

 

Since space is limited to approximately 30 positions, it is advisable to submit an application as soon as possible.  The application may be copied from the EPLC Web Site, but must be submitted by mail with the necessary signatures of applicant and sponsor.

 

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Fellowship Program and its requirements, please contact Ron Cowell at 717-260-9900 or cowell@eplc.org.

 

 

Tuesday Evening Photos at the ACA Cycling Events

From: Fred Jordan

There are several links associated with last night's racing.

The main gallery: http://fredjordan.smugmug.com/Sports/ACA-Races-at-the-Track-Women/17217251_tFT76V#1306421848_r9GWZ9K

A short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVRkTVCh3nM&feature=channel_video_title



A brief blog entry: http://www.fjordanphoto.com/blog/

It was a beautiful night, and both races had strong turnouts.

Fred