7.12.23 NPC

For New Pittsburgh Courier City Council declared Saturday, June 24, 2023, “Sam Clancy Day” in the City of Pittsburgh. The homegrown, legendary athlete had received a proclamation at the City-County Building days earlier presented by Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle. Family, friends and all members of City Council were in attendance.

But the real big day was June 24, as Uptown 2.0 presented a “Street Renaming for Sam Clancy Sr.” at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Roberts Street, in the Hill District. Andre Hilliard, Mark Kerr, Joey Diven and Uptown 2.0 put the ceremony together for Clancy, in the neighborhood where he grew up. Uptown 2.0 is also responsible for getting a street renamed for Brashear High School and West Virginia University star football player Major Harris in 2022, also in the

Hill.

“You have to mention Sam Clancy when it comes to being one of the greatest athletes that ever came from the Hill District because his achievements speak for itself,” Hilliard told the New Pittsburgh Courier. Eugene Khorey, former principal at Brashear High School, reminisced about the good old days at Brashear with Sam “Bam” Clancy.

“Everyone knew Sam at Brashear because that’s the influence he had,” Khorey said. “It was Sam that was able to move with the student body and say to them, ‘I’m one of you.’ With his engagement and personality, he permeated the whole school.

As I repeat, everybody knew Sam and only half of the people knew me. I give Sam the most credit for making Brashear High School a success.”

In fact, Clancy was a basketball star before there even was a Brashear High

Tragedy

The tough, resilient, proud residents of Aliquippa and Ambridge just experienced two tragedies, 20 hours apart.

The families and friends of 15-year-old Dahvea Sparrow and 15-year-old Asaun Moreland are left to grieve their heinous shooting deaths; two African American teens, not even legally old enough to drive, with an entire life ahead of them, cut short.

“Dahvea Sparrow was my one and only son, my baby,” were the first words that came from the mouth of Sparrow’s mother, Nicole Sparrow.

Then, holding back tears, she said that she had to plan her only son’s funeral.

“He was Dahv, to know

him was to love him,” Nicole Sparrow said, during a news conference in Aliquippa on Sunday, July 9, standing feet from where her son was shot and killed around 11:35 p.m. the previous night.

“He was just a beautiful spirit. He was a good kid, a funny kid,” she said.

Who could have ever thought that an hour or so after the press conference, another teen’s life would be taken, only a few minutes away across the aptly-titled Aliquippa-Ambridge bridge, in Ambridge. Moreland was walking on Church Street when two males reportedly approached Moreland, shooting and killing him. It’s unclear if both suspects were shooting,

This Week In Black History

• JULY 12

Man arrested with weapons in Obama’s neighborhood streamed live after sharing Trump’s post

NNPA Newswire Senior National

Correspondent

Federal prosecutors re -

vealed alarming details in a detention memo filed on Wednesday, July 5, regarding the arrest of Taylor Taranto, a man apprehended last week in former President Barack Obama’s Washington, D.C., neighborhood.

According to the memo, Taranto began live-streaming in the area shortly after resharing a social media post from Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate claimed to share Obama’s address.

The prosecutors urged a federal magistrate judge in the D.C. District Court to keep Taranto detained pending his trial for charges related to the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.

In the filing, prosecutors noted that Taranto not only possessed weapons but also made threats against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin.

In June, Taranto and several others entered an elementary school near Raskin’s home.

The disturbing incident was live streamed by Taranto, who documented the group’s actions, such as wandering around the school, entering the gymnasium, and projecting a film related to the events of January 6.

The court filing revealed Taranto’s motive behind targeting the elementary school, stating that its proximity to Raskin’s residence influenced his choice.

Taranto expressed his intention to send a “shockwave” to Raskin, whom he perceived as harboring animosity towards supporters of former President Trump.

The memo quoted Taranto, who stated,

“he’s one of the guys that hates January 6 people, or more like Trump supporters, and it’s kind of like sending a shockwave through him because I did nothing wrong, and he’s probably freaking out and saying s*** like, ‘Well he’s stalking me.’”

Moreover, Taranto explicitly mentioned the location of the school, Piney Branch Elementary School in Maryland, which is adjacent to Raskin’s residence.

Prosecutors emphasized the immediate and severe threat Taranto posed to the public.

They argued that his words and actions demonstrated his potential danger to multiple political figures and the general public.

Further, they urged the judge to consider the high-risk Taranto would pose if released, warning of potentially catastrophic consequences.

Taranto, already subject to an open warrant related to the January 6 riot charges, was apprehended last week in Obama’s neighborhood while possessing firearms.

The day before his arrest, Taranto claimed on a livestream that he possessed a detonator.

On June 28, prosecutors stated that Taranto made “ominous comments” on video targeting McCarthy, proclaiming, “Coming at you, McCarthy. Can’t stop what’s coming. Nothing can stop what’s coming.”

After witnessing these threatening remarks, law enforcement authorities attempted to locate Taranto but were unsuccessful.

The following day, on June 29, Trump allegedly shared what he claimed to be Obama’s address on the social media platform Truth Social.

Taranto, using his own Truth Social account, reposted the address.

Taranto further declared, “We got these losers surrounded! See you in hell, Podesta’s and Obama’s.”

Shortly after, Taranto resumed live streaming from his YouTube channel while driving through Washington D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood.

According to the government’s filing, Taranto parked his van and walked around the residential area.

Due to the restricted nature of the neighborhood, United States Secret Service officers began monitoring Taranto almost immediately upon his arrival and initiation of filming.

Prosecutors highlighted Taranto’s repeated claims that his actions were protected by free speech as if uttering the words “First Amendment” absolved him of trespassing.

The detention memo quoted Taranto’s remarks captured in his recording: “So yeah, more than likely, these guys also all hang for treason. See how I said that? You gotta be very safe and careful. Someone warned me.”

As Secret Service agents approached Taranto while veering off the street into a wooded area, he attempted to flee but was swiftly apprehended and arrested.

In their filing, prosecutors disclosed that two firearms, a “Smith and Wesson M&P Shield” and a “Ceska 9mm C.Z. Scorpion E3,” were discovered in Taranto’s van during his arrest.

Additionally, they found numerous rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition, a steering wheel lock, a machete, signs, a mattress, and other items indicating that Taranto had been residing in the van. While over a dozen other firearms are registered to Taranto, authorities said they have yet to locate them.

1887—Mound Bayou, Miss., perhaps the nation’s best known historically all-Black town, is founded by ex-slave Isaiah Montgomery and his cousin Benjamin T. Green. It was built as a sanctuary for former slaves during a period when Jim Crow racism and terrorism by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan were on the rise. It is considered the oldest surviving allBlack town in America. According to the 2000 Census, the town had 2,100 residents.

1937—Actor, comedian and political activist William “Bill” Cosby is born on this day in Philadelphia, Pa. Cosby would rise from nightclub comedian, to actor in several of the socalled Black exploitation movies of the 1970s, to star of the hit NBC television series “The Cosby Show” from 1984-92. The show won numerous awards and praise for its portrayal of a middle-class African-American family.

1949— Although he is seldom mentioned today, Frederick M. Jones was one of Black America’s most productive inventors. There are at least 60 patents to his credit. However, Jones is best known for the invention of an air conditioning unit. Specifically, he designed an automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks and trains which he patented on this day in 1949. Jones was born in 1893 in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati. He died in 1961.

• JULY 13

1863 —One of the bloodiest race (or perhaps more appropriately “racist”) riots in America history begins. The event, known historically as New York City Draft Riots , was sparked by angry opposition to the congressionally passed Enrollment Act—a mandatory draft requiring White men to fight in the Civil War. Many Whites went on a rampage out of opposition to the draft and fear of freed Blacks competing with them for jobs. The rioting lasted from July 13 to July 16 before it was finally put down with the aid of Federal troops. But before it was over, an estimated 100 people had been killed and 300 wounded—most of them Blacks. The mandatory draft also reflected a fact commonly omitted from standard American history texts: the class nature of much legislation. In this instance, the draft only applied to poor and working-class Whites. Wealthy Whites were officially exempted from the draft by paying a fee.

1868—Oscar J. Dunn , a former slave, is installed as Louisiana’s lieutenant governor. At the time, it was the highest elective state position ever achieved by any African American. Another Black, Antoine Dubuclet, was installed as state treasurer. However, virtually all the Black political gains after the Civil War would be wiped out by the Hayes-Tilden Compromise of 1872 and the subsequent anti-Black Jim Crow laws. It would take nearly 100 years (during the 1960s) before Blacks would once again begin to match the political gains they had made during the post-Civil War period.

• JULY 15 1779— Noted Black spy Pompey Lamb supplies the American revolutionary forces with information, which enables them to win the Battle of Stony Point—the last major battle of the Revolutionary War in New York State. Lamb had worked as a fruit and vegetable delivery man for the British Army.

1822—Philadelphia becomes one of the first major cities to open its public schools to Blacks. The first school was a segregated one just for Black boys. One for girls was opened four years later in 1826. The city’s public schools would remain segregated until the 1930s.

• JULY 16

1862— Crusading journalist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett is born in Holly Springs, Miss. Wells-Barnett was a true militant activist. Her editorials so angered Whites in the Memphis, Tenn., area that a mob burned down the building which housed her newspaper. She was also one of the original founders of the NAACP and in 1884 she committed a “Rosa Parks” type act when she refused an order to give up her seat on a train to a White man. It took the conductor and two other men to remove her from the seat and throw her off the train.

1882—Violette A. Johnson is born.

She would become the first Black female attorney allowed to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

• JULY 17

1794— Former slave and minister Richard Allen officially dedicated the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pa. The church was the first all-Black denomination not affiliated with a larger White congregation. The incident leading to the dedication took place in 1787 when Allen, Absalom Jones and several other Blacks were thrown out of Philadelphia’s St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church when they attempted to pray along-side Whites. The AME Church would go on to become one of the largest Black religious denominations in America.

1862— As the Southern, pro-slavery rebels prove more difficult in battle than expected, Congress passes a law giving President Abraham Lincoln the authority to begin recruiting free Blacks and recently freed slaves into military service during the Civil War.

1911—Frank M. Snowden is born in York County, Va. The Harvard educated Snowden would become a prominent professor at Washington, D.C.’s, Howard University and a leading authority on Blacks in ancient history. His major works include “Blacks in Antiquity: Ethiopians in the Greco-Roman Experience” and “Before Color Prejudice: The Ancient View of Blacks.” Snowden documented that “Ethiopians pioneered religion” and played a major role in the development of the greatness of ancient Egypt. Snowden also showed that Blacks influenced the development of both ancient Greek and Roman societies working in capacities ranging from musicians to scholars. Snowden died in February 2007 at the age of 95.

1942— Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Ky. Ali would join the Nation of Islam and become a major opponent of the U.S. war in Vietnam. He would later split with Malcolm X when Malcolm broke away from the Nation of Islam.

1944— The so-called Port of Chicago Mutiny takes place. In the middle of America’s involvement in World War II, an ammunitions depot at Port Chicago, Calif., explodes killing 320 men—most of them Black. It was the worse stateside disaster in U.S. military history. However, when 258 surviving Black soldiers refused to return to work until they received certain safety guarantees, their refusal was labeled a mutiny by military authorities. Fifty of the soldiers were convicted of mutiny and jailed. However, after the war, President Harry S. Truman commuted their sentences.

• JULY 18

1753— This is believed to be the day Lemuel Haynes escaped from slavery in Massachusetts. The product of a Black father and a mother who was normally described in history texts as “a White woman of respectable ancestry,” Haynes would become a renowned figure in early American history. He fought with distinction in American Revolutionary War for independence from Britain and would become the first Black person ordained as a minister by a mainstream Protestant church. He was also the first Black in American history to become head minister at a predominantly White church.

1863—Sergeant William H. Carney was the first Black person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in battle. The bravery which led to the medal occurred on this day in 1863 at the battle of Battery Wagner.

1918—Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is born in Transkei, South Africa. Mandela would spend 27 years in prison for his struggles against the system of racial oppression in South Africa known as apartheid. When he was finally released in 1990, it was a day of massive celebration for Blacks and progressive Whites throughout South Africa and much of the world. He won hundreds of awards for his anti-apartheid efforts including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. With the downfall of apartheid in the early 1990s, Mandela would become the first Black president of the country in 1994. He was widely praised for not launching a campaign of revenge against his White former oppressors.

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati are similar; but Cincy to unveil a ‘Black Music Walk of Fame,’ July 22

In some ways, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are similar. They both are more than 200 years old, have roughly the same population (300,000), are filled with hills, its residents love their professional sports teams like the Bengals and Steelers, Reds and Pirates...

The cities have a popular university named after it, in Pitt and “UC” (University of Cincinnati). And miraculously, the Ohio River cuts right through Cincinnati, with the river actually originating... that’s right, in Pittsburgh.

Both cities have longstanding African American heritage. Pittsburgh has the August Wilson African American Cultural Center; Cincinnati has the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, both Downtown.

But come Saturday, July 22, Cincinnati will have something that Pittsburgh doesn’t — a Black Music Walk of Fame.

Many Black Pittsburghers are familiar with the annual Cincinnati Music Festival, which brings more than 100,000 people to Cincinnati’s pro football stadium to hear numerous R&B acts each summer. The grand opening of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will coincide with the festival weekend.

The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will be an interactive outdoor technology park near the pro football stadium (Paycor Stadium) on the banks

of the Ohio River. The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned it will feature the stars and stories of Black musicians of influence from the Cincinnati area, which is also known as the “Queen City.”

The Walk of Fame will also feature “augmented reality,” as people can dance to the beat of pulse drums, which will be synchronized with an illumination. Keep dancing (on beat), and one will receive a light show inside a nearby fountain. A person can also sing and perform virtually with some of that person’s favorite Walk of Fame inductees.

The grand opening on July 22 will also feature

a live, in-person performance from the Ohio Players, who performed at Pittsburgh’s Juneteenth festival, June 19.

“This new state-of-theart interactive tourism attraction celebrating the rich culture of Black musical artists, producers, and songwriters will educate, entertain and attract tourists worldwide while bringing together multi-generations of families to enjoy at this free park,” said Alicia Reece, the Walk of Fame founder, in a statement obtained by the Courier. Reece is a Hamilton County Commissioner whose mother, Barbara Howard, was a vocalist. Howard’s album,

“On The Rise,” was pro-

duced by Reece’s father, Steven Reece.

Pittsburghers who take the five-hour trip to Cincinnati for next weekend’s Cincinnati Music Festival will most likely be among the first Western Pennsylvania residents to experience the Black Music Walk of Fame firsthand. The ceremony begins at noon, located precisely next to the Andrew J. Brady Center, 25 Race St. It’s an “All White” clothing affair. The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame was created in 2021, but did not have a physical location. Reece fought like the dickens to find the

$24 million in funding for the project, as she first brought the proposal to the public during a press conference on April 26, 2021. She stood in Downtown Cincinnati, next to “an empty lot filled with gravel and rocks,” as Reece has said. She saw the vision for what the empty lot could become.

“From a gravel lot covered with rocks to becoming one of the greatest world-renowned outdoor Black music tourism attractions is historic,” Reece said in 2021. “Through the interactive elements and use of the latest technology, we will connect our rich Black music legacy as inspiration to the genera-

tions of future music legends to come.”

The first inductees into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame in 2021 were Bootsy Collins, the Isley Brothers, Dr. Charles Fold and Otis Williams. In 2022, the inductees were: Penny Ford, Midnight Star, Wilbert Longmire, and Hi-Tek. This year, 2023, the inductees will be: James Brown, Louise Shropshire, The Deele and Philippé Wynne.

Tragedy strikes Beaver County—

Two Black teens killed hours apart

reeling over

Moreland

or only one. Police in Ambridge reported that Beaver County’s SWAT Team did corner one of the suspects, an 18-year-old, and eventually took him into custody. The second male had not been apprehended as of Tuesday evening, July 11.

Black grandparents remember the days when they could walk in their neighborhood, and the last thing anyone, young or old, would think is that there was a possibility of being shot. African Americans of a certain age remember the days when other adults in the neighbor-

hood would look after them as kids, even telling their parents if the kid did something wrong. And when the street lights came on, it was time to get in the house. Today, parents and grandparents — well, many of them — are weary about having their teens outside at any time. So far in 2023, in addition to Sparrow and Moreland in Beaver County, there have been three other teens between the ages of 13 and 15 that were killed in Allegheny County, along with a 15-yearold, Damien Jackson, who was shot in New Castle at a graduation

party, and later died at a hospital in Pittsburgh.

The three teens between ages 13 and 15 who died in Allegheny County in 2023 were: Chase Jones, 13 (shot in Clairton); Tre’Sean Jackson, 15 (shot in Allentown); and Derrick Harris, 15 (shot in front of Oliver Citywide Academy in Marshall-Shadeland). All six aforementioned teens who were killed were Black.

Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier pleaded with the Aliquippa community to help them find the person or persons responsible for Dahvea Sparrow’s murder. Dahvea Sparrow’s mother, Nicole, also pleaded with

the public, those who knew Dahvea, those who may have been at the house party with Dahvea right before he was killed, to come forward with information.

Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker demanded answers.

“Bring closure,” the mayor said, hoping that the community would give police the information needed to make an arrest. “If you know something, say something. Quit sitting around harboring people that don’t have the right to be around here. This is our community. You got 10,000 people here and 1,000 people gon’ change how we are? No. No. No.”

Walker, who knew Dahvea Sparrow personally, said news of his death was “hopes and dreams shattered.” He added: “Everybody in the city knew Dahvea. That kid would smile and light up a room. The coward that did this and whoever saw it, you need to come forward. This ain’t L.A., this is lovely Aliquippa.”

Nicole Sparrow, Dahvea’s mother, said that she wants justice. She added: “I can’t live here knowing somebody walking around took my child from me.”

Sam Clancy Sr. gets his flowers

Honored with a street renaming in the Hill District at Bedford Avenue and Roberts Street

School. Clancy played at Fifth Avenue High School, leading the team to a state championship as a junior in 1976. When Fifth Avenue closed, Clancy went to the newly-minted Brashear and was a member of its first graduating class in 1977.

Clancy was a four-year starter at Pitt from 197781, averaging 14.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Clancy is the only Pitt basketball player to score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 1,000 rebounds in a career.

Clancy was drafted into the NBA and the NFL; the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. After playing one season of professional basketball in the Continental Basketball Association, Clancy made the permanent move to football, playing 12 professional seasons. Clancy played with Seattle, Cleveland and Indianapolis in the NFL, and with the Pittsburgh Maulers and Memphis Showboats of the USFL. Clancy was on those Cleveland Browns teams that made it to two AFC Championship Games in the late 1980s, while the Steelers were “finding themselves” with the likes of Mark Malone and Bubby Brister at quarterback.

Clancy returned to Pitt in 2005 to complete a bachelor’s degree in social sciences. He served as a football strength and

conditioning assistant for three seasons before transitioning to the administrative side of collegiate athletics with the Pitt Varsity Letter Club, according to a release from Pitt. Clancy is now in his 14th year directing the Varsity Letter Club, responsible for athletics alumni relations, engagement and connecting alumni with current Pitt student-athletes.

The University of Pittsburgh came out to the Hill to thank Clancy for his dedication and hard work over the years.

“I’ve been working with

that we can say about Mr. Clancy. One is that he never left the neighborhood. A lot of people get that money and they’re gone. He stayed here to pour into the youth of our city and the Hill District. Today is a very special day because we get to honor you and say thank you. For every child that is here, I want you to see what hard work and dedication looks like. Especially those that come from the same neighborhood you come from. He came up when times were more difficult than what you have today. They kept telling him he

are a close-knit family, with lots of love. Sam is such a humble man. He has never let his success change him into someone he was not. He was born and raised in the lower part of the Hill District at Bedford and Roberts. He never forgot where his foundation began and where he came him. He is definitely an icon of the H-I-double-L. We love him dearly and are proud to be

Clancy, but it’s about the Hill District. It’s about the love that you’ve shown me my whole life,” Clancy said, as hundreds looked on. “It wasn’t just me because I didn’t do this by myself. I have teammates here right now. Puffy Kennedy and I went to elementary and high school together so we’ve been through the fire our whole life. When I met these guys in high school, that’s when

it. If you knew my mom, then you know she didn’t hold back. There are so many people I can thank because Puffy and I have been together, and then there’s Warnie Macklin, Edwin Peoples and Bill Clark and we all became one. I was a young brother in high school playing in the adult league with ‘Rev. Junk Head’ and many others. I’ve learned a lot from everyone and I

Mr. Sam ‘Bam’ Clancy for the last 15 years. We all know the tremendous impact he’s had in the community and at the University of Pittsburgh,” said Penny Semaia, the senior associate athletic director at the university. “What I want to share is what we see right now. Just look around and see all of the wonderful, beautiful people that are here. Everyone knows Sam from his time at the USFL, Pitt, NFL, and the NBA. (But) everyone (also) knows Sam because of his heart. Sam’s heart is what makes him so blessed and honored. On behalf of the University of Pittsburgh Pitt Athletics, we just want to thank you for all you’ve done for us and the community.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey started his comments off with, “Good afternoon H-I-double-L! There are a lot of things

couldn’t make it and now he’s here. He’s almost like the rapper Drake, ‘Started from the bottom, now we’re here.’”

Clancy comes from a huge family that is wellknown in the Hill District, which includes the Clancy and Williams families. Two of his cousins, Markique Harris and Carmela Williams-Reese, spoke very highly of Clancy and his accomplishments.

“I’m humbly grateful that my cousin entrusted me to help with his street renaming,” Harris told the Courier. “As a family we’re proud of this momentous achievement and thankful for the outpour of support. It was a great feeling to be able to give him his flowers. Congrats ‘Fave.’” Reese said: He (Clancy) has been a role model for all his family, especially the younger ones. It should be noted that we

his family. Love you Sammy!” Clancy was overcome with emotion and grateful to everyone who put the event together. He humbly let everyone know that this historic moment was for everyone, not just him.

“This isn’t about Sam

my life changed. It was a community that raised all of us and all of you are a part of me. I wish my mom and dad were here.

My dad was quiet, but you know my mom (would be) talking trash by telling you how she was going to block the street off because her son’s name is on

don’t take it for granted. I love you guys, my family, the community and the University of Pittsburgh because you’ve given me so much.”

Take Charge Of Your Health

Incarceration takes heavy toll on health

Compared to other major countries, the U.S. is the leader in how many people we put behind bars with 1.9 million confined nationwide.

In Pennsylvania, there are about 73,00 people behind bars, including 29,000 in local jails who are mostly awaiting trial because they can’t afford bail.

Incarceration

As we continue our discussion around the Social Determinants of Health, we are centering on incarceration and its impact on health. Carlos T. Carter, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, shares his ideas:

What are your thoughts on the ways the mass industrial prison complex disproportionality impacts Black and brown communities?

Our country spends $10.3 billion incarcerating nearly 2 million people.  However, we are not willing to fully invest in education, housing, and other resources that could prevent incarceration.  The big business of incarceration is making a few people rich, while impoverishing and devastating whole communities of color.

There is a concerted effort to dehumanize and criminalize Black people, leading to their overrepresentation in the prison system when compared to white Americans. Black people receive harsher sentences for similar crimes committed by their White counterparts. They are also more likely to sit in jail due to being unable to afford bail. Overinvestment in incarceration is setting up our children and future generations for failure.

It is difficult to unlock your greatness when you are imprisoned.  It is challenging to be a good parent, financially provide, and positively contribute to your child’s social and emotional development when you are locked up. Our incarcerated Black fathers cannot participate in Father’s Day activities at their child’s school, and that is devastating to our children! Imagine how you would feel as a kid on the basketball team or as a cheerleader when you up look in the stands and don’t see your parent because they are locked up.  This is heartbreaking!

What are some of the ways that the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh supports people who have histories of incarceration and their families?

We help returning citizens in many ways. We help to remove barriers by connecting them to job training and placement, housing, emergency food support, and by providing opportunities to help the whole family at our three Family Support Centers.

More specifically, we help people with first month’s rent and security deposit.  We have provided food, basic necessities, and other supplies to people when they leave the county jail.

We currently provide free adult job training programs like COMPTIAA and CISCO leading to certifications and living wage jobs in the tech sector.  We also offer paid job training for individuals aged 55 and up through our Urban Senior Job Program with special support for those facing high barriers.  We are actively recruiting people to join both programs-please see our website ulpgh. org for more information.

Further, we provide youth leadership opportunities for our teen girls and boys through our Black Male Leadership Development Institute and Black Female Leadership Development Institute. Each cohort of both programs includes young people who have been impacted by parental incarceration.

As we work together to create a community where everyone feels cherished and supported, what can our readers do to advocate for change?

First, we need to address the stigma around returning citizens and must recognize their humanity and value as people. We must invest in their potential.  It is in everyone’s best interest that our formerly incarcerated neighbors are reintegrated into society by being presented with opportunities to gain the financial independence needed to break cycles of poverty and recidivism.

We also must find ways to invest less in the prison industrial complex and invest more in housing, education, and greater support systems for our youth and families.

Finally, we must vote for candidates in all offices who support an approach to criminal justice reform that empowers people to learn from their mistakes and positions them to be thriving, contributing members of society.  We need leaders who will commit to disrupt this toxic system that continues to eviscerate the dignity and quality of life for Black and brown people who have sacrificed so much for our country!

Of those people, Black Americans are incarcerated at unequal population rates compared to White people, especially for low-level, non-violent offenses, such as drug possession. They also receive the harshest sentences, including death sentences.

Social determinants of Health (SDoH) are the non-medical forces that shape a person’s well-being from birth to death.

They play a role in this inequity, especially bias and discrimination in policing practice, drug law enforcement, sentencing, pretrial detention, and cash bail.

The ripple effect University of Pittsburgh’s Dr. Emily Dauria, Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, studies incarceration as a significant driver of public health. “Incarceration affects the health and well-being of the person who’s incarcerated,” she explains. “We know from research that people who are or have been incarcerated are disproportionately in poor health before, during, and after their incarceration.

“Incarceration may also affect the health of the person’s family, neighborhood and community. “It alters important emotional and social bonds,” she continues. Dr. Dauria’s research asks important questions about incarceration’s impact on the health of Black and Brown people and the places they live. For example, How are women and communities affected when Black and Brown men, are removed and incarcerated disproportionately?

What Dr. Dauria and others’ research shows is that when we put someone behind bars, it causes disruptions in every aspect of their life. Not only can it worsen their health, but also impact their employment, housing, education, and healthcare, including Medicaid coverage. It also damages relationships within families, social sets, religious groups, and even alters neighborhood dynamics.

“Incarceration has a deep ripple effect on health outcomes,” says Dr. Dauria. “Not only on the individual who enters the carceral system, but also on the people in their life, especially the 10 million children who have had one or both parents incarcerated.”

Within Allegheny County, 35,000 children and youth have experienced parental incarceration. Since 2003, nonprofit organization Amachi Pittsburgh has supported these families. The organization uses trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches to engage the whole family system. Services include a mentoring program for children, an ambassador program for high school students that reduces stigma and amplifies voices for civ-

ic engagement, and a family strengthening program. “Amachi” is a Nigerian-Igbo word that means, “who knows but what God has brought us through this child.”

Black and Brown people who enter the carceral system already face daunting and disparate health issues caused by poverty, substance use, sex work, untreated mental health factors, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, limited or no health insurance, and lack of access to quality healthcare providers. Incarceration often makes those conditions worse.

Healthcare gaps

The U.S. Constitution requires that all people who being detained receive adequate medical care. However, there can be huge disparities and gaps in the quality. This is caused by facility turnover, a shortage of service providers, and overcrowding, which may create health conditions, such as COVID, hepatitis, and TB.

One example that’s especially disturbing is pre- and post-natal care for incarcerated birthing people who, depending on the state they live in, may be shackled during delivery and subject to the inspection process after they’ve given birth — and who often receive little or no lactation support.

Mental health care is also lacking. The distress caused by being locked up can make other mental health conditions worse as can solitary confinement 23 hours a day.

“For some, the healthcare they receive while they’re incarcerated may be their first,” says Dr. Dauria. “But it can vary from system to system. Plus, it’s hard to address comprehensive healthcare needs in a system designed to punish.”

What’s being done to improve health outcomes?

In Pittsburgh and nationwide, there are programs to help divert people from incarceration, especially for low-level offenses.

There are also programs to boost healthcare outcomes for incarcerated people and reduce recidivism.

Preventing initial incarceration

Dr. Steven M. Albert, Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at Pitt , is especially hopeful about a recent report titled “How Long is Long Enough?” The report focuses on the U.S. tendency to put too many people in prison for too long. In the report, there are 14 recommendations, including reducing racial and ethnic disparities in sentencing and lowering recidivism by providing health services, training, and other opportunities in prison.

Dr. Albert explains, “If we can shorten people’s sentences, for example, we can use the money we save to offer more and earlier drug prevention and treatment programs. This improves health outcomes for substance users and helps them move away from the carceral system altogether.”

Lowering recidivism

For Allegheny County citizens who’ve served their sentences and are re-enter-

ing the community, Pittsburgh offers Reimagine ReEntry, one of four programs that make up the Pitt Public Health Violence Prevention Initiative.

Co-lead by Dr. Albert and Richard Garland, Reimagine ReEntry provides opportunities, reduces barriers, and supports returning citizens, their loved ones, and communities.

“We know from research that staying out of the carceral system for about three years greatly improves a person’s chances of staying out long term. But people need help to do that.”

With that in mind, Reimagine ReEntry works with a formerly incarcerated person for three years after they leave the system. The coaching staff helps the individual build and re-build support networks, find and receive education, training and a good-paying job, take advantage of mental health resources, and reunite with family members.

Turning differences inside-out

David Harris, Professor of Law at Pitt, studies, writes, and teaches about police behavior, law enforcement and race, and search and seizure law.

Among the courses Professor Harris teaches is the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, where traditional Pitt students learn and study alongside people who are incarcerated in the State Correctional Institute (SCI)—Greene.

Pitt and SCI-Greene are two of 150 campuses and correctional facilities that participate in Inside-Out nationwide. The program was founded in 1997. Pitt has been a participating member since 2017.

Inside SCI-Greene, Pitt students and incarcerated people, who may be studying to earn their GED, learn together about law and criminal justice issues.

“It’s good for my law students to meet, talk to, and get to know people who are incarcerated in the place they’re confined,” Professor Harris explains. “It helps to break down stereotypes and creates a learning community between two groups of people whose paths differ greatly.”

The breakdown often results in a realization for Pitt students that differences stem from the circumstances of a person’s birth — where they were born, their gender, and the color of their skin.

“For incarcerated students, the value of Inside-Out is dignity and worth,” says Professor Harris. “In the classroom setting, they’re treated as human beings, partners, and peers. Their experience and thinking are valued. It’s a model program for boosting human connection and understanding human capabilities.”

Professor Harris reminds us, “Every person has value regardless of their circumstances. What we see in the carceral system is a reflection of the disparities taking place in our Black and Brown communities nationwide.”

Allegheny County’s Dept. of Human Services offers resources for persons involved in the carceral system.

Foundation of HOPE removes re-entry roadblocks

Since 2002, Pittsburgh’s Foundation of Hope has been helping individuals impacted by the criminal justice system to rebuild and improve their lives. HOPE offers several programs. Chaplaincy takes place in the Allegheny County Jail and features inter-faith religious services and instruction classes; oneon-one counseling, including grief counseling if a family member dies; hygiene care packages; and holiday events and celebrations.

Requiring 120 hours of group work per person, as well as a final exam, the pre-release program is a collaboration between soon-to-be released individuals, community service providers, and volunteers. Everyone works together to help transform thinking and behaviors as people returning from jail prepare to make a new start. Key themes include addiction and recovery, anger man-

agement, “stinking thinking,” life and parenting skills, release and reintegration, and spiritual formation.

Aftercare is a pre- and post-release integration program that provides release individuals with assistance, resources, referrals and guidance about employment, housing, and other social issues. Aftercare covers everything from toiletries and reading glasses, to employment and housing counseling, to creating a resume and getting an ID.

Aftercare may also include one-on-one mentoring in the jail and after release, as well as Positive Initiative to Reinforce Change (PIRC) support groups that provide a safe and welcoming forum for released individuals and their supporters.

The Foundation of HOPE Adult Diversion Program provides supportive services, freeof-cost, to individuals trapped in a cycle of justice involvement due to substance use

and mental health.

The HOPE program is based on public health and harm reduction principles. Each person in the program is offered safe, judgment-free, intensive case management and referrals to a network of evidence-based services to help address their unique needs. By addressing key social determinants of health with a trauma-informed approach, Foundation of HOPE and its partners seek to lower the numbers of fatal overdose and mitigate many of the reasons that people who use substances encounter police.

The goal is to support participants toward stability by limiting the harms associated with using substances.

Learn more about Foundation of HOPE by visiting the organization’s website at foundationofhope.org.

RIvER Clinic supports formerly incarcerated people

In 2021, the Rethinking Incarceration and Empowering Recovery Clinic or RIvER Clinic began offering immediate, effective, and compassionate primary healthcare to people as soon as they leave the carceral system for substance use disorders, hepatitis C, diabetes, high blood pressure, women’s health needs, mental health issues, and more.

The care also includes helping patients find and use support services as they reunite with their families and communities. The program is supported by grants from local and state sources.

Since it opened, RIvER Clinic has helped hundreds of people regardless of their ability to pay.

A community health worker and a social worker go into Allegheny County Jail to meet people ahead of time. Upon release, a patient may meet with the clinic’s medical staff, which includes two internal medicine doctors and a nurse navigator, to evaluate health needs and provide care, including telemedicine. A psychiatrist is available to support psychiatric needs, and a social worker is present to aid with transportation, hous-

ing, food security, and more. Additionally, a Patient Care Navigator and a Peer Recovery Specialist support patients in their transition back to the community.

RIvER Clinic’s goal is to make formerly incarcerated people’s re-entry to normal life healthier by lowering their risk of relapse in substance use and drug overdose — and reducing their chances of returning to the carceral system.

RIvER Clinic is one of the many programs Allegheny Health Network offers via its Center for Inclusion Health

Rev. Earlene Coleman's 20th pastoral anniversary

Newly-formed Manchester Connection honors local Pittsburghers

An educator at heart, JCSU’s new president comes home

Valerie Kinloch played school with an eye toward the future.

Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, there was role play and modeling teacher behavior with playmates. Then, graduation to administrator. Along the way, something was brewing: career aspirations.

“We would play school on the front porch, and we would have like these images of what it would mean to be an educator or a leader,” Kinloch recalled. “I thought I would eventually do something like this, but I really didn’t think that I would. And I think all of the experiences that I’ve had have prepared me for this moment.”

That moment is Kinloch’s return to Johnson C. Smith University as its next president. A 1996 JCSU graduate, she takes over effective Aug. 1 as the second woman to lead the school, which enrolls approximately 1,100 students. Dorothy Cowser Yancy, JCSU’s president from 1994-2008 was the first, and her example was an inspiration.

“I remember [Yancy] like it was yesterday,” said Kinloch, dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. “She was always a force, she knew what she wanted to

Nine ways to prepare for homeownership

For New Pittsburgh Courier

I was watching a Netflix Series the other night, “How to Get Rich,” hosted by finance guru and New York Times bestselling author Ramit Sethi.  In one profile, he follows a young African American gymnast who purchased a condo but was clearly not ready for home ownership.  She moved in not knowing who would be responsible for repairs, had not understood her HOA (Home Owner Association) fees would be in addition to her mortgage, and her mortgage was over 40 percent of her income.  When she moved in she did not have hot water and several months later she was still taking cold showers because she could not get the HOA to make the repair and could not afford to pay for it.  She could not afford to go on vacations, to have a meal out or to make even the most modest purchases.

She was not ready to be a homeowner.

I was really rooting for her because she wanted to be a homeowner…. badly.  She saw it as a pathway to wealth, in-

dependence and just the right thing to do.  Who can argue with that?

But, getting ready to be a homeowner involves several important steps to ensure a smooth transition into homeownership.

Here are some ways to help you prepare:

1. Determine your financial readiness: Evaluate your financial situation to determine if you’re ready to take on the responsibility of homeownership. Consider factors such as your income, savings, debts, and credit score. Ensure that your finances are in order and that you have a stable income to afford mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other associated costs.

2. Start to accumulate savings: In anticipating your down payment, you will need at least 20 percent of the purchase price. So, for a house that costs $500,000, that’s $10,000.  Now, add to the down payment closing costs, which usually range from 2 percent to 5 percent of the purchase price.

3. Set a budget: Yes, everyone wants the

To be rich is to have an abundance of something. To be filthy rich is to have an abundance of something to serve you throughout your lifetime and leave enough of something behind to have an indelible impression on the lives of others.

I recently saw a meme that read, “I have 99 problems and money can solve about 73 of them.” What about the other 26 problems? If you still have problems that you’re wrestling with after you’ve received an abundance of money, something other than your pockets is still broke.

We all aspire to have an abundant life. We want to fulfill our goals and dreams. We want to provide for our family. We want to serve as a positive influence on those who come into our life. We want to do more of the things we love and enjoy. We want to be in position to help others who are in need without depleting our resources, be it time, energy, or money.

Before we can be a resource to others, we must first pour into our own tank. For you can’t give that which you don’t have. You’re limited when you have little to nothing at your disposal. Having abundance gives you flexibility, freedom, and options.

So often we get so caught up in chasing monetary and material riches by seeking B.B.D (Bigger, Better Deals), we poi-

create, and somehow she found a way to create it. I’ve always watched her; I watched her after I left here. I watched her when I was working on that master’s and PhD, thinking about what leadership looks like, particularly with Black women and women of color. She probably doesn’t know this, but she was instrumental in how I thought about entering into higher education.”

Yancy, who went on to lead Shaw University in Raleigh before retiring in 2013, didn’t knowingly shape Kinloch’s career trajectory, but takes delight in making an impact.

“Sometimes when you are an example for people or they see you as a role model, you don’t know you just have to do your job,” Yancy told The Post. “Try to do the best that you can and hope that somewhere along the way you influence someone. You don’t know that you’re influencing people when it happens. But I’m very proud of her career as I watched her at Wayne State [University in Detroit where she went for master’s and doctorate degrees]; I watched her at Columbia, and I watched her at Ohio State. Of course, I remember when she became the dean up at Pitt. Each move I followed her and it’s been

Rent-to-Own: New housing program offers rent with option to buy

For New Pittsburgh Courier

Amid a continued affordable housing crisis, the rent-toown model has gained traction in recent years, providing individuals with a flexible, achievable pathway to homeownership.

In a real estate market that is seeing an ongoing affordability crisis— with homeownership is an elusive dream for many—the concept of “rent with the option to

Program provides hope for aspiring homeowners

buy” has emerged as a promising solution. This innovative approach offers aspiring homeowners an opportunity to rent a property with the potential to eventually purchase it.

The rent-to-own model has gained traction in recent years, providing individuals with a pathway to homeownership

that is not only flexible but also very achievable. This innovative initiative combines the benefits of renting with the option to buy, presenting a viable path to homeownership for individuals and families struggling to break into the real estate market.

The traditional model of homeownership has

long been viewed as the goal for many individuals, representing stability, investment potential and a sense of accomplishment. However, rising property prices and stagnant wages have made it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to achieve this dream. Recognizing the need for an alternative approach, several real estate developers have introduced rent-to-own

son our ability to be rich in other areas of our life, leaving problems to solve that money can’t fix. Never trust that Bigger, Better Deals will bring you continuous smiles.

I recently read a story about a fisherman. One day while he was out fishing, a banker paid him a visit. The banker was impressed with his slate of fish. The banker asked, “how long did it take you to catch these fish?”

The fisherman replied, “just a little while.” The banker replied, “Imagine if you put in more time, you can make a lot of more money.” The fisherman replied, “I make enough to provide for my family.” Puzzled, the banker asked, “what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman replied, “I sleep in late, spend time with my wife and kids. Every weekend, I have a beer or two with my buddies.” The banker stated, “you should take out a loan to buy a bigger boat and spend more time fishing so that you can catch more fish.” The fisherman replied, “then what?” The banker said, “then you can sell more fish and make a ton of money.”

The fisherman replied, “then what?”

The banker said, “you can by a fleet of boats, employ others to fish, sell more fish and make even more money. Before you know it, you’ll be filthy rich.” The fisherman asked, “how long will this take?” The banker replied, “about 2030 years.” The fisherman asked, “then what?” The banker replied, “when you’re filthy rich, you’ll be able to sleep in late, spend time with your wife and kids. Every weekend, you’ll be able to have a beer or two with your buddies.” The fisherman smile and replied, “I’m good. I have more than plenty right now.”

The fisherman who was rich in wisdom and understanding knew that if he earned enough money to provide for his family, spend quality time with his family and had time to do fun stuff with his buddies, he was living an abundant life. He was content with where he was in life. He didn’t need Bigger, Better Deals that the banker was trying to sell him to feel fulfilled.

Do you want to have an abundant life?

Do you want to be content, feel appreci-

ated and valued? Would you like to do more of the things that mattered to you? Do you want to make a positive impact on the lives of others? If so, aspire to be rich! Filthy Rich! It’s about having an abundance of everything—or more than enough to make you feel whole.

Below are some things we should aspire to be rich with:

Rich in money: Being rich in money isn’t about earning the most money. It’s about earning enough that’s sufficient to provide for you and your family needs, being able to save for future goals and have a life. It’s about being content with what you have, while aspiring for and working towards having more

Rich in knowledge and wisdom:

When you know better, you do better! Seek knowledge and clarity in everything you do in life. No one cares about your best interest more than you. Be prudent about the decisions you make in life. Where we are today is the subtotal of the decisions that we’ve made over the years. Rich in adventure: Live! Have some fun. There’s stability in routine but there’s no growth or fun. Don’t always be so predictable. Try new things. Visit new places. Meet new people. Explore, learn,

awesome to watch.”

Yancy recalled Kinloch’s potential was apparent during her undergraduate days. On a small campus like JCSU’s, star students are celebrated among faculty, administrators, and alumni alike.

“She was an English major and was one of Dr. Maxine Funderburk Moore’s students,” Yancy said. “[Moore] used to talk about her, and after she graduated and went to Wayne State, we tried to hire her to come back when she was finishing her degree because Dr. Moore was just determined to bring her back to Johnson C. Smith. She used to say ‘we have to watch her now, she’s going to do well, she’s going to do great things.’ Dr. Moore is in heaven smiling right now.”

In addition to her academic credentials, Kinloch has published nine books and Education Week named her to its 2023 list of most influential U.S. scholars. She was previously president of the National Council of Teachers of English. What she brings to JCSU is a diverse background that includes leadership positions at some elite public colleges as well as an intimate knowledge of HBCU culture.

“The fact that she knew the institution, was a graduate of the institution” is an asset, said Charlotte City Council member Malcolm Graham, a 1985 JCSU graduate and member of the presidential search committee. “Her relationship knowing the HBCU culture, her academic credentials having grown up in the faculty, understanding how all that works; the fact that she’s heading up a major program at the University of Pittsburgh and was personable, sharp and candid and demonstrated a willingness and understanding where the university is today and where she wanted to lead it into the future.”

At Pitt, Kinloch oversees nearly 1,000 students and 300 full- and part-time faculty and staff. In addition to her duties recruiting faculty and fundraising, Kinloch has overseen more than $9 million in capital projects and renovations.

Before that, she was associate dean and professor at Ohio State University in Columbus, and taught at Teachers College-Columbia University in New York City and the University of Houston-Downtown.

“It’s a dream come true to be invited to lead one of the finest Historically Black

at heart

Colleges and Universities in America—and at the same time come home,” Kinloch said. “My years at JCSU were some of the best of my life. This university set me on course to grow beyond anything I could imagine, so it is incredibly gratifying to return and give back to the institution that helped make me who I am.”

Kinloch, who has been on JCSU’s board of trustees for two years, recused herself during the search process as well as the final vote. She was unanimously approved by trustees.

Chairman Steven Boyd, a 1979 JCSU graduate who will resign his position July 1 to become interim president until Kinloch starts, said her familiarity with the school as a student and trustee will serve her well as president.

“She understands the university both from student perspective, from an educator’s perspective looking in and from a perspective of the Board of Trustees,” he said. “We feel confident that Dr. Kinloch is the candidate that gets the fastest start and has the highest ceiling.”

Kinloch succeeds Clarence Armbrister, who led the university for five years. During his tenure, Armbrister helped raise the university’s public profile and secured $83 million through the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative to fund the strategic plan adopted by the board in 2021.

Kinloch said she wants to build awareness among students, families, and funders as well as reimagine curriculum, elevate faculty and staff and increase alumni engagement.

“We need to make space for innovation and for different types of learning —not just inside of classrooms but also through internships, experiential engagements, and job placements with businesses, organizations and community groups with whom we have deep relationships,” she said. “We have to support critical thinking and provide an education that prepares students for the careers they want and that the community needs. We also have to encourage students to pursue even higher forms of education.”

Yancy believes Kinloch has the skills and temperament to succeed at their alma mater.

“Last week was an exciting week,” she said. “I had difficulty going to sleep, I was so excited. I’m so happy that she’s back.”

House passes Mayes’ legislation to prohibit hair discrimination

HARRISBURG—After being introduced in the past two legislative sessions, the PA House of Representatives on July 7 passed the CROWN Act, sponsored by state Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, to end hair discrimination in Pennsylvania.

The CROWN Act would update Pennsylvania’s current anti-discrimination law, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, to prohibit discrimination based on hair type, hair texture or hair style in employment, schools and other public settings.

“With the House Democratic Caucus majority, we continue to deliver for Pennsylvanians by passing the CROWN Act, which would prohibit hair discrimination, thereby ensuring all Pennsylvanians have greater and equal

opportunities,” Mayes said, in a statement to the New Pittsburgh Courier. “After four years of House Republicans refusing to act, we have now made progress with the CROWN Act, thanks to my co-sponsor, Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, who previously introduced the CROWN Act in 2021 and 2019, though it did not receive consideration under House Republican leadership.”

Twenty-three states— including Michigan in June 2023 and Texas in May 2023, as well as New York, New Jersey, and Delaware—have passed the CROWN Act into law. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have also passed CROWN Act ordinances.

The bill passed by a vote of 182-21. It now moves to the state Senate for consideration.  grow, be adventurous.

Aspire to be rich…FILTHY RICH!

Rich in laughter:

Laughter is good for the soul! If you’re not laughing or smiling, there’s a good possibility that you’re frowning or crying. Do something, watch something, or read something daily that puts a smile on your face or make you laugh out loud.

Rich in health: The body is our temple. We need to protect it, honor it and respect it. Seek to live a healthier lifestyle. Be mindful of what you put into your body and mind. Be active in cardio work-

outs, strength training, and flexibility training in an effort to be as healthy as you can be as long as you shall live.

Rich in family and friends: Family is your bloodline. Friends are family members you choose for yourself. Work towards having solid relationships with members of your family. Life is too short to be bickering with family and friends. Learn to respect your difference but honor and respect each other.

Rich in love: Love breeds passion. Passion breeds a yearning desire to live, give, protect, and cultivate. What oxygen

is to the body, love is to the soul. Love gives you purpose, motivation, and drive. When you’re void of love, you’re empty in life. Find someone or something to be crazy in love with.

Rich in good deeds: When you do good by oth-

ers, you feel good within. Pay it forward! Help out a fellow person when you can. It will make you feel good inside.

(Money Coach, Damon Carr can be reached @ 412-216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)

Nine ways to prepare for homeownership

dream house, but can you afford it? Calculate your monthly income and expenses, including potential mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs. Your housing costs should not be more than 33 percent of your income.  Can you afford the house and still afford a vacation and occasional meal out?

4. Get pre-approved: Go to your bank or to online lenders to see how much house you can afford.  Get a pre-approv-

Rent-to-Own program

programs, aiming to bridge the gap between renting and buying.

One such program, developed by a collaboration between local housing authorities and private investors, provided tenants with the option to convert their rental lease into a purchase agreement after a predetermined period. Usual timeframes for such agreements range from one to five years. During this time, a portion of the monthly rent is often allocated toward a future down payment or credited towards a purchase price. This system allows tenants to accumulate savings over time while building equity in the property in which they reside. Additionally, the agreed-upon purchase price remains fixed during the lease period, protecting tenants from potential market fluctuations.

For potential buyers, the advantages of a rent-to-own agreement are twofold. Firstly, it allows individuals to live in their desired home

while they work towards securing financing or improving their credit profile. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for those who have experienced setbacks such as bankruptcy or foreclosure, as it provides an avenue to regain financial stability and demonstrate responsible homeownership.

Secondly, rent-to-own agreements grant prospective buyers the opportunity to test-drive the property before committing to its purchase. By living in the home for an extended period, tenants can assess its suitability, understand the neighborhood dynamics, and determine if it aligns with their longterm goals. This aspect of the arrangement reduces the risk of buyer’s remorse and fosters informed decisions about homeownership.

Furthermore, rent-toown arrangements can often offer tenants the chance to negotiate favorable purchase terms with the property owner. Factors such as the purchase price, down payment amount, and

length of the agreement can be subject to negotiation. This provides greater flexibility and can potentially enable buyers to secure a more affordable deal.

However, it is crucial for aspiring homeowners to approach rent-to-own agreements with due diligence. It is advisable to seek legal counsel to ensure the terms of the agreement are fair and transparent. Buyers must carefully review the terms and conditions; it is critical to understand the responsibilities and rights of both parties involved.

In recent years, the demand for rent-to-own opportunities has increased significantly as potential buyers seek alternative paths to homeownership. Real estate developers and investors have recognized this rising trend and have responded by offering more properties through rentto-own agreements. As a result, a broader range of housing options had become accessible to individuals who may have previously been excluded from the traditional

al letter.  You will need this when you finally find the home of your dreams and begin to negotiate. A pre-approval demonstrates are a serious buyer.

5. Research and explore neighborhoods: Research different neighborhoods that fit your lifestyle, preferences, and budget. Consider proximity to schools, amenities, transportation, safety, and future development. Visit the neighborhood during different times of the day to get a feel for the area.

6. Determine your

housing needs: Consider size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, layout, yard space, and other features.

7. Work with a real estate agent: Engage an experienced real estate agent. The right agent can help you find suitable properties, negotiate on your behalf, and ensure that you’re making informed decisions.

8. Start house hunting early: Begin your search for your home six months to a year before purchase. Attend open houses, schedule viewings, and explore differ-

ent options. Compare properties, and consider their potential for appreciation and resale value.

9. Conduct inspections: Once you find a potential home, hire a professional home inspector to conduct a thorough inspection of the property. This will help identify any underlying issues or required repairs.  Use this information to help you negotiate the price.

As a real estate attorney and broker, I am TEAM HOMEOWNER, but getting into homeownership before you are ready can lead to disastrous results.

real estate market.

While the rent-to-own model is not without its challenges, it has proven to be a viable option for individuals looking to transform from renting to owning a home.  With its flexibility, potential for equity building, and the ability to test-drive a property, rent-to-own arrangement presents a pathway to homeownership. That can turn aspi -

rations into a reality for any who would otherwise be unable to achieve the goal of homeownership.

In conclusion, rent-toown programs represent a beacon of hope for those striving to achieve homeownership in today’s challenging real estate market. By offering tenants a flexible pathway to build equity and save for a down payment, these initiatives

bridge the gap between renting and buying, empowering individuals and families to realize their dreams of owning a home.

As the demand for affordable housing options persists, it is crucial for policymakers, developers, and experts to work together to create a sustainable and inclusive housing market for all.

Editorial American Armageddon

Most people are familiar with the term “Armageddon” from Biblical narratives. Essentially, it refers to an “end times” scenario wherein the forces of good are embroiled in a war against the forces of evil. In the Bible, it is described (in the New Testament) as the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgment.

The terms “good” and “evil” are actually relative, and whether one considers a position of one or the other depends upon a person’s personal set of values and vantage point. Actually, to be sure, one side almost always has a deleterious impact when opposites interact if balance is not achieved. The most extreme form of this scenario can be divided into God vs the Devil, and these are boiled down to “spirituality (God) vs materialism (Satan).

American government is based on two branches of government. Clearly, to most people, Democrats are considered (currently) to be the most “spiritual” branch, while Republicans are clearly perceived as more “materialistic.” If we examine our recent history, it is apparent that these two approaches are clashing, and the recent decisions from the Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) bear this out.

Donald J. Trump’s presidency seems to mark the turning point that is giving the materialistic GOP forces a great thrust. Most people know Democrats tend to embrace initiatives that are more “people friendly.” It’s not that they are against important financial initiatives…it’s apparent they don’t cut out the human factor. The GOP sees things differently.

This war between the right and the left, Republicans vs Democrats, materialists vs humanists, has ramped up during the past few years. Observers have known that former President Trump’s goals to “Make America Great Again” essentially meant there would be the goal of going back to a previous state and condition.

This generally means that formerly disenfranchised people who won a modicum of consideration before the advent of the Trump administration are slowly but surely losing gains previously acquired.

This should not come as a surprise, however, because if you have been paying attention, the Supreme Court has been stacked with political sycophants whose values line up with a previous, more backward America. Attendant with this has been a campaign of disinformation that has made this atavistic movement possible. False news and the rumor that the presidential election was stolen from Trump have energized a gullible right-wing constituency to such an extent they are actually turning back the hands of time as if in a deluded stupor.

The most recent casualties of this situation are as follows: Biden’s promise to provide student loan relief for college students has been shot down by SCOTUS. It is clear this is a travesty and a very, very disingenuous move, since poor and middle-class learners are the ones most adversely impacted.

Affirmative Action: Republicans have been chomping at the proverbial bit to get rid of this strategy, which has historically helped level the playing field for Black Americans and other minorities who would not even be considered if this legal device was not in place. Keep in mind that this has happened while legacy students continue to be the most favored beneficiaries of academic largesse.

Abortion rights: Roe vs Wade, a law that has been in place for 50 years was overturned, and it was done with such malice that it is set to actually cause some women to lose their lives.

LGBTQ rights: The opposition to the rights of the LGBTQ community has repeatedly come under fire. The most recent is a false initiative formulated by right-wing Christians who didn’t even have a real case: they fabricated a scenario and then voted saying a vendor is free to discriminate against LGBTQ persons. This opens the possibility that other people can arbitrarily be subjected to discrimination and exclusion.

The foregoing is the harbinger of things to come from the antics of our toxic, stacked SCOTUS that is obviously embracing the materialistic side of the political binary. Gratefully, there are three justices who have voted against the GOP initiatives.

The outcome of this sociopolitical Armageddon will depend on whether or not those who value people and progress are able to win out over, or find balance with, those whose allegiance is wholly with materialism. If materialism wins, it will mark the “end times” for American democracy. Which side are you on? A Luta Continua.

(Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader)

Clarence Thomas hates Black people

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—As a child in Pinpoint, Georgia, Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was hazed by his classmates with the monicker “America’s Blackest Child.”   Such hazing may have had long-term effects, rendering Thomas incapable of transcending his background. It may have given him an inferiority complex that expresses itself in his self-hatred, hatred of other Black people, and self-absorption.

While I’m no psychologist or psychiatrist, watching someone who used affirmative action to get into Yale Law School so vociferously attack the policy is fascinating.

But, as Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted in her dissent in the two Students for Fair Admissions (a misnomer if I ever saw one), Thomas has carried out a “prolonged attack” against affirmative action. His June opinion in Students for Fair Admissions was just one of his many attacks on affirmative action.

His distaste for affirmative action seems to stem from his own experiences at Yale, an experience that none of his classmates have verified. Thomas seemed to feel that White students assumed he was an affirmative action admit (he was) and thus not as capable as they were (there is no evidence of that). Thus he thinks affirmative action stigmatizes Black students, so the Supreme Court should eliminate it. Many of us who were affirmative action admits (I was) don’t much chafe about any stigma. Instead, we celebrate the opportunities affirmative action offered, realizing that while affirmative action opened the door, it did not pass our comprehensive exams, our bar exams, or any other qualifiers. Affirmative action opened the door to some elite institutions, but it did not do the work to get us out.

Thomas has a way of making

Commentary

public policy personal. People look down on him, he thinks, and he is hurt and angry, just as he was when people called him America’s Blackest Child. To make himself feel better, Thomas has surrounded himself with the wealthy elites of the Horatio Alger Society, which believes that hard work is all you need to get ahead in this country. Some of the hardest-working people I know are moms who receive public assistance, but Thomas and his ilk would look down on these folks and describe them as lazy (just as he did to his own sister during his confirmation hearings). In his narrow mind, he was looked down on. Thus, he must prove that he is “fair,” “colorblind,” and a proponent of “equal protection.”

If there were fairness and equal protection under the law, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wouldn’t be sitting on the bench at all. Not only did he use affirmative action to get into Yale Law School, but he also used old-fashioned political patronage to get him on the bench. His patron, Senator John Danforth (R-MO), aggressively championed his career, making sure he got plum assignments, including the chairmanship of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (where he once said that affirmative action made a difference in his life) and a judicial appointment that teed him up for the Supreme Court nomination. Several other, better-qualified Black jurists were far more qualified than he, but undoubtedly Senator Danforth put his thumb on

the scale by embracing that nomination. Black America was ambivalent, but Thomas effectively used his “up from poverty” back story to convince folks like Dr. Maya Angelou that he would represent Black interests on the court. Instead, the New York Times described him, in 1992, as “the youngest and the cruelest” justice.

In the Supreme Court case Hudson v. McMillan, a Louisiana inmate, Keith Hudson, sued after Jack McMillan and other prison guards beat him so severely that they broke his dental plate while it was in his mouth. Seven of the nine justices agreed that the brutal and malicious beating was “cruel and unusual punishment,” outlawed by the Eighth Amendment. Thomas, joined by Antonin Scalia, dissented from the majority, saying that the beating was not severe and that the Constitution did not protect prisoners. The facts of this case are jarring, especially as a supervisor witnessed McMillan and a colleague beating Hudson and told them “not to have too much fun.”  In his confirmation hearings, Thomas said he brought “something different” to the court, namely his empathy for the downtrodden. Instead, he brought an unusually intense self-hatred, which spills over to how he deals with cases involving Black people.

All Americans must deal with this self-hating justice, whose outdated opinions threaten civility, inclusion, and decency in our nation. Black America is significantly affected by his antiblackness. Hopefully, the Department of Justice will investigate Thomas’ financial shenanigans and remove this depraved man from the Supreme Court.

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. juliannemalveaux.com)

Right-wing SCOTUS Justices are not acting alone

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—The right-wing justices are not acting alone. Across the country, an increasingly extremist Republican Party has made race-bait politics a centerpiece of its agenda. In Florida, for example, Gov. Ron DeSantis, now a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, has outlawed teaching the truth about America’s history of slavery. He has banned any diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. He is waging war on what he calls “woke” corporations that seek to defend equal rights under the law. African Americans and Latinos are not the only target. The Civil Rights Reconstruction helped lay the groundwork for the expansion of rights for women, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, and the young. It is not accidental that the reactionary court majority now moves to overturn established law by terminating the right to abortion—and women’s control of their bodies. On Friday, it also established—again against all precedent—a First Amendment right to discriminate in a case aimed at refusing service to gay couples. That surely will lead to cases that test the

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right to refuse service to Blacks or Asians or Latinos. This Supreme Court would take us back to the days when young African Americans could be arrested for seeking to be served at a lunch counter. We’ve suffered this form of brutal racial reaction before. After the “Second Founding”—the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments after the Civil War —this country began the first reconstruction, designed to ensure equal rights under the law to the newly liberated slaves. That progress was met with fierce resistance from the plantation overlords that had profited from slave labor. The Ku Klux Klan unleashed a campaign of terror to smash the fusion coalitions that were beginning to grow, and to deprive Blacks of not only the vote but more generally of equal rights. Conservative

justices on the Supreme Court embraced the new apartheid, ruling that “separate but equal” —in which the separation ensured that there was no equality —satisfied the Constitution. By the time they were finished, they had twisted the 14th Amendment designed to provide all with equal justice under the law to a corporate weapon against workers organizing to demand their rights in the workplace. This Court’s right-wing majority would take us back to the days when store owners could refuse to serve minorities, when women had no rights, when gay marriage was a sin and against the law. They will not succeed. We aren’t going back. They are tribunes of White privilege—cosseted by their circle of billionaires— standing against an increasingly diverse and proud people. They will not prevail—but only if people of conscience stand up, across lines of race, religion, region. The first Reconstruction led to a brutal reaction that imposed legal apartheid on this country for 100 years. We must not allow this new reaction to reverse our progress toward equal justice under the law.

Now that the Supreme Court has acted…

African Americans in particular and people of color in general have a history of Supreme Court decisions against their interest. When the Plessy vs Ferguson decision was handed down in 1896, the Court said “separate but equal” was the rule. We survived the “Jim Crow’’ era that followed. When the Court said in the Dred Scott decision that “A Black man has no rights that a White man is bound to respect, we survived the indignity of being called everything except “Mister”. As Maya Angelo said: “And still we rise.” We have experienced the works of racist White Justices before. Today, we are better educated and equipped than we have ever been with full knowledge of options and alternatives. The only question is: Do we have the collective will to fight back?

Consider that while the Supreme Court has acted and has an embedded conservative majority for years to come. The Constitution does give us a way out of all the decisions handed down against our interest.

Years ago when the Court ruled against flag burning, the Congress passed a law which said while such activity was offensive to many, there existed a First Amendment right under Freedom of Speech to

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burn the flag if one decided to do so. Today, just as the President is proposing legislation to overcome Student Loan Forgiveness, and the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the Congress can legislate the reversal of these Supreme Court decisions.

The problem is that we the people must change out those Right-leaning Conservative Members of Congress for people who support our points of view and will vote to make the desired legislative changes. We must run candidates in each of the 435 congressional districts that will commit to and support our goals and we must finance them as well as register to vote in such extreme numbers that we overcome the opposition. We must remember that there are more people in America that share our views among young Whites and people of color than the conservative element that appears interest-

ed in returning Donald Trump to the Presidency.

Let us not forget that all the Republicans now running against Trump appear to be afraid to speak out against him. Let us not forget that the very basis of the overwhelming support for Trump is racism. The racism is based in a fear that America is changing to Whites becoming a minority rather than the majority they have always been. While this idea might be too much for some of us to think about, let’s focus on the fact that if we register to vote, then we have a ticket in the American lottery of Democracy.

We must then use that vote for people who support our cause, no matter what their race. We can not engage in reverse racism, but rather winning for all of us who have a shared interest in the challenges before us. If the vote was important enough to try and keep it from us through Voter Suppression, then it’s important enough for us to fight for.

Let us remember that our fight is for the collective and not just for each of us individually.

The Struggle really does continue. Will you be a part of it?

(Dr. John E. Warren is Publisher, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper)

HBCU Pride

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Last year Sports Illustrated magazine compiled a ranking system that acknowledged the most valuable and desirable programs throughout college football’s five most powerful leagues. Out of 69 Power 5 schools, the University of Wisconsin Badgers ranked seventh overall. The impressive ranking doesn’t hurt when it comes to recruiting. With the recent commitment from four-star running back Darrion Dupree, the Badgers beat out the University of Illinois and Missouri in a tough competition to land one of its top sought-after players. Like many other top high school players nationwide, Dupree is a Black athlete attending a predominately white school.

While Wisconsin football is big, it doesn’t compare to the South’s obsession with college football, particularly the passionate fan base of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The late Marino Casem, a longtime Alcorn State and Southern University coach, once said, “On the East Coast, football is a cultural experience. In the Midwest, it’s a form of cannibalism. On the West Coast, it’s a tourist attraction. And in the South, football is a religion, and Saturday is the holy day.”

Did ‘positive discrimination’ kill Affirmative Action?

Political theorists make distinctions between negative and positive rights. A negative right is when a person can freely do something without interference from the government. A positive right requires the government to provide a person with something at the expense of another.

Affirmative Action applied a similar distinction to discrimination.

Discrimination is not inherently harmful. It simply means to distinguish. Negative discrimination, on the other hand, is creating a differentiation against a person based on the group to which that person belongs rather than on the person’s particular qualities.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, and national origin, but its primary goal was to eliminate negative discrimination against Black Americans.

Check It Out

must advance to a higher level of civil rights and pursue “equality as a result” to heal the damage done by negative discrimination.

In an executive order to encourage nondiscriminatory hiring practices among government employers, President Johnson’s predecessor coined the term “Affirmative Action.” In this case, race was not considered a factor in deciding whether to hire or reject a candidate.

nority groups did not have the power to discriminate against the White majority. These corrective measures may cause inconvenience for some White students, but affirmative action has no negative effects on Whites as a whole.

For these liberals, Affirmative Action constituted “positive discrimination,” not “reverse discrimination.” Any policy that favored members of disadvantaged minority groups was a net positive, regardless of its negative consequences. The effort to correct the past and address present-day racism outweighed the isolated incidents of discrimination against White students.

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The dominance displayed by the SEC and other schools in the South during the past 20 years is obvious by the number of national championships. Eighteen out of the last 20 college football champions were from schools in the South. The University of Alabama alone has won six. The Alabama Crimson Tide football program has a long tradition of championship teams. Football legend Paul “Bear” Bryant coached three national championships between 1961 and 1966, but the winning streak suddenly hit a wall. Over the following four seasons, the Crimson Tide won only 28 games. Winning became much more difficult when the most talented Black athletes who would normally play at historically Black colleges or universities started attending White schools outside the South. Affirmative action was unnecessary in 1971 to convince a losing Bryant to sign the school’s first Black scholarship athlete. In 1973, he won his fourth national title. It’s about race and culture, but it’s also about winning. Winning in college football is power, prestige, and money.

The subject of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a sore spot for conservatives nationwide. While DEI refers to organizational frameworks that promote “the fair treatment and full participation of all people,” it is also perceived as a liberal takeover of higher education. Only hours after the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down affirmative action in college admissions, one of Wisconsin’s top elected state officials signaled interest in attacking other ways colleges promote campus diversity. Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) suggested cutting scholarships and grants, among other programs that benefit minority students. “We are reviewing the decision and will introduce legislation to correct the discriminatory laws on the books and pass repeals in the fall,” Vos tweeted in reply to a post suggesting the state take such measures.

Assembly Speaker Vos has emerged as a staunch opponent of DEI efforts, calling such programs “indoctrination.” He has previously suggested potential budget cuts to the University of Wisconsin system if it doesn’t phase out DEI offices at its campuses. The Republican plan seeks to cut over 180 DEI positions over the system’s 13 universities despite a projected record-high $7 billion state budget surplus. The state of Wisconsin is not alone. Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen other states have proposed more than 30 bills targeting DEI efforts in higher education to abolish DEI offices and end mandatory diversity training.

What is the message when the Wisconsin football program targets the signing of Black athletes for its highly successful football team while Republicans in the state legislature seek to eliminate scholarships designated for minority undergraduate students? Football and basketball are the top two revenue-producing sports for colleges. Therefore, can we expect the same lawmakers to eventually thwart campus diversity efforts by denying athletic scholarships for Black players who are key contributors to football and basketball teams? I believe Coach Bear Bryant answered that question decades ago. Wisconsin lawmakers are sending no mixed signals; the messages are clear.

The Black collegiate athlete and Black scholar are not valued the same. Students of all backgrounds need a positive and healthy learning environment to thrive. That would include Black students at predominately white institutions. Inclusion does not automatically mean a person is welcomed. When minority students feel unwelcome on campus and in the classroom because of their race, it destroys the healthy learning environment. It opens the argument that their underperformance is due to other factors. A student having the peace of mind of knowing that their presence is welcomed, fully supported, and not questioned allows them to perform at their highest level.

Josh Jones is a high school senior from Fayetteville, North Carolina, who received over $3 million in academic and athletic scholarships. The high school quarterback established school records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and yards per game while maintaining a 4.1 GPA in the classroom. His choices of schools included Duke, Princeton, Dartmouth, North Carolina A&T, Navy, Air Force, and Army. With all the options available to him, the prized student-athlete chose an HBCU. North Carolina Central University may not be a Power 5 school with all the facilities and the big name, but he will be welcomed in ways he may not receive elsewhere.

(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of “God Bless Our Divided America.” He can be reached at www. davidwmarshallauthor.com)

The Civil Rights Act was in agreement with the opposing argument in the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, which established segregation. Justice John Marshall Harlan wrote, “Our constitution is color-blind, and neither tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man and takes no account of his surroundings or his color when his civil rights, as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land, are concerned.”

Since Plessy was the nation’s largest legal error, liberals agreed that repealing Plessy and passing civil rights laws weren’t enough. Civil rights were negative rights that abolished negative discrimination but did not immediately fix Plessy’s mistake. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared in 1965 that America would not be satisfied with legal and theoretical equality.

To become a “great society,” America

On the other hand, the term affirmative action, was also attributed to President Johnson’s vow to assure equal outcomes through corrective measures. In schools and universities, “affirmative action” sought to include historically marginalized groups by providing preferential treatment.

White students eventually came to believe that special treatment for minorities in college admissions came at their expense. These corrective procedures were termed “reverse discrimination” by White students, who filed a legal challenge to Affirmative Action.

However, in 1978, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Affirmative Action.

Justice Harry Blackmun said, “In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race.  And in order to treat some people equally, we must treat them differently.”

The concept of reverse discrimination was rejected. The liberals claimed that negative discrimination was the result of prejudice combined with power. Mi-

Affirmative Action was back on the Supreme Court’s agenda four decades later. This time, Asian students complained that Harvard’s Affirmative Action practices limited the number of Asian students who entered the university. Since Asians aren’t classified as disadvantaged, positive discrimination has had a negative effect on them as a group. Positive discrimination is only “positive” when it inconveniences members of the majority. Once it harms another minority group, it becomes an illegal act. The problem here was that Asians were being punished for what Whites did to Blacks.

Under these circumstances, the Supreme Court couldn’t uphold Affirmative Action. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that using race as a factor in college admissions violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Race-neutral college admissions won’t be the end of the world. Hopefully, it will end that worldview promoted by Ibram X. Kendi that suggests the only remedy for past discrimination is present discrimination, and the only remedy for present discrimination is future discrimination.

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post would lead their readers to believe this was a monumental decision that reflected some type of brand-new position in this country.

Each of the “big-boy” newspapers headlined their reaction across the top of their June 30, 2023 issues. “JUSTICES GUT COLLEGE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION,” shouted The New York Times; “Court Guts College Affirmative Action,” heralded The Wall Street Journal; “JUSTICES RULE AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN COLLEGES,” screamed The Washington Post. Their editorials also presented the decision as though it was something of immense historic importance. The New York Times noted that “The Decades-Long Fight to Dismantle Affirmative Action;” The Wall Street Journal praised the court’s decision as “A Landmark For Racial Equality;” The Washington Post insisted that “Affirmative Action Gone. Campus Diversity

A.

Reality Check

Need Not Be.”

When reading all of the above one would think that the Supreme Court’s decision was shocking and unexpected. It may have been such for those Blacks and Whites who believe that the Court, when dealing with White supremacy in this country, has been and still is some kind of objective and neutral branch of the federal government. Serious Black people and many White people in this country are well aware that the Court has always been a defender and promoter of White supremacy.

The only time during this country’s history that the Supreme Court has

made any decisions against violent and brutalizing White supremacy was during the Cold War with Russia. The Russians, like most people of European descent, believe in White supremacy. However, they took every opportunity to greatly publicize overt manifestations of White supremacy in the United States. In response to the Russian propaganda, the Supreme Court had to make at least some decisions that would enable the United States to continue to present themselves as the leader of the “Free World” and a place where all people have equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity. That led to all of the Supreme Court’s civil rights decisions since Brown vs. Board in 1954.

Anyone wanting to learn the real deal about the Supreme Court should read articles and books by great Black master teachers such as Brother Malcolm X, Brother Lerone Bennett Jr., Brother Martin Luther King Jr., Brother Harold Cruse, Sister Mary McLeod Bethune, Sister Fannie Lou Hamer, Sister Frances Cress Welsing and Sister C. DeLores Tucker.

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Decades of research indicate that racism undergirds our public institutions and shapes various aspects of our contemporary society, including public policies. These policies, in turn, shape local school practices that impact the day-to-day experiences of students in classrooms. Even as schools are shaped by broader trends of racial inequality, they serve to maintain – or in rare cases disrupt –racial inequality for students and families.”—The Inequality Project, Columbia University.

Former Vice President and current Presidential candidate Mike Pence, who presided during the most aggressive rollback of civil rights in more than a century, brazenly told the nation this week he doesn’t believe there is racial inequity in the nation’s education system.  Confronted with evidence to the contrary, he ducked the question. “I haven’t seen your studies. I don’t know the numbers.”  We do know the numbers. And Pence is dead wrong.

The National Urban League’s most recent Equality IndexTM for education was 74.3. Inspired by Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787, which counted Black Americans as “three-fifths” of a person, the Equality Index is the National Urban League’s semi-annual calculation of the social and economic status of Black Americans relative to whites.  Under full equality, the Index would be 100.

Because of the lag in data collection and analysis, the most recent Equality Index does not capture the full effect of the learning disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Black students the hardest. But even before factoring in the pandemic, Black students lost ground since 2005, when the

education Index was 77.2.

More than 100 separate metrics are used to calculate the education Index, and Black Americans have achieved parity with Whites in almost none of them. About twice as many Black students are taught by unqualified or underqualified teachers. Black boys are twice as likely as White boys to be suspended from school, and Black girls are three times as likely. Black students are more than twice as likely as White students to live in a home without broadband internet access.

A more recent study found that school districts where the majority of students enrolled are students of color receive $23 billion less in education funding than predominantly White school districts. Districts with a high percentage of students of color receive, on average,

16 percent, or about $2,200, less per student than largely White districts.

Unsurprisingly, the relative lack of resources and heavier disciplinary burden for Black students contribute to a persistent racial achievement gap:  pre-pandemic, fewer than 15 percent of Black 8th-graders were reading at or above proficiency, compared to 42.5 percent of White 8th-graders. Only 13.6 percent of Black students were at or above proficiency in math, compared to almost 44 percent of White students.

Whether Pence really doesn’t “know the numbers” as he claims, we cannot say. But his choice not to acknowledge racial inequity in education aligns with the so-called “anti-woke” movement some extremist politicians have embraced, hoping to capitalize on a wave of White grievance and racial resentment.

Fortunately, a solid majority of Americans still reject the notion that racial inequality doesn’t exist.  But if Pence and his fellow distorters of history have their way, the next generation of Americans will grow up oblivious to the effects of historic and systemic racism and allow White supremacy not only to persist but flourish.

Former VP Pence claims there’s no racial inequity in education

The U.S. Supreme Court has never been a defender of racial justice

Marc H. Morial

CONDITIONS OF SALE

Effective with the August 3, 2020 Sheriff Sale of real estate and all such monthly public sales thereafter shall be conducted virtually through video conferencing technology or live streaming. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office shall provide for up to twenty-five persons to participate in person with physical distancing in the Gold Room, 4th Floor Allegheny County Courthouse. ALL PARTICIPANTS OR BIDDERS MUST BE REGISTERED AT LEAST 7 DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF THE SALE IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE (VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON) AT THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SALES OF REAL ESTATE. REGISTRATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SHERIFF’S WEBSITE: SHERIFFALLEGHENYCOUNTY.COM. The Successful bidder will pay full amount of bid in CASH, CERTIFIED CHECK OR CASHIERS CHECK at time of sale, otherwise the property will be resold at the next regular Sheriffs Sale; provided, that if the sale is made on MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2023 the bidder may pay ten percent of purchasing price but not less than 75.00 in CASH, CERTIFIED CHECK, OR CASHIERS CHECK THE DAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SALE, e.g. TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2023, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:30AM AND 2:30PM IN THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. And the balance in CASH, CERTIFIED CHECK, OR CASHIERS CHECK, on or before MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2023 at 10:00 O’CLOCK A.M. The property will be resold at the next regular Sheriff’s Sale if the balance is not paid, and in such case all money’s paid in at the original sale shall be applied to any deficiency in the price of which property is resold, and provided further that if the successful bidder is the plaintiff in the execution the bidder shall pay full amount of bid ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH, OTHERWISE WRIT WILL BE RETURNED AND MARKED “REAL ESTATE UNSOLD” and all monies advanced by plaintiff will be applied as required by COMMON PLEAS COURT RULE 3129.2 (1) (a).

FORFEITED SALES WILL BE POSTED IN THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND LISTED ON THE SHERIFF OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY WEB SITE.

AMENDMENT OF THE CODE SECOND CLASS COUNTY NEW CHAPTER 475 THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 475, ENTITLED TAXATION IS HEREBY AMENDED THROUGH THE CREATION OF A NEW ARTICLE XII, ENTITLED, “SHERIFF SALES”, AND COMPRISED AS FOLLOWS: SUBSECTION 475-60: RECORDING OF DEEDS AND NOTIFICATION OF SHERIFFS SALES TO TAXING BODIES.

A. FOR ANY REAL PROPERTY OFFERED AT SHERIFFS SALE DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF REAL ESTATE TAXES AND PURCHASED BY A THIRD PARTY THROUGH SUCH SALE, THE SHERIFF SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FILING THE DEED AND, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF FILING OF THE SHERIFFS DEED, PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE CONVEYANCE TO THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS. THE WRITTEN NOTICE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE THE DATE OF THE SALE, IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY SOLD BY BOTH ADDRESS AND LOT AND BLOCK NUMBER, AND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE INDIVIDUALS OR OTHER ENTITY THAT PURCHASED THE PROPERTY.

B. AT THE TIME OF THE SALE THE SHERIFF SHALL COLLECT ALL REQUISITE FILING COSTS, REALTY TRANSFER TAXES AND FEES, NECESSARY TO PROPERLY RECORD THE DEED.

C. WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF RECEIPT OF WRITTEN NOTICE FROM THE SHERIFF, THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS SHALL FORWARD COPIES OF SUCH NOTICE TO ALL TAXING BODIES LEVYING REAL ESTATE TAXES ON THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE MUNICIPALITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED.

AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 14 OF ACT NO. 77 OF 1986, THE COST OF ALL DOCUMENTARY STAMPS FOR REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAXES (STATE, LOCAL, AND SCHOOL) WILL BE DEDUCTED BY THE SHERIFF FROM THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE. Purchasers must record their deeds and pay the necessary recording fees. Pursuant to Rule 3136 P.R.C.P. NOTICE is hereby given that a schedule of distribution will be filed by the Sheriff not later than 30 days from date of sale and that distribution will be made in accordance with the schedule unless exceptions are filed thereto within 10 days thereafter. No further notice of the filing of the schedule of distribution will be given.

A Land Bank formed under 68 Pa. C.S.A. 2101 et seq. may exercise its right to bid pursuant to 68 Pa. C.S.A. 2117(d) (2) through Pa. C.S.A. 2117(d) (4) on certain properties listed for sale under the municipal claims and Tax Lien Law, 53 P.S. 7101 et seq. The Sheriff of Allegheny County will honor the terms of payment which the Land Bank has entered with any municipalities having a claim against the property. If the Land Bank tenders a bid under Pa. C.S.A. 2117(d)(3) or 2117(d)(4) the property will not be offered for sale to others and the Property will be considered sold to the Land Bank for the Upset Price as defined in P.S.7279 and no other bids will be accepted.

NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT ALL SHERIFFS DEEDS TENDERED TO PURCHASERS

WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING:

“This document may not sell, convey, transfer, include, or insure the title to the coal and right of support underneath the surface land described or referred to herein and the owner or owners of such coal may have the complete legal right to remove all of such coal, and in that connection damage may result to the surface of the land, any house, building or other structure on or in such land.”

1 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT: Michael C. Konieczki

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CASE NO.: MG-23-000110

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DEBT: $263,720.05

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NAME OF ATTORNEY: Nicholas J. Raker, Esquire

**************************************

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY:

5 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S) BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT VS. DEFENDANT(S): JEFFRY KURZ NOWE, JR.

DEED BOOK 16024, PAGE 233. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 317-N-118.

6 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S) PLUM BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT VS. DEFENDANT(S): JOSHUAH. SMELTZ

CASE NO.: GD-22-012941 DEBT: $26,843.29 ***************** NAME OF ATTORNEY: Elizabeth P. Sattler, Esquire

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

412-391-0160

***************************************

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF PLUM: HAYING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 7905 SALTSBURG ROAD, PITTSBURGH, PA 15239. DEED BOOK 11230, PAGE 50. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 852- K-197.

7 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S) PLUM BOROUGH SCHOOL

DISTRICT VS.

DEFENDANT(S): GERALD LEE MELI & KIMBERLY A. MELI **************************************

CASE NO.: GD-19-012870

DEBT: $23,020.29

*****************

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Elizabeth P. Sattler, Esquire

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 ***************************************

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412-391-0160

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF PLUM:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 9165 PINE STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15239. DEED BOOK 7627, PAGE 356. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 1099-R-145.

8 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Pauline S. McKnight

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CASE NO.: MG-22-000941

DEBT: $26,532.32

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Stephen M. Hladik, Esquire

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: Hladik, Onorato and Federman, LLP 298 Wissahickon Avenue, North Wales, PA 19454

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (215) 855-9521

SHORT DESCRIPTION: ***************************************

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF TARENTUM: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 592 EAST 7TH AVENUE, TARENTUM, PA 15084. DEED BOOK VOLUME 18068, PAGE 463. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 1224-E-98.

County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF PLUM: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 168 LIGONIER LANE, NEW KENSINGTON, PA 15068. DEED BOOK 7341, PAGE 21. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 734- B-143.

11 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): FLOYD J. SCHUBERT AKA FLOYD J. SCHUBERT JR **************************************

CASE NO.: MG-22-001054

DEBT: $44,088.69

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Michelle Pierro, Esq. (PA ID No. 317454)

OF ATTORNEY: Tucker Arensberg, P.C. 1500 One PPG Place Pittsburgh, PA 15222

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

566-1212

the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Township of Upper

Clair: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 562 FORT COUCH ROAD, PITTSBURGH, PA 15241. DEED BOOK VOLUME 12875, PAGE 439, PARCEL NUMBER 0252-N-00191-0000-00.

12 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Andrea J. Good ************************************** CASE NO.: MG-18-001330

DEBT: $147,544.32

NAME OF ATTORNEY: EMMANUEL J. ARGENTIERI ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 52 NEWTON AVENUE, P.O. BOX 456, WOODBURY, NJ 08096 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (856) 384-1515

SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Borough of West View: Having erected thereon a one (1) story dwelling house being known and numbered as 172 Lakewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15229. Deed Book Volume 12358, Page 133. Block and Lot Number 279-D-108.

13 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S) BOROUGH OF OAKMONT vs DEFENDANT(S): JEFF W. REIBERT, AS KNOWN HEIR OF THERESA REIBERT, DECEASED AND ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THERESA REIBERT, DECEASED

$3,507.15

WENDEL ROAD, IRWIN, PA 15642

*************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION: ln the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, TOWNSHIP OF WEST DEER: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 634 BAIRDFORD ROAD, GIBSONIA, PA 15044. DEED BOOK VOLUME 17387, PAGE 224, BLOCK AND LOT 1670-N-00273-0000-00.

17 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF CHRISTilIB GIESY DECEASED,

THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, BOROUGH OF EAST MCKEESPORT: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 913 PUNTA GORDA AVENUE, EAST MC KEESPORT, PA 15035. DEED BOOK 10590, PAGE 324. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 547-C-274.

18 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): JARASLAW J. GRADNIK CASE NO.: MG-23-000003

OF ATTORNEY: Jennifer L. Cerce, Esquire ************************************** ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 424 S. 27th Street, Ste. 210 Pittsburgh, PA 15203

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

242-4400 SHORT DESCRIPTION: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Township of Elizabeth:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 5806 PITT ST, MCKEESPORT, PA 15135. DEED BOOK 17027, PAGE 358. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 760-8-44.

21 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Darren Mascilli, Donna

Mascilli **************************************

CASE NO.: MG-09-001431

DEBT: $78,352.59

NAME OF ATTORNEY: LOGS Legal Group LLP

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 3600 Horizon Drive, Suite 150 King of Prussia, PA 19406

***************************************

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (610) 278-6800 *************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION: ***************************************

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, 9TH WARD OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING

BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 4008 MINTWOOD STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15224. DEED BOOK VOLUME 10153, PAGE 367, BLOCK AND LOT 0049-R00124-0000-00.

22 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): MIGDALIA G. BRATHWAITE, EUGENE S.

25 AUGUST 23 DEFENDANT(S): PEARL THOMAS

CASE NO.: MG-22-000028 *********************** DEBT: $37,973.53 ***************** NAME OF ATTORNEY: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. ************************************** ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: SUITE 5000, 701 MARKET STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (215) 627-1322 SHORT DESCRIPTION: IN THE COMMONVIEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, 13THWARD CITY OF PITTSBURGH: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 1070 BLACK.ADORE STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15221. DEED BOOK 4631, PAGE 263. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER l 74-H-123.

26 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S) DEER LAKES SCHOOL DISTRICT vs DEFENDANT(S): JOANN FILBERT CASE NO.: GD-22-011452 DEBT: $20,802.02 ***************** NAME OF ATTORNEY: CHRISTOPHER E. VINCENT ************************************** ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 546 WENDEL ROAD, IRWIN, PA 15642 ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 724-978-0333 SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, TOWNSHIP OF WEST DEER:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 1767 SAXONBURG BOULEVARD, TARENTUM, PA 15084. DEED BOOK 14368, PAGE 395. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 1837-M-044

27 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S) MT. LEBANON SCHOOL DISTRICT, vs DEFENDANT(S): EDWARD CHRISTIAN DUERR **************************************

CASE NO.: GD 19-001269 *********************** DEBT: $15,096.40

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C. ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C. 1500 ONE PPG PLACE PITTSBURGH, PA 15222

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412.594.3943

SHORT DESCRIPTION: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, MUNICIPALITY OF MT. LEBANON: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 832 FLORIDA AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15228-2015, DEED BOOK VOLUME 14367, PAGE 379, BLOCK AND LOT 141-N-159

28 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S) SHALER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT vs DEFENDANT(S): CHARLES R. ROTHERT, JR. AND PATRICIA A. ROTHERT HUSBAND AND WIFE

CASE NO.: GD 22-002290 *********************** DEBT: $32,140.11 *****************

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C.. **************************************

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C. 1500 ONE PPG PLACE PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412.594.3943 ***************************************

SHORT DESCRIPTION: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, TOWNSHIP OF SHALER:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 6 MARIE AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15223-1418, DEED BOOK VOLUME 9729, PAGE 447, BLOCK AND LOT 221-G-254.

29 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): TRUONG BUI, PHUC NGUYEN AND TUOI DAM ************************************** CASE NO.: MG-23-000161 *********************** DEBT: $141,254.76

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Michelle Pierro, Esq. (PA ID No. 317454)

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: Tucker Arensberg,

32 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S): NORTHGATE SCHOOL DISTRICT VS. DEFENDANT(S): THOMAS J. MORTIMER, Heir of EVON J. MORTIMER and LOIS J. MORTIMER (DECEASED)

************************************** WRIT NO.:

37 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF: SHALER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT VS. DEFENDANT(S) CHRISTOPHER T. BURNS AND CHRISTINE BURNS, HUSBAND AND WIFE, ************************************** CASE NO. GD 22-005284

DEBT: $23,356.27

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C.

RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST FROM, OR UNDER MARYANN MORRISON, DECEASED. CASE NO. GD 20-002816

*********************** DEBT: $52,636.07

*****************

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C.

**************************************

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C., 1500 ONE PPG PLACE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412.594.3943

SHORT DESCRIPTION: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, MUNICIPALITY OF MT. LEBANON:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL

DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 112 DUPONT CIRCLE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15243-1317, DEED

BOOK VOLUME 15935, PAGE 90, BLOCK AND LOT 194-8-196

34 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF: SHALER AREA SCHOOL

DISTRICT, VS.

DEFENDANT(S) ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS, EXECUTORS, ASSIGNS, AND ALL PERSONS, FIRMS, OR ASSOCIATIONS CLAIMING RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST, FROM OR UNDER ANTHONY J. NIST, DECEASED,

**************************************

CASE NO. GD 22-001941

DEBT: $16,806.67

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C. ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C., 1500 ONE PPG PLACE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222

***************************************

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

412.594.3943 ***************************************

SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, TOWNSHIP OF SHALER: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 110 SUNSET LANE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15209-1027, DEED BOOK VOLUME 4352, PAGE 261, BLOCK AND LOT 354-E-8 .

35 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF: SHALER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT, VS. DEFENDANT(S) WILLIAM STEVE ROSS JOYCE P. ROSS, HUSBAND AND WIFE, ************************************** WRIT NO.GD 22-005281

DEBT: $21,201.29

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C. ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C., 1500 ONE PPG PLACE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412.594.3943 *************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, TOWNSHIP OF RESERVE:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 914 GEYER ROAD, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15209, DEED BOOK VOLUME 14490, PAGE 523, BLOCK AND LOT 164-S-90

36 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF: SHALER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT VS. DEFENDANT(S) GERALD L. PETERSON AND SUSAN M. PETERSON, HUSBAND AND WIFE ************************************** CASE NO. GD 22-001940

DEBT: $32,573.08

NAME OF ATTORNEY: JOHN T. VOGEL, TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C. ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C., 1500 ONE PPG PLACE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412.594.3943 *************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, TOWNSHIP OF SHALER:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL

DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 817 BREEZEWOOD DRIVE, GLENSHAW, PENNSYLVANIA 15116-1509, DEED BOOK VOLUME 14133, PAGE 445, BLOCK AND LOT 519-S-98.

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: TUCKER ARENSBERG, P.C., 1500 ONE PPG PLACE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 412.594.3943 *************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, TOWNSHIP OF SHALER:

PARCEL 1) HAVING ERECTED THEREON A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 182 DEWEY STREET, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 152231769, DEED BOOK VOLUME 16702, PAGE 485, BLOCK AND LOT 221-P-66; PARCEL 2) BEING A VACANT PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED ON DEWEY STREET, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 152231769, DEED BOOK VOLUME 16702, PAGE 485, BLOCK AND LOT 221-P-78.

38 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S) BEYOND PAPER, INC.

**************************************

CASE NO. GD-14-018545

***********************

DEBT: $119,349.25

NAME OF ATTORNEY: KIMBERLY S.

TAGUE & CAROLYN 0. BOUCEK

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY:

ECKERT SEAMANS CHERIN & MELLOTT, LLC, 600 GRANT STREET, 44TH FLOOR, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15219

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

412-566-6851

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

ALL OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED

REAL ESTATE SITUATED IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, 7TH WARD OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, DEED BOOK VOLUME 11365, PAGE 208.

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A CONDOMINIUM UNIT KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 6109 FIFTH AVENUE, UNIT 3, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15232, BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 85-C-32-3-000.

39 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S): County of Allegheny VS. DEFENDANT(S) Me Lyng Restaurant, Inc. ************************************** CASE NO. GD 23-000413

DEBT: $3,920.88

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Joseph W. Gramc, Esquire ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 525 William Penn Place, Suite 3110 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (412) 281-0587 *************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Borough of West Homestead:

Having erected thereon a one story commercial building being known as 213 West 8th Avenue, Homestead, PA 15120. Deed Book Volume 13572, Page 225. Block & Lot No. 130-N-88.

40 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S): Municipality of Bethel Park VS. DEFENDANT(S) Patrick T. Mcguire, Trustee of the Justine McGuire Trust

CASE NO. GD 22-012358

AND LOT NUMBER 235-J-227.

AUGUST 23

Mark D. Miller

NO. GD-22-013661

$29,316.08

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Manley Deas Kochalski LLC

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: P. 0. Box 165028

Wilkinsburg Borough VS.

BRYCE PETERS FINANCIAL

NO. GD 22-003865

of

County of Allegheny, Borough of Wilkinsburg: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 1444 FRANKLIN AVE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15221. DEED BOOK 13649, PAGE 47. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 233-H-23.

68 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S): Penn Hills School District and Municipality of Penn Hills VS. DEFENDANT(S): THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF LOUIS W. DAVIS, DECEASED CASE NO. GD 21-013942

OF ATTORNEY:

L. Cerce, Esquire

OF ATTORNEY:

S. 27th Street, Ste. 210 Pittsburgh, PA

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

242-4400

DESCRIPTION:

the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Municipality of Penn Hills: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 5726 VERONA ROAD, VERONA, PA 15147. DEED BOOK 8911, PAGE 244. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 366-M-234.

69 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S): North Allegheny School District VS. DEFENDANT(S): AMY K. HOWARD AND CURT C. BERGMAN

CASE NO. GD 23-000739

DEBT:$23,744.15

Elizabeth, PA 15037. Deed Book Volume 899, Page 260. Block & Lot No. 1132-K-282.

53 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S): Woodland Hills School District VS. DEFENDANT(S): Marilyn A. O’Connor, with Notice to Heirs and Assigns and The United States of America CASE NO.: GD 19-013.323 DEBT: $19,976.20

County of Allegheny and Borough of Turtle Creek: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 201 Hamilton Avenue, Turtle Creek, PA 15145. Deed Book Volume 12511, Page 569. Block and Lot Number 455-C-104.

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Jennifer L. Cerce, Esquire ************************************** ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 424 S. 27th Street, Ste. 210 Pittsburgh, PA 15203 ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (412) 242-4400 *************************************** SHORT DESCRIPTION: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Town of McCandless:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 8201 PERRY HWY, PITTSBURGH, PA 15237. DEED BOOK 16396, PAGE 97. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 611-G-212.

70 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S): South Allegheny School District

THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF JOHN G. MIHOCES,

CASE NO. GD 22-003285 DEBT: $15,891.60 ***************** NAME OF ATTORNEY: Jennifer L. Cerce, Esquire

OF ATTORNEY: 424 S. 27th Street, Ste. 210 Pittsburgh, PA

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

242-4400

AUGUST

County of Allegheny, 9th Ward of the City of McKeesport:

Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 2515 Cleveland St McKeesport, PA 15132. Deed Book Volume 12645, Page 376. Block and Lot 0463-A-00051-0000-00.

86 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S): County of Allegheny VS. DEFENDANT(S): Joseph R. Piccirilli, Nicole M. Piccirilli and the United States of America

CASE NO.G.D. 19-002748 DEBT: $15,816.13

Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 133 GAITHER DRIVE, SUITE F MOUNT LAUREL, NJ 08054

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, 10TH Ward of the City of McKeesport: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 228 Pine St McKeesport, PA 15132. Deed Book Volume 13123, Page 393. Block and Lot 0308-F00151-0000-00.

81 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Ethel Deiuliis

CASE NO. MG-22-000272

***********************

DEBT: $218,346.37

*****************

NAME OF ATTORNEY:

LOGS Legal Group LLP

**************************************

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY:

3600 Horizon Drive, Suite 150 King of Prussia, PA 19406

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

(610) 278-6800

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, 4TH WARD OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 3610 PARKVIEW AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15213. DEED BOOK VOLUME 3981, PAGE 305, BLOCK AND LOT 0028-M00161-0000-00.

82 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): GEORGEANN O’NEIL A/K/A GEORGEANN TAYLOR O’NEIL Fl.K/A

764-G162 93 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): ROCHELLE D. MORRIS

**************************************

TELEPHONE NUMBER: (215) 572-8111

SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny and Township of O’Hara: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 605 Ravencrest Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215-1119. Deed Book Volume 13300, Page 143. Block and Lot Number 286-H- 106.

100 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): SARVER REALTY ANDRE

87 AUGUST 23 PLAINTIFF(S): Chartiers Valley School District VS.

DEFENDANT(S): Lauren K. Arnold CASE NO.GD 21-012866 *********************** DEBT: $8,248.38 ***************** NAME

CASE NO. MG-19-001283

*********************** DEBT: $64,297.40

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Stephen Panik, Esquire

**************************************

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: Brock & Scott, PLLC 2011 RENAISSANCE BOULEVARD, SUITE 100 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406 ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (844) 856-6646

***************************************

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF HOMESTEAD

Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 236 E 16TH AVE, HOMESTEAD, PA 15120. Deed Book Volume 11865, Page 121. Block and Lot Number O131-D-00049-0000-00

94 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): KIMBERLY E PERROTTI; STEPHEN C PERROTTI

**************************************

CASE NO. MG-23-000042

*********************** DEBT: $84,524.76

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Stephen Panik, Esquire ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: Brock & Scott, PLLC 2011 RENAISSANCE BOULEVARD, SUITE 100 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406 ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (844) 856-6646 SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, HAMPTON TOWNSHIP

Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 3036 MCNEAL RD, ALLISON PARK, PA 15101. Deed Book Volume 18142, Page 585. Block and Lot Number 1212-S-001440000-00

95 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): JACOB K. MORRIS ************************************** CASE NO. MG-22-000091

DEBT: $170,511.47

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Stephen Panik, Esquire ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: Brock & Scott, PLLC 2011 RENAISSANCE BOULEYARD, SUITE 100 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE

PLAZA, LLC, SARVER REALTY MCKNIGHT PLAZA, LLC, SARVER REALTY REGENT SQUARE, LLC **************************************

CASE NO. GD-22-015529

***********************

DEBT: $4,468,213.84

NAME OF ATTORNEY:

JOSEPH A. FIDLER, ESQUIRE

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 4091 MT. ROYAL BOULEVARD, ALLISON PARK, PA 15101 ***************************************

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

412-487-8173 SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** ALL THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED REAL ESTATE SITUATED IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, BOROUGH OF EDGEWOOD: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A COMMERCIAL BUILDING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 1133-1143 SOUTH BRADDOCK AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15218, DEED BOOK VOLUME 17413, PAGE 118, BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER

177-B-112.

101 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Carl Talackine a/k/a Carl L. Talackine **************************************

CASE NO. MG-22-001066

DEBT: $164,709.21

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Stem & Eisenberg, PC

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: The Shops at Valley Square, 1581 Main Street, Suite 200 Warrington, PA 18976

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

(215) 572-8111

SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, and Municipality of Monroeville: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 1044

102 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Rolynda T. Ford ************************************** CASE NO. MG-15-001437 *********************** DEBT: $82,581.70

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Stem & Eisenberg, PC **************************************

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: The Shops at Valley Square, 1581 Main Street, Suite 200 Warrington, PA 18976

ATTORNEY

(610) 278-6800 SHORT DESCRIPTION: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF GREENTREE: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 130 WEST MANILLA AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15220. DEED BOOK VOLUME 14377, PAGE 563, BLOCK AND LOT 0037-B00160-0000-00.

109 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): UNKNOWN HEIRS OF DONA K. BAKER DECEASED,

BICKEL, IN HER CAPACITY AS HEIR OF ELIZABETH HORTON; UNKNOWN HEIRS, SUCCESSORS, ASSIGNS AND ALL PERSONS, FIRMS OR ASSOCIATIONS CLAIMING RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST FROM OR UNDER ELIZABETH HORTON CASE NO. GD-22-011774

*********************** DEBT: $24,663.44

*****************

NAME OF ATTORNEY: Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY:

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 546 WENDEL ROAD, IRWIN, PA 15642 *************************************** ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: 724-978-0333 SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, TOWNSHIP OF WEST DEER:

PARCEL ONE HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 552 BAIRDFORD ROAD, GIBSONIA, PA 15044. DEED BOOK 14365, PAGE 45. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 1669-H-043.

PARCEL TWO

HAVING ERECTED THEREON VACANT

LAND BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS BAIRDFORD ROAD, GIBSONIA, PA 15044. DEED BOOK 14365, PAGE 45. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 1669-H-045.

127 AUGUST 23

PLAINTIFF(S) DEER LAKES SCHOOL

DISTRICT VS.

DEFENDANT(S): WILLIAM G. KRAFT **************************************

CASE NO. GD-22-012062

DEBT: $7,367.93

NAME OF ATTORNEY: CHRISTOPHER E. VINCENT

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY:

546 WENDEL ROAD, IRWIN, PA 15642

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

724-978-0333 ***************************************

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, TOWNSHIP OF WEST DEER:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 4107

BAKERSTOWN CULMERVILLE ROAD, GIBSONIA, PA 15044. DEED BOOK 13643, PAGE 567. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 2008-M-361

128 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Unknown Heirs, Successors, Assigns and All Persons, Firms or Associations Claiming Right, Title or Interest from or under John G. Kessler, deceased, Ashley L. Fuccaro, known Heir of John G. Kessler, deceased **************************************

CASE NO. MG-22-000336

DEBT: $114,515.28

NAME OF ATTORNEY: LOGS Legal Group LLP

ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 3600 Horizon Drive, Suite 150 King of Prussia, PA 19406

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

278-6800

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 3229 CIRCLE DRIVE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15227. DEED BOOK VOLUME 14533, PAGE 449, BLOCK AND LOT 0136-E-00074-0000-00.

129 AUGUST 23 DEFENDANT(S):David Scott Arison, Kelli A. Arison

CASE NO. MG-23-000087

$126,319.90

NAME OF ATTORNEY: LOGS Legal Group LLP ************************************** ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 3600 Horizon Drive, Suite 150 King of Prussia, PA 19406

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER: (610) 278-6800

City of McKeesport:

Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 1703 Bailie Avenue, McKeesport, PA 15132-4612. Deed Book Volume 11316, Page 130. Block and Lot Number 382- G-42

133 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Scott Wharton a/k/a Scott B. Wharton, Sr., solely in his capacity as Executor of the Estate of George F. Wharton a/k/a George F. Wharton, Sr., a/k/a George Frederick Wharton, Sr., Deceased

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 855-225-6906 ***************************************

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Borough of Edgewood: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 215 Race Street Pittsburgh, PA 15218. Deed Book Volume 7455, Page 30. Block and Lot 0177-C00161-0000-00.

114 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S):KRYSTAL KACHINKO

CASE NO. MG-23-000065 *********************** DEBT: $71,656.94

MCKEESPORT AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT AND BOROUGH OF WHITE OAK VS. DEFENDANT(S): ARLENE CUBAKOVIC, DAVID CUBAKOVIC AND ALLAN CUBAKOVIC, AS KNOWN HEIRS OF ALBERT E. CUBAKOVIC, DECEASED AND DOLORES M. CUBAKOVIC, DECEASED AND ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ALBERT E. CUBAKOVIC, DECEASED AND DOLORES M. CUBAKOVIC, DECEASED

SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH FAYETTE:

HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 153 FIRWOOD DRIVE, BRIDGEVILLE, PA 15017. DEED BOOK VOLUME 17398, PAGE 458, BLOCK AND LOT 0481-B00019-0000-00.

130 AUGUST 23

DEFENDANT(S): Unknown Heirs, Successors, Assigns, and All Persons, Firms, or Associations Claiming Right, Title or Interest from or under Pauline B. Touchstone, deceased.

************************************** CASE NO. MG-19-001303

*********************** DEBT: $81,416.95

NAME OF ATTORNEY: LOGS Legal Group LLP ************************************** ADDRESS OF ATTORNEY: 3600 Horizon Drive, Suite 150 King of Prussia, PA 19406 ***************************************

ATTORNEY TELEPHONE NUMBER:

(610) 278-6800

SHORT DESCRIPTION: *************************************** In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny,

ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING

CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO!

as 2035 Crestas Avenue, North Versailles, PA 15137. Deed Book Volume 11070, Page 149. Block & Lot No. 376-L-264.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

PUBLIC NOTICE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY

The Green Committee of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority will hold a special meeting for general purposes on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. prevailing time in the Trefz Board Room at its offices located at 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15233. Official action on the Committee’s recommendations will take place at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors at a later date. The public may view the meeting via livestream by visiting www.alcosan.org.

PUBLIC NOTICE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY

The Advisory Committee of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority will hold a special meeting for general purposes on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. prevailing time in the Trefz Board Room at its offices located at 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15233. The public may view the meeting via livestream by visiting www.alcosan.org. Public comment may be submitted by contacting Jeanne Clark at 412734-6222 or Jeanne.clark@alcosan.org, by noon on the meeting date.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Notice

BOROUGH OF THORNBURG, ALLEGHENY COUNTYCONCISE FINANCIAL INFORMATION

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of LENORE ADLER, deceased, of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-23-04489, Benjamin A. Goldberger, Executor, 7 Ivy Lane, Natick, MA 01760 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washigton Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

Estate of MELISSA SASSO, deceased, of Wilkinsburg, PA, No. 4579 of 2023, Janice Zelen George, Exec., 12 Churchill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or to Jennifer Roller Chontos, Chontos & Chontos, P.C. 561 Beulah Road, Turtle Creek, PA 15145

Estate of RACHEL ANN WATTS, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-23-04191, Luann Watts, Administrator, 221 Clinton Avenue, Oakdale, PA 15071 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FILLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

Estate of CAROLINE M. MORANELLI, deceased, of Glassport Borough, Pennsylvania, No. 02-23-02476., Lisa Moranelli, Executix or to Ryan W. Brode, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15236

Estate of KEVIN E. BETHEL, AKA KEVIN EDWARD BETHEL, Deceased of West Mifflin Borough, Pennsylvania, No.: 02-23-04713, Janet L. Bethel, Executrix or to Ryan W. Brode, Atty. 6 Clairton Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15236

ETHEL GRISOM deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022304534., Allegra Flournoy, appointed Administrator on June 23rd, 2023. Quinntarra Morant, Counsel, Morant Law Offices, 500 Regis Ave. Unit 10946, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.

DAVID LEE BUSH deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022304528., Tara N. Dean, appointed Administrator on June 23, 2023. Quinntarra Morant, Counsel, Morant Law Offices, 500 Regis Ave. Unit 10946, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Name Change

CHANGE OF NAME

In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. 23-7516 Term, 2023 In re petition of CHELSEA A. MORALES for change of name to CHELSEA A. ANANI MORALES.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 16th day of August, 2023, at 9:45 AM., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

CHELSEA A. MORALES

Address: 133 Carnegie Ave Clairton PA 15025 Phone (412) 501-7829

CHANGE OF NAME

In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-6320, Term 2023 In re: petition of KEVIN RODERICK SMITH for change of name to: TAYVEON KEVIN-RODERICK SMITH.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 12th day of July, 2023 at 9:00 AM as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

Kevin Roderick Smith, Address: 1741 Parkline Drive, Apt. 8, Pittsburgh, PA 15227

The concise financial information is derived from the audited financial statements of the Borough of Thornburg as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022. Total assets of $715,117; total liabilities of $340 and total net position of $714,777. Total revenues were $1,043,342, total expenditures were $833,988 and the change in total net position for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $209,354. Full copies of the annual financial reporting information may be examined at the Borough’s office.

RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BLIGHT 2 LIGHT, INC

ADVISING DISSOLUTION

Pursuant to a duly made and seconded motion, the following resolution was adopted by the affirmative and unanimous vote of the Board of Directors of Blight 2 Light, Inc. RESOLVED, that said Corporation shall now be dissolved in a manner as prescribed by law and by the Bylaws of said Corporation, and it is FURTHER RESOLVED, that a meeting on June 7th, 2019 of all Members of the Board of Directors will be called to take action upon this resolution.

The undersigned, Mark Fichtner, President of Blight 2 Light and member of the Board of Directors, certifies that he is duly appointed and that the above is a true and correct copy of the meeting of the directors thereof, convened and held in accordance with the law and the Bylaws of Blight 2 Light, Inc on and that such resolution is now in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have affixed my name as President of Blight 2 Light, Inc and have attached the seal of said Corporation to this resolution. 6/17/2019

Mark Fichtner, President

LEGAL AD EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS

GRANT

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) and the City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Management and Budget (City, OMB) recently issued a joint Application for Emergency Solutions

Grant funds (ESG). Due Date: 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 17, 2023.

For more details and submission information, visit: www.alleghenycounty.us/ Human-Services/Resources /Doing-Business/Solicitations-(RFP/ RFQ/RFI).aspx.

Erin Dalton Director

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

LOWER HILL BLOCK E PARKING GARAGE BID

Carl Walker Construction, Inc. is currently accepting bids for the Block E Parking Garage project on the Lower Hill Redevelopment Site. All bidding documents will be provided upon email request via a document sharing site. Bids due July 26, 2023. Email BlockE@carlwalkerconstruction.com to request the bid invitation. Visit https://www.lowerhillredevelopment .com/construction-bidding.html for more info.

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY invites separate sealed bids for the following coverages:

Commercial General Liability

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial Automobile Insurance Coverage to become effective October 1, 2023, 12:01 A.M.

Bid closing date is 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

For bid information and copies of the Invitation for Bids, contact Christy Kemp, Washington County Housing Authority, 100 S. Franklin Street, Washington, PA 15301, 724-228-6060 Ext. 128 or christyk@wchapa.org. The Washington County Housing Authority reserves the right to waive any informalities and reject any and all bids.

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time July 25, 2023 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria:

Window Cleaning -Various Loactions

General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org

Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links.

The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time July 25, 2023 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria:

Science Supplies

(Biology, Chemistry and Physics)

General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org

Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links. The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ARMED AND UNARMED GAURDS AUTHORITY WIDE

RFP#350-26-23

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

Armed and Unarmed Guards Authority Wide

RFP# 350-26-23

The documents will be available no later than July 3, 2023, and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 9:00 AM on July 25, 2023. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on July 25, 2023, in the lobby of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site; the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at the lobby of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to:

Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832

A pre-submission meeting will be held on July 13, 2023, at 9:00 AM via Zoom. Please see meeting information below:

Meeting ID: 812 8282 3336

Passcode: 581942 Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

DOCUMENT 00030-AA

ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

The Allegheny County Airport Authority will be receiving scanned PDF proposals through Submittable, and a submission link will be sent to each registered plan holder. Submissions are to be submitted via Submittable by 1:00 p.m. prevailing local time on August 2, 2023, and bids will be opened by the Airport Authority and results will be emailed by end of business day of bid opening for the following project:

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

PROJECT NUMBER 55E1-23 (ELECTRICAL)

WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS UPGRADE

AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

A pre-bid conference will be held at 9:00 a.m., on July 12, 2023 , in Conference Room A at Pittsburgh International Airport Landside Terminal, 4th Floor Mezz, Pittsburgh, PA 15231.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, must be paid on these projects. Proposals must be made on the Authority’s form and in accordance with the Plans and Specifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’.

The non-refundable charge of $150.00 for the Bid Documents and the Plans, and Specifications through the bidding platform Submittable at https://acaacapitalprograms.submittable.com.

Please note that Submittable does not support Internet Explorer 11. Submittable recommends the following browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program) (PA UCP). Firms must be certified prior to award of contract. A searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PA UCP web site: https://paucp.dbesystem.com/

The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents visit www.flypittsburgh.com – ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or call 412-472-3677 or 412-472-3645.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR GEOTHERMAL SUPPORT AUTHORITY WIDE

IFB#300-23-23

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

Geothermal Support Authority Wide

IFB#300-23-23

The documents will be available no later than July 10, 2023, and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 AM on August 3, 2023. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on August 3, 2023, in the lobby of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site; the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at the lobby of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to:

Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832

A pre-submission meeting will be held on July 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM via Zoom. Please see meeting information below:

Meeting ID: 821 0316 4160

Passcode: 209810 Dial in +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

COME JOIN OUR TEAM!

TREK Development Group is a Pittsburgh-based real estate development firm specializing in building innovative and sustainable communities. Our mission is to Create Value, Strengthen Community and Enhance Lives.

We are currently seeking engaged and passionate professionals to fill roles throughout our organization.

Maintenance Technician: Pittsburgh/Zelienople, PA

Administrative Assistant: Gibsonia, PA Leasing Consultant: Pittsburgh, PA

Our vision is to create communities where everyone is valued, can be their best selves and contributes to the quality of life in the community. If this sounds like a fit for your passion, skills, and experience, we look forward to hearing from you! For more information, please visit trekdevelopment.com/careers

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP.

SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking: HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY TEACHER

Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org

Applications must be received by 4:00 PM July 17, 2023

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP.

SCHOOL DISTRICT has an anticipated position for CUSTODIAL SHIFT MANAGER available: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org

Deadline 4:00 PM July 17, 2023

EOE

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking a: READING ROOM PARAEDUCATOR

Applications must be received by 4:00 PM, July 24, 2023

Complete job descriptions and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org

CLINICAL RESEARCH

COORDINATOR – ONCOLOGY/GU

Allegheny Singer Research Institute seeks a Clinical Research Coordinator/Oncology GU to work in Pittsburgh, PA, and plan/ coordinate the activities associated with the initiation and completion of clinical trials, sponsored by internal, industry, foundation, and/ or Federal funding sources as well as maintain compliance with all regulatory bodies associated with human subject research. Apply at: ahn.org/careers Job Code J228631.

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Petuum Inc. has a Senior Software Engineer position in Pittsburgh, PA responsible for building robust, effective, and well-packaged modern machine learning systems, as well as contributing to our CASL open source projects. Apply at: https:// boards.greenhouse.io/petuum.

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Petuum Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, seeks a Software Engineer. This is a work-fromhome position (with the ability to telecommute with appropriate telecommuting systems) responsible for building robust, effective, and well-packaged modern distributed machine learning systems, as well as contribute to our CASL open-source projects. Apply at: https://boards. greenhouse.io/petuum.

ASSISTANT MANAGER OF FACILITIES SYSTEMS

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking an Assistant Manager of Facilities Systems to be responsible for coordinating Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT)’s Facilities Systems activities for the Facilities Systems Department and directly supervise the Facilities Systems first level supervisors. Oversees the Facilities Systems Department in the absence of the Facilities Systems Manager.

Essential Functions:

• Directs Facilities Systems supervisors in the performance of their work.

• Assists in all other Facilities Systems department supervisory responsibilities and coordinates functions with other Facilities and PRT personnel.

• Coordinates the training and qualification of supervisors and hourly employees on the use of related equipment, and proper maintenance and repair procedures as required.

• Communicates with individuals throughout the system to assess the support needed from the Facilities Systems department.

Job requirements include:

• High School Diploma or G.E.D.

• Associate Degree in a technical discipline from an accredited school. Directly related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.

• Minimum of five (5) years directly related experience in any one of the Facilities Building Systems areas (carpentry, plumbing, equipment repair, electrical or HVAC)

• Minimum of three (3) years supervisory experience.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Excel and Word.

• Willingness and ability to work any shift and pass days.

• Responds to work related problems on a 24 hour a day basis.

Preferred attributes:

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Access and PeopleSoft.

OFFICIAL EXAMINATION NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF WILKINS CIVIL

SERVICE COMMISSION

Public notice is hereby given that the Civil Service Commission of the Township of Wilkins will be conducting an examination for a full-time police officer. Applications may be obtained at the Wilkins Township Building, 110 Peffer Road, Turtle Creek, PA 15145, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Applications may also be obtained at www.wilkinstownship.com

(“How Do I” -> “Apply for a Job” -> “Police Officer Employment Application Packet”) the fully completed application form and all required documentation must be received via hand delivery or certified mail, return receipt requested, to Wilkins Township on or before July 21, 2023 at 4:30 P.M. Applications received after 4:30 P.M. on July 21, 2023 will not be considered. A physical agility test is scheduled at the Allegheny County Police Academy (North Park) on July 25, 2023 at 9:00 AM. For those who pass the physical agility test, a written test will be given immediately following at the Police Academy.

The following requirements shall apply to all applicants:

1. Verification that applicant is at least 21 years old at the time of application.

2. Verification of application for employment, including affirmation that the application is completed truthfully.

3. Photocopy of current, valid motor vehicle operators license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

4. Applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America

5. Verification that applicant has been certified to act immediately as an active police officer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania based upon successful completion at the time of application of what is commonly referred to as Act 120 training.

6. A statement that the applicant is physically and mentally fit for police duty, as set forth in the Essential Duties of a Police Officer form included with the application.

7. Verification of high school diploma or graduate equivalency diploma (GED).

8. If applicant is requesting Veteran’s Preference under Pennsylvania law, proof of honorable discharge from military service.

9. Non refundable application fee in the amount of $55.00 to be paid at the time the application is picked up or requested from the Township.

10. The starting salary for a full time police officer in Wilkins Township is currently set at $51,334 for the first year, increasing over five years to $98,280

11. Applicants who are finalists for the Eligibility List must undergo physical and psychological testing, background and credit investigation.

12. Successful applicants must serve a one (1) year probationary period.

13. A complete copy of the Township’s hiring policy, as set forth in its Civil Service Rules is available for inspection during regular business hours at the Wilkins Municipal Building.

Wilkins Township is an equal opportunity employer.

America’s Best Weekly

315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 134

E-mail:

ads@newpittsburghcourier.com

Deadline/Closing/Cancellation

Will Downing on his daughter’s tragic death and mental health awareness

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:

Joe Sekely

Employment Department

345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527

JSekely@RidePRT.org

EOE

Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

Chicago Defender

Will Downing, who has been creating his brand of sophisticated soul for nearly 40 years, is experiencing a year of firsts —and it has nothing to do with music.

In January, his daughter, Aron Siobhan Downing, committed suicide. She was bipolar, had depression and some schizophrenia. She was 27.

Months after her death, Downing and his family still don’t know why she took her life.

Downing has since released a single entitled, “Till We Meet Again,” his conversation with Siobhan. In the song, he expresses frustration and finally resignation over her passing, but he also issues a message of hope to anyone confronted with mental health challenges.

Not too long after he played before hundreds of fans at the Country Club Hills Amphitheater in Chicago, Downing spoke with the Chicago Defender to discuss his daughter’s passing, longevity in the music industry and what’s next.

Chicago Defender: When you come to Chicago, does the city hold a special place for you as a performer?

Will Downing: Chicago is a music town. There are certain cities that, regardless of what’s going on in the world, whether it be economic or anything else, there are certain cities that you enjoy going to because they appreciate real music. And Chicago is one of those cities for me. It’s one of the few cities, in my opinion, that actually still has a legacy there. There’s a culture there that hasn’t aged out.

I live in New York, and everything is very, in my opinion, “at the moment.” New York and other major cities are known to just throw artists away. If it’s not happening right now, then you’re not happening.

You say, “Well, come on out, man, it’s just good legacy music.” And you get the raised eyebrow, or the hesitancy or something like that. That’s something that I haven’t seen happen in cities like Chicago, Detroit or Philadelphia. It’s just, “We love good music regardless of whether it’s classic R&B or classic soul or whether it’s the new stuff.” As an artist, you learn to appreciate that when you see it.

CD: I wanted to switch gears here and talk about “Till We Meet Again,” a song you’ve released about what occurred in January with your daughter. Is there anything you’d like to discuss concerning that song and how you are dealing with that situation?

Will Downing: The song, for those who haven’t heard it, is basically a conversation that I’ve had with all of my children, especially my daughter, [Aron] Siobhan. On many occasions, she would call me and say that she was about to do something. And I’d be like, “You know, come on. What are you doing?”

Sometimes the conversations turn into arguments, but it was still out of love. Then when it was all said and done, we hugged it out, “I love you. But you know, I think you’re about to make a mistake, or you might want to rethink this. Maybe there’s another way of doing it.”

The first opening line of the song is, “I wish you could tell me what the hell was on your mind. You know, the last time I talked to you, you seemed like you were doing alright.” And I’ve had that conversation with her a million times. She loved tattoos. She’d be like, “I’m gonna get a tattoo on my thigh.” And I’m like, “Why?”

One time she came to visit me. She had a tattoo on the back of her neck that had her birthdate on it. I said, “Well, why did you do that?” (She answered) “Well, just in case someone asked me what my birthday was.”

“Okay, Siobhan, when’s your birthday?” And then she tells me the date, and I go, “Okay, that ends that conversation.”

You could’ve saved yourself like $250 or $500. Like, “Why didn’t you just come talk to me about it?” And then she’d look at me and say, “I guess you’re right.”

I’d say, “Ahh, give me a hug. I love you. Let’s keep moving.”

So that’s, that’s what the song is; it’s me talking with her, and her mother feels the same way. I was having a conversation with her, and this time, you know, obviously, we can’t bring her back. We just wish that she would have spoken with us before doing what she did.

Unfortunately, it’s something that, as parents and her family—her sisters and brother— that we have to live with not knowing. That’s the hard part.

And then for other people, to let folks who hear the song who might be going through a similar problem, whether on their own or with a family member or someone they know. It’s a wake-up call to make sure that you stay in communication with your loved ones.

CD: You’re talking about living without knowing why she died. Is that what I’m getting from what you’re saying?

Will Downing: Yeah, that’s the brutal part. You know, she left a note. But it was very, like, cryptic, you know what I mean? It might have made perfect sense to her, but for those who are left behind, it’s like, “Well, I’m going to need a little more than that.”

There’s certainly a slight guilt factor. Where you look at yourself, and you say, “What did I miss?

What didn’t I say?

Where did I go wrong?”

You know, that sort of thing. And it’s just something we’re all just going to have to live with. It’s unfortunate, but it’s kind of the way it is.

CD: I noticed she was an artist, and you featured her work on the cover of the single. Can you describe her art and how it strikes you?

Will Downing: Artistically, she could do anything. Some of it was very avant-garde, and some of it had to be explained to me. She was a music person as well. So, it was an outlet. And the thing that made it really difficult for her living was when the pandemic hit. The pandemic isolated all of us. But if you have a mental condition of some sort, it can be heightened. And she was in that category, and FaceTime and all that stuff works every once in a while. But sometimes you just need that human connection to be able to touch the person, to be able to look someone in the eye, that sort of thing. In that sense, that definitely didn’t help. It didn’t help at all, to be honest with you. You know, a lot of little things make the puzzle, the puzzle. So that’s what it is. And she’s missed without a doubt.

CD: How do you plan to continue to honor her memory? Even on Father’s Day, was there anything that you did to honor your daughter’s memory?

Will Downing: You know what, man, there will be a bunch of firsts throughout this whole year. And, for me, I just kind of chilled. I wasn’t emotional on Father’s Day, but the day after, I found some old cards she had sent me when she was little. And that broke me down.

So yeah, there’s a bunch of firsts: the first Mother’s Day her mother went through without her, the first Father’s Day. There will be a first Christmas. There will be a first everything—first birthday. So, it’s going to be a bunch of that. So, for this year, it’s going to be a tough one. And I’m sure things will get easier in time. But, for this year, it’s a tough one.

And to honor her, I’m not going to call myself an expert in any way in this field, but if I can raise awareness in people who are going through some of the same things, that’s the goal.

SAM CLANCY — THE LEGEND CONTINUES

You know how when you’re watching an old movie or reading a historical book and it starts off by saying, “Where do we begin?” I mean, there’s so much to it, it’s so enormous and amazing that you literally don’t know where and how to start! Well, this is that story, so sit down and rest yourself while I give you yet another story of the legend that is Sam Clancy, better known to you as “Sam Bam!”

It was late spring 1976 when I got the phone call from the late, great Cleveland “Cle” Edwards, one of my early mentors and lifetime heroes, as well as one of the City of Pittsburgh’s all-time great athletes and the Fifth Avenue Archer through and through. “Neal,” as he would call me, “you need to get down to Fifth Avenue High School and see Sam Clancy...he’s special and he’s going to be one of the greats.”

I doubt that Sam will remember the moment that we first met, given all that he has lived through, but the occasion was both ironic and coincidental. When I walked up the stairs of the old Fifth Ave. High, Sam was walking towards me, and given his size, I knew this had to be the guy Cle told me to see. And no, I had not seen him in a game previously. The reason that Cle called me about Sam specifically was because I, we, us were now in the second year of what would be a 40-year run of the Connie Hawkins NCAA/Pro/Am Summer Basketball League.

I was the new program director at “The Y” in Homewood where Connie Hawkins, Kenny Durrett, and Will Graham were working out. Hawk was in transition from the L.A. Lakers to the Atlanta Hawks and K.D. and Will were maintaining their status and playing summer league ball here and there. In that time the league caught fire and anybody who was anybody played in the Hawkins League because of Connie and K.D. Cle, being the player and coach that he was, thought it would be good for Sam

to play against grown men, even though he was a high school senior, knowing that his greatness was about to emerge.

Now it can’t be forgotten that the Fifth Avenue team that Clancy played on was ranked No. 1 in the nation and went on to capture the Pa. state title with some of the city’s all-time greats with the late, great Warner Macklin, David “Puffy” Kennedy, “Dr. Bill” Clark, and Edwin “Breeze” Peoples. The last point to this deep dive was that I had a verbal understanding with the legendary Mr. Carl Kohlman of Ozanam fame that the Hawkins League would work with college and pro players and Ozanam would handle high school on down. (Actually, and if you know Mr. Kohlman at all, you know that it was a one way conversation and it went by the way that I was told how it was going to be... in a nice manner, of course!)

As it turns out, Sam didn’t play that summer, but the future of it all began the next year when Sam was taking the nation by storm. Playing coast to coast, becoming a member of the Pitt basketball team under the coaching tutelage of famed coach Tim Grgurich and Cle Edwards, winning Pan American Gold in 1979 under Coach Bobby Knight, and countless other awards to date.

Here are just a few of the never-ending accomplishments: Selected to University of Pittsburgh’s All-Centennial Team, named Awardee of Distinction by the Pitt Varsity Letter Club, inducted to Pitt Athletic Hall of Fame, led Pitt to four consecutive winning seasons, led Pitt to 1981 Eastern Eight Tournament championship, led Pitt to 1980 NIT berth, led Pitt to

1981 NCAA bid, threetime Eastern Eight All League selection.

NOW HEAR THIS...

THE ONLY PLAYER IN PITT HISTORY TO SCORE OVER 1,000 POINTS (1,671) AND OVER 1,000 REBOUNDS (1,362). (For the record, these stats alone should get your shirt retired...I’m just saying.)

Drafted by the Phoenix Suns of the NBA in 1981 at a time when ballplayers were locked into positions without exception (Sam took one for the team playing center; if he had played strictly power forward, history would be telling you an NBA story right now.)

Nonetheless, and tremendous athlete that he was, he is then drafted by the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL in 1982 and went on to an amazing 12-season career including being with the Cleveland Browns in one of the NFL’s greatest games against John Elway and the Denver Broncos in THE DRIVE!

With all the guts and glory that would energize this legend’s story, national ranking, global travels, European coaching, Hall of Fame recognition both large and small, including his shirt hung at Ammon Recreation Center, a huge part of his development and allowing us to induct him in the Hawkins League, a league he helped make famous, and of course his first-year induction to the Pittsburgh City League All Sports Hall of Fame.

All that said, I can promise you this. Anyone who knows or has known Sam Clancy will tell you that all the accolades and awards pale in comparison to the real legend of the gentle giant, the kindness, the compassion, the availability, the humility.... they’ve been second to none.

From the family from which he comes, most notably his fabulous mother, who led the cheers courtside, his wonderful wife and amazing children...that’s where the legacy gets anchored in and will remain a No. 1 topic of conversation for years to come.

To be sure, it’s a certainty that time will alter some of the facts. More points, perhaps... less rebounds, maybe... who did the most damage, Clancy and Pitt or the great Bruce Atkins and Duquesne University...you should’ve been there!!! But one thing that will never change and is no longer up for debate will be the renaming of the street where the legacy began, the corner of Bedford Ave. and Roberts St., which fittingly is across the street from the house of August Wilson, one of Pittsburgh’s great literary legends. Sam takes his rightful place among the greats of the region to be immortalized, along with Tony Dorsett, Major Harris, Mike Ditka, and of course, Rooney Way, just to name a few. And we will all very soon put the long overdue icing on the cake as we collectively rejoice in the raising of his game shirt #15 at the Petersen Events Center. ALL HAIL TO PITT! ALL HAIL TO SAM BAM!

Comparing the USFL’s Maulers to the Steelers? Just crazy!

The poisoned pens and venomous spirits of a few choice sports scribes (and I use the term “scribe” very liberally) have sunk to a new and incredibly low level.

Over the past few years, the lack of postseason success of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the recent past has been notated. They have justifiably been compared to the recent postseason success of two of their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. These comparisons are both expected and justified. However, comparing the Steelers’ playoff success, or lack of it, to the 2023 version of the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL is like telling your waiter that you would like your Vienna sausage “medium rare.”

The comparison makes no darn sense.

Many of the guys that are writing this stuff have never donned a set of pads and would probably wet themselves if they were forced to do so. They can’t boast about dominating the player across from them. They can only brag about dominating and screaming at their parents

or siblings, wives, girlfriends or boyfriends because they forgot to order honey mustard sauce with their chicken McNuggets or extra pepperoni on their pizza. There was an article posted by Dave Schofield, known online as @STLRSuperFanDad, posted on June 25. The title of the article was: “The Maulers’ playoff win (on June 24 over the Michigan Panthers) is a painful reminder of the Steelers drought.” The subtitle was: “There is now another professional football team attributed to Pittsburgh with a more recent playoff victory.” Does Schofield even know the definition of the word drought? One of the definitions of drought provided by Miriam-Webster is: “A prolonged or chronic shortage or lack of something expected or desired. Such as ‘a drought of creativity.’” There may be a reason that all of us should suspect that Dave may have ordered a side order of “bitterness” along with a medium-sized order of “factual unawareness” and an extra helping of “cultural insensitivity” to go along with the rest of the gobble-

dygook that “superfandad” has decided to unleash onto the public. Is Schofield experiencing a personal “drought of creativity?” I am going to explain to all of you how I came to this conclusion. First, Schofield says: “The Maulers playoff win is a painful reminder of the Steelers drought.” A painful reminder for who? Secondly, “superfandad,” you’re not the one playing and you won’t be the one placed in concussion protocol as the result of a vicious hit to the head or a few cracked ribs that a wide receiver might experience after running across the middle, snagging an overthrown pass by an overly ambitious quarterback. Don’t forget the anchovies. Does Schofield even know the definition of the word drought? Well, maybe he knows the definition of drought when it

applies to his creativity. After the Steelers played and won Super Bowl XIV on January 20, 1980, they didn’t win another Super Bowl until they won Super Bowl XL, “the one for the thumb” which was played on February 5, 2006, more than 26 years later. Not 10 years, not 20 years, but 26 years. That might be considered a sort of drought, ya think? As far as comparing the so-called “success” of the 2023 Pittsburgh Maulers (they made it to the USFL Championship Game, July 1, but lost to Birmingham, 2812) to the lack of success of the Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s put it this way: that comparison is like taking a 4-year-old with a big wheel and awarding the semi-toddler the pole position at the Indianapolis 500 and waving the green flag instructing the drivers to “git to gittin’.” So, comparing anything that the 2023 version of the USFL does with the NFL does not make any freakin’ sense. Now if folks were comparing the original USFL that was founded over 40 years ago to provide an alternative to the NFL,

that comparison would be a bit more logical because the current USFL model is meant to develop and provide talent for the NFL, unlike the 1980s version, which competed with the NFL. USFL players can reportedly earn a maximum annual salary of $74,000 in 2023. That includes a $400 weekly stipend and is predicated on a player not only being active for each of their team’s 10 regular-season games and two playoff games but also winning the 2023 USFL championship.

To Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, and Aaron Rodgers, $74,000 might not even equal their weekly budget for eating out. In 1983 and 1984 the upstart USFL signed two Heisman Trophy-winning running backs. Herschel Walker signed a $5 million, threeyear contract with the New Jersey Generals, and in 1984, the original Pittsburgh Maulers signed Mike Rozier to a $3.1 million, three-year deal. Folks, that was 40 years ago! The USFL was challenging the NFL to field the best players, not trying to develop players for the

senior league.

Dave Schofield finally exposes his true logic for writing this piece of gaaaarrrbage when he admits the following: “Pittsburgh (Maulers) (although it’s not where they play their games) winning a playoff game just digs the knife in a little bit deeper. As most Steelers fans can tell you, particularly ones who are critical of the coaching staff, the Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 NFL season.”

That’s right Dave, dig in deep. Are you one of the voices for the ones that stab and twist the dagger that has been stuck in the backs of the Steelers coaching staff? Need I name the coach who gets the guillotine instead of the dagger?

I have a new gig; that is, “the gig of “b—ls—t detective.” There has certainly been a “drought of creativity” experienced by a few of the present-day sportswriters, and not so much of a drought by the Steelers and their coaches.