Pittsburgh Dish

Farmers' Market opens today

The North Side Farmers' Market swings into season at 3:30 this afternoon in East Park on the corner of East Ohio Street & Cedar Avenue. For info on other markets throughout the city go here.

Muriel's restaurant closes

Despite rave reviews, Allegheny West restaurant says goodbye

City Paper readers voted Muriel's Pittsburgh's "Best New Restaurant." Post-Gazette readers hailed it as serving the "Best American Cuisine" in the city. But even the highest of praises couldn't keep the Western Avenue restaurant afloat.

About a month ago, the owners scaled back its hours to three days a week but that didn't seem to balance out declining business. Muriel's closed its doors for good on Mother's Day.

Owner Steve Esherick thanked his patrons on the Muriel's website:

"It is both with sadness and deep appreciation that I announce Muriel's closed its doors for the last time after brunch on Mother's Day 5/11/08. It is no longer financially feasible for us to stay open. However I want to thank you personally for the wonderful experiences you have afforded me over the past year. I have met so many great people and have had the opportunity to live my dream."

New commander assigned to Zone 1

Embattled commander replaces McNeilly

Effective May 26, the North Side will have a new police zone commander.

Cmdr. Catherine McNeilly is being transferred to the city's Zone 3 in the South Side. The current commander there, Larry Ross, will be headed to Zone 5 in East Liberty. Cmdr. RaShall Brackney, who heads the Zone 5 station, will take over the helm of Zone 1 in the North Side.

Many North Side residents and community leaders fear the transfer of McNeilly will affect efforts to curb crime in the Central North Side. In March, many residents met with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, police Chief Nate Harper, McNeilly and other city and police leaders to talk about recent shootings and other crime. McNeilly worked well with North Side Safe Streets and other community groups.

Brackney, who serves as the national president for the National Organization of Black Women in Law Enforcement, is currently under investigation by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office for her conduct during a March 12, 2007 accident in the Strip District.

The investigation centers on whether Brackney, a 22-year veteran of the force, violated any laws at the accident scene on March 11. Officers claimed she intervened and took home her friend, Martha Agedew Vasser, who had crashed her Chrysler into three parked vehicles in the 3600 block of Liberty Avenue in the Strip District.

The officers said Brackney used her rank and influence to take control of the accident investigation. The officers said Brackney told them she would take Vasser to the hospital for treatment and any blood-alcohol tests but instead took her home to Stanton Heights.

A county grand jury heard testimony last fall from numerous witnesses in the case but no findings have been released. Throughout Brackney's career, other allegations have surfaced that Brackney has improperly used her rank and position to influence investigations.

Moo-ving devotion

North Side florist sells Best Chocolate Milk in the Universe

Last week, Dish reported that Kerry Kennedy, proprietor of K.S. Kennedy Distinctive Floral, Gift, & Gourmet and #1 Brunton Dairy Fan (along with Mrs. Dish), hoped to find a North Side retailer to sell the glass-bottled milk. Judging on the amount of neighbors who've been asking Kennedy to fetch milk for them, he believes there's a market for this elixir d'amooore.

Afraid local retailers might be wee bit lactose intolerant, Kennedy's contacted Brunton Dairy to to inquire about selling the milk in his Allegheny West floral and gift shop. Adequate cooler space provides plenty of room for milk and petunias to chill comfortably.Though Kennedy hasn't heard from the Brunton Family yet, he has some items available for sale today:

-Milk: Two chocolate, two strawberry, two (low-fat) white. Half-gallon bottles are $3 each plus $1.35 deposit.

-Brunton Dairy t-shirts ($15 each)

Also, if you're interested in placing an order, contact Kennedy at 412-322-ROSE.

CNNC election results

New slate on board

Photo by Frank Kownacki

After months of mudslinging that rivaled the presidential campaign, the election for seats on the CNNC Board of Directors ended last night in an upset.

About 200 Central Northsiders filled the MLK school auditorium to cast their votes for seven candidates to fill available Board positions. None of the CNNC-supported slate were elected and were replaced by the Northside Neighbors group.

Ousted were many long-time CNNC members and residents of the Central North Side. All seven of the Northside Neighbors group - comprised of some who've been critical of the purchase of the Holy Trinity Greek Church on North Avenue, more homeless services on the North Side and a proposed Land Trust that may help provide affordable housing - were elected.

The winners are:

John Augustine
Bill Buettin
Kirk Burkley
Chris D'Addario
Randi Marshak
Greg Spicer
Randy Zotter

Central Northside Neighborhood Council election tonight

The end of the contentiousness?

Tonight, the members of the CNNC cast their ballots to fill seven seats on the group's Board of Directors. Democracy in action, and such. Nice.

But the path leading up to the election has been anything but nice. The ChatNorthside message board has been as friendly as a nest of vipers, with one person (just an example of the tone) cheering the demise of the Western Avenue restaurant, Muriel's. Some friendships seem to be disintegrating.

The CNNC-supported slate has been called naïve, soft, obstructionist and unfit to lead an organization. These accusations don't ring true to Dish, though there appears to have been some foot-dragging in response to requests from the opposition slate. The opposition have been tarred as fascists, which is a little over the top. In fact -- though Dish has seen a member or two wear a brown shirt -- they seem to have more than a few good ideas, despite having used words like "takeover" and "coup d’état" instead of "join."

From an outside (not being CNNC members) yet inside (as neighborhood residents) perspective, so much of the discourse surrounding the election has been far too personal. Everyone involved can do better.

What comforts Dish is a belief that whoever gets elected tonight wants to serve the Central North Side to the best of his or her ability. Let this be so, because, if it is, a mix of tried-and-true ideas and new energy could be
a catalyst to moving the neighborhood forward.

A little mutual respect in the wake of this evening's balloting, regardless of the result, will make our fine neighborhood better. That cooperation, Dish believes, is of equal importance to any ideas each slate of candidates have to offer.

So, here are the pertinent details: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Gymnasium.

Only members in good standing (those who have paid their dues and have attended at least one regular meeting during the last calendar year) may vote.

North Siders dig new library

Groundbreaking event for Allegheny City

Photo and story by Frank Kownacki

Several politicos and neighbors showed up this morning for the groundbreaking of the new Carnegie Library on the North Side.

Barbara Mistick, President & Director of the Carnegie Library, related a story of the short time it took Allegheny City to build its first library to the ground breaking of this new library after the original one was damaged by lightening two years ago.

Mistick mentioned that the new library will hold historical documents and ephemera related to Andrew Carnegie's former home in Allegheny City, making the new library a research area on the history of the one time city. County executive Dan Onorato spoke about how this is yet another step in the right direction for the revitalization of the Federal & North corridor.

Fred Thieman, President of the Buhl Foundation, spoke about his commitment to the restoration work being done in the Allegheny Commons and to reestablishing the original traffic pattern through Allegheny Center.

The estimated time for completion of the new library is one year.

Manteca dog surrendered by owner

"Boss" turned over to Humane Society

The owner of the Manteca Bar on Monterey Street surrendered the dog he'd been keeping in the bar's tiny, filthy backyard yesterday to a Western PA Humane Society officer, claiming he can't take the dog home because he's not permitted to have a dog where he lives.

Neighbors called the Humane Society fearing the dog had not been properly cared for since the bar closed last month.

According to Shelley Rosenberg of the Humane Society, the five year-old shepherd mix was brought to the shelter yesterday and will undergo a behavioral evaluation sometime tomorrow. Depending on the outcome of the test, the male dog named "Boss," will likely be available for adoption soon after.

Call the HS tomorrow at 412-321-4625 ext. 281 to inquire about Boss.

Florist delivers more than roses

A favor becomes a delicious cause

Kerry Kennedy is the North Side's milkman. Even he's not sure how he got the job.

Kennedy's Allegheny West floral and gift shop has become an unwitting hub for pick up and delivery for Brunton's chocolate milk (the finest chocolate milk in Christendom). Somehow  Kennedy has become the chocolate coated milkman for neighbors who drop off their empty glass returnable bottles to his Western Avenue shop for refills.

"I told a couple of people how much I love the chocolate milk and was going to the store for more and offered to pick some up for them," laughed Kennedy. "Then, one day I found myself carrying 12 bottles to the car!"

Kennedy will fetch the chocolate milk and store it in his flower cooler for pick-up. There they they will safely sit, guarded by the gardenias.

Kennedy doesn't mind grabbing a few extra bottles on his trips to either Patty's farm market in Aspinwall or Janoski's Farm Market in Clinton. But he'd like to see a North Side market or coffee shop carry the chocolate milk so more neighbors can experience its udder joy.

"I'd carry it but it might be kind of strange supplying flowers and...milk," laughed Kennedy. "Maybe someone might see this and consider selling it!"

James A. Brunton Jr., Brunton Dairy's owner, died suddenly last week on the farm and Kennedy thinks finding a retail outlet on the North Side is a small tribute to a farm family who have been in business for more than a century.

"Their chocolate milk is like sipping melted ice cream," said Kennedy. "More people should be able to enjoy what the Bruntons have created."

If interested in providing Brunton's milk for the North Side, email Dish (editor@pittsburghdish.com) or call Kennedy at 412-322-ROSE.      

Pitt student chronicles North Side

A photographic record, pre-casino

Gabriel Henschel graduated from Pitt this week after having spent last summer in Allegheny West and Manchester with a camera slung over his shoulder. His was not an aesthetic mission; he wasn't there to snap photos of pretty Victorians for a Doors of the North Side calendar. As part of his studies, Henschel spent weeks creating a photographic "baseline" of these neighborhoods that will be in the shadow of the Majestic Star slots parlor. His 75-page study, which includes interviews and statistical analysis, will assist in studying the impact of the casino on the North Side after it opens in 2009.

Read about Henschel and his project in the Pitt Chronicle.

Photo by Gabriel Henschel

Guerillas in the midst

Brighton Road guerilla gardens spring up

A food coop is in the works for the North Side. The large-scale project, aimed to provide a sustainable food system for the North Side, is the the brainchild of several groups including the Allegheny Market House Cooperative Urban Agriculture Initiative. This garden, located on Brighton Road, will become part of a vast locally-grown community food network on the North Side.

Read more about the project here.

The novel arrives

The War Streets' Horacio Castellanos Moya's Senselessness hits the shelves

Renown Central American author Horacio Castellanos Moya's 2004 Novel, Senselessness has been published by New Directions and is available for purchase at Amazon.com. The great thing about this edition of the book is that it has been translated into English, a great relief for many North Side residents, including Dish.

His several other novels are widely available in Spanish. Moya is considered one of the strongest voices and best novelists to emerge from Central America.

Moya (pictured), left his home in El Salvador during that country's civil war. Since 1997, he has permanently resided abroad in Mexico City and Germany, among other places, working as a journalist and novelist. In addition to carrying on with his writing as a North Sider, Moya also teaches literature at the University of Pittsburgh.

Moya has resided in Pittsburgh for the last year-and-a-half under the auspices of Cities of Refuge, a program intended to protect artists under siege in their home nations. Locally, the program is run by Henry Reese.

Senselessness traces the ordeal of a not-particularly-sane writer hired by the Catholic Church to edit a 1,100-page report chronicling the torture and murder of peasants by government forces in an unnamed Central American nation.

One reviewer describes the novel as Kafkaesque. Mr. Dish thinks Senselessness is pretty damn funny, absurd, and horrifying (kind of like Kafka's work, eh?). It also features two highly amusing sex scenes (not that Mr. Dish was counting).

If you'd like a copy, head over to the right of this page. Right there. Look a little harder. See the Amazon.com ad for the book? That's it. Click and buy.

First Pittsburgh street newspaper gets first boost

A dream realized thanks to North Side residents

After reading an article posted on Dish last month about a social worker's attempt to launch a street newspaper, a North Side couple contributed $1,500 to the cause.

The residents, who wish to remain anonymous, pledged the first donation to Erica Smith, an outreach advocate and case worker with Operation Save-a-Life, part of Community Human Services. Smith will launch Word on the Street, a newspaper written, in part, by homeless people who would then sell the publication and earn part of of the profits.

Smith needed to secure funding for 300 papers to present to potential advertisers and vendors. After the couple's donation, CHS matched the contribution dollar-for-dollar.

"The couple told me they were tired of conventional ideas as solutions to homelessness," said Smith.

Word on the Street will be the only street paper between New York and Ohio.

Smith is gathering content and working with a tutor on desktop publishing software. She hopes to publish the first issue to present to advertisers by the end of the summer.

"It's all because of the Dish article," said Smith. "I can't thank you enough."

To help launch Word on the Street, contact Smith at 412-621-6513 or email her at ESmithchsc@yahoo.com.

Breaking news: Barack Obama garners at least two votes

North Side sources say trend may be irreversible; Dish calls race (in ward 25, at least) for the junior Senator from Illinois

Around 8 a.m., two Central North Side residents entered the polling place at the intersection of Buena Vista Street and Sampsonia Way. They subsequently voted.

When they left, the interviewed themselves.

"I voted for Obama," said the one who called himself Mr. Dish.

"Me, too," said Mrs. Dish. "I also voted for the delegates pledged to him."

With that, they loaded their dog, Shirley the Gentle, into the car and Mrs. Dish dropped Mr. Dish off at work.

Upon returning to the neighborhood, Mrs. Dish took a drive up Buena Vista, across Armandale, and down Monterey before returning home. She saw that there were at least eight signs supporting Obama and just one for Hillary Clinton.

Therefore, Dish calls the Pennsylvania primary election for Barack Obama, projecting a 10-to-1 margin of victory.*

*Statistical projections may be rendered invalid and/or profoundly wrong by virtue of an extraordinarily small sample size, wishful thinking, omission of 99.9 percent of the Commonwealth's electors, poor math skills,
and an inadequate breakfast.

Pittsburgh's only Fair Trade florist

Allegheny West's Kerry Kennedy blazes a fragrant path

by Tiffani Emig

There’s a new pioneer on the North Side, in Pittsburgh and in the U.S. Kerry Kennedy of K.S. Kennedy Distinctive Floral, Gift, & Gourmet has recently become the first florist in the United States to become a member of the Fair Trade Floral organization FLP (Flower Label Program).

Based in Germany, where consumer desire for fair trade flowers is higher, the FLP consists of human rights organizations, trade unions, flower producers, and flower retailers working together to create and uphold environmental and human rights standards for the floral industry.

"Americans have really been concerned in recent years about where their coffee comes from, but we don’t ask about our flowers,” said Kennedy. He explains that he was inspired to join the FLP after watching the documentary Ecuador: Flower Power, which depicts the differences between fair trade and traditional rose farms. One of the best things that FLP farms did to improve worker conditions was to give workers gloves so that they no longer had to use their bare hands to strip the thorns from roses.

"Honestly, I was embarrassed that I didn’t think about the people who grew my roses before,” Kennedy admits. “And I was shocked to learn that there were no U.S florists who had cared enough or been pressured by their clientele to join the FLP. And what does it cost? $93 a year. I didn’t think twice.”

"I mean, that’s why you become a florist – because you care.”

At least two corporate supermarkets in the Pittsburgh area have carried intermittent supplies of Fair Trade flowers, but K.S. Kennedy stands alone in his exclusive commitment to the Fair Trade label. Kennedy hopes to change this by encouraging other florists in Pittsburgh and across the United States to follow his lead in joining the FLP.

To complement your Fair Trade flowers, K.S. Kennedy carries a fun array of locally-based gifts, the most unique selection of greeting cards on the North Side, and an unmatched aura of positive vibes that stems (pun intended) from Kennedy’s always-positive attitude.

KS Kennedy, Distinctive Floral, Gift & Gourmet, 860 Western Ave, Pittsburgh, 412-322-ROSE (kkennedy256@earthlink.net)

Best place to watch the playoffs

Bar none

Large televisions, cold beer and a small crowd crazy about the Pens minus yahoo behavior. Riggs Lounge on the North Side is a sports bar without being a sports bar.

The place has been in the same family for 70 years. Longstanding family ownership is a hallmark of one of Dish's other favorite corner beverage dispensaries, Contois' Restaurant in New Haven, Conn. A foolish consistency may be the hobgoblin of little minds, but it's also the hallmark of congenial family bars.

The beer, is very, very chilly. Bear, the bartender, often packs the bottled beverage in ice rather than simply letting it languish in the cooler. The effect is significant enough to make Iron City taste like mother's milk.

The snack menu is extensive. Nuts, crackers, chips, pretzels, beef jerky, gum ... all six food groups.

The bartender is exceedingly pleasant and will enjoy watching sporting events with you.

The decor is early-60s nifty, with velvet, textured wallpaper and individual lights illuminating the capacious booths.

The ladies' can is the cleanest in Christendom, as is the men's, and Riggs' invests in high-quality bathroom tissue—a plus for the sensitive.

Takeout beer is available at a cost of about $7 for a sixer of 16 ounce cans. Iron City bottles cost $2. This is the only bottled beer price Mr. Dish knows as it's the only bottled beer Mr. Dish has ordered at Riggs'. Other stuff, including mixed drinks, is probably not that expensive. Don't' sweat it, Daddy Warbucks.

Things to remember:

• Cash only.

• No kitchen. You may bring your own food, but it's vital that you first ask the bartender for permission. Not that you'll get yelled at, or anything, you'll just look like a bit of an ass for thinking that you own the place.

• No taps. Knowing this means never asking, "What's on draft?"

• No fancypants microimportforeignsmallbatch beers. Sorry, J. G. Pimplebottom III.

Riggs Lounge, 1208 Brighton Rd, North Side, 412-322-1120

Photo by Frank Kownacki

Crafty Burghers wanted

Apply within

Call for Art and Craft Vendors - North Side Celebration in the Park

Celebration in the Park 6, on the city's North Side, is looking for local artists and crafters. The festival will take place on July 26, 2008 from Noon to 5pm. The table fee for vendors is $25. For more information and an application, contact Robin Rosemary Miller of the North Side Chamber of Commerce at 412-231-6500 or nsccrobin@hotmail.com. The deadline is June 1, 2008.

............................................................................................................................................................

From those crafty folks at Handmade Arcade:

It's already time to mark your calendars for Handmade Arcade 2008! Thanks to our awesome vendors and everyone who came out last November. Our two-day event was a huge success! HA is going to be a weekender again in 2008. We'll be announcing the specific dates, time and location details as soon as they are finalized.

Applications for HA:08 will be posted in late July and due at the end of August. You will be able to submit your application online or through the mail, but the only place to score your application form is at www.handmadearcade.com. Look for a future email announcing the open application dates.

Want to sponsor Handmade Arcade 2008? We have several sponsorship levels with numerous opportunities to promote your business to the thousands of Pittsburgh shoppers who join us every year. Contact info@handmadearcade.com for more information.

If you haven't already, make a point to check out www.handmadearcade.com. We've made some changes to the website to make it better, stronger, faster and even prettier! It's easier than ever to find exactly the information you need about Handmade Arcade. We'll be making regular blog posts to let you know about new developments for HA:08. There are links to our FAQ, recent press, 2007 vendors and sponsors, and our contact information. You will also find a link to our Handmade Arcade Flickr page, where you can view photos from Handmade Arcades past and our appearances at The Sprout Fund's annual HotHouse event.

Nuisance bar closed

D.A. pressures owner to shut down

The owners of the Manteca Bar on Monterey Street in the Mexican War Streets has voluntarily closed the establishment. Sources say the bar's owners, Robert and Frances Lunsford, were pressured by District Attorney Steven Zappala to shut down the bar following public outrage and media attention. The Manteca made headlines last month following the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Dion McIntosh. A stray bullet pierced the front door of a neighboring house, where children were inside. McIntosh's killer has not been found.

A nuisance bar task force had been in place and Zone 1 detectives were collecting testimony from neighbors affected by years-long violence emanating from the bar. Police have responded to numerous 911 calls surrounding violence related to the bar.

Sources say Zappala was ready to issue a temporary injunction to force the bar to close but urged the bar's owner to voluntarily shut down so as not to delay a pending liquor license transfer.

Read about the bar's recent history of violence here.

For more information on the closing read crime reporter Jill King Greenwood's story here.

Nuisance bar now cafe

Celebrate a North Side success story

Click image for larger view

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, New Hope for Neighborhood Renewal will celebrate the transformation, community-building and reclamation of a neighborhood at the grand opening of New Hope’s Cafe ‘n’ Creamery in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s Northside, 2700 Shadeland Avenue.

Open to the public, the kick-off and ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. The event will feature special guests and freshments, including Zelienople-based Beecher’s house-roasted coffees and homemade gelato. The Cafe ‘n’ Creamery is one of several social enterprises the Social Innovation Accelerator is assisting.

The family-friendly Cafe ‘n’ Creamery is housed in a former nuisance bar in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood and was purchased by New Hope Church in early 2007. New Hope for Neighborhood Renewal, the church’s development arm, spent the last year redeveloping the space creating both a cafe and community gathering space for the neighborhood. Featured performers, artisans and musicians will provide entertainment and a family-centered environment year-round. In addition to serving specialty coffee drinks, gelato, and homemade baked goods, the cafe will serve as a job readiness-training program for teens in the community.

For more information please contact Accelerator’s special events director Katherine Harrell at 412-325-2202.

Potluck poetry & art

Bring a dish, dig some art

Dispatch from Beleza Community Coffeehouse in the Mexican War Streets:

This coming Friday, April 4th at 6:30 p.m., we will have our next art opening potluck:

Chronicles: Collages by Richard Schnap

Schnap's simple, thoughtful collages are sometimes social commentary, sometimes simply intriguing. Browse his work here. Come this Friday with food, family and friends to see some new art!

"I use surrealist and pop methodologies to create what I feel are like stills from imaginary films where viewers are encouraged to create their own impressions from the works ranging from the specific to the abstract," said Schnap.

Also, come this week to Beleza to experience a poetry BLITZ! April is National Poetry Month and thus, Beleza has poems covering her walls, tables and trash cans. Stop in and read your heart out.

For more information on our events, go to our website belezacoffee.com

Area man launches "boat" in "lake"

North Side Navy one vessel strong

Photos by Frank Kownacki

Click images for larger views

Carrying his hand-crafted boat with the aid of a chum, Kendall Fortney purposely strode toward Lake Elizabeth on the North Side. The homeless turned their heads toward the spectacle.

The flat-bottomed boat, assembled from wood and polyurethane-coated nylon, was placed on the ground by the shallow lake/cesspool/swimming pool/duck and goose habitat.

The fiasco was afoot.

Fortney rolled up his olive drab trousers, revealing pasty calves and a pair of Crocs, and christened the vessel with a very small bottle of champagne. "I dub thee Dirty Bird," he said. Then he took a swig.

The weather was foul for yesterday's launch. A chill was in the air and rain misted around the assembled throng of friends, neighbors, passers by and curious dogs.

The Dirty Bird was placed in Lake Elizabeth. Fortney lowered his frame into the vessel. It tipped slightly and he was moistened. Chastened by the setback, yet unbowed, Fortney again attempted to mount the Dirty Bird.

He succeeded.

Shoving off with a short oar, he scraped bottom on the as-yet-not-particularly-full-of-water "lake." With a few more oar-pushes, Fortney escaped the rocky edge and was afloat.

The apparent seaworthyness of the Dirty Bird proven, Fortney's fiancee, Ruth Hodsoll, popped the cork on a regulation-sized bottle of champagne. It was served in Dixie cups. A toast was given and there was much rejoicing.

An observer sagely noted, "If he keeps [the sides of the boat] wedged in his armpits, it doesn't tip over." Fortney later noted he plans to add outriggers to the Dirty Bird, and, perhaps, a sail.

Fortney celebrated his success by noting, "I'm wet and a little bit cold."

A woman approached. She asked, "Is this an Odyssey of the Mind project?"

"No," came the response.

"Oh," she said, turning away.

And thus the North Side Navy was born.

Mayor, cop brass meet with North Siders

A cordial two-hour meeting addresses mounting violence

Friday afternoon, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, along with Police Chief Nathan Harper and Zone 1 police commander Catherine McNeilly and several other chiefs, commanders and detectives met with about 40 Central North Side residents concerned about the deadly violence that has recently engulfed the neighborhood.

Ravenstahl pledged that the North Side will be the first of Pittsburgh's 90 neighborhoods to receive surveillance cameras purchased with federal grant money. He also announced, in concert with police brass, that Pittsburgh is near to filling all 917 police jobs in the city. At present, there are about 860 police covering Pittsburgh, but the numbers will be bolstered by graduates of two upcoming police academy classes.

An increased number of police, Chief Harper said, will allow each of the city's six police zones to increase the number of foot and bicycle patrols. Police also pledged stepped-up patrols of the North Side in random intervals.

Neighbors, police and Ravenstahl also discussed residents' need to be persistent in notifying police of suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. Any 911 call, said Chief Harper, could provide information needed to solve a case. He also said that District Attorney Stephen Zappala is working on a plan to crack down on street gangs believed to be responsible for most of the recent violence.

Police said that despite frequent and vigorous gunplay on the North Side, Pittsburgh, on the whole, has seen a significant drop in crime. In fact, Chief Harper said, Pittsburgh is the fifth safest city in America.

Ravenstahl had planned to walk through the Manchester and Central North Side neighborhoods along with residents, but the meeting lasted longer than expected.

In related news, reports indicate that Zappala may be ready to enact an emergency injunction in order close down the Manteca Bar, on Monterey Street, where a man was shot dead about two weeks ago. It is unclear if an injunction would interfere with Henry Reese's plans to transform the bar into a cafe.

Breaking News: Man shot, killed in Manchester

A man was fatally shot in the head within steps of Manchester Elementary School on Manhattan Street at about 3:15 p.m. Police received multiple calls from screaming witnesses. Students who remained nearby after dismissal were quickly ushered inside to avoid the body and blood on the sidewalk. After-school classes remain in lockdown. The programs end at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Read details of the shooting here.

Photo by Frank Kownacki

Postal police sweep North Side

What happens when they leave?

Multiple postal inspector cruisers are saturating the Mexican War Streets this morning searching for leads on the whereabouts of two shooters involved in yesterday's attempted robbery and shooting of a mail carrier on North Taylor Street.

The United States Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrests. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and select option 5, or contact the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police at 412-323-7151.

Yesterday's hold-up/shooting is the third gun-related crime in the Mexican War Streets in two weeks. Last Saturday, a thug held a gun to a woman's head in front of Beleza Community Coffeehouse on the corner of Jacksonia and Buena Vista streets at about 8 p.m. On March 13, 27-year-old Dion McIntosh was fatally shot in the chest after he and another man left the Manteca Bar on Monterey Street. No arrests have been made in any of the crimes.

Central North Siders want to know what will happen to the neighborhood after the postal cops leave and residents' safety is left to a financially strapped police department. Long-term solutions are being sought.

"It's not the fault of the rank-and-file cops," said a resident this morning. "The city needs to step in and support them. There's only so much they can do on a limited budget."

Many Pittsburghers are urging for the city to introduce a community policing program such as the one implemented by Nick Pastore, former police chief in New Haven, Conn. During his tenure in the 90's, he fostered outreach to the community, assigned officers to walk the beat in troubled neighborhoods rather than cruising by, established connections with civic, church and gang leaders. He also set up police substations headed by local district managers who met with the citizens of their district. His program became the model for police departments nationwide.

It worked. Until a few years ago when New Haven removed the program. Crime's back and citizen's there want community policing returned.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Police Chief Nate Harper have dangled the community policing carrot, but Pittsburghers have yet to get a taste.

More shots fired

Police are responding to multiple shots all around the Central North Side stretching from Oliver High School down to Buena Vista, Armandale and Alpine streets. Shots rang out at around 3 p.m.

More details to come.

Postal worker shot on North Side

A U. S. Postal worker was shot on North Taylor Street in the Mexican War Streets this morning at around 10:30 across the street from Caruso Beer. Witnesses heard four shots and saw two males in puffy coats running down Palo Alto Street toward North Avenue. They were also said to have been wearing brown hooded sweatshirts and are described as being around 5' 2" or 5' 3".

The Postal worker was shot in the hand according to early reports and is expected to be OK.

For more information read Jill King Greenwood's story in the Trib.

Photo by Frank Kownacki

The Dish on Dish: 900 Cafe and Lounge

An early report

by Michael Vivar

Despite a better-than-middling location and a fabulous space, eateries and drinkeries that attempt to ensconce themselves in Allegheny West's 900 Western Avenue tend to have the life spans of mayflies. For a short while it was “too cool for you” True, a scene to be seen gay club, and then for an even shorter while it was “are we cool ye… oops. We’re closed” Nuance. With this in mind, Katie and I tried to dine at the 900 Café and Lounge before they had to scrape the logo from the window and leave under cover of night.

The décor hadn’t changed much since its previous iterations. Except for the lighting being more family friendly and the lack of shabby queens affecting Kate Hepburn, the place has maintained its minimalist style with amusing accents of Jackson Pollock-esque art on the walls (this will, apparently change from month to month). We were seated at a high table on barstools surrounded by an amusing pastiche of neighborhood folk and squealing CCAC girls.

The menu isn’t what you’d call extensive. Having been the evening of Good Friday, Katie was expecting some sort of fish special, but was disappointed. There wasn’t even a vegetarian entrée option. So she opted for a mushroom crottin appetizer to which our waitress generously added a sweet potato side dish at no extra charge when we were dismayed by their lack of land-meat free choices. Katie very much enjoyed the mushroom dish. I admit, I only had a bite, but I thought the use of button mushrooms lent too strong of a flavor and there was too much of a struggle between this and the flavor of the cheese. Her sweet potato side, though, was met with unanimous applause. The sweet potato was lightly mashed or pureed, giving it a not-too-smooth texture and was sprinkled, on top, with a sort of bread crumb sparingly sweetened with brown sugar. This portion’s mild deliciousness was a nice respite from the palate struggle of the mushroom crottin.

As my religious tendencies tend toward non-practicing, I ordered the braised beef brisket for my dinner. The strips of beef came apart enticingly with a gentle prodding of my fork, but I found it to be a little to dry. The accompanying barbecue sauce, however, was absolutely heavenly – sweet without being too cloying. It also came with a sweet potato side and some lightly seasoned tomatoes. My sweet potatoes, unlike Katie’s, were unadorned and fairly unspectacular, and I often found myself eyeing her dish enviously. The tomatoes, while very ripe and sweet, had a tart quality that clashed with the aforementioned barbecue sauce.

Altogether, the experience at the 900 Café and Lounge was relatively plain but, I have to admit, intriguing. The owner/chef was very exuberant in asking our opinion of the meal and, when comments were made, he seemed to genuinely take them into account. This is in stark contrast to the cold shoulders given by previous iterations of 900 Western. So I hope to be able to return and see what else is in store for this newly friendly and welcoming venue.

900 boasts a full-service bar and outdoor seating with heat lamps for smokers.

Imagery, not bar, to blame

El Gray, program director for the nonprofit One Vision One Life violence prevention group spoke to a small crowd yesterday at the site of the Central North Side's latest shooting death.

Gray would not focus on the issue of the nearby Manteca bar, rather he blamed violence in the streets, in part, on video games, television and movies.

Photo and reporting by Frank Kownacki

Scoop du Jour

A little food news to chew

900 Cafe & Lounge (pictured) on Western Avenue in Allegheny West (next door to the Modern Cafe) is open.

From their MySpace page:

900's Lounge has a full-service bar and dining area that caters to a wide variety of cuisine. The bar features outdoor seating which lends itself to a romantic atmosphere for those that enjoy a tranquil moment. Arrive early to ensure you get the treasured hideaway cove-seating by the fireplace. With your hot chocolate in hand, enjoy the aroma of fresh baked pastries and other decedent items. The bar and cafe are smoke free but with our comfortable outdoor patio allows smokers the ability to enjoy everything we have to offer.

900 will feature art by local Pittsburgh artist on bi-monthly basis.

Open daily 6 p.m.-2 a.m.

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Benkovitz Seafood now serves breakfast.

The “Breakfast at Benkovitz” menu includes a seafood bake, seafood scrambled eggs and seafood breakfast burritos, all featuring crab and shrimp. Meals include sides of bacon, homemade roasted potatoes and multigrain toast. Muffins, Danish and croissants also are available, including lox on croissants, with cream cheese.

Breakfasts can be served to eat in or to “grab ‘n go.” Hot coffee is free during breakfast hours, no purchase necessary.

Benkovitz, at 23rd and Smallman streets, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Free parking available. Phone: 412-488-FISH.

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New Moon, an Asian fusion restaurant near PNC Park has closed. Business was slow to pick up, despite positive reviews.

Rally cancelled

Patience counseled in Manteca case

A rally scheduled for this afternoon in front of the Manteca Bar has been cancelled, it was announced this morning. The protest billed as an action to pressure District Attorney Stephen Zappala to issue a temporary injunction against the bar after a fatal shooting last week. Last week, Zappala said he needed more evidence to proceed. The rally was spear-headed by North Side Safe Streets, a neighborhood crime watch group.

Kimberly Flaherty, coordinator of North Side Safe Streets, announced the rally was canceled after she was assured by the District Attorney's office that Zappala has made the injunction a "top priority" this week.

"Therefore, since the gathering tonight was, in large part, to get the DA's attention," Flaherty wrote in an email, "we have decided to cancel tonight's rally."

Several residents are relieved. Many feared race relations would suffer given that many of the protesters are white and the Manteca's patrons are mostly African-American. After the rally was announced last week, opponents warned against possible racial fallout.

Joan Kimmel, a longtime North Side resident and neighborhood activist, urged protesters to call the D.A.'s office instead of carrying signs in front of the bar.

"A large rally will seriously damage our inter-racial relationships for years to come and will not provide a specific solution," Kimmel wrote in an email. "I think this action would be far more effective and far less damaging."

A peace rally organized by One Vision One Life will take place tomorrow at the corner of Monterey and Jacksonia streets from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The group has held peace events here in the past.

Ribilicious, indeed

Wilson's BBQ remains spectacular

Listen, Dish knows that Wilson's BBQ, at the corner of Buena Vista and N. Taylor in the Mexican War Streets, has been open for a very long time. Dish also knows that many people, including representatives of national, glossy magazines, have written about its meaty charms.

Nevertheless ...

Dish hadn't been by Wilson's in a while and, on Thursday, the Dish pantry was bare (the basic components of food were available, but there was no actual "food"). So, Wilson's. So, pork spareribs.

(Column intermission: Do you know why they're called spareribs? Do you? Well, it's not because they're an "extra" part of the animal. Rather, because they're "spare" in terms of the quantity of meat attached to the bone. It's like this, spare as in not lavish, abundant, or excessive.)

In any event, the ribs themselves were excellent--tender and smoky, largely due to the fruit tree wood Mr. Wilson uses in his hand-built oven. But what makes Wilson's a worthwhile ribbery is the sauce. That hot (very hot) sauce is the perfect blend of heat and flavor. A tomato-based concoction, its heat is enough to engender a bead or two of sweat on the brow, but there's a rich and slightly sweet undercurrent that caresses the not-quite-ignited palate.

In short, Mr. Wilson, you must bottle this stuff. Dish will be back for the ribs, but we'd also truly love to have a gallon of your hot sauce available for coating just about everything we cook at home when the larder is not bare.

A brief history of nuisance

The following are links to incidents surrounding the Manteca bar and attempts to shut it down:

Oct, 12, 2007 Shots fired in front of the bar in broad daylight

Oct. 24, 2007 Judge dismisses code violations against bar

Dec. 19, 2007 Task force forms to take on bar

Jan. 29, 2008 Neighbor announces plans to buy the bar

Feb. 5, 2008 Bar goers caught on tape stealing surveillance cameras

Mar. 13, 2008 Deadly shooting outside bar

Mar. 13, 2008 Judge submits transcript to PLCB in 1995 after murder trial involving bar

Mar. 13, 2008 Bar reopens hours after deadly shooting

Criminal reporting

Post-Gazette not quite right

From yesterday's Post-Gazette about neighbors attempts to shut down the Manteca bar:

"The bar has drawn the attention of the city's Nuisance Bar Task Force in the past, but crime in the area seemed to slow after a nonfatal stabbing about a year ago, police and residents said."

In a story with as many holes in it as the front door of the Manteca bar once had, yesterday's story by Wade Malcolm and Moriah Balingit boldly stated--with minimal attribution--that crime in the area has ebbed within the last year.

Au contraire, cub reporters.

If in the area you mean within blocks of the Manteca, there was this, this, this and these.

Sounds like paradise.

Shots fired (again) on the North Side

A resident on Buena Vista Street heard about 19 to 20 shots at around 11:10 p.m. and saw multiple police cars peel out of Zone 1 on Brighton Road.

Several 911 calls came in from Monterey and Jacksonia streets and Brighton Road. Police are trying to locate the shooters.

According to a police source, shots apparently started in the alley behind Buena Vista Street, traveled through the Family Dollar lot, across Brighton Road, through the Zone 1 lot onto Brighton Place.

Business as usual

Manteca mourns Wednesday night death by opening Thursday afternoon. Discuss.

A history of violence at the Manteca

"I don't understand why that bar's still operating."- Judge  David R. Cashman, 1995

Brian O'Neill, North Side resident and esteemed columnist for the Post-Gazette, penned this story about another murder at the Manteca. It was published in the P-G on Jan. 16, 1995.

Punishment Should be Shared

Noble Hamlett, 72, and receiving chemotherapy for colon cancer, isn't getting much sleep these days.

"You have that on your mind constantly, all the time," he says. "You couldn't get no regular sleep."
It isn't his sickness that keeps Hamlett awake, though. It's the thought of going to jail.

Common Pleas Judge David R. Cashman sentenced Hamlett last week to a one year less one day to two years less two days. That's for involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Kim Thrower 13 months ago. Hamlett could serve the time in the Allegheny County Jail.

Hamlett stood on his Central North Side stoop and fired eight shots from a small pistol in the early morning hours of Dec. 18, 1993. He hit three people. The outburst came only after one of Thrower's companions smashed both Hamlett's windows and another threw a bottle at the old man's head, drawing blood.

Meantime, a third man -- an 18-year-old who had accidentally shot Thrower in the leg in the Montego [Manteca] Bar next door, setting this chain of events in motion -- was firing a 9-millimeter pistol into the air.

Nobody was charged with anything but Hamlett.

The jury found him not guilty of two charges of assault against the men he wounded. But, following Cashman's direction, the jury would not let him walk for shooting Thrower.

"There was never any evidence (Thrower) did anything other than sit on his stoop," Cashman said.

"She is the totally innocent bystander ... You've got a 25-year-old mother of five who shouldn't be dead and you've got a 72-year-old man who shouldn't be attacked by a belligerent drunk.

"It's a tragic case any way you look at it," the judge said.

Hamlett, out on bail for the past year and living in another part of the city, can only hope his attorney, Ann Simms, can find the right words to keep him from going back to jail.

House arrest ought to be enough for this frail man who had never been in trouble with the law before. Judge Cashman sounds like a man who would like to cut Hamlett a break, but he needs a reason.

"Give me the proof the medical condition exists," he told me. "That may be a good enough reason."

Simms included a letter from his treating physician in her petition to modify the sentence, submitted Friday. The doctor says Hamlett's health would be endangered in jail, where the mass of people greatly increases the risk of infection.

Society would get no benefit from sending this man to jail. He should not have gone back to his stoop to shoot at people in the street. He went too far. He shot an unarmed, wounded, drunken woman. But Hamlett still seems less responsible for Thrower's death than others that night.

Hamlett might simply have gone to bed after decorating his Christmas tree, but he was frightened and humiliated into reckless actions.

If an 18-year-old hadn't been in the Montego Bar, drunkenly brandishing a gun; if someone in the bar had called 911 rather than banishing the wounded Thrower and her companions to the street, nobody ever would have heard of Noble Hamlett.

"You can put the whole responsibility for this sad tale right at the feet of that bar," Cashman said.

He has ordered a transcript of the trial to be sent to the Liquor Control Board and the State Police.

"I don't understand why that bar's still operating."

It's still in the neighborhood and Hamlett's across town, back with the family he tried to protect with his gun. He was the only man in the house that night when 6- and 7-year-old children slept upstairs. He was in jail a few nights later when some slimebucket shot up the house with an assault rifle.

Nobody was hurt. Nobody was charged for that shooting.