A strong look at the drug crisis right here
Thank you for the powerful special section “Riding OD Road” by Post-Gazette staff writer Rich Lord and photographers Steve Mellon and Stephanie Strasburg (Nov. 5).
As a native of Carrick and a 1988 graduate of Carrick High School, it breaks my heart to see how this once-vibrant city neighborhood has declined over the years and is now considered the “Overdose Capital of the Region.” From growing up in the 1970s and ‘80s, I have fond memories of riding my bike to Bill’s Market on Copperfield Avenue for penny candy, grabbing an iced tea at the Village Dairy, visiting the Carnegie Library near St. Basil Church and visiting the pet store near Sankey Avenue to buy goldfish. It is sad to see young families moving out to the suburbs for better schools, and the older people dying off and their children abandoning the houses. Carrick was well known for having many police officers, firefighters and medics; my father was a city police officer. Our neighbors all looked after one another.
I applaud Carol Anthony and the Carrick Overbrook Block Watch for not giving up on their community. I pray that more residentsmay get involved with the block watch group and that our city, county, state and national leaders may work together to try to solve this horrible epidemic. The drug epidemic is not just a “Carrick problem” but a problem also in the suburbs and rural areas.
From a verse of the Carrick High School Alma Mater song: “Carrick we love you dearly!” REV. THOMAS J. BURKE
Pastor St. James Catholic Parish
Sewickley bench. For more information, see JudicialVote17.org. HAL D. COFFEY President Allegheny County Bar Association Downtown
It is unfortunate that Tony Norman, in his Oct. 31 column, referred to the composer Stephen Foster as “Pittsburgh’s Great White Father” (” ‘ Doodah!’ Right Thing and Move Foster”). I don’t remember reading that title anywhere in the history books. He says that the statue is “trash,” Foster “looks down on the public,” Foster has a “cold gaze.” (Why not? It’s a statue.)
Mr. Norman suggests erecting (another) monument to the Pittsburgh-born playwright August Wilson. This is the same man who was quoted many times as saying that white directors were “not qualified” to direct major productions of his work. He was also an opponent of non-traditional
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casting, believing black actors should only play black roles. Thankfully, professional theater has been moving in the direction of non-traditional casting, which frees actors to play roles that weren’t particularly written for their ethnicity or sexual gender. ZAN HALL East Liberty