the week in review
It seemed like we saw it all last week. Marching in the streets, the ongoing struggle with a deadly pandemic and a primary election dominated the headlines.
Post-Gazette reporters and photographers — assisted by our annual complement of summer interns — were out in force, covering the vigils and the vandalism, the prayers and the protests.
On Monday, a march in East Liberty ended in clashes with police, who shot tear gas and less-lethal rounds at protesters, who responded by hurling rocks and bottles. At another demonstration over the weekend in Downtown, a police SUV was set on fire, and police deployed tear gas and used horses for crowd control. Several people were injured.
Beth Pittinger, executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board, said the watchdog group was “swamped” with calls Monday after police broke up a group of protesters on Centre Avenue following a peaceful march. Police claimed the group began throwing rocks at officers; those present say police struck first with tear gas and crowd-clearing projectiles.
On Tuesday, however, peaceful demonstrators sang and chanted as they marched from Market Square through Downtown to Second Avenue and the nearby Allegheny County Jail, where they staged a sit-in.
“If you care for the movement, if you care for the message we’re trying to convey, [I ask] that you keep this peaceful,” said Dasia Clemons, founder of Pittsburgh I Can’t Breathe. “We want our actions to speak louder than violence.”
Staff writer Ashley Murray reported Mayor Bill Peduto directed the Office of Municipal Investigations and the Citizen Police Review Board to work with the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP Pittsburgh branch and the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania “to perform a review of city actions.”
Some things can’t be swept under the rug
Not all the focus was on the protests. Staff writer Maria Sciullo reported how volunteers turned out in the aftermath of the marching, cleaning up broken glass and scrubbing graffiti from walls and signs.
Maria interviewed some who said the effort was almost therapeutic after the violence of the previous night, when windows were smashed and vehicles damaged. According to a Pittsburgh Public Safety tweet, 60 businesses and properties were affected.
“I was not here for the riots afterward, but I was here when 2,000 or more Pittsburghers stood strong and unified,” said Russell Ruffolo, who lives in the North Hills. “And I want to make sure that message does not get lost in the actions of those idiots who did the rioting and hurt the people they should have been standing with.”
“We just need to do some healing, and I think the best way to do that now is to get the city restored,” said Kristin Bruno, of Bellevue, as she cleaned red paint from an elevator entrance to the Duquesne Club, Downtown.
Bring a mask, get a menu
The city’s recovery is taking place in the midst of reopening after months of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Allegheny County and most of its neighbors in southwest Pennsylvania were moved to the green phase Friday, meaning a lot more freedom of movement and activity — but still under the protective covering of health restrictions.
Staff writers Dan Gigler and Bob Batz Jr. told us how the restaurants and bars are coming back to life, despite the face masks, occupancy limits and social distancing.
“It’s good to get the juices, the energy and the money flowing again,” said Joel Bolden, co-owner of Walter’s Southern Kitchen in Lawrenceville. “With all the turmoil that’s going on in the country, it’s a sad day as well, so you have mixed emotions on all fronts.”
“This is a new normal,” Dan Hahn, manager at Bella Notte in the Strip, said as he surveyed his remodeled restaurant. “You aren’t gonna see crowds of people on my sidewalk like you did. But, have I seen all my regulars back in here? Yes. It only gets better from here.”
The long, slow journey into green
Staff writers Eva Hill and Ethan Simmons came back from some of the malls in our region with news that while there wasn’t exactly a Black Friday rush of shoppers, there were signs of a pulse.
Other signs, however, remained. Those were the signs in the parking lots outside the mall, designating areas for curbside pickup of food and goods from various stores on the mall’s perimeter. Signs of our new normal.
Eva also reported on the reopening of the area’s fitness centers, yoga studios and other indoor recreation facilities. Of course, there
Andrew Rush/Post-Gazette are the health precautions and a sense of discomfort among some gym instructors.
Sharon Skittle, co-owner of Urban Elements Power Yoga and Indoor Cycling, a North Shore yoga studio and cycling gym, is planning to reopen Monday. Those turning out can expect extended time between classes to allow for cleaning of spaces and equipment, as well as limited numbers of people who can use restrooms or showers at a given time. They’ve also banned storing items in locker rooms, and they’re asking members to bring their own towels and yoga mats.
A new meaning for a ‘hair line’
Salons and barbershops, likewise, are restricted to operating at 50% capacity, and stylists and barbers must wear masks and sanitize equipment between customers. Some are planning to check clients’ temperatures, use mobile pay and limit the number of appointments in a day.
Staff writer Maggie Susa found the result — especially after the long layoff between haircuts — has filled most appointment books.
“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the green phase was announced,” said Kevin Kappel, owner of Joe Madia’s Barber Shop in Uptown.
Oh, and you can expect a few other changes, like an increase in the cost of services at some places. Hilary Ballard, co-owner of Twelve27 salon in Downtown, said it’s a necessary price for the new business restrictions.
“What will never go away is our care for the customer’s experience,” Ms. Ballard said. “Instead of added pampering in our space, we will be giving added care, time and attention to the safety and cleanliness of the experience.”
As if anyone feels lucky lately
Bet you couldn’t wait for the casinos to open. Well, staff writers Michael A. Fuoco and Mick Stinelli reported Rivers Casino will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday, with limited operating weekday hours. They’ll be open all night during the weekend.
The Meadows Racetrack & Casino plans to open at noon Tuesday.
But if you think the hair salon has a lot of new rules — the state gaming control board sent out a 10-page list of protocols for reopening casinos last month in order to make sure you are safe, even if your money isn’t.
Sitting at a slot machine, for example, is going to be very different, as the casinos are required have Plexiglas barriers between machines, and a number of machines will be disabled to create distance between operating machines.
They’ve also said “no dice” to the poker rooms for the time being.
Now that we know how they all feel
But, hey, the zoo is open! Staff writer Linda Wilson Fuoco was there as the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium opened its doors — the ones at the entrance, not on the animal enclosures — on Friday.
And, again, with restrictions. Not only do we have masks for everybody but the animals, but the foot traffic is directed so everyone stays 6 feet apart. Visitors also have to sign up for a timed ticketing system that staggers admissions and limits the number of people in the zoo at any time.
Still, everyone from the employees to the visiting adults to the squealing kids to the animals themselves.
“The kids have had nowhere to go,” said Jessica Galando, of Murrysville, who was there with her husband, Matt, and their children Anna, 7, and Genevieve, 4. The girls seemed to enjoy the elephants and giraffes, but Anna said her favorite animal is the red panda.
Everyone loves the red panda.
Just can’t get this plan off the ground
The news from Pittsburgh International Airport, on the other hand, is a bit of a downer. Staff writer Mark Belko reported the Standard & Poor’s rating agency recently downgraded the airport’s credit outlook from stable to negative.
That could mean higher borrowing costs as the airport is drawing up a $1.1 billion modernization plan. It had hoped to start construction this summer, but that was before the pandemic.
A bit of assistance for the college-bound
Staff writer Bill Schackner shared the good news that Pennsylvania’s collegebound students could see a boost in their maximum state grant awards.
Funding for the program run by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is getting a $30 million infusion of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act dollars, meaning the maximum award for Pennsylvania State Grants will be $4,525, instead of the $4,123 originally projected by PHEAA. That’s a $402 improvement.
Officials said conditional award notifications will be arriving in the coming days.
You can’t take a grant for granted
Staff writers Sharon Eberson and Marylynne Pitz came to us with word that 53 Western Pennsylvania arts groups reeling from COVID19 revenue losses have received another financial blow: They will not receive new state grants or be reimbursed for money they spent for grants previously approved.
The nonprofit arts groups already had penciled in a shared $1.04 million for their budgets.
“I have heard a lot of feedback from organizations that had funds they thought were promised and now have lost them,” said Mitch Swain, chief executive officer of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, which was expecting $13,441 for programs and services.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has not received any of the $161,476 the state approved last year. Nicholas Gigante, its vice president of development, said the state arts council used to make one payment for the full amount of the grant. That changed this year, he said, when the arts groups were asked to spend the money and submit invoices to be reimbursed. Now the money isn’t coming.
“We have not yet had the opportunity to apply for those reimbursements because the program is frozen,” Mr. Gigante said. “That money funds the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival and EQT Children’s Festival, among other trust programs.”
Addressing problems at the county jail
Staff writer Kate Giammarise reported members of the Jail Oversight Board on Thursday formed a subcommittee to address problems found at the Downtown lockup.
A report by a Chicagobased assessment firm found the Allegheny County Jail needs to improve training, better integrate behavioral care with primary care and improve or replace fixtures to be more suicide-resistant. Nine inmates have died by suicide since 2016.
Warden Orlando Harper said some of the report’s recommendations, which highlighted 13 areas with room for improvement, had already been implemented.
Remembering Johnny Majors
And, finally, we shared the news of the death Wednesday of Johnny Majors, former coach of the University of Pittsburgh college football team. Mr. Majors, whose 1976 squad won the national championship, was 85.
He and that magical time for local college football were remembered in our publications with an obituary by staff writer John McGonigal and a column by sports writer Joe Starkey, both compelling and moving pieces that you can read at our website if you missed them.