A Chronicle of Our Times: September 2006 – January 2007

This article is written by James Wudarczyk and was posted on August 26, 2007.

So what was happening in Lawrenceville in the waning months of 2006? Just as historians of this generation wonder what were some of the events that occurred in the neighborhood in bygone years; so, too, historians of a future generation will ponder the same question about our generation. It is not the intent of this piece to give a detailed account, but merely highlight the event and site the source(s).

September 3, 2006
The Lawrenceville Historical Society offered the first of four tours of Allegheny Cemetery on September 3. Each tour was scheduled to last 60-90 minutes. Additional tours were sponsored on September 10, 17, and 24. Docents were Dan Simkins, Michael Murphy, and Jude Wudarczyk. Source: “Explore the Allegheny Cemetery with the Lawrenceville Historical Society,” The Bulletin, September 2006.

September 4, 2006
Career Connections, which operated a charter high school for eight years in Lawrenceville, launched plans for the opening of a middle school, in spite of opposition from the city school district. Initially the middle school was slated to enroll 6th and 7th grade students, but hoped to add an 8th the following year. The planned location for the middle school was in the Catalyst Building at 141 Foster Street. At the time, a total of 52 students were enrolled in the proposed middle school.
Source: Eleanor Chute, “Charter middle school proposal opposed,” Post-Gazette, September 4, 2006.

September 6, 2006
Sergeant John A. Carroll, 26, who grew up in Greene County and Lawrenceville, died, after being wounded by small arms fire while on patrol in Ramadi in Iraq. His mother, Dawn Petrakovits, of Lawrenceville said her son remarked to her, “I am not here for the glory. I want to do my job and come home.”
Sources: “Former Lawrenceville man killed in Iraq,” Trib p.m., September 13, 2006, and “City: Lawrenceville-City native killed in Iraq,” Post-Gazette, September 13, 2006.

September 8, 2006
St. Matthew Parish, 5322 Carnegie Street, sponsored a parish festival. The multi-day event included ethnic dishes, a night at the races, entertainment, rides, games, and food.
Source: “Local News - Friday, Lawrenceville,” Post-Gazette, September 4, 2006.

September 17, 2006
John Morris, owner of Digging Pitt Gallery, 4417 Butler Street, sponsored an exhibit titled “Pittsburgh Alumni,” which examined the art and careers of 20 Pittsburgh artists who left the city. The exhibit was scheduled to run through November 4.
Source: Kurt Shaw, “Gallery rounds up Pittsburgh alumni,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Living Section), Sunday, September 17, 2006.

September 21, 2006
Rob Messner addressed the Lawrenceville Historical Society on the topic of “World Class Battlefield Next Door.” His address dealt with Braddock’s defeat and its role in American history. The presentation took place on Thursday, September 21 at 7 p.m. in the McVey auditorium of Canterbury Place.
Source: “World Class Battlefield Next Door,” The Bulletin, September 2006.

September 23, 2006
The Lawrenceville Hospitality Tour was scheduled for October 1 from noon until 5 p.m. The article, which featured Rosemarie Perla and her 150-year-old house, noted that the previous year’s event drew 600 people. Five photographs were included in the article. Sandy De Temple and Kitty Julian served as co-chairs of the event.
Source: Sharika Jagtiani, “Tour shows off Lawrenceville’s potential,” Living Section, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, September 23, 2006.

September 27, 2006
The battle between the Pittsburgh School District and Career Connections, a charter school run by the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, continued. The Lawrenceville school was awaiting a zoning change and occupancy permit for a former school building on 41st and Foster Streets to implement its plans to open a charter middle school at 141 41st Street. Seventy-two students enrolled in the charter school were moved to 5432 Butler Street. The School District appeal to the Commonwealth Court to keep the school from opening was pending.
Source: John Smydo, “City questions credentials of charter middle school,” Post-Gazette, September 27, 2006.

September 27, 2006 Duquesne Electric planned to invest more than $500 million in the region’s infrastructure, including the company’s transmission system. One of the critical projects involved the building of an underground transmission lines between the Arsenal and Highland substations. The project included plans for the implementation of the company’s first forced cooling system that would increase the capacity of existing underground transmission lines. Source: Current Topics (a newsletter of the Corporate
Communications Department at Duquesne Light), September 27, 2006.

September 28, 2006
The school board voted to close the Career Connections School on the grounds that the current site did not have any classrooms. Terri Henderson, chief executive officer of the Career Connections School, argued that the school was well run and had a waiting list. She said she did not see how the school district could revoke a charter granted by the state. The school board sought to shut down the charter middle school, not the high school.
Source: Joe Smydo, “School Board votes to close Career Connections school,” Post-Gazette, September 28, 2006.

September 30, 2006 The first of four Saturday “Wonder Weeding” was scheduled for September 30. This was a clean-up program to maintain the 37th Street rose gardens, planted by Capuchin Franciscan friar, Father Gervase Degenhardt. Other clean-up days were scheduled for October 7, 14, and 21. Source: “Rose Garden in Need of TLC!” Bulletin, October 2006

September 30, 2006
Volunteers worked from 9 a.m. until noon to clean up a part of the Lawrenceville community. When the first clean-up day was sponsored on July 29, 2006, 38 volunteers collected 67 bags of trash and debris along 38th Street, the 5200 block of Natrona Way, and the Lawrenceville Riverfront Trail. The event was sponsored by the Lawrenceville Corporation, Lawrenceville United, Councilman Len Bodak, Church Brew Works, PA Cleanways, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, and Friends of the Riverfront.
Source: “Lawrenceville Begins Clean Streets Campaign,” Bulletin, September 2006.

October 7, 2006
Lawrenceville artists were organizing a free two-day studio tour from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8. The purpose of the tour was to give the public insight into the artists’ workspace and processes.
Source: “Lawrenceville Artists Host Free Studio Tour,” Bulletin, October 2006

October 8, 2006 Architects Dave Bauer, Roger Kingsland, and Grant E. Scott III, partners in Kingland Scott Bauer Associates Architectural Firm, were featured for converting an undertaker’s stable from 1888 on Butler Street into their offices. Their office was one site featured on a tour of the city by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, whose convention was in the city from October 31 through November 5. In 2000 the Romanesque Revival style stable was among the first 11 buildings in the United States to be certified as environmentally green by the U. S. Green Building Council. Source: Tony LaRussa, “Building Redesign Adapt Reuse,” Tribune-Review, October 8, 2006.

October 11, 2006
Lawrenceville United scheduled its general membership meeting for 6:30 p.m. in St. Augustine Auditorium. Scheduled on the agenda were updates of the Weed and Seed and the Elm Street programs. Source: “L’ville United General Membership Meeting,” Bulletin, October 2006

October 11, 2006
The Lawrenceville based robotics center was in the process of fine-tuning “Smart Caddy,” a voice activated computer system that was designed to help grocery warehouses fill their orders more efficiently.
Source: Corilyn Shropshire, “Giant steps in technology,” Post-Gazette, October 13, 2006.

October 14, 2006
The Parish Nurse ministry of Our Lady of the Angels sponsored a Health Fair on Saturday, October 14 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Holy Family Social Hall, 256 44th Street. UPMC St. Margaret provided flu shots, the Spirit of Health tested bone density, and graduate students from Duquesne University answered questions on medications.
Source: “Health Fair at Our Lady of the Angels,” Bulletin, October 2006.

October 14, 2006
Merchant Jay Bernard, maker of hand-made soaps at Jay’s Design Soaps and Gifts, unveiled his latest creation “Fritzie Zivic Soap,” in a box that featured a picture of the 1940 world champion boxer. The soap’s features included scents of sandalwood, musk and patchouli.
Source: Michael Machosky, “Soap maker honors Lawrenceville boxer, Tribune-Review, October 14, 2006.

October 19, 2006
The Lawrenceville sponsored a public meeting on the topic of “Polish Genealogy.” Guest speaker was Krystyna Piatek-Krantz. Also, the same night, Virginia Fisfis, spoke on the history of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church in the Strip District. The event took place at 7 p.m. in Canterbury Place.
Source: “Polish History and a Brief History of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church,” Bulletin, October 2006.

October 26, 2006
Children’s Hospital, which was in the process of erecting a new facility in Lawrenceville, reported a record profit of nearly $32 million. That represented a 12.1 percent increase over the previous year.
Source: Elwin Green, “Children’s profits set another record,” Post-Gazette, October 26, 2006.

October 27, 2006
Children were encouraged to dress in Halloween costumes for the children’s bingo held on Friday, October 27 in Holy Family Social Hall. Bingo donation was $3 for three cards.
Source: “Kids Bingo at Our Lady of the Angels,” Bulletin, October 2006.

October 27, 2006
Artists were invited to participate in the second annual Open Call Art Exhibit, scheduled for October 27, 2006 through January 5, 2007. The purpose of the exhibit was to increase awareness of artwork, produced by those who suffered mental, physical, and developmental disabilities.
Source: “Everyone An Artist Open Call Exhibit,” Bulletin, October 2006.

November 3, 2006
A longtime friend of Pope John Paul II, the Reverend Edward C. Maliszewski, 86, of Monroeville, passed away on November 3, 2006. Father Maliszewski served as pastor at Holy Family Church in Lawrenceville from 1970 until 1985.
Source: Craig Smith, “Priest shared pope’s zeal for Polish heritage,” (Obituaries) Tribune-Review, November 6, 2006.

November 5, 2006
In his Tribune-Review column, Jack Markowitz wrote about Greenfield Village at Dearborn, Michigan, “Pittsburghers can identify. A fine house from 1830’s Lawrenceville is where songwriter Stephen Foster’s family did not live, as supposed, but it’s a “Sounds of America Gallery” now, displaying grand old band instruments.”
Source: Jack Markowitz, “Ford’s ‘Village’ shows ‘real America,’” Tribune-Review (Business Section), November 5, 2006.

November 8, 2006
City police said three black men and a white youth assaulted and robbed a 70-year-old man on 46th Street. The same group also followed a woman, but she escaped to the safety of her 45th Street home.
Source: “Lawrenceville: Teens assault senior,” Post-Gazette, November 9, 2006.

November 9, 2006
In order to give Career Connections Middle School in Lawrenceville and the City of Pittsburgh School District time to iron out their differences, District Judge Randy Martin agreed to a continuance of the truancy cases for 90 days. Only two students of the school’s 75 students were transferred from Career Connections as parents risked jail and fines by defying the School District and not placing their children in other public schools. According to the source, 2,200 students were enrolled in charter schools at a cost of $25 million.
Source: Joe Smydo, “Parents risking jail,” Post-Gazette, November 9, 2006.

November 12, 2006
A photograph in the Tribune-Review showed workers in a Pittsburgh Rigging Company basket inspecting the bottom of the R. D. Fleming Bridge over the Allegheny River. The photo was a good shot of the supporting structure of the 62nd Street Bridge that connects Lawrenceville and Etna.
Source: Focus Magazine, Tribune-Review, November 12, 2006

November 16, 2006
Mary Kraszczak presented “Lillian Russell Moore: Artists on the Canvas of My Life,” as part of the Lawrenceville Historical Society’s public lecture series. Also on the agenda was Rose Gitzen, portraying Jane Gray Swisshelm. The presentation took place on November 16, 7 p.m. at Canterbury Place.
Source: “Lillian Russell Moore: Artists on the Canvas of My Life,” Bulletin, November 2006.

November 18, 2006
The Door of Hope Community Church, located at 5227 Holmes Street, offered scrapbooking classes every second Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.
Source: “Door of Hope Scrapbooking Classes,” Bulletin, November 2006.

November 18, 2006 The Door of Hope Community Church held their Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday November 18th from 2 until 4 p.m. with crafts, games, prizes, and food.
Source: “Fall Harvest Festival at Door of Hope,” Bulletin, November 2006.

November 26, 2006
Artist Ron Donoughe compiled four years of landscape paintings in his book, Essence of Pittsburgh: The Paintings of Ron Donoughe in the Plein Air Style. More than 160 of his paintings were on exhibit at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Avenue, in the Shadyside section of the city. A native of Loretto, Pennsylvania, Donoughe currently resides in Lawrenceville. The exhibit was scheduled to run through January 21, 2007.
Source: Kurt Shaw, “Capturing our ‘Essence,’” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Living Section), November 26, 2006.

November 27, 2006
Lawrenceville’s Beth-El Mission Ministries launched a math, language arts and reading tutoring program for at-risk youths on Saturdays from 9 until 11 a.m. at the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 221 43rd Street. The article cited Nicita Moses at 412-728-4046 as a contact for the program.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 27, 2006.

November 27, 2006
The Lawrenceville Block Watch Network announced that its monthly meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. in Saint Augustine auditorium at 37th and Butler Streets. Shela Titus was coordinator.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 27, 2006.

November 29, 2006
The battle between Career Connections Charter School and the City of Pittsburgh School Districted ended when the Lawrenceville school agreed to close its middle school and transfer the 73 students to other educational facilities. At issue was the housing of the students at the Boys and Girls Club since the sought-after Catylst Building was held up in zoning court.
Source: Joe Smydo, “Charter Middle School to shut November 29,” Post-Gazette, November 17, 2006.

November 30, 2006
The annual Lawrenceville Cookie Mall was supplemented with the International Cookie Tour, and ran from November 30 through December 3.
Source: “International Cookie Festival in L’ville,” Bulletin, November 2006

December 2, 2006
Our Lady of the Angels Parish held its annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 2nd in Holy Family Social Hall. The $5 charge covered breakfast, photo with Santa, games, tattoo art, a Christmas craft, and special toy raffle.
Source: “Breakfast with Santa at Our Lady of the Angels Parish,” Bulletin, November 2006.

December 2, 2006
The popular Cookie Mall was held on Saturday, December 2 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Teamster Temple, 4701 Butler Street. The mall was an opportunity for fundraising by non-profit organizations.
Source: “Calling all Cookie Bakers,” The Bulletin, December 2006

December 5, 2006
A public meeting was sponsored in the Medical Office Building, 4221 Penn Avenue, to solicit community input into the reconstruction of Penn Avenue between 34th Street and Negley Avenue. City Council approved the spending of $2,140,000 for an engineering and design study.
“Council OK’s Start of Engineering for Penn Ave. Reconstruction,” The Source: Bulletin, December 2006.

December 8, 2006
The Door of Hope Community Church at 5227 Holmes Street released its December calendar of events, which included a scrap booking class on December 8; making of Christmas crafts on December 9; a Christmas party on December 16, a children’s Christmas pageant on December 17; and a Christmas Eve Candle Light Service on December 24 at 7 p.m.
Source: “Door of Hope Community Events,” Bulletin, December 2006.

December 9, 2006
Our Lady of the Angels parish blessed the statues of the Infant Jesus from the crèches of parishioners during its weekend Mass schedule of December 9 and 10.
Source: “Crèche Baby Jesus Blessing,” The Bulletin, December 2006.

December 24, 2006
Our Lady of the Angels celebrated a Children’s Christmas Eve Liturgy on Sunday, December 24th at 4 p.m., in the parish’s Saint Augustine Church.
Source: “Our Lady of Angels Children’s Christmas Eve Liturgy,” The Bulletin, December 24, 2006.

December 26, 2006
“Father Armand Yeaglin, the oldest member of the Capuchin Franciscan province based at St. Augustine in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, died Dec. 26 at age 95.” For a period of time, Father Armand also served as chaplain for St. Francis Hospital in Lawrenceville. A funeral Mass was offered in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, St. Augustine Church, in Lawrenceville.
Source: “Father Armand Yeaglin, oldest area Capuchin,” Pittsburgh Catholic, January 5m 2006.

January 1, 2007
Police reported that over the previous weekend, a 19-year-old man was cited for disorderly conduct and violating a city ordinance against carrying a facsimile of a gun. Witnesses said the man caused a scene near a Wendy’s restaurant by waving around a pistol. The gun turned out to be an Airsoft-style pellet gun.
Source: “Lawrenceville: Gun waver cited,” Post-Gazette, January 3, 2007.

January 6, 2007
Police at Zone 2 released statistics showing that Lawrenceville was one of a number of city hot spots for prostitution in both 2005 and 2006.
Source: “Prostitution arrests,” Post-Gazette, January 6, 2007.

January 8, 2007
Freeport historian Gary Link released his second murder mystery “The Spectrum.” Like his first novel, the mystery takes place in Pittsburgh in the 1850’s. Referring to his first novel in a newspaper interview, Link said the inspiration “for a novel about the fire came from a friend who had given a talk about it to the Lawrenceville Historical Society.”
Source: Patricia Lowry, “Author researched 1840s Pittsburgh for mystery novel ‘The Spectrum,’” Post-Gazette, January 8, 2007.

January 11, 2007
The Tribune-Review reported that thieves stole a 2003 International dumper loaded with 8 tons of salt, parked across the street from the District 7 Allegheny County Maintenance Facility in Lawrenceville. Valued at $90,000, the truck was recovered in the Perry South area of the North Side.
Source: Craig Smith, “Thieves spice it ups with spin in county truck,” Tribune-Review, January 11, 2007.

January 20, 2007
The Pittsburgh Public Schools published results of the city schools as measured against national tests. The study also provided data on location of the school, principal, number of teachers, number of students, and attendance data. It showed that Arsenal Middle School housed 6th through 8th grades, had 25 teachers and 356 students. African-Americans accounted for 89.3% of the student population; whites for 8.4%; and 2.2% were characterized as other. Data showed that 24.3% of the 7th graders performed at proficient or advanced levels in reading; and 20.8% were proficient or advanced in math. The study showed 85% of the students at Woolslair Elementary tested at the proficient or advanced level in reading, and 68.9% were proficient or advanced in math. The school, located at 501 40th Street had 296 students enrolled in kindergarten through 5th grade, and was staffed by 16 teachers. African-Americans accounted for 58.1% of the student population, while Whites accounted for 34.5% and 7.4% were characterized as other.
Source: Second Annual Report to the Community on Public School Progress in Pittsburgh.

January 23, 2007
Intruders posing as police officers broke into a house in the 200 block of 42nd Street and robbed and pistol-whipped a 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old man. One of the intruders discharged his gun in the home before fleeing.
Source: “City: Lawrenceville – 2 pistol-whipped during robbery,” Tribune-Review, January 24, 2007.

January 25, 2007
Lutheran, Catholic and Methodist leaders hosted a service in celebration of the World Methodist Council’s action to become signers with the Vatican and the Lutheran Federation of the Joint Declaration of Justification. The service took place at 7 p.m. in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Saint Augustine Church, 225 37 Street, Lawrenceville. Bishop Donald J. McCoid of the Southwest Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and African Methodist Episcopal Presiding Elder Dr. Eric Brown offered the reflections. Choirs from Park Place AME Church in Homestead and Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Lawrenceville provided the music. Contributions from the collections were designated for the Our Lady of the Angels Food Pantry.
Sources: “2 Interdenominational prayer services set,” Tribune-Review, January 13, 2007.
Our Lady of the Angels Parish Bulletin, January 21, 2007. “Evangelical Gathering,” Pittsburgh Catholic, February 9, 2007.

January 27, 2007
Lawrenceville resident Angelo V. Rodriguez, freed on bail on January 27 from a December arrest, was charged with a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Adrienne Keil of Bloomfield and the critical injuring of 25-year-old Sheldon Hawkins.
Sources: Paula Reed Ward and Jon Schmitz, “Two wildly differing lives meet in terrible tragedy,” Post-Gazette, January 29, 2007.
Bobby Kerlik, “Crash kills volunteer ‘for everything,” Tribune-Review, January 29, 2007.
Jeremy Boren, “Mayor, students mourn classmate,” Tribune-Review, January 30, 2007.
“Local City: Friendship, Driver’s hearing delayed,” Tribune-Review, February 2, 2007.
Moody, Chuck, “Impact of two fatal crashes felt at parishes and schools,” Pittsburgh Catholic, February 9, 2007.

January 31, 2007
An armed man was shot and killed by police at the corner of 40th and Penn Avenue at 5:12 p.m. Police claim they tried to stop Michael Lee Ghafoor, 22, during a suspected drug deal when Ghafoor drew a .357-caliber Magnum. According to police accounts, Ghafoor was also wanted for aggravated assault after a North Side woman was shot and critically wounded during a robbery on Shadeland Avenue in December. He also had a history of firearm violations, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motorized vehicle, and giving false identification to police.
Sources: David Morrison, “City police kill drug suspect,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 1, 2007.
Michael Hasch, “Gun-toting man shot dead by officer,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, February 1, 2007.
Torsten Ove, “City officer who killed gunman is in elite unit,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 2, 2007.