Restoring Pittsburgh’s Public Green Space • Frick, Highland, Riverview & Schenley Parks Summer 2007

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Volunteers Springinto Action

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Donors Take BlueSlide Playground to

Another Level

Special Guest VisitsSchenley Fountain

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Hat Luncheon ToastsRiverview Park

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International Parks Conference Coming to PittsburghBy Melissa McMasters

In 2008, the city of Pittsburgh will celebrate its 250thanniversary. The city will soon have the opportunityto tell the world the story of its transformation from

rust belt to green belt and highlight the Ravenstahl admin-istration’s working partnership with the Pittsburgh ParksConservancy, as the 2008 International Urban ParksConference comes to Pittsburgh September 21-23, 2008.

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is the local host andproducing organization for the conference, which is sponsored by two national organizations, the City ParksAlliance (CPA) and the National Association for OlmstedParks (NAOP). The conference will provide an opportu-nity for hundreds of parks professionals, thought leaders,policy makers, and other interested parties around theglobe to come together and share their park knowledge.

The conference’s title, “Body and Soul: Parks and theHealth of Great Cities,” highlights the connection betweenhealthy people, healthy parks, and healthy cities. Withcities now housing over half the world’s population,urbanization must be balanced by a commitment to issuessuch as public health, environmental sustainability, andresponsible use of green space.

Meg Cheever, President and CEO of the PittsburghParks Conservancy, points to several recent studies aboutthe impact of cities on the environment as inspiration forthe conference. “More and more, cities are at the van-guard of environmental progress,” says Cheever. “Localgovernments are taking the lead in the creation of publicgreen spaces with sustainable funding structures, energy-efficient buildings, and the reduction of greenhouse gasemissions.

“What better place than Pittsburgh, which is enjoying itsdesignation as America’s most livable city, to bring

together representatives from around the world to sharetheir success stories and plan for the future?”

The conference will explore the variety of roles parksplay in the urban experience: as democratic spaces whereeveryone is able to take spiritual and physical refreshmentin a natural setting, as the oxygen-producing “lungs” ofthe city, and as engines of economic development.

Make Schenley Plaza your destination for summer funLive Lunchtime MusicMonday through Saturday, now through October

Kids DaysFree carousel rides, face-painting, balloon animals, caricatureartists, and special programming during each event

- Sunday, July 22, 2 - 4 p.m. The Pittsburgh Glass Center demonstrates glass bead blowing

- Sunday, August 26, 2 - 4 p.m. Hackysack demonstrations; plus George Nowack hand-carves carousel animals

- Sunday, September 16, 2 - 4 p.m. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh presents “Storytelling Alive!”

Harry Potter “Wizard Rock” Concerts with theCarnegie LibraryTuesday, July 31, 6 p.m. - The Remus LupinsSunday, August 19, 5 p.m. - Harry and the Potters with Dracoand the Malfoys

Check www.schenleyplaza.org for the latest programmingupdates, a schedule of all musical performances, and information about how you can make your next special eventmemorable by holding it at Schenley Plaza!

Thousands of kids and their families enjoyed activities atSchenley Plaza as part of the Carnegie Library’s SummerReading Extravaganza this June. Carousel rides were freeall day thanks to a generous grant from a local foundation.

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Page 2 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

Pittsburgh ParksConservancy

2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Phone: 412-682-PARK (7275)Fax: 412-622-0160

www.pittsburghparks.org

StaffMeg Cheever

President and CEO

Debbie BeckChief Financial Officer

Philip J. GruszkaDirector of Park Management and

Maintenance Policies

Roy E. LenhardtDirector of Development

Laurie AndersonGrant Writer

Kim BarnerAccounting Assistant

Beth BodamerAdministrative Assistant

Joyce CollierMembership Assistant

Lisa ContiDevelopment Coordinator

Erin CopelandRestoration Ecologist

Amy GelzheiserSpecial Events Coordinator

Melissa McMastersMarketing Communications Coordinator

Jake MilofskyField Ecologist

Gudrun WellsVolunteer Education Coordinator

Board of DirectorsAlan AckermanRobert AgbedeJoe BelechakMeg Cheever

G. Reynolds ClarkLynn DavenportJohn DiederichHelen Faison

Karen Wolk FeinsteinAudrey Hillman Fisher

Elise FrickEthel Hansen

Jean Anne HattlerHarry Henninger

Dan HolthausElizabeth Howard

Mark KamletBecky KeevicanRobbee Kosak

John P. Levis, IIIDavid MaloneBrian Mullins

Marlee S. MyersSusan Nernberg

Eliza NevinRobert Petrilli

Richard Reed, chairJames Rogal

Ritchie ScaifeTom Schmidt

Sharon SemenzaAlex Speyer Jr.Gerald Voros

Michael Zanic

Government Representatives:Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, City of PittsburghChief Executive Dan Onorato, Allegheny

CountyState Representative Dan FrankelDuane Ashley, City of Pittsburgh

Guy Costa, City of PittsburghNoor Ismail, City of Pittsburgh

Our Spring HatLuncheonfundraiser

was recently held inRiverview Park,which showed itselfoff to great advan-tage. Thanks for thatare due to manyfolks, beginning withdedicated park fore-man Bob Lacki, MikeGable, and Guy Costaof the city’s DPW, aswell as the park crewand the manyvolunteers who have

worked in the park to stabilize slopes, removeinvasive plants, and put new plants into the ground.Riverview Park has been on my mind lately becausewe are in the final stages of the major capital projectthere, the Chapel Shelter and landscape restoration.

In the ten years since the Pittsburgh ParksConservancy was formed, we have developed closerelationships with many of the groups and individuals who live near Riverview and love thepark. In the past, two major challenges loomed forthose interested in improving this park.

The first was that so many Pittsburghers had neverheard of Riverview (it is located in the North Sideoff Perrysville Avenue). Our 1998 survey showedthat only 13% of Pittsburghers were even aware ofthis park, so the chances of their supporting it orever visiting it seemed unlikely. Someday soon wehope to take a repeat survey, and we are confidentthat the percentage will have improved.

The other challenge was that it seemed difficult forthe various park-loving groups to forge a consensusfor action. One of the keys to Riverview’s future prosperity is bringing together the many people whocare about the park and have ideas about how toimprove and sustain it.After ten years of effort, park restoration efforts are

maturing and Riverview Park is beginning to comeinto its own. The Chapel Shelter project will soonbe finished. The University of Pittsburgh is working

on restoring the façade of the Observatory. The cityhas cleaned and restored the visitor center, and it isnow being staffed by Moses Carper, an UrbanEcoSteward and owner of the Chiyou Corral, whichcontinues the tradition of horseback riding inRiverview Park. The playground was restored someyears ago with an astronomy theme, and the crew isworking hard on normal park maintenance. A lovelytrail out to Snyder’s Point has been established.

But many problems remain. The unstable shale soiland steep topography of the land have always madethe park landslide-prone, so ecological restoration,including slope stabilization, must continue. Thewater quality in the streams was tested during the1999 BioBlitz, and the coliform bacteria level wasunacceptably high. We need to retest and, if there isstill a problem, find a way to improve the waterquality in the park. Deer overbrowse is causinggreat pressure on the plant communities in this park(and in Frick Park as well), particularly on theunderstory. This is a problem with no easy solution.And some high-ticket capital projects from theRegional Parks Master Plan remain to be accomplished, such as the restoration of the entryfountain and swimming pool improvements.

But the most promising development is that aRiverview Park “working group” is in formationwhich brings together the parks crew, the ParksConservancy, and interested groups and citizens.More than any particular capital project, thisincreased emphasis on stewardship embodies greathope for the long-term future of this wonderful park.

I hope that the situation in Riverview mirrors parkrestoration efforts in Pittsburgh as a whole. Withlimited budgets and resources, we absolutely need towork together to make sure we get the best result forthe parks—and ultimately for our community.

Directions to Riverview Park:Head west on Ohio River Boulevard. Take theMarshall Ave. exit. Bear right as you come off theexit ramp and stay on Marshall until it dead-endsinto Perrysville. Turn left at Perrysville. Go 0.8miles. Turn left onto Riverview Avenue. This is thepark entrance.

Test Your Park Knowledge!Can you match the four city parks--Frick, Highland,Riverview, and Schenley--to the following historicalfacts? Answers appear on page 7.

1. This park’s acreage includes land that once housed agrist mill that for many years ground most of the grain inthe Pittsburgh area.

2. This park has a historic structure whose namedescribes not what the structure was actually used for, butthe material out of which it was originally constructed.

3. A proposal to use public bonds for construction of thispark was solidly defeated in an election several decadesbefore it was eventually created.

4. This park houses a monument that marks the restingplace of one of the families whose land was purchased tocreate the park.

Source: Historical Data: Pittsburgh Public Parks.Collected and compiled by Howard Stewart under spon-sorship of the Greater Pittsburgh Parks Association, 1943.

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTHow well do you know Riverview Park?

Meg Cheever and Mayor LukeRavenstahl at the Riverview ParkChapel Shelter construction site.

Page 3Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

Q&A with Park Naturalist Patty Himes of the Frick Environmental CenterBy Jake Milofsky

What are some of your favoriteaspects of working at the FrickEnvironmental Center?

I really enjoy working with the Frick team,which includes staff, interns, and volunteers.Everyone is committed to offering the public high-quality environmental educationprogramming as well as a wonderful, cared-for park space to enjoy. I also enjoy work-ing with children. They have a naturalinterest in nature. They are so excited toexplore and so willing to help take careof the park.

Can you talk about FEC’s involvementwith the Urban EcoSteward Program?The Urban EcoSteward program is growing very quickly. It’s gratifying to see how many people are willing to share theirtime and talents to care for Pittsburgh’s amazingparklands. This has become such an importantprogram that Kathryn Hunninen, FEC’s neweststaff member, is dedicating a large portion ofher time to coordinating this program. Our 17Urban EcoStewards have been making a big difference on Clayton Hill and the Tranquil Trailwetland area. We’ve noticed a decrease in manyinvasive species such as garlic mustard, multiflora rose, and Japanese knotweed.

What are some challenges the FEC faces?Restoration of the park is always challenging.Every project site is in need of constant assessment and maintenance. We propagate andplant a variety of native species, which mustconstantly be protected from our animal friendsin the park (deer, chipmunks, etc.). Fortunately,we work with an extraordinary Department ofPublic Works staff headed by foreman DickWilford. In addition, we have a great bunch ofinterns and volunteers that make completingprojects possible.

What do you hope to accomplish with arebuilt FEC?This spring Citiparks aided the developmentof environmental education programming byproviding a classroom tailored to FEC. Thiswill enable us to expand our programmingopportunities. A new facility would help usreach even more people and include morepeople in our mission. We will be able toexpand the number and types of programsthat the Center can offer.

We are hoping that the new building willbecome a destination: a place to visit withyour family, a place to stop in and learnabout the natural history of the park, a placeto take a break from your enjoyment of thepark and have a rest.

The PPC has been working with the City to seekfunds to reconstruct the FEC building, whichwas tragically gutted by a fire in 2002. AStrategic Business Plan and an EnvironmentalProgramming Plan are the first steps towards anew FEC that will provide the community withhigh-quality environmental programming whileremaining financially self-sustaining. Visitwww.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/html/the_frick_center.html for more on FEC programs.

Spring Hat Luncheon CelebratesRestoration in Riverview Park

Riverview Park wasbrimming with parkssupporters this May, asthe ninth annual SpringHat Luncheon unfoldedin view of the PPC’smost recent capital project, the renovatedChapel Shelter. Over600 guests stylishlyshowed their love forthe parks.

PPC will celebrate thetenth anniversary of theSpring Hat Luncheon onMay 3, 2008 at FrickPark.

Top: Honorary chairs Cynthia and David Stanchak. Bottom: 2008 Spring HatLuncheon committee co-chairs Peggy McKnight, Susie Dorrance, CharenaSwann, and Christine Hilliard.

New Mural Designed for Highland ParkBy Melissa McMasters

Patty Himes (left) and the FEC summer staff discuss plans for futureprogramming.

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Citiparks Special Programs Unit isworking with the Highland Parkcommunity to create a new

permanent mural for the retaining wall onOne Wild Place. The wall’s upcomingrenovation made it necessary to replacethe existing mural, which was created bylocal youth under the guidance of artistand teacher George Morris and has beenin place for over a decade. The Highland Park community wanted the wallto remain an artistic gateway to the neighborhood and sought to engageresidents in the design process once again. This July, volunteers will attachnon-reflective mosaic tiles to pre-cut concrete boards, creating a mural thatis low-maintenance, long-lasting, and fun to build. In August, the concreteboards will be attached to the wall and sealed in place.

The new mural, Animal Adventure, was designed by artists Laura JeanMcLaughlin and Bob Ziller and depicts animals journeying through the city.Like the original mural, it prominently features zoo animals, along with theaddition of Highland Park community landmarks. The park’s entry fountain(pictured above) is depicted lifting a penguin in a top hat, in a nod to thegarden’s Victorian origins. Other area features shown in the mural includethe Highland Park farmhouse, the Super Playground, and a park bench.

Volunteers can participate in constructing the mosaic during the RovingArt Cart’s July rounds and at free community workshops at the Highland

Park farmhouse.For more info, callCitiparks at 412-665-3665. Themural is a projectof Citiparks, theoffice of SenatorJim Ferlo, thePittsburgh Zoo, theHighland ParkCommunityDevelopmentCorporation, andthe Highland ParkCommunityCouncil.

Kids help build a turtle for the mosaic at the Super Playground’sSweet Sixteen celebration in Highland Park this June.

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Page 4 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

The Invasive AdvisorInvasive plants decrease the biodiversity of our natural areas – even in our own backyards. Theseinvasive, non-native plants were introduced from other countries, often for gardens and landscaping. With few or no natural enemies, you can now see these plants taking over entirelandscapes like roadsides, disturbed woodlands, and sections of our parks.

Join the battle! Learn to recognize and control invasive species by reading this column and bypicking up Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas at the Schenley Park Visitor Center($4.00, published by the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

TThhiiss EEddiittiioonn:: TTrreeee ooff HHeeaavveennCommon name: Tree of HeavenScientific name: Ailanthus altissimaOrigin: China

DESCRIPTION: Tree of heaven has smooth, pale graybark and long, teardrop-shaped compound leaveswhich alternate closely along the stems. It is distinguished by a rancid peanut butter odor inall parts of the plant. In spring, it produces clusters of small, yellow-green flowers near thetips of its branches. Flat, twisted, papery seeds are produced in late summer to early fall.

ECOLOGICAL THREAT: The plant can quickly establish dense stands through prolificseeding, resprouting of cut stumps and root fragments, and allelopathy (the secretion of toxins that harm other plants in the ecosystem). Its root system is also strong enough tocause structural damage in built environments.

HABITAT: Disturbed urban areas, roadsides, woodland edges, and forest openings are particularly vulnerable to a tree of heaven infestation. One tree can produce hundreds ofthousands of seeds in a year, quickly taking over fields and other open spaces.

SIZE: The plant grows rapidly and can reach up to 80 feet in height.

LOOK-ALIKES: Both staghorn sumac (Rhustyphina) and black walnut (Juglans nigra)resemble tree of heaven, but these native species both have hairy twigs and stems and

toothed leaflets. Tree of heaven has smooth twigs and stems andsmooth leaflets with a “thumb” at their base.

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS: Pull young seedlings up by theroots in spring when soil is moist, making sure to remove allplant material. Follow up several times a year to determinewhether plants have re-sprouted.

SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS: Deciduous shrubssuch as staghorn sumac, black walnut, box elder, fringetree, andash all make acceptable substitutes for tree of heaven.

Historic Park Features Inspire Donors By Amy Gelzheiser

Thanks to the generosity of the Alexander C. and Tillie S.Speyer Foundation and PPC board member Alex SpeyerJr., a park bench in the new park standard style, as well as

a new drinking fountain, have been installed near theChristopher Columbus statue by Phipps Conservatory. As a child, Alex Speyer Jr. regularly walked through Schenley

Park with his parents. The fountain and bench commemorate thespecial times he shared with his parents.

“I would like to encourage people to use this area, sit down,and enjoy themselves,” said Speyer.

Speyer’s favorite aspect of Schenley Park is its trail system,which he feels that most visitors don’t fully appreciate. As aPPC board member, he enjoys the opportunity to help developand improve the parks, especially the trails.

The new bronze and granite drinking fountain is a replica of 30fountains featuring a dolphin design that were installed through-out city parks in the 1930s. The original fountains were sculptedby Frank Vittor, who also sculpted the Columbus statue in 1958.

Park benches like the one Speyer donated are becoming visible in other city parks as well, as wooden benches meetingthe new park standard specifications are ordered and installed byCity of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works crews.Commemorative benches can be sponsored for $1,500, includinga plaque; if you would like more information about funding oneto place in the parks, please contact the PPC at 412-682-7275.

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Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain Receives a Special VisitorBy Laurie Anderson

On June 8, Joseph Brenner visitedPittsburgh to view A Song to Nature, thelarge bronze and granite fountain in

front of the Frick Fine Arts Building inOakland. Why would a European philosophermake a pilgrimage to this particular memorial?His uncle, Victor David Brenner, designed it.Best known for the design of the Lincoln penny,Victor Brenner won a national contest for thecommission to memorialize Mary Schenley.The allegorical figures of Pan and Song abovethe fountain signify the yearly regeneration ofnature, an appropriate theme for acknowledgingMs. Schenley’s gift of 300 acres of her family’sestate to become Schenley Park – Pittsburgh’sfirst city park.

Mr. Brenner was moved by his first visit to thefountain and its park setting. As he was greetedby Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and representativesfrom the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, theOffice of Public Art, and the University ofPittsburgh, he shared a poem he wrote aboutseeing the fountain for the first time.

Sadly, the fountain Mr. Brenner saw is a farcry from the sculpture dedicated in 1918.Even the untrained eye can see extensive corrosion, stains, and cracks. In 2003, thePittsburgh Parks Conservancy retained McKayLodge, a professional restoration firm, to inspectA Song to Nature. Their report documents necessary repairs costing an estimated $130,000.

So far, The Juliet Lea Hillman SimondsFoundation, the PNC Foundation, and theNational Endowment for the Arts have donated

funds. Along with the remaining $85,000needed for repairs, an additional $50,000 isbeing sought to cover ten years of preventivemaintenance.

While in Oakland, Mr. Brenner viewedanother sculpture of personal interest. TheChristopher Lyman Magee Memorial, one ofthe last sculptures designed by August Saint-Gaudens – known as the Father of AmericanSculpture – stands across Schenley Drive infront of the Carnegie Library. Mr. Brenner’sfather Michael studied with Saint-Gaudensafter apprenticing with his older brother Victorand became an accomplished sculptor in hisown right.

The Magee Memorial, which used to be supplied with water from the Carnegie, nolonger functions, and the stone and concreterequire cleaning and repairs. The estimatedcost for renovation and long-term maintenanceof this sculpture is $120,000. No funding hasyet been received toward its restoration.

Joseph Brenner’s visit is a reminder thatthese magnificent public works of art needand deserve the community’s care. AsBrenner observed during his visit, “Today, noresponsible adult, from whatever domain ofactivity, cannot try to contribute wherever he

or she can to maintaining the beauty and increasing the function of parks as a carrier ofculture and meaning.”

PPC Board Chair Richard Reed, Kirk Savage of the University ofPittsburgh, and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl greet Joseph Brenner atthe Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain.

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The new Pittsburgh park bench donated by the Alexander C. and Tillie S.Speyer Foundation provides a shady spot to relax.

Page 5Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

Spring Volunteer Work Contributes Over 1,400 Hours to Park RestorationBy Gudrun Wells

This year, 407 volunteers have workedwith PPC on one of our 13 volunteerdays, on our field work days, or as

Urban EcoStewards, for a total of 1,411 hours!This translates to over $25,000 worth of workthat has been put into the parks by ourdedicated team of volunteers.

This spring we removed invasive plants (mostnotably garlic mustard, Norway maples andvarious vine species), built deer exclosures toprotect native plantings, did erosion controlwork, and planted native trees and herbs.

Four of our volunteer days this spring werecoordinated in partnership with fellows fromthe Public Allies Americorps Program with CORO Center forCivic Leadership. Public Allies is a program that trains youngleaders in non-profit community work. In addition to learningabout park management issues and techniques, they assisted uswith recruiting volunteers and are in the process of puttingtogether a manual on how to train crew leaders.

To have information about future volunteer days delivereddirectly to your inbox, visit www.pittsburghparks.org and click“Subscribe to eNews.”

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Above: Public Allies crew leader L’Oreal Snelland Michele Gregorich use a weed wrench toremove invasive jetbead shrubs in Frick Park.

Below: A volunteer group from Urban Impactplanted and weeded gardens and stabilized asteep hillside in Riverview Park.

Above: Public Allies program manager MollyNichols and volunteers from CMU combatinvasive garlic mustard in Schenley Park.

Below: Volunteers from the Ellis Schoolpulled garlic mustard and cleared trash fromHighland Park’s seasonal pools.

Volunteer Days by the Numbers

Events: 13Volunteers: 407Total Hours: 1,411Value: $26,484 (based on $18.77/hr.Source: Independent Sector 2006) 16 Community Partners: Public Allies,SCA, Rodef Shalom, Calvary Church,Girls Math and Science Partnership, TheEllis School, Carnegie Mellon University,University of Pittsburgh, PULSE, UrbanImpact, Perry High School, RiverviewPark Alliance, Chatham University,Western Pennsylvania Conservancy,Chiyou Corral, Men’s Garden Club ofAllegheny County

PPC Continues Natural Areas Restoration in the ParksBy Erin Copeland

This spring PPC continued its work toimprove the parks’ ecological health,partnering with the City’s Department of

Public Works, staff and students at the StudentConservation Association (SCA), interns, andvolunteers on natural areas restoration projects.The four sites below represent the main areas offocus from the past spring, and portions of threeof them will be maintained into the future as aresult of citizens becoming Urban EcoStewards.

Chapel Shelter Slope – Riverview ParkPPC and DPW crews worked this past fall andwinter to stabilize much of the hillside usingcross slope trenching and jute netting. Thisspring, the slopes were seeded with a nativegrass seed mixture. During a volunteer daywith the Riverview Park Alliance, garlic mus-tard, jet bead, and Siberian elm were removedfrom under the retained canopy. Similar speciesmanagement has continued throughout the grow-ing season. Future endeavors include restoringall forest layers to the slope, including flowers,shrubs, and trees this fall and next spring.

Panther Hollow Watershed – Schenley ParkThe work in the watershed has been twofold:data collection through university professor andstudent efforts and continuing invasive species

management with volunteers. Carnegie MellonUniversity, the University of Pittsburgh, andChatham University are collecting data on E.Coli, sediment rates, and macroinvertebrates,which will provide insight as to how restoration activities should progress in the watershed.Volunteer efforts, including a garlic mustardsweep with Pitt students and regular vine

removal out of canopy trees, centered on restoring native plant cover to the watershed.Work will soon begin to stabilize the slopes andplant large diameter trees into canopy gaps.

Seasonal Pools – Highland ParkThis past winter DPW crews, volunteers, andPPC staff girdled and removed Norway mapletrees around the seasonal pools on WashingtonBoulevard. As part of citywide Earth Day festivities, volunteers removed garlic mustardand Norway maple and created deer exclosures.The Girls Math and Science Partnership alsocollected physical parameters and flow informa-tion about the pools. In upcoming seasons, PPCwill be planting native trees in the area.

Tulip Run Slope – Frick ParkAs part of the Nine Mile Run restoration, a teamfrom Invasive Plant Control and the Frick ParkDPW crew removed an entire grove of Tree ofHeaven (a third of an acre) and bush honeysuck-le. With SCA and PULSE, PPC created deerexclosures around native plantings. During anSCA volunteer event, 70 trees and shrubs wereplanted to re-vegetate the area with nativespecies. PPC staff has since watered and fencedthe trees and shrubs and will create more deerexclosures to protect them.

Girls Math and Science Partnership participants collectdata used in monitoring Highland Park’s seasonal pools.

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July 1July 4July 8July 11July 15July 18July 22July 25July 29

Open SeasonWorld Trade CenterThe Lake HouseThe Astronaut FarmerZoomThe Pursuit of HappynessBarnyardMission: Impossible IIILittle Buddha

August 1August 5August 8August 12

August 15August 19August 22August 26

Heart of the GameCharlotte’s WebRocky BalboaThe Ant Bully - Comcast Popcorn NightWe Are MarshallUnaccompanied MinorsHappy FeetTBA

July 7July 14July 21July 28

August 4

August 11August 18August 25

ZoomBarnyardMaterial GirlsCharlotte’s Web

The Ant BullyComcast Popcorn NightUnaccompanied MinorsHappy FeetMonster House

Riverview Park, Observatory Hill

Saturdays at dusk

Schenley Park, Flagstaff HillSundays and Wednesdays

at dusk

For info, call 412-937-3039 or visitwww.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks

Entertainment continues all summer

Saturdays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. through August 25Riverview Park

Sponsored by Mellon Financial Corporation, DUQ 90.5FM, and the New Pittsburgh Courier.

July 7 Sweaty Betty Blues BandJuly 14 Phoenix Jazz ProjectJuly 21 Patrick ArenaJuly 28 Randall TroyAugust 4 The Flow BandAugust 11 Ken KarshAugust 18 Brother Joe Baione QuartetAugust 25 Mahajibee

Sundays, 5 - 7 p.m. August 5 - September 2Highland Park (Highland Ave. at Reservoir

Drive)

Sponsored by Highland Park Community Club, State Rep.Joe Preston, Mellon Financial Corporation, DUQ 90.5 FM,the New Pittsburgh Courier, and Aunt Cheryl’s Catering.

August 5 CMU School of Music Pre-College Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Choir plus Center of Life Jazz Group

August 12 Walt Harper Tribute presented by MCG JazzAugust 19 Opek Big BandAugust 26 Art Blakey tribute featuring Roger Humphries

and special guestsSept. 2 Spirit on the Hill

30th Annual City of Pittsburgh GreatRace Takes Off from Frick Park

When: Sunday, September 30

What: 10K race; 5K run and fitness walk

Times: 10K - 9:30 a.m., Frick Park (Beechwood Blvd.)5K - 8:30 a.m., Atwood and Fifth, Oakland

Info: The Great Race Hotline at 412-255-2493 or www.RunGreatRace.com

Cost: $18 before September 7 $25 afterward

Benefits Richard S. Caliguiri Amyloidosis Fund

“Stars at Riverview” Jazz Series“Reservoir of Jazz” Series

Citiparks Roving Art CartComes to a Park Near You

The Roving Art Cart travels throughout the city all summer long helping kids unleash their inner artists. For acomplete schedule of its appearances, visit www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/html/roving_art_cart.html.

Schenley Park, Flagstaff HillSundays and Wednesdays

at dusk

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Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter Page 7

long in Pittsburgh’s regional parks

TTeesstt YYoouurr PPaarrkk KKnnoowwlleeddggee!!Answers

1. Frick Park. The Swisshelm Grist Mill was located on thesouth side of Braddock Avenue on the Nine Mile Run Road inthe late 1700s.

2. Riverview Park. The Bear Pit, which still stands beneath thehill housing the park’s activities building, did not actually contain bears, but its foundation was built from materials used inthe bear pit at the former Riverview Zoo.

3. Schenley Park. In 1869, City Council wished to use bonds topurchase the Schenley property, but voters defeated the measure,many claiming it was a political trick and there was already plenty of land for recreational use.

4. Highland Park. A granite monument above Serpentine Drivewas erected by Sarah Jane Negley Mellon to honor her great-grandparents, Barbara and Jacob Negley, who are buried in thepark along with about 50 other settlers.

Page 8 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy NewsletterNon-Profit Org.U S POSTAGEP A I D

PITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO 4906

Thanks to a generous donation from Dr.Illah Nourbakhsh and Marti Louw, FrickPark’s Blue Slide Playground on

Beechwood Boulevard now features a greatview from a climbing structure that gives visitors a whole new vantage on the park,including the downtown skyline. The “MiniJupiter” is a round structure that all age groupscan climb.

“This is probably the nicest playground inPittsburgh,” says Nourbakhsh. “And the reasonfor that is that it’s a multi-tiered playground”with equipment for children of all ages placeddown the hillside. Adding the Mini Jupiter at

the top of the playground helps bringtogether park users because “it creates aspace where children and their siblings canplay in one structure appropriately witheach other.”

Nourbakhsh, who is a robotics professorat Carnegie Mellon University, finds Frickpark a valuable tool in recruiting talent tothe region. He is able to show potentialrecruits a city with great neighborhoods,shopping, dining, and easy access to greenspace--something they would pay top-dol-lar for in cities like New York.

“The sense that Pittsburgh excels inneighborhood and community is in a sensekeystoned by the parks, especially FrickPark in my opinion,” says Nourbakhsh.

He feels that the parks are a huge component ofwhat makes Pittsburgh so attractive to its current and potential residents. ForNourbakhsh, donating to projects in the parks isa way to “take the very best thing aboutPittsburgh and make it even better.”

The Blue Slide Playground project has beenseveral years in the making, since Nourbakhshand Louw moved to Pittsburgh and envisioned adome-like climbing structure like one near theirprevious home in San Francisco. After workingwith the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, the Cityof Pittsburgh Department of Public Works, andcontractor Jeffrey Associates, they are thrilled to

see the new addition to their favorite play-ground--and they’re not the only ones. Only afew minutes after a DPW crew put the finishingtouches on the Mini Jupiter’s play area, it wascovered with children excited to check out thenew view.

“It fulfills our dreams for a structure to cap offthe park,” says Nourbakhsh. “It’s great!”

“Mini Jupiter” Expands Horizons at Frick Park’s Blue Slide PlaygroundBy Melissa McMasters

Kids play on the blue slide as their classmates watch from theMini Jupiter on top of the hill.

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Illah Nourbakhsh and Marti Louw take the first climbon the Mini Jupiter as their daughters play below.

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Would you like to maximize your donation to thePittsburgh Parks Conservancy? The PPC is a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization eligible to participate in corpo-

rate matching gift programs. Making a donation is easy! Youremployer will give you a matching gift form for you to complete.Many companies even post their form on their company website.Send the form to us along with your donation. We’ll processeverything for you and return it to your employer, and then we’llnotify you when your matching gift is received. Current full-timeemployees, retirees, and sometimes part-time employees’ giftsqualify.

Below is a listing of a few local companies and their respectivematching gift hotlines. If your employer is not listed, check withyour Human Resources department to see whether your companyhas a matching gift program.

Matching Gifts Double YourDonation to PPCBy Lisa Conti

Alcoa 772-403-2014Consol 412-831-4000Dominion Resources 866-235-9136Duquesne Light 412-393-1259H.J. Heinz Company 412-456-5773Mellon Financial Corporation 412-234-2732Michael Baker Corporation 412-269-6300National City Bank 412-644-8083PNC Financial Services Group 412-762-7076PPG Industries 412-434-2962Sony Electronics 858-942-7753Sysco Food Services of Pittsburgh 281-584-1445United States Steel Corporation 412-433-5790UPS 404-828-6374Verizon Communications 866-247-2687Wabtec 412-825-1000

A ZANY HALLOWEEN BASH

Saturday, October 27, 2007 — Hunt Armory

THE PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY'S

Who will you be this year? Who will you be this year?

Presenting sponsor:

For tickets, visit www.pittsburghparks.org or call 412-682-7275