Happy Gotcha Day to Stefano DiMera and Spencer Cassadine

On this day in March 2020, I trapped two brothers living in Allegheny West. They moved into our second bedroom. We realized eventually that Spencer was going to be tough to tame. Then we realized Stefano had a seizure disorder, making him hard to place. So we adopted them. Spencer spends a lot of time […]

Update on the #DavisGirls Foster Kittens from Pittsburgh’s Northside

These three six-week-old kittens from #AlleghenyWest had a rough start with limited food sources and Mama bullied by other community cats. I trapped them last week over the course of five nights. Sticking with my soap opera names, I dubbed these the Davis Girls, referencing the nickname for the adult daughters of Alexis Davis on […]

2 Northside Kittens, Mama and Papa Need Urgent Help

We need to raise funds lickety split to TNR two kittens known as Annie and Kitty, plus their parents. There’s a slight window to get the kittens into foster care to be socialized, but it’s closing daily. Any amount will help. More details below. It literally never ends. But TNR means it slows down. We […]

I Owe Allegheny West Neighbors an Apology

I Owe Allegheny West Neighbors an Apology

On October 19, I wrote a blog post about the looming closure of James Street Tavern, loosely based on a FB post I had created the night before. In that post, I incorrectly identified the James Street neighborhood as Allegheny West. I was wrong – it is East Allegheny. And that matters because each neighborhood […]

Impact of the Closure of James St Gastropub and Speakeasy – My Opinion

Impact of the Closure of James St Gastropub and Speakeasy – My Opinion

Wednesday, James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy announced that they are closing permanently on November 11, 2017. You can read more details in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette piece. I’ve been reading a lot of responses on Facebook and beyond. I’m struck by the power of the clash between those who see this as a personal decision and those […]

Northside Food Pantry Launches Food Drive Blitz To Meet Holiday Needs

The food pantry hosted by Northside Common Ministries on Brighton Road is the largest pantry in Western Pennsylvania. Each month, they distribute food to over 1,000 families and households in the Northside zip codes. The pantry is set up in a ‘shopping model’ which allows clients to select the items they prefer from whatever is […]