July 2010 - test-neighbhorhood@test.highlandparkpa.com

[Highland Park] Summary of tree/branch removal services
by Mary Louise Ray 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

Thank you, neighbors, for taking the time to give me your recommendations. If I missed replying to you individually to thank you, I apologize. The most recommended was Bert Ackerman. Because of our urgency to uncover our car and his immediate short-term travel plans, we did not use his service. But he has fantastic recommendations and I found him to be a very nice when we spoke on the phone. The next company that received a number of recommendations was DC Culley, Inc. I will add my recommendation, as well, because that is who we went with. Very nice person, very responsive to phone calls, worked unbelievably fast, did a great job on the clean-up, and the price was outstanding. I highly recommend him and his company. My summary of recommendations follows, including comments when provided. Thank you again for your help!! --mlr ______________________ 6 recommendations: Bert Ackerman 412-521-1938 --"Bert Ackerman is the best. We have used him for at least a decade for a variety of tree problems. The latest was the pussy willow that collapsed against our neighbor's house in the big Feb snow. I called Bert Mon AM. At 5 pm, I heard a chainsaw. Streets had not been plowed. He was out there, clearing the trunks from the neighbor's house and sidewalk. His team came back after the snow melted to clear the rest of the tree. I was fine with that. I just wanted my tree off the neighbor's house, and Bert went out of his way to help us. --"Its been several years but we were very pleased with Ackermans." --"He did a very nice job on our trees." --"The best. You get what you pay for. He is top notch! Knows what he is doing." --"The best is Burt Ackerman - wonderful." --One additional recommendation without comment. 4 recommendations, including mine (above): DC Culley, Inc. 412.828.0811 --"Have used Corey Culley exclusively for several years, great work & fair prices." --"We just had DC Culley Lawn Works remove a med-lrg dead maple from the front of our house. Really nice, professional individual who bid lower than the other companies we went with, and did MORE work. It is his own small business and he has 2-3 workers under him; they also did a fantastic job of cleaning up and took great care. He does do emergency work, and has done other jobs in Highland Park." --"They are reasonable and dependable." 2 recommendations: Davey Tree Service 412-453-4123 --Our neighbor's tree fell in our yard and they called Davey's Tree & Lawn. They came right out and took the giant tree away. Our neighbor had anticipated the tree falling and worked with the Davey people to rig a wire so the tree fell exactly between our house and the garage, ruining nothing. It was amazing and worked exactly as planned." --"The best one is Davey Tree." Note: I contacted Davey Tree, but I think our downed branch may have been too small of a job for them. Nonetheless, I was impressed that they were up front about the fact that it would be at least a week for an estimate, and likely several weeks before they were able to actually perform the service. They were not right for our particular problem, but I really appreciated the honesty. --mlr Doug Bozick --"He's punctual." --"When I lived in Swissvale our neighborhood HOA used Doug Bozich in Verona. He serviced the property annually and always did a fantastic job. Nice guy too!" 1 recommendation each: Naughton's Tree Service (412) 331-5952 "They took down a huge maple tree for us last Fall. We thought their price was reasonable and did a great job." Asplundh "I know my dad used 'Asplundh Tree Experts' years ago....and I believe Duquesne Light use them as sub-contractors for works done in residential areas. the card I have from 2008; but it is worth a shot....the cell # listed is 412-657-3109 and the name on the card is Vern Schifino." Leo Saello 412.823.8175 "We have used Leo Saello in the past and just recently had him come out to cut down a very large branch. I called him late Tuesday and by Wednesday afternoon the branch was gone. You will, most likely, get a recording because he will be out working." http://www.horhuttreeexperts.com/services.html Note: I filled out their Web form requesting and estimate and never received a call or email in response. In fairness, they may be more responsive to a phone call, which I did not do. --mlr Jason Rich 412 487 7575 Arborel 412-953-1955 --"I have had great experiences and know them personally! Also I have recommended them to friends and they have loved them too. If your problem is an easier fix or a whole tree removal, Arborel will contract it out, but another neighbor had a great experience with them still." Hellmanns Tree Service 412.921.7149 --"They were reliable quick, showed up on time and cut back two LARGE trees from my house as well ground 2 stumps up in the front yard for a very reasonable price. I highly recommend them." Steve Miller Bartlett Tree Expert 724-863-8951 --"If you need more of a tree rescue, disease consultation, or other serious problem. Finally, some good overall advice from Caitlin Lenahan: "When looking for a reliable tree service, I highly reccomend finding one using this site: http://www.isa-arbor.com/findArborist/findarborist.aspx It is extremely important for the health of your tree that you have it properly taken care of and pruned by a person who understands tree biology, growth, structure, and function, and who also has a deeper understanding of pests and diseases, some of which are taking a toll on our urban forests in the Eastern United States. (Perhaps you have heard of Oak Wilt, the Emerald Ash Borer, or the Asian Longhorned Beetle?) Arborists know to clean their pruning tools after working on each tree so that a fungus that may have been present in the last tree they worked on doesn't come to your neighborhood and damage your trees. I am more than glad to give the names of great, reliable, certified arborist tree companies my organization regularly works with, and I usually do each time someone posts a question about tree services. Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest cannot do private property work, but we do hire contractors from time to time who do. For the health of your trees and of the trees throughout the city, I emplore you to hire a certified professional. They should be able to provide you with their arborist number, and proof of insurance, etc for their work. thanks so much and I hope this helps you in the future! Caitlin Lenahan Certified Arborist # PD-2013A Education & Outreach Coordinator, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest www.pittsburghforest.or

1 0

[Highland Park] July Newsletter
by Thoma, Jennifer 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

Office of Councilman Patrick Dowd - July 2010 News and Updates Councilman Patrick Dowd will host a community meeting on Thursday, July 1, 7pm at the Union Project, regarding the proposed creation of a greenway running through portions of Stanton Heights and Morningside. The hillsides, which are some of the City of Pittsburgh's greatest assets, provide a beautiful "wall of green" for residents and visitors to enjoy. Other significant benefits to creating an urban greenway include passive recreation opportunities, storm water management, and stabilizing or increasing property values. Please consider attending this meeting in support of this important opportunity for the Stanton Heights and Morningside neighborhoods. The historic designation of the Iron City Brewery in the City's Lawrenceville and Polish Hill neighborhoods was passed unanimously and with excitement in City Council on June 29. "This site, just from a location standpoint, is extremely attractive and I would argue it is the most important next generation development site in the city of Pittsburgh," Councilman Dowd said recently. A master planning process has begun incorporating all stakeholders. Stay tuned for more details. Councilman Patrick Dowd, accompanied by Councilman Daniel Lavelle, council staff and environmental organization representatives, was given an overview of the Marcellus Shale sites of Hickory Township in Washington County, PA, this past Monday. The Councilman has recently introduced legislation <http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district7/> utilizing zoning regulations to ensure that any drilling operation will be controlled as to offer reasonable protection to neighborhoods and citizens. The Leslie Park Pool in Lawrenceville will be brimming with activity this summer, and none of it includes swimming. The once dormant pool is becoming a hot spot in the community as a recreational and party space worthy of the spotlight. The work done up until now by a dedicated group of volunteers led by Susan Englert and Deborah Knox has become a three event series called Deep Summer <http://www.popcitymedia.com/devnews/lesliepool063010.aspx> , which includes the following events: Spillapalooza, July 10 12:30-7 p.m.; Deepend, July 24 6 p.m.-dusk; Deep Sky, July 25 8-11 p.m. Upcoming Events Council to Go Thursday, June 15: From 6:30 to 8:00 pm, Councilman Dowd and staff will be in Polish Hill at Lili Cafe, 3138 Dobson Street. Thursday, July 22: From 6:30 to 8:00pm, Councilman Dowd and staff will be at Highland Park's Tazza D'Oro, 1125 North Highland Avenue. Community Events Thursday, July 1, 7pm: Stanton Heights/Morningside Greenway Meeting at the Union Project, 801 North Negley Avenue, Highland Park. Saturday, July 3, 12noon - 10pm: Lawrenceville's Independence Day Celebration, Arsenal Park. Saturday, July 17, 10am-12noon. Carnegie Library Community Meeting, Stephen Foster Community Center, 286 Main Street in Lawrenceville. Thursday, July 22, 6:30pm: Zone 2 Public Safety Meeting, Hill House, 1835 Centre Avenue, Hill District. Did You Know? Hydraulic fracturing -fracking- is a means of natural gas extraction employed in Marcellus Shale-deep natural gas-well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well. The average Marcellus Shale natural gas well is up to 8,000 feet deep. The depth of drinking water aquifers is about 1,000 feet. When problems arise, they may stem from poor cement well casings that leak natural gas and fracking fluid into water wells. Generally 1-8 million gallons of water may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times. For each frack, 80-300 tons of chemicals may be used. Presently, the natural gas industry does not have to disclose the chemicals used, but scientists have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. You can find out more about this issue at www.Marcellus-shale.us <http://www.marcellus-shale.us/> . You can find specific information about PA state regulations on the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Oil & Gas Management Program webpage <http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/new_forms/marcell us/marcellus.htm> . To unsubscribe from Council District 7 updates, please notify Jennifer Thoma at jennifer.thoma(a)city.pittsburgh.pa.us and you or your organization will be removed from our contact list. --- JENNIFER THOMA | Administrative and Communications Director Office of Councilman Patrick Dowd | Pittsburgh City Council District 7 City-County Building, Rm. 510 | 414 Grant Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Tel 412.255.2140 | Fax 412.255.2419 jennifer.thoma(a)city.pittsburgh.pa.us <mailto:elaine.zelmanov@city.pittsburgh.pa.us> District 7 Schedule of Events Google Calendar <http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district7/> | <http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district7/assets/2008-Newsletter.pdf> 2010 Annual Report <http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district7/assets/2010-Newsletter.pdf> [pdf]

1 0

[Highland Park] Yard Sale
by Karen Vachon-Thaner 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

Prices too good to pass up! Everything must go! Make us an offer! We recently moved to Regent Square and some of the items we thought would work in the house just dont make the cut! Items worth mentioning: Glass patio table, china closet, 3 oak barstools, upholstered swivel chair, Queen Anne chair, Ikea corner desk and chair, craft items, draperies, Bombay half-round table and étagère, drum set to name a few. Where: 937 East End Avenue When: Saturday, July 10 8:00 2:00 p.m.

1 0

[Highland Park] Host Families needed for Haitian Students
by Office St Andrews 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

1 0

[Highland Park] Window washer
by Karen Vachon-Thaner 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

Does anyone have a name and number of a reputable window washer that is reasonable ?

1 0

[Highland Park] 4th of July GELATO SALE
by Robert Collins 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

On your mark, get set, GO........................................to Bryant Street Market. The 4th of July gelato sale has begun ALL PINTS ON SALE @ 5.99 EA. REG. 6.99 EA OR 4/20.00 SAVE 8 BUCKS ON 4 We also have hand dipped gelato just as a reminder EVANS CITY BREAD AND BUTTER SWEET CORN IS HERE ALSO Please have a happy and safe holiday...........................................Stop by for some great tastes........................... Rob Bryant Street Market 5901 Bryant Street Pittsburgh PA 15206 Phone: (412) 661 8720 Hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM to 8 PM Sat-Sun 9 AM to 5 PM

1 0

[Highland Park] FW: Free Symphony Tickets - July 7th
by Bruce Robison 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

The Pittsburgh Symphony is offering free tickets to the Mellon Grand Classics Preview Concert on Wednesday evening, July 7. See the attached flyer for more information . . . . http://www.standrewspgh.org http://revbmrobison.blogspot.com/

1 0

[Highland Park] railroad ties needed
by MiaCaraProvin Sanillo 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

hey folks, there is a little flower bed on our street that has railroad ties that are rotting out. we are looking to replace them but would love to recycle others if folks have extras. let me know. we need about 6-8. thanks, -- Cara

1 0

[Highland Park] used stroller and bike
by Mary Jo McCartney 01 Jul '10

01 Jul '10

Hello. If anyone is looking for a gently used stroller we have a Peg Perego Pliko 3 stroller that is in great condition. It was hardly ever used. We also have a girls 14 inch "Dora the Explorer" bike that needs a new tire and tube. Stroller $ 60.00 Bike is free Thanks! mjjmccartney(a)msn.com<mailto:mjjmccartney@msn.com>

1 0

[Highland Park] Volunteer sewing Day Coming up Soon at Cut & Sew Studio
by Catherine Batcho 30 Jun '10

30 Jun '10

Saturday July 10th Cut & Sew Studio will be holding another free sewing class - we will be making preemie kimono gowns to donate to the NICU at Magee Hospital. Class is from 10am-1pm. There are also lots of supplies at the studio that have been donated for the project - so you don't even have to buy fabric! If you would like to join us - that would be great - even if you have very little or no experience, there's always a way you can help! Please contact me at: Catherine(a)cutandsewstudio.com 412-865-6565 www.cutandsewstudio.com

1 0