- test-neighbhorhood@test.highlandparkpa.com

[Highland Park] PPS Magnet School Applications Due 12/10/2010 - Information Session on Thursday 10/21/2010 at St. Andrews
by Dave Atkinson 08 Oct '10

08 Oct '10

Hello Neighbors and Parents, The due date for Pittsburgh Public Schools magnet programs is December 10th, 2010. Parents can be confused trying to understand the maze of private, charter and public schools in Pittsburgh. The Highland Park Community Council will be holding a Pittsburgh Public School magnet information session on Thursday 10/21/2010 at 7:30pm at St Andrews Church (5801 Hampton St). This will follow the regular HPCC meeting at 7:00pm. A representative from the Pittsburgh Public Schools will attend to discuss options available to families in the Pittsburgh Public Schools for the 2011-12 school year and how to apply. There are many new developments at the Pittsburgh Public Schools including: . In 2006, only 29% of 5th graders at Fulton (our neighborhood school) were proficient in math. In 2009, 89% are proficient. It's the highest rate in the city at a public K-5. . A new Mandarin Chinese magnet will open at Linden K-5 in the fall of 2011 for incoming kindergarten students. . Obama International Baccalaureate 6-12 magnet will move to the Peabody Facility in the 2011-2012 school year. Students can pursue a full IB diploma in grades 11 and 12. . The new Sci-Tech 6-12 magnet in Oakland is enrolling students. Also, the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park, which opened its doors in 2008 will be enrolling grade 5 this year. Written materials will be available about the Environmental School. Attached is a quick comparison of East End and Central magnet/charter schools. You can find more information on magnets <http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/1431105115023673/site/default.asp?1431&1516Nav=|&N odeID=5530> at the PPS webite. Dave Atkinson westpennworks(a)gmail.com

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[Highland Park] Bryant Street Market - Construction Update
by Robert Collins 08 Oct '10

08 Oct '10

Hey, Well, I was informed yesterday that the sewer line work would probably be done on Tuesday of next week. Although the project has absolutely brought business to a halt, it is being completed much faster than we were originally told. That said, the street will still need to be paved and there are some varying opinions on whether it will start next week or in the spring. Due to another week of construction, I will be pushing back the arrival of the Mancini's bread. No customers=No bread. Access to the parking lot has been skechy at best, but is always open after 4:00 each afternoon. We still have the Dawsons LOCAL apples and pears @ 1.49 lb,(Honeycrisp @ 1.99 lb) Brunton's milk is here and ready for immediate consumption. Emerald Valley LOCAL cheeses, save 1.00. Try our Boars Head line of chicken breasts too, lower sodium and amazing flavor. Holiday red seedless grapes have arrived too, super sweet tasting. Keep the faith, Rob Bryant Street Market 5901 Bryant Street Pittsburgh PA 15206 Phone: (412) 661 8720 Hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM to 7 PM Sat-Sun 9 AM to 5 PM

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[Highland Park] EPA Lead Regulations
by Rick Nitkiewicz 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

As of October 1, 2010 all EPA Lead Regulations are in full effect and being enforced. If a contractor is not certified, the contractor and you in some cases are subject to a $37,500.00 fine per violation. When hiring a company for any type of work that will "disturb" (as EPA states and structures built before 1978) the Lead has to be certified and you need to ask for a copy of their certification. There must be a copy of the certificate at all times on the job site as well. Everyone that works for my company is Lead Certified EPA RRP and we exclusively use Low/No Voc Leed Certified Products. We have the top rating on Angies List because of our standards which the reports can been seen on our website. I hope this will help you recognize the "substandard" contractors out there. Thank you -- *Rick Nitkiewicz Ultimate Custom Painting* *http://www.ultimatecustompainting <http://www.ultimatecustompainting.com/>* *.com* *412-780-9995* *EPA Certified Lead Testing,* *Certification Number R-I-18499-10-22923* *Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP), * *PA HIC License # PA013662*

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[Highland Park] concrete/brick work
by Melissa C. Jones 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Hello, We could use some names of people who could repair a garage concrete floor and who could build/repair a small brick patio. Thanks very much, Melissa Jones

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[Highland Park] Film Festival announcement!
by Mary Jo Dorsey 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Join the celebration of the *25th Silver Anniversary *of the* * *Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival*! October 15-24, 2010 | All films showing at South Side Works Cinemas. Please visit the film society's website for film schedule, full festival information, and to view trailers. http://www.plgfs.org/ This year, *for the first time*, you may also view trailers of our films via *Comcast* cable television's *OnDemand*! Go to OnDemand > Get Local > Entertainment > GL Film Festival Opening Night Gala Event (sponsored by *Square Cafe*): Friday, October 15, 2010, at SSW Cinemas reception area. includes: passed *Hors D*'*Oeuvres, Starbucks Coffee, punch fountain, and luscious desserts* * * Closing Night Party: Sunday, October 24, 2010, at the *Cheescake Factory* includes cheesecake and beverage New events this year: Boys Night Out! and Girls Night Out! (for specific times of events, films, and admission, see website listed above) The Pittsburgh Lesbian and Gay Film Society has been organized solely for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. Its primary goal is to organize and manage a year round program that serves the educational and cultural needs of its audiences and is an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT), and LGBT-supportive persons. Feel free to contact Mary Jo Dorsey, Highland Park resident, member PLGFS Board of Directors, for more information. mjdorsey1(a)gmail.com

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[Highland Park] Free exercise cycle
by Mary Jo Dorsey 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Free for the taking....you pick up. Older model Monark exercise cycle (photo attached). Please contact me off-list if you're interested. -- Mary Jo Dorsey, MLS, PhD Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine Adjunct Lecturer, School of Information Sciences University of Pittsburgh (412) 607-1647 mjdorsey1(a)gmail.com

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[Highland Park] Wear purple Oct 20
by Hawthorne, Nneka 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

REMEMBER TO WEAR PURPLE October 20, 2010 On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the 7 gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months mostly due to homophobic abuse in their homes at their schools. Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that's exactly what we'd like all of you to have with you: spirit. Please wear purple on October 20th in honor of Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase, Billy Lucas and Cody J. Barker. Please share with others. http://www.vapride.org/2010/10/04/pull-out-all-that-purple/ Stopping Gay Teen Suicide For a number of years, researchers have known that one-third of all teenagers who commit suicide are gay<http://www.healthyplace.com/gender/gay-is-ok/which-gay-teens-attempt-suicid…>. In one sense, this statistic is incredibly shocking because, according to the Kinsey Report, gay teens only comprise one-tenth of the teen population. This means that they are 300 percent more likely to kill themselves than heterosexual youth. In another sense, it is predictable that gay teens kill themselves more often than other young people<http://www.healthyplace.com/gender/gay-is-ok/gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgend…> simply because their life chances are so limited by social and legal discrimination. Only when this discrimination is eliminated will these shocking statistics change. Please click the following link to read more. http://www.healthyplace.com/gender/gay-is-ok/stopping-gay-teen-suicide/menu… Additional Facts about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth * Nine out of 10 LGBT students (86.2%) experienced harassment at school; three-fifths (60.8%) felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; and about one-third (32.7%) skipped a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe (GLSEN National School Climate Survey 2009). * LGBT students are three times as likely as non-LGBT students to say that they do not feel safe at school (22% vs. 7%) and 90% of LGBT students (vs. 62% of non-LGBT teens) have been harassed or assaulted during the past year. (GLSEN From Teasing to Torment 2006) * Sexual minority youth, or teens that identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, are bullied two to three times more than heterosexuals. (Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 2010) * Almost all transgender students had been verbally harassed (e.g., called names or threatened in the past year at school because of their sexual orientation (89%) and gender expression (89%) (GLSEN: Harsh Realities, The Experiences of Transgender Youth In Our Nation's Schools 2009). * Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents are 190 percent more likely to use drugs and alcohol than are heterosexual teens (Marshal MP, Friedman MS, et al - Addiction 2008). * It is estimated that between 20 and 40 percent of all homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (2006 National Gay & Lesbian Task Force: An Epidemic of Homelessness). 62% of homeless LGB youth will attempt suicide at least once-more than two times as many as their heterosexual peers (Van Leeuwen JMm et al - Child Welfare 2005) For additional resources contact the Trevor Organization. They focus on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, transgender, questioning youth. http://www.thetrevorproject.org

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[Highland Park] Warning to parents, "Don't use fluoridated water for infants"
by Jessica Miller 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

FAN Press Release: Warning to parents, "Don't use fluoridated water for infants" October 7, 2010 Dear Jessica, We have just sent out the following press release via the PRNewswire to kick off FAN's new campaign to get the message out that parents/caregivers shouldn't use fluoridated water for infants. Stu Cooper, our new Campaign Director, will be heading up this campaign. If you want to join in on this campaign, email him at stuart(a)fluoridealert.org Our media director Carol Kopf makes this good suggestion: "Please forward this release to the health reporter or editor of your local papers - at least one; but more media outlets is better. If each of us does this, we will get more coverage across the country and, if the media outlets get multiple copies from different people - that's a good thing. If you have a local group on the issue, add your contact information to the press release." Parents Should be Warned: Fluoridated Water is Not Recommended for Infants Contacts: Paul Connett, Director of FAN, at media(a)fluoridealert.org Stuart Cooper, FAN's Campaign Director at stuart(a)fluoridealert.org A new study confirms infants fed formula reconstituted with fluoridated water are at greater risk of developing discolored teeth (dental fluorosis). (1) The American Dental Association (ADA) warned dentists about this in 2006 but has done little or nothing to inform the nearly 200 million Americans who live in communities with fluoridated drinking water. The study by Levy et al., a Journal of the American Dental Association cover story (October 2010), confirms Levy's earlier studies, which show "[F]luoride intakes during each of the first 4 years were individually significantly related to fluorosis on maxillary central incisors, with the first year most important," and that "[I]nfant formulas reconstituted with higher fluoride water can provide 100 to 200 times more fluoride than breastmilk, or cow's milk." (2, 3) According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 32% of American children have dental fluorosis, an increase of 23% from the 1980s. (4) Black and Hispanic populations have even higher rates. Dental fluorosis is a visible sign that a child was overexposed to fluoride. Pictures of fluorosis: http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/fluorosis/moderate-severe.html "The message from Dr. Levy's work is loud and clear: Don't give babies fluoridated water," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network (FAN). "Unfortunately the ADA has known about these risks for more than four years. Researchers are telling dentists; but dentists are not telling parents." This and other little-known adverse fluoride health effects led Connett to co-author, "The Case Against Fluoride: How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics that Keep it There," with James Beck, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of medical physics, University of Alberta and Spedding Micklem, DPhil, professor emeritus at Edinburgh University. A recent review in The Lancet (5) describes fluoride as "an emerging neurotoxic substance" that may damage the developing brain. The National Research Council (NRC) has identified fluoride as an "endocrine disrupter" that may impair thyroid function. A recent Harvard University study links fluoride to bone cancer (6). "Approximately half of the newborns and infants I see in practice are fed formula reconstituted with fluoridated water, which I find alarming since the blood-brain barrier is not even developed until 6 months of age, placing these young infants at risk for neurotoxic effects that can be severe and permanent," says Dr. Yolanda Whyte, a pediatrician in Georgia. "Parents should be warned not to give fluoridated water to babies and children, and they should know that fluoride is also present in juice and other water-reconstituted beverages. I diagnose dental fluorosis on average 5 times daily, but fluoride doesn't only affect teeth, it can potentially affect the brain and nervous system, kidneys, bones, and other tissues in young children during their critical stages of organ development. A public awareness campaign is urgently needed." FAN will launch a campaign in November to urge water companies and public-health officials to inform parents that fluoridated water should not be mixed into infant formula. "If the ADA and CDC won't educate parents, then FAN will," said Connett. FAN is the leading science and advocacy group focused on health issues surrounding fluoride in water, food, air, pesticides, and industrial exposures. Dr. Connett was an invited presenter at the initial meeting of the NRC panel and FAN researchers submitted extensive scientific information throughout the panel's proceedings. Visit: http://fluoridealert.org/ References: (1) Levy SM, et al. 2010. Associations between fluorosis of permanent incisors and fluoride intake from infant formula, other dietary sources and dentifrice during early childhood. Journal of the American Dental Association 141(10):1190-1201. http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/abstract/141/10/1190 (2) Hong L, Levy SM, et al. 2006. Timing of fluoride intake in relation to development of fluorosis on maxillary central incisors. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 34(4):299-309. (3) Levy SM and Guha-Chowdhury N. 1999. Total fluoride intake and implications for dietary fluoride supplementation. Journal of Public Health Dentistry 59(4):211-23. (4) CDC. Table 23 from Beltrán-Aguilar et al. 2005. Surveillance for Dental Caries, Dental Sealants, Tooth Retention, Edentulism, and Enamel Fluorosis --- United States, 1988--1994 and 1999-2002. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. 54(03);1-44. Table 23 at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/s403a1t23.gif Full article at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5403a1.htm (5) Grandjean P and Landrigan P. 2006. Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals. The Lancet 368(9553):2167-78. December 6. (6) Bassin EB, Wypij D, Davis RB, Mittleman MA. 2006. Age-specific fluoride exposure in drinking water and osteosarcoma (United States). Cancer Causes and Control 17(4):421-8. May. ###

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[Highland Park] Yard Sale This Saturday, October 9th from 9AM-3PM at 5710 Elgin St
by Ed Sullivan 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Highland Park Yard Sale This Saturday, October 9th from 9AM to 3PM 5710 Elgin St between N Negley & N Highland . Books, Movies, Games, Children's Ice Skates, Glassware, Silver Plates, Paintings, Picture Frames, Decorative Items, Bird Cage Everything must go!

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[Highland Park] Babysitting
by Paul Butler 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Dear neighbors, Are you desperate for time by yourself, but can never find a babysitter? Then look no further, my name is Paul Butler, I am a 14 year old home schooled student, and I have been certified by the Red Cross in basic child care, basic CPR, and basic first aid. You can contact me by email or phone for further information My phone number is 412-258-0645

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