Downtown Pittsburgh category, Page 51
S.W. Randall Toyes & Giftes marks 50th anniversary in Pittsburgh this yearVideo
Wooden puzzles, action figures, card and board games may seem old-fashioned to those playing the latest electronics or virtual reality contraption. However, it’s those hand-held items and more that has kept S.W. Randall Toyes & Giftes around for half a century. Owner Jack Cohen, 73, of Shadyside, said he’s grateful...
Pittsburgh council set to enact police reforms before summer recess
A series of police reforms shepherded by Pittsburgh City Councilman Ricky Burgess are set to be considered for final approval next week before council enters its summer recess. Council also will consider approving a pilot program to divert low-level offenders from the criminal justice system to receive social services help...
Voters will decide whether to strengthen Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board
Voters in the City of Pittsburgh will decide in November whether the city charter should be amended to strengthen the powers of its Citizen Police Review Board. City Council on Tuesday passed the legislation that will put the question on the ballot in November. The bill has the support of...
Alice in Wonderland-themed cocktail party planned for Pittsburgh
It’s billed as “the tea party to end all tea parties” — only it’s more of a cocktail party. Figuring the middle of pandemic is as good a time as any to go down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass, the team behind The Wizard’s Den and Beyond...
Pittsburgh Opera ‘pulls back the curtain’ with web conversations
Pittsburgh Opera will “Pull Back the Curtain” in a new weekly web series, giving viewers behind-the-scenes looks at what it’s like to be an opera singer, how operas are made and why opera has thrived for centuries. The first episode of “Pull Back the Curtain” will livestream at 4 p.m....
Senator John Heinz History Center’s virtual happy hour to feature local pop artist Burton Morris
Pittsburgh-born pop artist Burton Morris will join The Senator John Heinz History Center for a virtual happy hour on July 29. The free program will be presented via Zoom at 6 p.m. As part of the Pittsburgh museum’s History at Home online offerings, virtual attendees can sip a beverage of...
Bill Fuller: Changes in dining restrictions hurt Big Burrito Restaurant business
Constant fluctuations in the allowed restaurant dining capacity prompted Big Burrito Restaurant Group to temporarily close all of its specialty restaurants, including Alta Via, Casbah, Eleven, Kaya, Soba and Umi, company President Bill Fuller said Monday. “It just isn’t worth it,” said Fuller, who furloughed 193 people. “We decided to...
‘Laser Queen’ at Buhl Planetarium promises to be ‘Killer Queen’ show
It’s been 35 years since the rock band Queen turned in the most memorable performance at Live Aid and nearly three decades since the death of flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury. But thanks in part to the 2018 movie “Bohemian Rhapsody,” named after the band’s biggest song, Queen is as...
Summer restaurant weeks coming to Greensburg, Pittsburgh
As pandemic restrictions drag on, eating seems like one of the few entertainments left to enjoy. In that vein, restaurant weeks are coming to both Greensburg and Pittsburgh during August. Things might be a little different this time around, organizers say, but there still will be plenty of opportunities to...
Floating cinema coming to Pittsburgh in September
A floating cinema equipped with social distancing boats is coming to Pittsburgh Sept. 16-20. The location for the aquatic theater and movies to be shown have not been announced yet. The cinema will be made up of 12 to 24 mini-boats, each holding up to eight people. Tickets will require...
Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ commission seeking volunteers to serve as commissioners
Pittsburgh’s new LGBTQIA+ Commission is seeking applicants to serve as commissioners. Commissioners are required to either live or work in the city and will advise city officials on LGBTQIA+ issues in such areas as workforce development, employment, education, educational barriers, health, homelessness, housing barriers, and aging. Click here to apply....
Longtime Pittsburgh City Hall reporter Bob Bauder retires from Trib, capping 31-year career
A former steelworker who became a journalist when the mills closed is retiring from the trade Friday. Tribune-Review reporter Bob Bauder, 66, has covered the Pittsburgh City Hall beat for the Trib for nine years. In all, Bauder has worked 31 years as a reporter. After graduating from Hopewell High...
Shapiro: PWSA to donate $500K, hire independent monitor for lead project failures
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority will hire an independent monitor and make $500,000 in donations to organizations that promote safety for those exposed to lead in old water pipes, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Thursday, announcing an agreement between PWSA and his office. PWSA unnecessarily exposed people to...
Pittsburgh closes firefighter training facility over coronavirus concerns
Pittsburgh on Tuesday temporarily closed its firefighter training academy after one of the instructors reported covid-19 symptoms, the city reported Wednesday. Thirty-six recruits and instructors are now in quarantine, according to the city and Ralph Sicuro, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 1. “This decision was made out of...
‘Friendly Fire’ rye whiskey on sale this weekend at Fort LigonierVideo
When Fort Ligonier Museum supporters were naming a special-edition rye whiskey to debut at a 2019 fundraiser, they looked no farther than the Ligonier museum’s own Washington Gallery. A painting there depicts a 26-year-old George Washington’s “friendly fire” incident in 1758 that nearly claimed the life of the then-Virginia colonel....
Pittsburgh City Council passes bills designed to eliminate racial disparities
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday gave final approval for legislation that authorizes the creation of a racial equity commission and commits the city to a 10-point plan for erasing inequalities. Council approved both bills unanimously and Mayor Bill Peduto is expected to sign them. Councilman Ricky Burgess, one of the...
Pittsburgh plans to find space for historic abstract mosaic
Pittsburgh is planning to conduct a study to find suitable quarters for unique artwork dating to Pittsburgh’s first renaissance. City Council on Tuesday introduced a resolution that would authorize the hiring of Hill District-based E. Holdings for $25,000 to conduct a feasibility study on the “reconceptualization and reinstallation” of a...
16 Pittsburgh employees test positive for coronavirus
Sixteen City of Pittsburgh employees are off of work because of confirmed cases of covid-19, according to Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. They include:Two environmental services (waste collection) employees.Seven police department employeesFive fire bureau employeesTwo emergency medical services employees. Workers are screened at the beginning of their shifts and the city...
It’s National Mac and Cheese Day: Dig in to these free offers
Yesterday, we celebrated National French Fry Day — but if you prefer your carbs in the form of pasta, today is your lucky day. July 14 is National Mac and Cheese Day. Celebrate by taking advantage of one of these deals: • Stouffer’s brand of frozen prepared foods invites mac...
2 Western Pennsylvania shops make list of state’s top creameries
From basic vanilla to chunky rocky road, few things taste better on a hot summer day than a cold scoop of ice cream. Plop it into a bowl, stack it in a cone or blend it in a thick shake, and you have a treat that helps you beat the...
Columbus statue, Black Lives Matter mural vandalized in Pittsburgh
A Christopher Columbus statue in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood and a Black Lives Matter mural in Downtown Pittsburgh were both recently vandalized. It was at least the second time in the last two months that vandals hit the Columbus statue in Schenley Park, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. Words including...
Farmers market returning to Pittsburgh’s downtown Market Square
The Market Square Farmers Market returns Thursday to its namesake home in downtown Pittsburgh. Now in its 16th season, the market was operating temporarily at a location near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to facilitate increased social distancing and pedestrian access. The Market Square venue will be open 10...
Pittsburgh artist’s digital illustrations installed at The Terminal in the Strip
When you think of the Strip District, visions of markets and music and cafes enter your mind. Artist, illustrator and muralist Brian Holderman, of Holderman Art Graphics, set out to capture those images in a larger-than-life scene. He created a digital illustration showcasing the personality of the Pittsburgh neighborhood where...
Unions cancel Pittsburgh’s annual Labor Day Parade
The coronavirus pandemic has torpedoed Pittsburgh’s annual Labor Day Parade. Officials on Friday announced that the parade held for decades in Downtown Pittsburgh would be replaced with volunteer community service programs conducted by union members throughout Labor Day weekend and a major blood drive and food giveaway on Labor Day....
March, vigil in Downtown Pittsburgh honor slain Fort Hood soldier
Local activists held a march and candlelight vigil Thursday in memory of Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Hood whose remains were found in Texas last month. The march, hosted by 1Hood Media, started in Downtown Pittsburgh. Dozens of participants, most of whom were wearing masks, walked from...
