The completion of the formal entry gar-den in Highland Park crowns the firsteight years of the public-private part-

nership between the Pittsburgh ParksConservancy and the City of Pittsburgh. It isa magnificent example of what can beaccomplished through our collaboration andI hope that you have a chance to enjoy therestored beauty of Highland Park EntryGarden and fountain this summer.

The achievement of this project has madeus reflect on our endeavors as a young non-profit organization. To date we have partnered with the City to create a 20-year

Regional Parks Master Plan, have six capital projects either completedor in progress, and are leading the charge for major improvements inpark maintenance, programming and ecology. And, thanks to the leader-ship of our Capital Campaign Co-Chairs, Jim Rohr (Chairman and CEO,

PNC) and George Greer (Chairman, Eden Hall Foundation) we haveraised over $19 million towards our $27 million campaign goal. Although we have a long list of projects left to fund and execute, our

working relationship with the city has evolved to the point where wenow ask ourselves, “What’s next for the public-private partnership?”

To begin to answer this, we convened a two-day summit including fournationally renowned experts from around the country and representa-tives from both the city and county park systems to help us analyze ourexisting arrangement and future prospects. From our inception, the PPChas solicited the advice of recognized experts to guide our actions.

Three of our four experts had visited Pittsburgh in the past. The parkspecialists graded the City/PPC partnership on how far we’ve comesince our partnership began in 1996. I am pleased to report we earnedan A+ from the experts for vastly exceeding their expectations. They feltthat we had collectively developed great skill in managing complex capital projects, that we clearly welcomed public participation and thatour working partnership had evolved into a broad and deep one.

In round-table discussions we highlighted successes, like establishingdedicated park crews, and examined problem areas, like the need to re-establish a park security mechanism, such as a crew of park rangers.

Through our parks restoration activities, the partnership has alreadyhelped to bring about social change by creating lasting improvements inthe quality of life for residents and visitors. With the benefit of enor-mous support from park-supporters like you, we know we can continueour productive dialogue and working partnership with the city. We willcontinue to solicit the advice of park experts from around the country aswell as input from the community. We’re working toward another A+report card, so stay tuned.

Letters To The Editor

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Page 2 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

We want your feedback. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy welcomes letters to the editor.Letters may be edited. All submissions become the property of the PPC. Please send them to:The Voice, 2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Ric

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Pittsburgh Park Summit

Carousel MemoriesWhile collecting oral histories from Pittsburgh seniors for my book

Millhunks and Renegades the first words I heard each time were, “Didanybody tell you about the merry-go-round?”

When the head of the household had a rare day off from the mills on asummer Sunday, it meant a happy day for the whole family, picnicking atthe carousel. My own mother’s family would walk from Polish Hill tospend the day at the Schenley Park carousel, which was then near SquirrelHill. I was delighted to hear that the Conservancy is spearheading a cam-paign to rebuild the carousel. Just the thought of it must have many seniorslooking back on their childhoods with a wistful smile.

Anita KulinaSquirrel Hill

Despite Rain, Hat Luncheon FlawlessThe rain at the May 7th Spring Hat Luncheon did not dampen spirits! It

gets better every year. Your staff organized a flawless and fun luncheonthat beautifully highlighted the restoration of the Highland Park EntryGarden.

From the stuffing of the invitations and goody bags, to the enjoyment ofthe elegant luncheon, I am proud to be a small part of the Pittsburgh ParksConservancy effort. The parks are a great source of civic pride here inPittsburgh because of this restoration work. It is so very important to thepreservation of the great history of this city.

I look forward to the completion of the Schenley Plaza and another yearof volunteering with the Hat Luncheon. Congratulations on your greataccomplishments.

Barbara MacQuownShadyside

Appreciation for Oakland Green SpaceHaving grown up in Greenfield, my family and I spent many a summer

day enjoying Schenley Park and in the winter Panther Hollow Lake andthe boathouse.

I have worked at the University of Pittsburgh William Pitt Union for 33years and am happy to see the additional green space added to the Oaklandarea.

I look forward to having lunch in the new plaza. Keep up the great work!

Christine A. ChergiChurchill

PARK LEADERS VISIT PITTSBURGH

Ralph Cryder, former Parks Director, Los Angeles County and City

of Long Beach, California

Patricia O’Donnell, Fellow American Society of Landscape

Architects; Principal Heritage Landscapes, Charlotte, Vermont

E. Timothy Marshall, Principal ETM Associates, former Vice

President, Central Park Conservancy, New York City

Bridget Sullivan, Consultant, Vermont; former Parks Director,

Metro Louisville, Kentucky

The four regional parks are a source ofinspiration for many Pittsburgh artists.This fall, for the

first time, their work willbe displayed in Art of thePark, an exhibit at ConceptGallery in Regent Square.A percentage of all artsales from the exhibit willbenefit the PPC.

Art of the Park will fea-ture the work of 26 localartists in various styles andmediums, translating theirviews of Frick, Highland,Riverview and Schenleyparks.

Concept Gallery’s ownerand director, Sam Berkowitz said that while theexhibit will revolve around parks, it promises an incredible range of interpretation.“You can never anticipate what you’ll get,”Berkowitz said. “It’s always a fun surprise to

see what people produce.”Berkowitz said he is excited to host the

exhibit, especially because it benefitsPittsburgh’s parks. “I use the parks on aregular basis. They’re such an importantasset to the city and the region. You can doeverything from dog-walking to riding amountain bike in the city.”

The idea for Art of the Park was conceived by former PPC board member,artist and WQED creative director, MichaelMaskarinec.

“I found solace in Pittsburgh’s parks whenI moved here,” Maskarinec said. “I fell inlove with its beautiful spaces and vistas.”

In 2003 he started a calendar series, whichfeatured 12 park prints. “As the paintings

developed month after month, I visualized anexhibit that would incorporate other artists’

renditions of theparks,” he explained.

Once Maskarinecconnected withBerkowitz on theidea, the project tookoff. Now,Pittsburghers willhave the chance toview and purchaseone-of-a-kind parkworks by notablelocal artists, includ-ing watercolorpainter Bill Vrscak,photographer Aronel

Gruber, artist Robert Qualters and many others.“I’m excited to be involved with the show

because it provides an opportunity to go off in adifferent direction than I am used to,” saidArmand Wright, a Pittsburgh portrait and

machinery photographer.Armand took panoramic shots of the Frick Art

and Historical Center in Frick Park. “I want totake pictures of things most people walk by inthe park every day and highlight the uniquenessof each object.”

The show will open at Concept Gallery withpatron previews September 23 and 24 followedby dinners with the artists in various homes ofPPC supporters. Tickets for the preview openingand dinner are $125 per person. All funds fromticket sales as well as a percentage of art saleswill benefit the PPC. The public exhibit runsSeptember 25 – October 23.

Environmental Work of PPCand Partners Recognized

Page 3Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

Hat Lunch Blossoms at HighlandEntry Garden

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The Spring Hat Luncheon was a showcase event of magnificentproportions, held at the freshly restored Highland Park EntryGarden. For the first time in years on May 7, water flowed

from the historic fountain and countless blooms graced the gardensfor over seven hundred dramatically hatted guests who were helpingto raise funds to support the work of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

Next year’s Hat Lunch is scheduled for May 6 at Schenley Plaza,the vibrant green space coming soon to the heart of Oakland.

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City Councilman Bill Peduto presents members ofthe Pittsburgh Urban Ecological Collaborative(UEC) an award for outstanding environmentalservice in the City of Pittsburgh. The PPC is oneof 10 Pittsburgh organizations participating inthe UEC, a regional program in the eastern U.S.sharing efforts in urban ecological restoration,education, research and fundraising. Boston,Baltimore, Washington D.C., New York City andNew Haven are also represented in the program.

Armand Wright,a participant in Art of the Park, takes apanoramic shot of the Frick Art and Historical Center.

Local Artists Interpret Pittsburgh’s ParksConcept Gallery Hosts Art of the Park Fundraising ExhibitBy Alice Enz

Park-users can readily explore Frick and Schenley parks’ prehistoric pasts with handy geologicalguidebooks recently published by Albert Kollar and David Brezinski of the CarnegieMuseum of Natural History. Jason Witmer interviews Albert Kollar, collection manager of

the section of invertebrate paleontology, who has been with the museum for 28 years.

Q: What prompted you to make guidebooks analyzing the geology of the parks?A: Most of the guidebooks available for fieldtrips are often very technical. We’ve tried to makeguidebooks that are geared for families, teachers, or anyone else who has an interest in geology. Wethink city parks are ideal settings for talking about local geology. Geology is an outdoor scienceand it’s a visual science. You have to go out and look at rocks. And the rocks are very abundant inwestern Pennsylvania.

Q: What are some of the interesting geological aspects of Frick and Schenley parks?A: These parks have some very important rock layers that provide historic geological background of 300 million years ago when this whole land-scape was a tropical paradise. This continent was situated south of the equator – as tropical environment as Brazil is today. The limestone which yousee today was once a vast inland sea. Coal beds are an indication of swamp environments and the sandstone layers are an indication of vast river systems.

Q: You’ve completed guides for Schenley and Frick. Do you have plans to do so for Highland or Riverview parks? A: Yes, we hope to finish Highland Park next year. We’re working on Riverview right now. That will have more of an environmental geology focusbecause of all the landslides in Riverview Park over the last 50 years.

Q: Where is a good location to see historic rock formations? A: Frick is an ideal place to see rock formations in sequence – from oldest to youngest. You can start down at the mouth of Nine Mile Run, go toFern Hollow with its Salsburg sandstone, and work your way along the trail to Fire Lane Trail. Then you can walk through the chronologicalsequence because there’s a stream that cuts through the rock layers exposing them beautifully.

There are also more recent deposits in Frick Park such as the glacial cobbles. These were deposited from the Monongahela River during the mostrecent ice age. You can actually see a cobble field near South Braddock behind the tennis courts. You see them beautifully along the trail, eroding andweathering out of the trail itself.

Q: Where can visitors find your guidebooks?A: They’re available at the Schenley Park Visitor Center and at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s shop.

Page 4 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

Adetailed map of HighlandPark highlighting the trails,pedestrian routes and park

features is now available for $2 atthe Schenley Park Visitor Center.The GIS ( GeographicalInformation Systems)-based map,which is the final map in thePittsburgh regional park mapseries, has been one of the mostfrequently requested items frompark users.

PPC staff, local volunteers and members of the City ofPittsburgh have created a user-friendly map that includes themain amenities of Highland Park and all pedestrian routes andprimary trails with distances. The back of the map has colorfulphotos and contact information.

The four park maps were developed after PPC surveys revealedthat visitors wanted maps to help navigate the streets and trailsof the parks.

For a copy of the Frick, Highland, Riverview or Schenleymaps, visit the Schenley Park Visitor Center located at 101Panther Hollow Road. Or, send a $10 check to the PittsburghParks Conservancy at 2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300,Pittsburgh, PA 15219 to receive all four maps and a guide toPittsburgh’s four great parks.

Interview with Geologist Albert Kollar of the Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryBy Jason Witmer

Thank You, Volunteers!

David Brezinski(left) and Albert Kollar(right)created geology guidebooks for both Frick andSchenley parks.

Highland ParkTrail MapCompletesFour-Park Set BRICKMAN GROUP LIMITED

104 hours of workRiverview Park– Restored Historic Lilac Collection

DELOITTE

330 hours of workRiverview Park– Planted 150 native shrubs and

trees – removed 65 bags of invasive garlic mustard herb

JUNIOR LEAGUE

100 hours of workSchenley Park– Planted 203 plants around

Westinghouse Pond

PA COMMUNITY INTENSIVE SUPERVISION PROGRAM (CISP)105 hours of work

Schenley Park– Planted and mulched 30 elm trees

CITY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL

96 hours of workSchenley Park– Removed 45 garbage bags of the

invasive garlic mustard herb

CMU ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT

80 hours of workSchenley Park– Removed 60 garbage bags of the

invasive garlic mustard herb

URBAN ECOSTEWARDS

105 hours of workFrick, Highland, Riverview, and Schenley park– 34 stewards

maintaining 31 acres of park land

Pittsburgh Park Conservancy volunteers have been hardat work, helping to restore our parks. Here’s what ourvolunteers have been doing:

Pittsburgh InvasivePlant Symposium aSuccessBy Christopher Tracey

30 New Trees Planted in Schenley for Park Restoration By Alice Enz

This June, 30 new elm treeswere planted alongOverlook Drive near the

tennis courts and Schenley Oval.These trees are replacing the inva-sive Norway maples that wereremoved this spring. As the trees develop they will be

an educational resource for PennState students. The plantings werefunded in part by the Penn StateCooperative Extension programand will provide a location for stu-dents to observe the developmentof the six varieties of elms.

The 100-year-old Norwaymaples that stood where the newelms were planted had reached theend of their natural life span.

“Of the 16 trees present, onlytwo were still in good health,”said Phil Gruszka, director of parkmanagement and maintenance atthe Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

In addition, the trees were havinga harmful effect on the surround-ing natural areas. Because Norwaymaples are very hardy and prolific

seeders, they out-compete many ofwestern Pennsylvania’s trees andshrubs. Many native plant speciessuch as the Sugar maple, whiteash, tulip poplar and birch trees,as well as trillium, spicebush,Jack-in-the-pulpit, and Solomon’sseal are no longer found in manyof the park natural areas as aresult of the Norway maple expansion.

“The maples were contributingnegatively to the woodlands onthe other side of Overlook Drive,”said Mike Gable, deputy directorof the city’s Department of PublicWorks. “Their removal and theplanting of a variety of elm treeswill greatly enhance SchenleyPark and ultimately benefit thepark by allowing more desirabletrees and vegetation to flourish.”

This tree planting is part of alarger effort to restore the naturalareas of our parks said Gable. Formore information on the Norwaymaple see The Invasive Advisorbelow.

Page 5Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

This past March, nearly 150 people, includ-ing city and county park workers, attend-ed the Pittsburgh Invasive Plant

Symposium. The symposium showcased currentresearch and management techniques for inva-sive plants.

Topics ranged from basic control of Japaneseknotweed and tree-of-heaven to research aboutdeclining populations of the native trillium.

Researchers shared methods and findings. Fieldexercises in Frick Park helped attendees learnvarious tools of the trade and herbicide tech-niques.

“The most valuable information for us waseffective ways to control tree-of-heaven,” saidDenise Schreiber, horticulture/design manager ofthe Allegheny County Park System. “It is amajor problem for us in the parks and there weregreat solutions for control and eradication.”

The symposium was hosted by the PittsburghParks Conservancy along with the City ofPittsburgh Department of Public Works, theChatham College Landscape Programs, Civil &Environmental Consultants and Invasive PlantControl, Inc. As a result of the symposium, several partici-

pants are forming a working group to continueto address the invasive plant problem in ourregion. Contact ctracey@pittsburghparks.org formore details.

This edition: Norway MapleCommon name: Norway mapleScientific name: Acer platanoidesOrigin: Europe and Western Asia, introduced in U.S. as ornamental treeThreat: Produces chemicals that inhibitgrowth of native trees, shrubs and herbsand creates dense shade Habitat: Shady areas, tolerant of city conditionsSize: 90 feet maximumIdentifying characteristics: Broadly-rounded crown,very smooth bark becomes black and ridged with age,leaves remain green long after other trees have shedtheirs in late fall, torn leaf stems show milky sap (theonly maple to have this characteristic)Look-alikes: Sugar and silver maple, because of similar-looking leaves.Control techniques: Uproot saplings, cut down orgirdle in late winter (remove a band of bark and cam-bium from the trunk), do not plantNative alternatives: American beech, red maple

Source: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/acpl.htm

Above is a map of the six varieties of elm trees that were recently plantedalong Overlook Drive near the Ice Skating Rink in Schenley Park.

Elm Tree Varieties

Triumph

Allee

Accolade

Frontier

Prospector

Pioneer

First of a SeriesThe Invasive Advisor

Invasive plants are choking out the biodiversity of our natural areas – even in our ownback yards. These invasive, non-native plants are not part of our original habitat, but wereintroduced from other countries, often for gardens and landscaping. With few or no natu-ral enemies, you can now see these plants taking over entire landscapes like roadsides, dis-turbed woodlands and our parks.

Help us fight the battle! Learn to recognize and control invasive species by reading thiscolumn and by picking up Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas at the SchenleyPark Visitor Center. ($4.00, published by the National Park Service and U.S. Fish andWildlife Service)

Leaves of the Norway maple stay green inthe fall longer than our native maples.

At left, theNorway mapleflower, as itlooks in earlyspring.

Page 6 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter

Meg CheeverPresident and CEO

Debbie BeckChief Financial Officer

Philip J. GruszkaDirector of ParkManagement and

Maintenance Policies

Jessica TodarelloDevelopment Coordinator

Alice EnzProject Manager

Amy Ripley Projects Coordinator

Mary Beth SteisslingerRestoration Coordinator

Brandi FergelecSchenley Park Visitor Center

Beth BodamerAdministrative Assistant

Chris TraceyField Ecologist/GIS Coordinator

Gudrun WellsVolunteer Education

Coordinator

Liz StyleDocent Coordinator

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300Pittsburgh, PA 15219412-682-PARK (7275)www.pittsburghparks.org

GRAB A BLANKET AND HEAD T O THE PARK FOR FREE ACTIVITIES AL L SUMMER LONG

For more information call 412-255-2539 or visit www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks

AU

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July 16 Shrek 2

July 23 The Prince & Me

July 30 Harry Potter and the

Prisoner of Azkaban

August 6 Finding Neverland

August 13 A Cinderella Story

August 20 The Dust Factory

August 27 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

AU

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July 13 Ocean’s Twelve

July 17 Shrek 2

July 20 Without a Paddle

July 24 The Prince & Me

July 27 The Phantom of the Opera

July 31 Harry Potter and the

Prisoner of Azkaban

August 3 The Terminal

August 7 Finding Neverland

August 10 Are We There Yet?

August 14 A Cinderella Story

August 17 Van Helsing

August 21 The Dust Factory

August 24 Napoleon Dynamite

August 28 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Citiparks’ Art Cart The Citiparks Roving Art Cart visits neighborhood parks, play-grounds, community festivals and citywide special eventsthroughout the City of Pittsburgh.

This summer, Citiparks Roving Art Cart will offer art projects,hands-on activities, reading adventures, games and music.

Groups of 10 or more should call 412-665-3665 a week inadvance to make reservations. See below for scheduled stops inthe four regional parks.

Roving Art Cart 2005 Schedule10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

July 15 Schenley Park – Anderson Playground22 Frick Park – Braddock Avenue Playground29 Highland Park – Super Playground

August 5 Schenley Park – Schenley Oval12 Riverview Park – Observatory Entrance19 Highland Park – Pool Entrance26 Frick Park – Blue Slide Playground

Reservoir of JazzStars at Riverview

Music lovers take note – you’re bound to find the perfect performanceout in the parks as part of Citiparks’ concert series this summer..For more information, visit www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks

CITIPARKS MUSIC SERIES RETURNS TO PARKS

Saturdays, Now– August 277 – 8:30 p.m.

Riverview Park, Observatory Hill412-323-7256

July 16 Rick Kacin &

Blues Sector

July 23 Roger Barbour

July 30 Kenia

Aug. 6 Roger Humphries

Aug. 13 Lee Robinson & Iska

Aug. 20 Salsamba

Aug. 27 Mystic Knights

of the Sea

Sundays, Aug. 7- Sept. 45 – 7 p.m.

Highland Park, Entry Gardens412-255-8975

Farmers Market inHighland Park

Thursdays, Now – November 17

3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPGAquarium parking lot at Butler

and Baker streets

Aug. 7 Joe Negri

Aug. 14 Dwayne Dolphin

Group

Aug. 21 Kenny Blake

Aug. 28 Sean Jones

Sept. 4 Al Dowe &

Etta Cox

RIVERVIEW PARKObservatory Hill

Observatory Hill

COMCAST CINEMA IN THE PARK

SCHENLEY PARK

Movies begin at 9 p.m.

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter Page 7

K FOR FREE ACTIVITIES AL L SUMMER LONG

1 p.m. Sundays Now – October

Schenley Park Visitor Center.

Tours include information on the history, sculpture and environ-ment of the park. Walks are free and open to the public.

See you in the park!

Learn the History of Schenley Park

WWEEEEKKLLYY WWAALLKKSSIINN TTHHEE WWOOOODDSS

NNooww -- OOccttoobbeerrEEvveerryy WWeeddnneessddaayy

66::3300 ttoo 88 pp..mm..

FFrreeee aanndd ooppeenn ttoo tthhee ppuubblliicc

For more information call 412-682-7275

11sstt WWeeddnneessddaayyHighland Park Entry Garden

22nndd WWeeddnneessddaayyFrick Environmental Center

33rrdd WWeeddnneessddaayyRiverview Park main entrance

44tthh WWeeddnneessddaayySchenley Park Visitor Center

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy offers thesewalks, which rotate through the CityÕs fourRegional ParksÐ Highland, Frick, Riverview andSchenley park. Join us and learn some of thetrails, plants and wildlife of our urban parks.

Sundays in the ParkSchenley Park Visitor Center

SundaysNow – October 30

Noon – 3 p.m.

Live music, kids activities and specialty food and drinksserved on the patio with guided park walks at 1 p.m.

Schenley Park Visitor CenterCafé • Gifts • Free Wireless Internet • Event Rental

Open daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.101 Panther Hollow Road

412-687-1800www.pittsburghparks.org/visitorcenter

Convenient parking at half-hour and hourly meters

Featured Summer ItemsJuly drink of the Month – Orange Creamsicle Latté

August – Watermelon Italian SodaFrisbees, gardening books, park maps and postcards

July 24

July 31

August 7

August 14

August 21

August 28

Sept. 4

Sept. 11

Sept. 18

Sept. 25

Classic rock with guitarist Lenny Collini

R&B featuring vocalist Jessica Lee

Smooth jazz by Kevin Howard trio

Boilermakers New Orleans-style jazz

Folk duet Jay & Kim

Reggae by Freedom Band

Smooth jazz with Bill Holt

Jazz combo featuring Robbie Klein

Jimmy Sapienza and 5 Guys Named Moe

Jazz and blues with Clair Ascani

ENTRY GARDEN, FROM PAGE 1

able for $150,000 each as a donor recognition oppor-tunity.

Rudy Maceyko, member of several Highland Parkcommunity groups and Conservancy volunteer saidhe and other Highland Park residents are delightedwith the restoration.

“What’s great about this project, as well as othersthe PPC has done in the parks, is the positive impactthe restoration work has had on the neighborhood ofHighland Park.”

“If there’s one organization that has done as muchas possible to make the Highland Park community abetter place,” he said, “it’s the Pittsburgh ParksConservancy.”

THE GARDEN CLUB OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY PRESENTS

The Tenth Anniversary of

AT THE FOX CHAPEL GOLF CLUB • 426 FOX CHAPEL ROAD

Lunch available by reservation

For Information please call 412-963-8217

THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 2005

9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2005

9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Funds from Pizzazz support the Garden Club’s Community projects.

“Pittsburgh’s Premier Shopping Opportunity”

30 Boutiques from across the country

0505009_PizzazzAd_A 5/23/05 10:55 PM Page 1

including the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy..

October music to be announcedCheck www.pittsburghparks.org/visitorcenter for fall line-up

Schedule is subject to change.

Carousel Plans Unveiled forSchenley PlazaPNC announces $750,000 gift; includescarouselBy Amy Ripley

As part of the Schenley Plaza ceremonial brick laying in May, PNCchairman and CEO Jim Rohr announced a pledge of $750,000 tothe PPC’s capital campaign, which includes funds for a children’s

carousel as the feature family attraction for the revamped green space, aswell as a multi-year sponsorship for the Spring Hat Luncheon.

“PNC remains committed to helping children, and this carousel is forthem,” Rohr said.

“Now when families come to visit Schenley Plaza, children will have aplace all their own. We hope that this will create many happy memoriesand return visits.”

The unveiling of a colorful carousel horse gave a glimpse of the liveli-ness to come to Schenley Plaza, the former 6-acre parking lot between theHillman and Carnegie libraries, which is currently being transformed froma drab stretch of asphalt on Forbes Avenue into a vibrant public space andentrance to Schenley Park.

The carousel is scheduled to run May through October beginning withthe Plaza opening slated for spring of 2006.

Rohr also announced that to help fund ongoing carousel operations, indi-viduals can contribute $20,000 to earn naming rights to one of the 15 ani-mals comprising the eclectic collection, including a rabbit, triceratops anda giraffe. Rohr has personally donated funds to name the horse.

Other name sakes available at the Plaza include handmade cedar benchesat $10,000 each. Movable chairs and personalized bricks, which will linethe grand walkway and central oval, are available at $250 each.

Rohr joined Schenley Plaza project partners and elected officials in lay-ing the first ceremonial personalized bricks, ditching the customary shov-els used in typical groundbreaking events.

“This brick-laying symbolizes the collaborative ‘foundation’ of the proj-ect,” said University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

Nordenberg said the green space would greatly improve Oakland,Pennsylvania’s third busiest business district following only Philadelphia’sCenter City and downtown Pittsburgh.

Governor Ed Rendell, who presented the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancywith a $5 million check from the state in April 2004, said Schenley Plazawas “an easy project to invest in,” citing its number-one ranking on thecity and county to-do lists, as well as the agenda of the OaklandInvestment Committee.

Rendell said improving Oakland’s “quality of place” was essential inattracting and retaining highly desirable professionals, particularly fromOakland’s universities.

“I once heard Oakland described as ‘dreary’ and with ‘too muchasphalt,’” Rendell said. “This project will change all of that.”

Page 8 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy NewsletterNon-Profit Org.U S POSTAGE

P A I DPITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO 4906

A rendering of the carousel that will be a central feature of the Plaza.

CHAPEL SHELTER, FROM PAGE 1

building complies to Americans withDisabilities Act regulations.

Schmidlapp said the major differ-ence that people will notice after therestoration is that the shelter will havemore doors and windows. “The olddesign made it feel closed in,” hesaid. “This will open up the sides sopeople can flow to and from the beau-tiful veranda.”

Rehabilitation of the historic land-scape with construction of 650 feet oftrails as well a parking area will fol-low, pending further funding.

City Councilman Luke Ravenstahl,who represents the Riverview areasaid, “The renovation of the shelterwill add another first-class facility tothe park to complement the ActivitiesBuilding.”

He recalled frequenting the ChapelShelter in his youth for graduationparties and picnics and said, “I am

confident that when it is completed itwill be the ‘jewel’ of the park andattract people to have their parties inthe park. It will also enable localactive community groups to broadentheir scope of activities to better uti-lize the park’s amenities.”

The restoration of the shelter and thesurrounding landscape has been madepossible thanks to a recent grant fromthe Pennsylvania Department ofConservation and Natural Resources(DCNR) as well as monies from theEden Hall Foundation, the BuhlFoundation and the AlleghenyRegional Asset District.

“I know that the Riverview Parkarea residents will be excited to seethis project finally happen,” said MegCheever, president of the PittsburghParks Conservancy. “We are eager tocontinue the restoration of our firstshowcase project in Riverview Park.”

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO PURCHASE A BRICK OR A CHAIR

IN SCHENLEY PLAZA. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON

DONOR RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES CALL

412-682-7275.

Bill

Vrs

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Plaza Sponsorship Opportunities

The above eagle carousel animal has been purchased by localrestaurateur and park benefactor Ed Dunlap and his wife Anna.“It’s American– it’s freedom– it’s a symbol for what America is allabout,” he said. For more information on purchasing namingrights for a carousel animal or other sponsorship opportunitiescall the Conservancy at 412-682-7275.

Volunteer NeededIf you are interested in answering phones and doing

light administrative work at the PPC offices, call Beth at 412-682-7275.