Hi,

Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby (since 1875), the American made up Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, 🙂 Karl Marx’s birth anniversary (1818), James Beard’s birth anniversary (1903), Tyrone Power’s birth anniversary and Thailand’s Coronation Day marking the day the current king was crowned in 1946.

They officially opened South Side’s river front park this week.  The 3.2 acre park runs from 25th Street down to the Hot Metal Bridge.  This gives river access to the Southside Works retail complex and connects Three Rivers Heritage and the Great Allegheny Passage Trails.  They are not ignoring the history of the land there (formerly the J & L Steel Mill).  Five steel ingots and a large slag ladle crews discovered while constructing the park have been preserved and on display, as is a former gate from J & L’s Morgan Billet Mill donated by Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.  The park is designed to incorporate a marina, possibly as early as next year.

The Butler County Industrial Museum opened recently.  It is at 801 Plumb Street in Darlington and starting June 3, it will be open Saturdays from 10 am until 5 pm and Sundays from 1:30 until 5 until October.  Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.  The museum houses records and collections from A & S Railroad, B & W, Crucible, J & L, Moltrup, United Steel Workers of America, Fry Glass, Cooperative Flint Glass, Mayer China and other Beaver County based businesses.  They don’t seem to have a web site yet, but more info or to arrange a special tour, call 724.312.0831.

Louisville, CO painter Mark Loebach believes that when it comes to our individual identities, each of us builds layers that eventually become a wall that keeps us from understanding ourselves.  Over our life time, this wall gets thicker and thicker.  His latest exhibit Beautiful Beasts is being shown at Boxheart Gallery (4523 Liberty Ave, Bloomfield) is open through May 26.  It is a series of large-scale bodies in motion.  Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays 11 until 6, Wednesdays through Saturdays 10 until 6 and Sundays 1 until 5.  More info at their web site or by calling 412.6878858;.

Meadowcroft, the oldest site known for human habitation is opening for the season down in Avella, Washington County.  Under a 16,000 year old ledge, archaeologists have been unearthing remnants of their civilization for a number of years now.  Visitors can explore the massive Rockshelter and the recreated 19th century Ohio Valley village.  New this year, visitors can walk along a self-guided trail loop through the woods.  It is open Saturdays from noon until 5 and Sundays from 1 until 5.  More info at their web site or by calling 724.587.3412.

Saturday will have the largest full moon in years, the moon will pass in it’s closest orbit to earth in it’s cycle.  Which will make for a pretty dramatic view of the moon, but hinder the viewing of the meteor shower also passing us tomorrow.  The moon peaks out at us around 8:30 and will be it’s fullest around 11:30.

Sculpturer J Seward Johnson makes life sized and realistic looking sculptures.  His business man, sitting on a bench in New York became iconic when first responders saw him bent over his briefcase covered in white dust on 9/11 and went to aid him.  🙂  Fifteen of his sculptures will be spread around Downtown, mainly in the Gateway Center area through August 5.  The are “Out of Sight”, “Allow Me”, “No, Mommy, That One”, ” Far Out”, “Monet, Our Visiting Artist”, “Follow The Leader”, “Taxi”, “Sidewalk Jungle”, “Holding Out”, “Contact”, “Weekend Painter”, “Gotcha”, “Nice to See You”, “Waiting to Cross” and “A Little to the Right”.  Take a walk Downtown and see if you can pick them all out. 🙂

Be sure to go out and cheer on the runners on Sunday,

ed