Hi,
Tomorrow is Louis Sullivan’s birth anniversary (1856), the American father of skyscrapers, The Treaty of Paris (1783) that ended the American Revolution and Fredrick Douglass’s escape to freedom (he was a slave that dressed as a sailor and carrying ID borrowed from a retired merchant seaman that boarded a train in Baltimore and road it to Wilmington where the underground railroad to freedom in Philadelphia (1883). It is also Buhl Day in Sharon PA at Bulh farms celebrating laboring day and Monday is Labor Day started in 1883 by the Carpenters and Joiners Union also in 1883 in New York.
Wendell August Forge, which suffered a devastating fire in March, 2010 has been operating out of temporary facilities since. They have decided to sell their old property (which is leveled) and build a new forge and show room right behind the Grove City Outlets. I hope that ethnic shop (Croatian?) goes with them. They had some really cool stuff. Like this incredible han carved wooden village. I’m sure the new location will spur higher sales, they were a bit of a pain to find at their old location.
According to the Institute of Policy Studies study, 25 of the 100 highest paid corporate executives were paid more than their company recorded as a tax expense in 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These executives include those from Verizon, Bank of New York Mellon, Allegheny Technologies, General Electric, Boeing and eBay. There’s nothing I can add to that. ):
There’s a vacant building across from my Inn, it’s an old boarding house that supposedly was quite the place to stay in it’s day. Over the years, through neglect, it’s continued to deteriorate until they finally closed it up about four years ago and have left it to sit there and fall into even more disrepair. I believe homeless have camped out in it. The owners have finally started getting it cleaned up a bit. It was a friend’s birthday yesterday and so last evening I went out for a “beverage of choice” with him and when I came back, Neil & Heather said someone had just tried to break into the vacant building. There were sitting on the Veranda and heard this load crash of breaking glass. When the looked through the Arondo donex to the street they saw him causally walking down the street. I called 911, naturally. When I spoke to the dispatch operator, I explained someone had attempted to break into a vacant building across the street from my business. The operator asked if I owned the building and when I responded no, he informed me that the owner of the building would have to call it in! A crime is being committed and 911 won’t take the call? To say I went ballistic would be an understatement. As it turns out, he had already dispatched officers and was having trouble figuring out how to categorize the call. PGH PD showed up with four officers and several under cover officers, took my report and I was happy.
I’m a big proponent for the right to bear arms, responsibly. I own a legal hand gun, even toyed with the idea of getting an unregistered one. The Pima County Arizona Republican Party are planning on raffling off a Glock 23. Pima County is where Representative Gabrielle Cliffords is from and she was shot with a Glock 19. #1, should a firearm be a prize in a raffle? I assume the winner would have to fill out the appropriate forms to ensure he/she wasn’t a convicted felon or gang member. But a gun? OK, I think a big teddy bear or watch should be the prize, but I’m willing to concede other people think differently than me. So I’m willing to compromise (did you hear that US Congress?). But a similar gun that shot a Democratic Representative seems pretty callous to me.
Good news for the Aspinwall attempt to purchase Allegheny Riverfront property for a public marina and park. Highmark has donated $200,000 to the project (they only need $100,000-did I say only?). 🙂 So Friends of the Riverfront have an extra $100K to get up and running. Nice job Highmark. And where were you UPMC? Closing another “unprofitable” hospital like in Braddock? (I thought you were a non profit). Or maybe you were building an unneeded facility across from an existing one owned by your competitor like in Monroeville? Yes, I can be catty. 🙂
Pittsburgh native, Jim Sinegal is retiring from Costco. So the 76 year old founder of Costco feels the company is in a good position to go one without him. If you follow my blog, you know I hate big box stores. I do sin father, Lowes is very convenient at times. But Costco is one of the big box stores I don’t feel too bad about patronizing. They have the lowest turnover of any of the big box stores because they treat their employees well. And the founder is originally from PGH, his family moved to California when he was 17.
I have to go to bed, I have a wedding tomorrow. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend (just kidding, I know it’s Labor Day.) 🙂 Happy Labor Day!
ed
