Hi,

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Twelveth Amendment to the Constitution  (1804 when we lost the ability to directly elect our President), Arkansas was admitted to the Union (1836), the Magna Carta Day (1215), the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established (1934) and for you procrastinators the dead line for your quarterly estimated federal income tax is due.  🙂

My sister Sue brought Betty and her two friends from GRADE school over to the Inn for lunch yesterday!  I don’t know if Pennsylvania was a state back then.  🙂  (Betty doesn’t use the Internet, I’m safe).  🙂  It was very cool to see them interact and how lucid all of there memories were from 70+ years ago.  Thanx for visiting Marge and Jeannie (I’m assuming they don’t do Internet either-they do  both have cell phones, so you never know).  Betty’s in the middle.

Speaking of Betty, they are finding paintings in European caves from 30,000 years ago that seem to be made like cartoon cels to be viewed one after the other that with flickering torch light make the animals appear to move.  They did four legged creatures as well as birds flying.  The little clip by Marc Azema I believe he took the individual frames and speeded things up.

Doctor Kerr settled in Oakmont and in 1897, built a Queen Anne style home and office at 402 Delaware Avenue.  He passed away in 1931 and his daughter, Virginia, lived in the house until she passed away in 1994 and willed the home to the city of Oakmont.  It was never “modernized” or seriously updated, so it was pretty much like it was when the Kerr family lived in it.  There was no endowment to keep the house up, so borough officials used grant money to stablize it and do some restoration.  Docents lead tours on Saturdays of the 14 room house, and several rooms of the basement which included the laundry room, root and coal cellars and their maid Daisy’s bathroom.  These tours are given from 10 am until 2 pm on Saturdays, adult admission is $8.  To celebrate their ten years as a museum, the Kerr Museum is hosting free tours next Saturday (June 23), Victorian era games, ragtime music, a barber shop quartet, children’s crafts, complimentary refreshments and even a pie contest.  More info at their web site or by calling 412.826.9295.

As reported here several months ago, Fresh Market out of Greensboro, NC is progressing on the corner of Connor and Washington Roads (across from the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon).  The township gave them the green light on their plans, it’s now up to Penn Dot to OK the design to enter on to Connor Road (they are making the four entrances into two and you won’t be able to make a left turn from the lot during busy times.  This upscale food retailer will be joining The Uncommon Market on top of the hill, Trader Joe’s farther south and there’s talk of Whole Foods locating in the area as well.  Speaking of healthy food, Marty’s Market is well underway down in the Strip.  That’s where that other natural foods market was in front of the Cork Factory.  Hopefully this will be better run and be successful.  I believe the owner is a female Vet embarking on her first business.  Good luck to you.  🙂

Penn Hills Arts Festival for the Visual and Performing Arts is coming up (July 20 & 21) at the William E Anderson Library on Stotler Road.  The festival will be featuring a juried art exhibit, live entertainment, food refreshments and children’s activities.  They are also looking for more artists to enter, you must be registered by July 2.  The fee for two works of are for submission is $20 for adults, $5 students 16 – 18 and $1 for kids under 16 (pretty cool there).  There’s a fair amount of restrictions/requirements (ways to hang pictures, etc), so if you are thinking of entering call Jani Pfeifer at 412.793.8302 or Deb Hardy at 412.241.2718.

For you South Hills people, I don’t know if you’ve been down Weyman Road just past Provost in awhile, but that old junk yard that’s been an eyesore for years is pretty much gone.  Whitehall Borough is in the process of changing the zoning to make that area light commercial.  Whatever they allow in there, it will be a huge improvement over that rusted fence, falling down building and rusted car carcases that’s been there forever.

Are you up for free outdoor Harry Potter Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II?  It will be shown Friday (June 15) at Arsenal Park (39th and Butler Streets Lawrenceville), Saturday at Grandview Park Bailey Avenue in Mt Washington and Riverview Park, Observatory Hill.  More info at City Parks or by calling 412.422.6426.

Pittsburgh artist Miller McCormick has a different slant on things.  He uses an outdated scanner/copier, light table, and ink printing overlays to create pretty unique images that are whimsical and challenge conventional image making that blurs the lines between digital construction and handcraft.  His works are on display at The Gallery 4 through the rest of the month at 406 S Highland Avenue, Shadyside from 1 pm until 8 pm Tuesdays through Fridays (thank you Gallery 4 for making your hours so easy to quote-you must be a blog follower of mine.)  🙂  More info at 412.363.5050 or their web site.

Enjoy this wonderful weather and great weekend,

ed