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Entertainer B6 Pittsburgh Courier www.newpittsburghcourier.com NEW VOL. 103, NO. 32 Three Sections


Hill District Master Plan completed


by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer


With the completion of the Greater Hill


District Master Plan, the Urban Redevel- opment Authority has issued a massive Re- quest for Proposals to begin developing public and private properties centering on the Centre Av- enue business corridor. City Council-


man R. Daniel Lavelle hailed the announce- ment. “This is a


R. DANIEL LAVELLE


milestone for the Hill Dis- trict and pre- sents a rare opportunity in which neigh- borhoods’ in- terests and markets can be aligned,” he said. “It will be a process of re- building and that’s always


tough. But I’m ready for all that it brings.” The RFP covers 37 publicly owned lots,


including the current site of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Zone 2 Station and 23 pri- vately owned parcels, the bulk belonging to Central Baptist Church and its develop- ment corporation. These parcels represent the first phase of


planned development along the Centre Av- enue corridor and stretch from the Dinwid- die/Devillers Street intersection to Soho Street. The second phase will include de- velopment opportunities extending from Kirkpatrick Street to the Centre Av- enue/Reed Street intersection. Marimba Milliones, the executive director


of the Hill CDC who is working with the SEE MASTER A5


Homicides hit McKeesport


by Ashley Johnson Courier Staff Writer


Allegheny County Police are investiga-


tion the death of a McKeesport man shot at his home. This is the second homicide in the city within two days. Late Monday evening, Aug. 6, Jabar


Ford, of Dravosburg, was shot and killed when someone fired shots as he answered the door of a home in the 1400 block of Coursin Street in McKeesport. Ford, 20, was shot in the chest. No suspects have been named and police


are asking that anyone with information contact them. Ford’s murder comes only one day after


Tameko Walls, 37, was found shot to death in the parking lot of a car wash next to an after hours club known as the McKeesport Sportsman Club, where a fight had broke out. Vondre Griffin, of Braddock, was ques- tioned and charged in connection with the homicide. This is the sixth homicide to occur in McKeesport in 2012, up from the three in 2011. It is unsure if these are random or re- taliation killings. Representatives from both the McKeesport and County Police were contacted, but did not respond by this publication’s deadline.


NEW Published Weekly AUGUST 8-14, 2012


County report confirms minority pay inequities


by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer


Though it was begun under


his predecessor, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald fully supported an audit of the county’s hir- ing, pay and advancement procedures to determine if minorities and women were being short-changed. Now that the Gender and


Race Equity Audit appears to show they have, he is working to see what reme- dies can be enacted. “I am turning this report


over to new County Man- ager Willy McCain and his deputies and asking that he review (it) to determine what recommenda- tions we may be able to implement and pos- sible action plans for other steps.” Though the report found no evidence of


systematic discrimination, it did find in- equities related to “structure, misclassifica- tion, contracts, longevity and promotions.” The report also noted that while the county


has made strides in improving minority rep- resentation, hiring still favors White males and females. “The most pronounced representation dif- ference is in the overrepresentation of fe-


BILL ROBINSON


males and minorities in lower paying jobs,” it reads. Allegheny County


Councilman William Robinson said he was not shocked by the report’s findings. “I am not surprised,” he


said. “It just proves what many people have thought for a long time—that there is pay inequity based on race inAlleghenyCounty.” The report also noted


that the County has failed to keep pace with market pay rates and is using a 30-year-old payroll admin- istration system. Comparisons of market pay rates to county rates


showthat some positions are severely under- compensated. The mid-range pay for a busi- ness office manager in the open market is $82,980. The county’s mid-rage pay is $40,170, or 107-percent less. But the report also shows that African-


Americans are rarely in a position to be that underpaid. The study found that only 3.85 percent of the eligible African-Ameri- can females were hired inmanagement oc- cupations with an average pay level of


SEE REPORT A6 $1.00


47 of 58 homicides Black lives


Numbers rapidly rising—12 in July


by Ashley Johnson Courier Staff Writer


In July,Allegheny County was plagued by


12 homicides bringing the total to 58, with 47 of the victimsAfrican-Americans.We are quickly on the way to passing last year’s total of 73 homicides, 58 of them taking Black lives.Last yearwas the lowest year of homicides in four years. While the begin- ning of 2012 brought hope that the sense- less killings would continue to decline, that hope is quickly fading. Each month the New Pittsburgh Courier


displays the names and circumstances be- hind the senseless killings that have oc- curred, and while no life deserves to be taken in such a tragic way. We as a community must open our eyes and look at who the real victims are. Are the names on the list true victims, or do they increase their chances by involving themselves in illegal activities that are known to bring harm? The answer is both. We as a community need to be real. Once we get rid of the ille- gal guns in the hands of our young people, the drugs, the gangs, etc., thenwe can begin to clean up our streets and have the safe neighborhoods that were not so long ago. If there ever was a need to work together


it is now. It is time for political officials, law enforcement and residents to come to- gether.We are in the midst of an epidemic and way past the marches and vigils. It is time for action.We need a ban on assault


SEE HOMICIDES A4


HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME—The Harris family of North Versailles enjoys a summer day where temperatures had reached the 90s by playing at the PPG Plaza fountain, Downtown. Har- ris said, “The weather is what made us come Downtown to have the kids cool off on this hot day.” (Photo by J.L. Martello)


Family Reunion shines through rain


by Rebecca Nuttall Courier Staff Writer


While the 9th Annual


Pittsburgh Black Family Reunion ended on a stormy Sunday, not even the rain could put a damper on the three-day event featuring live performances, a basket- ball tournament and local vendors. “I have been to the re-


union in previous years, and I think once again Community Empowerment has thrown an amazing event successfully showcas- ing the talent of our com- munity,” said Ricky Burgess Jr., a recent gradu- ate of Carnegie Mellon Uni- versity’s Tepper School of Business and the former


SEE REUNION A5 Pittsburgh Courier


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Advancements in HIV/AIDS treatment


by Rebecca Nuttall Courier Staff Writer


One week before the 19th International


AIDS Conference descended on Washing- ton, D.C., the Federal Drug Administration approved the first drug approved to reduce the risk of HIV infection. “Today’s approval marks an important mile-


stone in our fight against HIV,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. “Every year, about 50,000 U.S. adults and adolescents are diagnosed with HIV infection, despite the availability of prevention methods and strate- gies to educate, test and care for people living with the disease. New treatments, as well as prevention methods are needed to fight the HIV epidemic in this country.” The newly approved prevention drug


BLACK FAMILY REUNION—Amargie Davis and T. Rashad Byrd- song from the Community Empowerment Association family. (Photo by Ashley G. Woodson)


Boyce Watkins says


Where’s Gabby’s dad? Right where he’s supposed to be Forum A9


Truvada, has been used for years to treat HIV patients. However, while some touted the drug as an HIV vaccine, clinical trials found it only reduced the risk of becoming infected by 75 percent. AIDS is an infectious disease caused by


SEE ADVANCEMENTS A6


shatters glass


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Young Black male leaders recognized at AWC


People B3


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