This is a rare Saturday update. Alert Reader John has found the trailer for the upcoming documentary about Our Fair City, which was mentioned in the Almanac on Wednesday, and Eric Slagle of the Post-Gazette had a story in Thursday's paper.
The trailer is here. Go watch it. I'll wait.
(Jason whistles tunelessly, checks watch.)
. . .
OK, welcome back.
First things first: In the interest of full disclosure, I was approached last year and asked to help on this project. I met with the philanthropist funding the film, Arthur N. Rupe, as well as Jim Hubbard of American Film Renaissance, who was helping Rupe find a director and screenwriter. I also met with someone doing research for the film.
Mr. Rupe is the founder of Specialty Records and promoted early African-American rock 'n roll talents like Little Richard and Sam Cooke when few mainstream labels would record them. He also gave a young musician named Sonny Bono his start in the music business and one of his employees was Barrett Hansen, aka "Dr. Demento."
If you know that I love '50s R&B and rock, you may also know that I worship the ground that Dr. Demento walks on. To put it bluntly, Art Rupe is one of my heroes. Talking with him was one of the great thrills of my life, and I had to restrain myself from giggling like an idiot.
After selling Specialty Records, Rupe went onto greater success as an entrepreneur in real estate and other fields. He's used his income to fuel a heck of a lot of charitable concerns, and has done a heck of a lot of good, including here in the Mon-Yough area.
Nevertheless, it was obvious to me that I wasn't the right person to help on this project. First of all, my number one priority was finishing the Murphy book. Second, I know nothing about filmmaking or script-writing. (Mr. Mamajek never even let me run the projector in high school.) And third, it was clear that Rupe and Hubbard are working from a different political perspective from mine.
But there are no sour grapes at Tube City Online. There is sour cream, sauerkraut, there are even atomic sour balls, but no sour grapes.
. . .
Earlier this week, I noted that I had made the mistake of mentioning Michael Moore's Roger & Me to Rupe and Hubbard and got my ears blistered.
I was about 15 when Roger & Me debuted, and I saw it with my mother at the Rainbow Cinema in White Oak. We kept nudging each other throughout the film because it rang so true to what was happening in McKeesport. When the movie ended, mom said "they could have made that movie here."
As a documentary, Roger & Me is deeply flawed and often dishonest. But Moore captured the feeling of living in a milltown when the mill shuts down as few others have ever done. Since then, Moore's done some shabby work and has become a parody of himself, and that makes me sad.
The director of the upcoming McKeesport film, Michael Wilson, is also the director of Michael Moore Hates America. Hubbard is the co-founder of American Film Renaissance, which was launched in 2004 as a conservative film festival designed to balance out Hollywood's liberal bias.
Now, I'm no leftist. In fact, a number of people in the local "indymedia" collective think I'm a reactionary. I do believe, however, in the value of public education, trade unionism, separation of church and state, and sensible government regulation, and I think the country has gone too far in the opposite direction.
I think you understand why I wished Rupe and Hubbard every possible success and offered any help I could. I even suggested a list of people they might talk to. But I didn't think in my heart of hearts that I should work on this project.
. . .
Anyway, I watched the trailer. Wilson told Slagle that he is not making a political film, and that it is nothing like Michael Moore Hates America (which, by the way, got generally good notices). Says Wilson:
"One of the things that concerned me about the town was that the government is stepping in and doing this top-down development and that, to me, seems wrong. I believe the government should be involved in as little as possible. But I think there is a point that you get to in a city like McKeesport, where, if that doesn't happen, the city is doomed.
"They're kind of doing it the right way," he added. "They're building infrastructure here ... but they're also giving business big tax breaks."
One of the men's stores in Our Fair City --- I think it was David Israel, but it could have been Kadar's --- used to run an "ugly tie contest" on Father's Day to play up the stereotype that kids always got dad a tie for Christmas and his birthday. The owner of the "ugliest tie" (which was put on display) got a prize each year.
I actually tried to get one going this year in cooperation with a local disc jockey who has a men's wear store as a sponsor, but the store said "no way." The owner said he didn't want to be associated at all with the word "ugly," which kind of misses the point. Maybe I'll try again next year, but there are few local men's wear stores around any more.
I wouldn't participate because I think I would have a good chance of winning. I've always worked jobs where I had to wear a tie, if not every day than at least on a regular basis, and while the regular rotation is fairly new and sedate, there are a few real "clinkers."
In fact, my hobby for a few years has been scouring the thrift stores and buying ties from defunct local stores, and since many of them faded out in the 1970s and early '80s, I've got a few beauties. Big, wide polyester jobs from Cox's and Gimbels, and skinny narrow knit ones, too.
Most of them are so hideous they can't possibly be worn, but a few do appear from time to time --- for instance, that royal blue job with the fluorescent orange swirls that's in the picture. That'll wake up your co-workers on Monday morning. It makes me smile every time I wear it.
Surprisingly few people ever say, "That's one ugly tie, Jason." They must think I just have terrible taste, and I do, but that's not the point. I know these ties are ugly. That's why I like 'em.
Recent news reports indicate that "casual days" are falling out of fashion as employers institute dress codes again, and that means ties. I can't wait.
I've got a lime-green job from Troutman's in Greensburg that's going to knock the boss's eyes out.
. . .
Speaking of Ugly: As an Alert Reader told me, "Anytime someone says something isn't a racial issue, you can bet it's a racial issue." Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the town meeting at West Mifflin High School last night, which is just as well, because my brain would have exploded. Read the stories in the Tribune-Review and Post-Gazette and see if your brain doesn't cramp, too.
More than 150 people showed up to complain about the idea that the state might force West Mifflin Area High School to accept students from the now-closed Duquesne High School. According to the papers, only one lonely woman showed up to speak in favor of the plan.
I have no proof that this a racial issue --- and maybe it isn't. But in any case, this wild and vocal reaction doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense.
First of all, we're talking 200 students total. That's 50 per grade. That's two homerooms per grade, tops.
Second, the line between Duquesne and West Mifflin is invisible. If Duquesne's school system goes down the drain, we condemn future generations to poverty and the city to an endless spiral of decay.
That's going to run down West Mifflin, because the problems will keep spreading up the hill. West Mifflin should have a vested interest in Duquesne's well-being for no other reason than self-preservation.
Third, the idea that West Mifflin School District is "overcrowded" seems suspicious. West Mifflin has at least one school building completely empty and has sold off several others. The Mon-Yough area is bleeding population. Where's this "overcrowding" coming from?
Finally, if there were "tensions" between West Mifflin and Duquesne before, as some parents fear, they sure as hell have been aggravated now. West Mifflin has spent the last year basically telling Duquesne students and their parents that they're not good enough for West Mifflin schools. If the state does force West Mifflin into a merger with Duquesne, PTA meetings are going to be awfully tense.
This could have been avoided. Instead of Pittsburgh Public Schools managing the Duquesne district, West Mifflin could have entered an agreement to run the district, sharing office personnel and jointly purchasing supplies. Support staff could eventually have been shared as well.
Slowly, Duquesne students could have been sent on a tuition basis to West Mifflin schools --- perhaps starting with the younger grades --- until a merger was effected in a few years.
But that didn't happen. And instead of being focused on education, we're focused on ways to keep us more separate. Who suffers? The students of Duquesne High School, and ultimately our whole Mon-Yough region.
Do you know why Pittsburgh lags the rest of the country in entrepreneurship and economic development? One huge reason is that talented people of all races look around at our segregated neighborhoods and get the hell out of here.
Bang! There goes one more toe. Shall we try shooting ourselves in the other foot now?
. . .
To Do This Weekend: The Greater Pittsburgh Soap Box Derby will be held Sunday morning along Eden Park Boulevard near McKeesport Area High School. Racing gets underway at 9 a.m. Visit its website for details ... McKeesport Symphony will hold a free concert at the Renzie Park bandshell at 7 p.m. Sunday as part of the city's summer concert series. Call (412) 664-2854.
Letter to the editor, "No response from Village," McKeesport, Pa., Daily News, June 13, 2007, p. 6:
I am still upset and very disappointed with the McKeesport International Village. I thought they would get back to me with a response to my letter, but nothing. I still cannot believe how they feel they are right about not letting us dance because we are not ethnic enough.
Western Square Dancing had been around for a very long time, with people of all nationalities performing this dance. But you people in charge of entertainment feel we are not ethnic enough. But most of all we are Americans, which should give us the right to dance.
Ethnic people are allowed to perform, but we Americans are only allowed to pay to get in and pay for food and spend our money on all the ethnic people. Once again, we think you are really wrong. Once again we Americans are pushed aside and let these foreigners have their way with America and you at the Village are backing them. (...)
I think everyone who agrees with me, please let me know. I really feel like a lot of you feel the same as we do. Write to the Daily News and let them know about how you feel about us Americans being pushed aside ...
Martha Bradley
Elizabeth Twp.
P.S.: Everyone is talking about Pittsburgh Mayor Opie "Luke" Ravenstahl trying to get his picture taken with a tiger.
Didn't that happen back in March here at Tube City Almanac?
A film crew is in McKeesport right now doing preliminary work on a proposed feature-length documentary about Our Fair City. I've known about this for some time, but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say anything.
Well, one of the members of the crew posted the information on his blog yesterday, so I guess the cat is out of the bag.
I don't want to spill too many beans (mixed-metaphor alert: a cat is out of the bag spilling beans) because I don't know if I'm supposed to, but a prominent philanthropist with McKeesport roots is underwriting the project. At last report, the documentary was going to look at the city's history and the challenges that have faced it since the steel mill closings of the 1980s.
Maybe this will do for McKeesport what Groundhog Day did for Punxsutawney. (On the other hand, I suppose it could also do for McKeesport what Jaws did for beach vacations.)
Just don't mention Roger & Me, which examined the effect that the decline of the auto industry had on Flint, Mich. I made the mistake of making that comparison with someone involved in the McKeesport project and my ears are still ringing.
. . .
Speaking of History: I have a confession to make. I've gotten a sneak peek at the new history book compiled by the McKeesport Heritage Center.
It's not supposed to be released until June 26, but a little birdie let me see an advance copy. It's a real beaut.
The book is being printed by Arcadia Publishing, a South Carolina-based company that has turned quickie history books into a cottage industry. You've seen Arcadia's sepia-toned paperbacks at the book store --- they currently have volumes out about Duquesne, Homestead, Greensburg, Latrobe and the Pitt Panthers, among other topics.
(I even saw one last week about Forest Hills. You wouldn't think there would be enough old photos to fill a book, but there are.)
My problem with some of the Arcadia books, as I've mentioned before, has been their uneven quality. Some of the books are excellent, but others are padded out with poor-quality photos, multiple views of the same subject, or blurry postcards; I have a feeling Arcadia will print whatever you send them.
That's not the case with the McKeesport book, which is titled, fittingly, McKeesport, and I don't think my reaction is mere chauvinism. Volunteers at the Heritage Center obviously took a lot of time compiling and selecting the images, many of which are of exceptionally high quality.
The Heritage Center has an extensive photo library that includes many pictures donated by the late Irv Saylor, longtime chief photographer of the Daily News. Add the G.C. Murphy Co. archives, photos taken by the Redevelopment Authority, and many, many others donated, and they have a deep selection of professional quality shots available.
If you grew up around here, you've seen some of them before, like the photo of the ill-fated pedestrian mall on Fifth Avenue in the early 1960s. But many others have probably never been published before --- like family photos from prominent and not-so-prominent local residents, for instance.
This is not a full-blown history of McKeesport. It's a photo book, and the information is contained in the captions. But as an inexpensive reference source it's going to be invaluable. And because it's mostly pictures, it's a lot of fun to look through.
Besides the obvious nostalgia value this will have for current and former residents, I hope it becomes a teaching tool for kids to learn about local history.
While the book will be sold in stores and online, Ellen Show of the Heritage Center says they would appreciate it if you'd buy it from there --- the proceeds will more directly support their activities. To reserve a copy, call (412) 678-1832 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The book costs $20, payable at delivery.
After June 26, the book will be on sale in the Heritage Center, 1832 Arboretum Drive, Renzie Park.
Tell 'em Tube City Almanac sent you. You won't get a discount or anything, but tell 'em anyway.
Today, in lieu of useful content, it's more alleged humor from my alleged radio show.
This is a clip from Sunday night's travesty broadcast, but the bit is actually a rerun from a couple of months ago. I reused it for reasons that will become obvious if you listen.
The link opens in a new window.
Josh Yohe is off Bob Nutting's Christmas card list.
Yohe's column from Friday's Daily News isn't online, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say it was on-target and pulled no punches.
Like many sportswriters and baseball fans, he's disgusted at the way that Nutting, chairman and majority stockholder of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is running (or is that ruining?) the team.
They're disappointed that the team didn't draft star prospect Matt Wieters because he would have cost too much to sign. They accuse Nutting of putting a cheap product on the field at the expense of quality.
If Nutting is running the Pirates to make them as cheap as possible, it should come as no surprise. "Cheapness" has been a virtue of his family newspaper chain for decades.
Ogden Newspapers dominates West Virginia (according to one estimate, it sells nearly one in every four newspapers in the state) and southern Ohio, and it has properties in other parts of the country as well, including several in central Pennsylvania, like the Altoona Mirror.
I've seen probably 10 or 12 different Ogden newspapers on a semi-regular basis over the years. They're not the worst newspapers I've ever seen, and there are some real bright spots among them.
Unfortunately, however, many Ogden papers look slapped-together; instead of local news coverage, they're stuffed with cheaper syndicated features. Chris Stirewalt, a commentator for WBOY-TV, the NBC affiliate in Clarksburg, says the Ogden chain's key to success has been "lean newsrooms and aggressive ad sales" which has left many West Virginia towns with a newspaper that "reads like a Rotary Club bulletin and is staffed by those too busy to think."
I've been told candidly by ex-Ogden reporters that the line between the "news," "editorials," and "advertising" is thin to non-existent. Last year, to cite one notorious example, the newspapers "sponsored" a visit by President Bush to Wheeling.
Certainly I've seen a lot of "stories" in Ogden papers that seemed to boost particular local businesses by name. I don't know for sure, but I suspect those stories were a reward to the businesses for advertising in the papers.
It's one thing to print "advertorial" stories if you clearly label them as paid content, but it's a little bit distasteful when you don't disclose that to your readers.
There are some very talented, dedicated people working at Ogden Newspapers --- I've known some of them --- who turn out quality journalism. But unless they're very dedicated to the communities they cover, few people can afford to make a living on the penurious salaries Ogden pays reporters.
There's been little written in the big journalism "watchdog" magazines about Ogden's operating style, possibly because it's a privately held company that operates mainly in very small towns, out of the view of the news media "experts" in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
But the company's holdings also include larger markets like Wheeling, where Ogden owns both the morning and evening papers; and Fort Wayne, Ind., where they bought the afternoon News-Sentinel. I've never been to Fort Wayne, but I've been to Wheeling, and the Ogden papers there (the News-Register and the Intelligencer) don't look like the products of a media market large enough to be rated by both Arbitron and Nielsen. They certainly don't look like the flagships of a big media conglomerate.
I give Ogden a lot of credit for keeping two newspapers operating in places like Wheeling, Parkersburg and Fort Wayne. Not many publishers are willing to do that. In many Appalachian towns, Ogden's resources have probably kept alive papers that might otherwise have failed under independent ownership.
On the other hand, Ogden's dominance in West Virginia has arguably kept out potential competitors. And although the Mountaineer State could use some quality, hard-hitting journalism, that's not likely to happen under Ogden's penny-pinching ways.
Bemoan the woeful Pirates all you want --- they stink out loud. While I've been a Pirates fan since grade school, like Bob Braughler, I don't intend to spend a dime on them until they try --- try --- to become competitive. (And don't tell me about "small-market teams" when Cleveland and Milwaukee are leading their divisions.)
But the Nutting family's supposed stinginess with the Pirates is just part of a pattern that hundreds of writers and editors in Ohio and West Virginia have seen before. And while I'd like to see the Pirates winning, I suspect people in places like Wheeling would be more interested in seeing better quality news coverage.
. . .
(P.S.: I guess you can add to the long list of newspapers where I'm persona non grata.)
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