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Public Services
AGH Suburban Campus
Ten BHCF Board members attended a meeting on April 22nd with officials from West Penn Allegheny to hear plans for the future of the Bellevue hospital. Rumors abound about changes that are going to take place soon, so AGH wanted to allay fears that the site will be closed. They have been doing a “Listening Tour” of the affected neighborhoods explaining why changes must be made and promising to maintain that portion of medical service which the local community needs and will support.
Staff members Debbie Caplan, Dawn Gideon, Peg McCormick Baron, and Kim Sperring talked through a slide presentation outlining the problems facing the facility and the proposed solutions. They explained that the resources committed to the site must match the needs of the community so that the hospital can remain vital and be able to provide care to the local neighborhoods.
The officials were adamant that:
· The Commitment to the North Boroughs will continue
· AGH will not abandon the building
· If the Inpatient side closes, an Urgent Care Center will be established. A number of services will remain such as laboratories for testing, doctor’s offices, and Urgent Care. Without inpatient beds, there can be no full Emergency Department, but continuing Urgent Care will mean that the first four levels of trauma care could be addressed there, with only the most serious cases needing to go to a full service hospital.
Board members attending the meeting and speaking to the concerns of Brighton Heights were: Pete & Joan Bellisario, Janice Johns, Tom Kaylor, Cathy Kernan, Donna Kramer, Gert Long, Ray Meyer, Peggy Urzua, and Helen Wehner.
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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) |
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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Comes to Brighton Heights!!
New Board Member Kelly Day has succeeded in finding an organic farm interested in serving the Brighton Heights area. Kretschmann Farms begins its distribution season on June 1st and it runs through November 19th. That is 25 weeks of delivery of fresh, organic, locally grown produce to the participants. Each share will be an assortment based on what is fresh and in season / available at the time.
Please contact the farm directly if you would like to participate in the program. They will work out payment arrangements with you and help you decide on the right size share for your family’s needs. You may want to consider going in with a friend or relative and sharing the harvest each week, as the supply of produce may be too large for a small family. The shares will be delivered weekly to Kelly Day’s house on Antrim St. and you will be able to pick them up there during the allocated timeslot (TBD). Please see the web site or contact Kelly Day directly at (412) 298-1517 for more information about the program.
Don or Becky Kretschmann
257 Zeigler Rd
Rochester, PA 15074
(724) 452-7189
don@kretschmannfarm.com
Small Share $525 $21 a week
Medium Share 625 25 a week
Large Share 750 30 a week
Half Share 303 21 every other week (+ $30 surcharge)
$75 deposit due in May
Half of total cost due June 1st Other half due Aug 17th
Here is a list of some of the products that will be offered as they come in season:
Early in the season there will be spinach, lettuce, strawberries, onions, beets, fresh herbs, kale… Midsummer you would see peppers, tomatoes, new potatoes, broccoli, sweet corn, blueberries, lettuce, squash… Late season brings apple cider, spinach, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets, cauliflower… In the Fall, they have larger quantities of potatoes, carrots, apples, cabbage, and beets which can be stored for later use.
As a bonus, Kretschmann Farms also includes recipes with the deliveries of the week so that you get ideas of how to incorporate new vegetables into your family’s menus.
CSA – Community Supported Agriculture Just some facts about joining a CSA:It is a way to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. He offers “shares” to the public consisting of a box of vegetables or farm products every week during the growing season. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership”) and in return receive an amount of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.Advantages for the farmer:- Gets to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin- Receives payment early in the season which helps with the farm’s cash flow- Has an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food he growsAdvantages for the consumer:- Eats ultra-fresh, organic food with all the flavor and vitamin benefits- Gets exposed to new vegetable and new ways of cooking- Can get to visit the farm and develop a relationship with the farmer if desired All CSA’s aren’t the same and some include more than the vegetables that will be in our program this year. There is an important concept woven into the CSA model that takes the arrangement beyond the usual commercial transaction. That is the notion of shared risk. If a hailstorm wipes out all the peppers, then everyone is disappointed and together they make up for it with other produce like squash and broccoli. Most CSA farmers feel a great sense of responsibility to their members. Tips for potential CSA members:- Don’t expect all your produce to come from the CSA – you will most likely want to supplement at a little from the grocery store, especially the staples like onions, garlic, and carrots.- If you are not used to eating seasonally, do some research. In most cases the first crops will be salad greens, peas, green onions and the like. By the end of the season, the boxes should be much heavier with things like winter squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and broccoli.- Quantity varies – good to ask up front. Your farmer may be willing to adjust some items to suit your taste, but remember, this not shopping in a grocery store. The weather and other mitigating circumstances may get in the way of the farmers ability to provide the ideal amount for the particular community. You may get to be very popular in your neighborhood by sharing your excesses.- If you want to preserve food for winter, ask the farmer if he can provide extra quantities of certain vegetables for canning or freezing.- Make sure you understand the policies of the farm you will be working with, such as what happens if you don’t pick up your box of food right away. It is best for you and for the host family who will be providing the delivery spot for the farmer, and who most likely will need to reclaim their porch and avoid having to guard boxes not picked up in a timely fashion. Make sure you know how situations are dealt with before the season starts.- Consider going in together with a friend or family member for a start until you learn how the system works for you,
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Political Representatives |
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In ten minutes, residents can get to Allegheny General Hospital, one of the largest and most reputable hospitals in the area. Life Flight, an air evacuation system that utilizes three helicopters to transfer critically ill and injured patients from across the area to the hospital’s emergency room, complements a first-rate trauma unit. Also close by is Allegheny Suburban Hospital in Bellevue. In fact, residents are close to Pittsburgh’s entire medical community, known worldwide for its premiere physicians, facilities and research centers. There are 15 hospitals in the city alone, and none are more than 30 minutes away from Brighton Heights residents. |
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Fire Safety / Emergency Medical Service |
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Residents are protected by a paid, full-time team of firefighters at Engine Company No 35 located in the neighborhood on Orchlee Street. Two nearby fire companies provide 24-hour back-up service. The Orchlee Street fire station is also one of the 29 First Responder units located throughout the city. Beyond Fire emergencies, the station is equipped to answer 911 emergency medical calls when needed. While paramedics are on route, these neighborhood firefighters are certified to arrive at the scene and perform basic CPR, first-aid and other procedures in those critical moments before an ambulance arrives.
Paramedic Stations No 4 and No 10, which are located in nearby Northside neighborhoods, both serve Brighton Heights. On average, ambulances arrive on the scene within six minutes after a call is placed. |
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