LYnX, VFA Newsletter, Issue 27.
LYnX
The e-newsletter of Voices For Animals of Western PA
In this week's edition:
- Palin's Coming to PGH Oct 10th! VFA Calls for White Bloc to Protest!
- URGENT! Emails to Council Members Needed Now on City Vista!
- North Huntingdon Goose Hunts End...Few Geese Killed
- Volunteers Needed to Help Local Bird Rehabber
- Note About Tiger Ranch Donations
Palin Coming to Town... Join the White Bloc Against Sarah!
Mark your calendars...WPXI announced last night that Sarah Palin will be in Pittsburgh on the afternoon/evening of Friday October 10th for a fundraiser (tickets $1000 and up) at the Westin Convention Center on Penn Avenue, downtown.
A group of symbolically-attired Polar Bears Against Palin (sorry no look-alike costumes) will be there to greet the Vice-Presidential candidate with probably the worst combined environmental and animal welfare record in political history. The Humane Society of the United States Legislative Fund website states: "Her record is so extreme that she has perhaps done more harm to animals than any other current governor in the United States."
Sarah Palin will be at the Westin Convention Center on Penn Avenue, downtown, for a fundraiser event starting at 4 pm on Friday October 10th. Polar Bears Against Palin request that anyone planning to protest Palin that day - whatever your specific objections to her policies - WEAR ALL WHITE in solidarity with the polar bears, wolves and the Alaskan wildlife and environment threatened by Palin's close ties to the oil, gas and sporthunting industries. Tip: thrift stores are great, sweatshop-free sources of all-white clothing!
If you want to be one of the Polar Bears Against Palin, let us know. If you don't usually feel comfortable with protests, consider just coming along and standing in solidarity, in white...
Further details soon. For information, email Voices For Animals at: voicesforanimals@gmail.com
For detailed information on Sarah Palin's record on animal and environmental issues, visit:
http://www.defendersactionfund.org/newsroom/sarah_palin.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/9/17/sarah_palin_and_global_warming_alaska
URGENT: Planning Commission OK's City Vista. Please Email Council Members Now!
At last week's Zoning Board meeting, commissioners regrettably voted to approve the re-zoning needed for the City Vista development project, which residents of the Chicken Hill district have been opposing with vigor. It was not a unanimous vote though. Two commissioners did vote against the project, and one made his opposition particularly clear.
Here's an article by Post Gazette writer Diana Nelson-Jones, published the day before the vote:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08266/914028-53.stm
It's far from over yet though. The plan still has to be approved by City Council, and Chicken Hill residents and local wildlife really need your support. PLEASE, if you are a city resident, email your council member today and tell them you strongly oppose the development of the site. Tell them it doesn't fit with the City's policy of valuing and preserving Green Spaces. Tell them it will destroy the character of the Chicken Hill neighborhood (this is an important point in re-zoning a site). Tell them also that the man-made pond at the site is not "3 inches deep" as claimed by the developers and that it serves as a year-round water source for deer, turkeys, ducks and even muskrats. The old golf range also serves as a nesting ground for several species of field-nesting birds. Removal of the water source and the large-scale building work involved are extremely likely to scare panicked deer across nearby I-279. Here are some other talking points - pick a few when you write, it is helpful to make your objections as broad-ranging as possible.
- traffic on Greentree Road is already extremely busy. By doubling the population of the neighborhood, traffic problems will be greatly aggravated.
- safety is a huge issue. Children play on the streets in Chicken Hill and new condo residents in a hurry to avoid traffic lights and get on to Greentree Road faster are extremely likely to use other residential roads. Widening the road a little, as proposed by the developers, is not a solution to that problem.
- Chicken Hill is characterized by its unique mix of rural and quiet residential. Many residents chose to live there for that reason precisely. The new development will totally disrupt the feel of the area.
- undermining at the site is extensive and many residents are concerned that testing has not been extensive enough.
- at the September hearing, the developer's local representative admitted that they were not sure they could actually sell the condos! She said that six months earlier they could have said yes, but not any more. And that was before the current financial crisis... So there is the prospect of ruining the area, the woodland, the water source... only to be left with an ugly, uninhabited shell of a development.
- the City should focus on developing existing brownfield sites, not destroying valued green spaces and woodland.
- the developers claim this is a "park-and-ride" development, but local buses are already standing room only. The Florida-based developers seem to think the Port Authority might provide more buses for its new condo residents (!)... in a situation where the entire regional public transport system is crumbling. Uhum...
The developer in question - SouthStar Development - has a reputation for getting its way elsewhere in the country, frequently managing to secure permission to build on wetlands and other sensitive sites. It's important for City residents to stand up to this type of development. Money shouldn't be allowed to prevail over environmental and neighborhood concerns.
Also, if you live in State District 27, then you have a special edge! Please email Councilman Dan Deasy. He is currently the Council rep for Chicken Hill, but he is running for State Congress, District 27. Tell him you are watching his vote on City Vista to see how prepared he is to stick up for residents' interests and environmental issues over the interests of corporate developers. That will determine your support for him in the state election. The 27th District includes: 20th and 28th Wards of Pittsburgh, Crafton, Ingram, Dormont, McKees Rocks, Stowe, Glenfield, Neville Island, Avalon, Ben Avon and Emsworth.
You can find your Council representative here: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/council
Please support Chicken Hill residents and wildlife and email today!
North Huntingdon Goose Hunts Over...Geese Outwit Hunters
Thanks to a very devoted North Huntingdon resident, there was an observer present at all six North Huntingdon Canada goose hunts through September. We reported on the fact that two geese were seen to be killed during the first hunt, possibly others on take-off (non-visible) but the vast majority of the flock got away. After that... no geese were ever present on the lake on hunt mornings, although strangely they did visit the lake on other days of the week. Observers had to leave on the last day (Thursday 25th) at 10 am leaving the hunters still on site until 11 am (we have jobs and apparently they don't), but with the exception of one lone goose who made a couple of visits to apparently "check out" the site, keeping away from shooting range, no geese came near the lake during the three hours we were there. In short huntsman spent a total of about 30 hours at the lake, killed a handful of geese, and did absolutely nothing to "manage the population." We can't cry victory on this since some birds were pointlessly killed, but Voices For Animals is confident in predicting that the geese will be there in just as large numbers unless North Huntingdon's board of commissioners finally commits to a real policy of humane, integrated goose management. We hope to speak to the new township manager soon to try and persuade him in that direction.
Volunteers Needed!
We asked for volunteers last month to help with an end-of-season clean-up at Wild Bird Recovery, near Mars PA... That had to be canceled due to an unexpected influx of guinea fowl who needed to be housed in the cage area in question. We're re-scheduling for Saturday October 18th and we need at least four people. If you can spare a few hours that day to help a rehabber who takes in many birds from VFA every year, we would really appreciate it. It's also your chance to meet some of the other VFA volunteers, not to mention a few interesting birds. Transport will be provided. Times will be arranged to suit volunteers but we will have you back in Pittsburgh by late afternoon. If you're interested, please contact us at voicesforanimals@gmail.com
Update on Tiger Ranch Shelter Donations
Thank you to everyone who has been donating supplies for the Tiger Ranch cats at the Clarion shelter. We really appreciate these donations! Remember that donations of bleach, wet and dry premium cat food, cat litter, and paper towels can be dropped off locally at the two collection bins set up at Construction Junction (Point Breeze)-right after the entrance, behind the blackboard. When dropping off a donation, it has been asked of us that the bins are securely sealed to avoid our rat friends from getting a free lunch. Please be sure to close the lids firmly after you leave so that they are completely sealed. Thank you!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Friday, October 10th: "Polar Bears Against Palin" Protest, Westin Convention Center, Downtown (time TBA)
Saturday, November 1st, 5:30 PM-7:00 PM: Ringling Bros. Circus Protest, Mellon Arena, Downtown
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Voices for Animals of Western Pennsylvania
Post Office Box 2751
Pittsburgh, PA 15230
1-877-321-4VFA
VoicesForAnimals@gmail.com
www.vfa-online.org
www.pghfoiegras.com
www.pefinder.com/shelters/PA360.html
-Lindsay