Tracy Certo
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Wordsmith, activist, founder of NEXTpittsburgh.
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Articles by Tracy Certo
AI vs. Me - Pittsburgh Quarterly
I have always loved to travel. Whether a grand tour of Europe, an exotic safari or simply a weekend away, I embrace it. And, I actually enjoy the planning — selecting destinations, flights, lodgings, itineraries, activities, restaurants, and tailoring each trip to our interests. As a child, I pored over each spiral-bound AAA TripTik and the coordinating “big” maps, highlighting our route in neon yellow, with the promise of new adventures.
20 Years of Interviews, Pt. III
Editor’s note: Since late 2005, we have interviewed many of the most interesting and noteworthy people in our “city-state of Pittsburgh” as my old editor and friend John Craig used to call this area. The number of interviews that have appeared in this magazine reaches well into the hundreds (writer Jeff Sewald alone has interviewed nearly 80).
Mystery and Reverie
“Do not (repeat: DO NOT) attempt to cross the creek during periods of high water. This is a significant waterway and the current can be very strong.” So said the Guide to the Quehanna Trail tucked in my backpack. But exactly how high was “high water”? Yes, it was spring, but it hadn’t rained for at least three days. I’d already hiked 34 miles to get to this point; backtracking would require a difficult and lengthy detour up the steep slope and over miles of rocky trail I’d just traversed.
A Wintry Forest Trail Walk in Lawrence County
About an hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh in Lawrence County, Plain Grove Fens Natural Area is a wonderful place to visit. It’s just a few miles from the Slippery Rock exit off I-79, and once you’re there, you’re greeted with a 400-acre preserve featuring a hiking trail, hardwood forest, vernal pools and woodland stream. The trail is relatively level and just under two miles out and back.
20 Years of Interviews
Douglas Heuck and Jonas Salk Editor’s note: Since late 2005, we have interviewed many of the most interesting and noteworthy people in our “city-state of Pittsburgh” as my old editor and friend John Craig used to call this area. The number of interviews that have appeared in this magazine reaches well into the hundreds (writer Jeff Sewald alone has interviewed nearly 80).
Between Fear and Freedom
“Anish! Anish! Oi, Anish! Wake up!” Phurba Dai, our sardar—the expedition leader—shouted in his deep, commanding voice. “It’s already late! Haven’t you woken up yet?” Anish, our cook, was supposed to rise early to prepare hot tea and porridge and wake the rest of the team. But there he was, still fast asleep, curled up just outside our tent, oblivious to the passing time. It was summit day, and our plan was to leave by 1 a.m., but exhaustion had taken over.
First Cruise, Last Continent: A Voyage to Antarctica
There is a language for ice. Tabulas are broad, flat-topped icebergs, and growlers are smaller bergs under three feet tall. Brash ice is a collection of floating discs that form mesmerizing patterns in the water. Then there are the bergy bits, a name that sounds like an offering from a fast-food outlet but denotes chunks of ice that can be the size of a small house.
After Years of Torment in Venezuela, Novelist Finds Refuge in Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum
Israel Centeno is haunted by nightmares of his final years in Venezuela, waking in a lurch of panic as he relives the torment he long endured. The burn of a cigarette jammed against his neck. A baseball bat smashing his car. The beating that broke his fingers. Once he was stabbed with a knife as he was leaving his apartment. Twice he was thrown in detention for seven days in isolation.
Immigrants are More Likely to Start Businesses — What that Means to Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Quarterly
In 2000, Johnny Diaz fled the Dominican Republic and the rampant corruption that hampered his business career. If you needed to get something done, he says, you had to bribe someone. He moved to Norwalk, Conn., where he got a job managing a Walmart. In the same town the following year, Grecia Vasquez was studying English as a second language when the late Hugo Chavez, then president of Venezuela, banned American currency, preventing her from using her credit card to fly home.
A Pittsburgher's Plan to Get America Back on Track
Editor’s note: Over the past 15 years, when Pittsburghers including Dan Onorato and John Fetterman have run for statewide or national office, Pittsburgh Quarterly has given them the opportunity to share their views. In this issue, U.S. Senate candidate and Pittsburgher David McCormick writes about why he’s running. I’ve always been proud to call Pittsburgh home. I was born in Washington County, just south of the city.
Annafi Wahed wants you to know both sides of an issue. Meet The Flip Side.
The article is a repost with the support of the Pittsburgh Media Partnership, a coalition of 30 local newsrooms to support and promote local journalism across the region for the public’s benefit. Annafi Wahed first realized she was living in a bubble after the results of the 2016 presidential election which surprised her and her circle of friends.
Waiting For... - Pittsburgh Quarterly
So many people waiting. In Monroeville, paramedic Dave Sherman was waiting to respond to another emergency call. In Indiana Township, Lucas Goeller was waiting for a life-saving liver transplant. In Mt. Lebanon, Emily Eagleton and Laura Handy were waiting to become parents. In East Deer Township, dozens of motorists were waiting in a construction zone. At times, we are all waiting for something. For some, the wait ends with a life-changing event.
Judge Jeffrey Manning Broke the Mold
Home › Article › Judge Jeffrey Manning Broke the Mold We lawyers who go to court participate in what amounts to a contact sport, choosing sides in an all-out adversary process. Too bad if the other side loses. Winner takes all. Justice done. Over and out. Judge Jeffrey Manning passed away this month. Back in the mid-1970s only 3 or 4 years out of law school, he typified the tough-guy, hard driving gunslinger.
Tuomas Sandholm: AI’s Benefits Far Outweigh its Dangers- Here’s Why
For Tuomas Sandholm, it’s no contest. the co-director of Carnegie Mellon University Artificial Intelligence (CMU AI) firmly believes the benefits of artificial intelligence far outweigh the downsides. “AI can make better decisions than humans, which will make the world a better place,” he says. To better understand his perspective, look at his track record.
From Mexico City to the Steel City
By Tracy Certo When Lucia Aguirre arrived at Carnegie Mellon University in the summer of 1995, she had a softer landing than most. Her entry was aided by a program called “Summer Freshmen” in which she and 12 other students started classes early, in a more intimate setting on a quieter campus for six weeks. Born and raised in Mexico City, Lucia had recently moved with her family to San Diego, but didn’t feel she fit in.
DeForrest, Singer, Diab, van Baarle, Dragga, Hembree, Rosenthal
Home › Article › DeForrest, Singer, Diab, van Baarle, Dragga, Hembree, Rosenthal Jasmin DeForrest has been named managing director of The Heinz Endowments’ Creativity Strategic Area. Previously, she was senior director for Arts and Culture at the Detroit-based Gilbert Family Foundation and has more than 20 years of experience in grantmaking, nonprofit leadership, sponsorship management, entrepreneurship and event production.
“Go to the People”
Inspired by childhood memories of accompanying his physician father and nurse mother on medical calls, Dr. Jim Withers began providing medical care to Pittsburgh’s homeless in 1992. Initially dressing as a homeless person and accompanied by a savvy formerly homeless man, “Dr. Jim” started making regular nightly rounds in alleys and under the city’s bridges. Motivated by this outreach, other clinical volunteers joined in, and “Operation Safety Net” was born.
The Oliver Building
As the Henry W. Oliver building was completed in terra cotta and granite in 1910, columnist M.E. Gable described the scene: “As you make the turn dipping into the throbbing heart of Pittsburgh, the upper reaches of the building burst upon your vision in all their beauty of architectural triumph.
"The Levy" - Pittsburgh Quarterly
Maurice (pronounced Morris) Levy was a career-long math teacher in Pittsburgh schools. He was beloved for many reasons, including his sense of humor and his unusual way of addressing students. Rather than using their first names, he called each one “Mr.” or “Miss,” teaching his students lessons about respect they didn’t even know they were learning. He was a strong supporter of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and the union’s first-ever strike in 1968.
Fighting Through Tears
written by tracy certo Grisell Espinoza was in limbo in 2014, wondering whether to stay in Pittsburgh or return to her native Venezuela where political turmoil was getting worse. Her only friend in town, a fellow Venezuelan, helped her get work at a restaurant until she could find a job in her profession as a civil engineer. But as supportive as her friend was, she still warned her: “This is a country that teaches you to cry.” Grisell, 32 at the time, was not one to cry — or so she thought.
An Evening with Rosalynn Carter
It was December 9,1979. The White House was decorated for Christmas, with its majestic, towering Christmas Tree, all ready for the annual lighting that day. What a great welcoming sight. How could this be happening to us? We were there to film First Lady Rosalynn Carter. She had agreed to do some public service commercials for us and help raise awareness and funds for the Cambodian hunger crisis. It was one of the worst hunger crises the world had ever witnessed.
Hello Neighbor - Pittsburgh Quarterly
Basel Knaineh and Maisaa Jamal Eddin fled their native Syria after Basel was imprisoned — for no reason and with no timeline, he says — at the start of the Syrian War in 2011. He spent a month in jail, frantic and bewildered, before being released as suddenly as he was detained. Desperate, he and his family of four left for Jordan, where his mother lives, and applied to the International Organization for Migration for protection.
Washington's Landing neighbors embrace new weapon in the war on spotted lanternflies
They are suddenly everywhere. As I write this, the spotted lanternflies continue their slow, silent march, invading my deck— a few black-spotted nymphs over here, two more mature, red-spotted nymphs over there. They prance across the deck railing, peer from behind the downspouts, and at times seem to drop biblically from the sky landing on … me. Here comes one now, skittering across my laptop, its pointy head held high, as if proud to find itself at the center of discussion.
The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting' premieres on HBO
The film, “A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting,” opens with a long shot of the Squirrel Hill synagogue and the sustained wail of a shofar, a ram’s horn, that is a symbolic call to action.
10 new pickleball courts are planned for Washington's Landing
Big news for the growing legion of pickleball fans in the city: 10 new pickleball courts are planned for Washington’s Landing along with two (restored) tennis courts. Funding for the project was confirmed Friday, Oct. 14, so “we’ll be able to bid the project and have everything lined up for the spring,” says Andrea Ketzel, senior landscape architect with the Department of Public Works. And more good news: The city just added courts to Bud Hammer Park in Hazelwood.
Where to play pickleball in Pittsburgh and why it’s the hottest sport around
You shouldn’t be surprised that Pittsburgh, world-famous for Heinz products and renowned for its annual Picklesburgh fest, would be all over pickleball, the hottest sport around. A combo of tennis, ping pong and badminton, the wildly popular and often addictive game is easy for all to learn, from kids to seniors. It’s also highly social since it mostly involves doubles play. And it’s a great exercise that isn’t as physically demanding as tennis.
Gamma Pickleball Classic returns to Downtown Pittsburgh bigger than ever
Photo courtesy of Gamma Sports. On a trip to Naples, Florida in 2015, Michael Wertz’s son introduced him to pickleball, a wildly popular sport that’s a combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. Since it’s easy to learn, Wertz enjoyed playing from the start and then took it a step further. As a board member of the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, with a dad suffering from Parkinson’s, Wertz was curious to see if there could be a connection between the sport and the disease.
Getting Pittsburgh Vaccinated, a Facebook group, offers everything you need to know to score an appointment
From the start, Leighann Bacher spent a lot of time online in a frustrating, nearly impossible search for Covid vaccination appointments for her family and herself (she’s 1A). Her breakthrough came when she saw someone post on Facebook about Spartan Pharmacy, with three locations in the South Hills, getting a new supply of vaccines. “And that’s how I got my dose,” she says.
Diana Nelson Jones on leaving the Post-Gazette and what's next
On Thursday, January 7, longtime and much-admired columnist Diana Nelson Jones announced her resignation from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was the day after the deadly Capitol riot, incited by President Trump, that rocked the world, and it followed a now infamous tweet by Susan Allan Block, the wife of the publisher. “I feel like we’re living in ‘Opposite World,’” Jones says when we catch up with her.
Why I sold NEXTpittsburgh
I am writing this on the last day of 2020, and the last day that I own this media site called NEXTpittsburgh. When I started it seven years ago, I had no idea it would grow to where it is today. And in that time, I still have not gotten used to the incredible support from all quarters: my wonderful staff and writers, our generous sponsors and the good people in this town who have lifted us up at every turn. I may have started this go-to resource for Pittsburgh, but I did little alone.
Our top 10 stories of 2020 including our crazy, most-read story ever
It would figure that in a crazy year like 2020, our top story would be a crazy one. We have done this feature every year since 2014 when we launched, and the #1 story has always been one that is typical of NEXTpittsburgh — say, a feature on the best restaurants that opened in the past year or top tech companies to watch in the coming year. But not this year. Of course not.
The URA's Greg Flisram and Diamonte Walker on the Covid crisis and recovery in Pittsburgh
Greg Flisram and Diamonte Walker of the URA. Photo courtesy of the URA. When the pandemic hit, organizations like the URA had to respond and adjust immediately. Eight months into the crisis, we checked in with Greg Flisram, executive director, and Diamonte Walker, deputy executive director, to see what’s working best and what they predict for 2021. How was the URA able to respond to the immediate crisis brought on by Covid and how did it change the way you do business?
Mac Miller makes Time Magazine's top 10 best songs of 2020 list
Mac Miller. Photo courtesy of MTV. In a year when good news was in short supply, we were happy to see that Mac Miller’s song, “Good News”just made the list of top 10 songs of 2020 published by Time Magazine. Miller’s song came in at #5. Here’s what Time wrote, accompanied by a must-see video that is mesmerizing.
PNC is buying BBVA USA for $11.6 billion
The Tower at PNC Plaza in Downtown Pittsburgh. PNC signed an agreement to acquire BBVA USA Bancshares for $11.6 billion to be funded with cash on hand in a fixed price structure, the bank announced today. Headquartered in Houston with $104 billion in assets, BBVA USA Bancshares provides commercial and retail banking service through its banking subsidiary BBVA USA and operates 637 branches in Texas, Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico.
The historic Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green undergoes $12 million renovation, will be the home of OneValley Innovation Center
The Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green is undergoing renovation and will soon be home to the OneValley Innovation Center. The 133-year old locomotive Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green –once used to service trains– is being transformed into a tech hub as the new home of OneValley Innovation Center.
7 questions for Cecelia Cagni on branding Pittsburgh
Cecelia Cagni, chief marketing and communications officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Cecelia Cagni has led the highly collaborative charge to brand Pittsburgh. We caught up with her to learn more about the branding of “Pittsburgh Region. Next is Now.” Why did the Allegheny Conference feel the need to brand Pittsburgh, and why now?
You answered the question: What did you start during the pandemic that you want to continue when it’s over?
We love this question for several reasons, mostly because it portends that the pandemic will come to an end. Also, it makes you wonder: will you look back on this time and wish you had done more with it? We might not love this time of our lives but it’s all we’ve got. It’s like the philosopher said of Sisyphus. Own the boulder! Think of it as making the most of the effort, not the outcome, since so much is out of our control. First, a big thanks to everyone who responded.
AlphaLab Health, a healthcare and life sciences accelerator, launches as a collaboration between AHN and Innovation Works
The newly named Allegheny General Hospital Suburban Campus in Bellevue is the home of AlphaLab Health. AlphaLabHealth, a healthcare and life sciences accelerator, will soon launch in Pittsburgh, serving as an innovation hub for the life science sector, advancing medical technologies and making early-stage investments. It’s the result of a collaboration between Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Innovation Works.
Your answers to the question: What is your greatest challenge right now?
We asked, you answered. Thanks to everyone who told us their greatest challenge right now. We got plenty of responses ranging from “staying informed of the news without going crazy” (we hear you) to “waking up at 3 a.m. unable to get back to sleep” (That was us last night.) Those who are unemployed are uber-stressed, with good reason, as are those trying to balance kids and work at home, and those who have lost loved ones and are grieving alone.
Safe Service Allegheny forms to support restaurant and food industry professionals during pandemic
Photo of DiAnoia's Eatery outdoor space by TH Carlisle. The recently formed safe restaurant group in Pittsburgh is now operating countywide. Safe Service PGH has partnered with Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association (PRLA), to form Safe Service Allegheny. The collaborative effort includes developing a member toolkit to help with guideline compliance and will provide resources to food and beverage-based businesses throughout Allegheny County.
Safe Service Allegheny forms to support restaurant and food industry professionals during pandemic
Photo of DiAnoia's Eatery outdoor space by TH Carlisle. The recently formed safe restaurant group in Pittsburgh is now operating countywide. Safe Service PGH has partnered with Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association (PRLA), to form Safe Service Allegheny. The collaborative effort includes developing a member toolkit to help with guideline compliance and will provide resources to food and beverage-based businesses throughout Allegheny County.
What is your biggest challenge right now? More questions coming from NEXTpittsburgh
We’ve never been so in this together like we are right now. And we’ve never felt more alone. So in an effort to feel a little more connected, we’re starting this semi-regular Question of the Moment asking you to tell us how you’re doing. Then we’ll report back on responses so you know how others are doing and perhaps in some way feel a part of something bigger. You see our first question here about the biggest challenge you’re facing right now.
Job Posting Instructions
Hi, and thanks for your interest in our jobs posts! Every Monday and Thursday morning, we publish the latest in hiring news in Pittsburgh then push it out in social media and include it in our e-newsletter twice a week. “We had several thousand hits and 60-some resumes as a result of our job post. It was one of our highest traffic days ever.” Flying Cork Media Make sure your job openings are seen — and widely shared — on NEXTpittsburgh. Here’s all the info you need to get started.
Check out Unspeakable, a powerful 60-second video featuring the Deaf community by Emmai Alaquiva
From the PSA "Unspeakable" by Emmai Alaquiva. The idea for “Unspeakable” began after conversations Emmai Alaquiva had with his 8-year-old daughter about the current racial climate. He was inspired by watching her make BLM signs and use art to express her feelings. Being a witness, he said he was moved to find creative ways to augment the voices that often get overlooked. The father-daughter duo takes ASL classes together and to this day, it remains very dear to their relationship.
We Can Be: Grant Oliphant talks to Tony Norman
Photo courtesy of Tony Norman. They are two Pittsburghers who have a gift for language. Tune in as Heinz Endowments President Grant Oliphant interviews the popular Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman for his latest episode of the We Can Be podcast. Norman is at his best talking about everything from the recent dust-ups at the Post-Gazette to how the Matthew Shepard murder changed him to the revolution we are undergoing today. “This is like the freedom rides on steroids,” he says.
Gov. Wolf adds restrictions to bars and restaurants while Allegheny County prioritizes who gets tests
Photo by TH Carlisle for NEXTpittsburgh Governor Wolf announced new restrictions today on bars and restaurants as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Pennsylvania. Effective at midnight Thursday, July 16, all restaurants will be operating at 25% capacity indoors and there will be no bar service without food service. Currently, Allegheny County is not permitting indoor dining. Gov.
Allegheny County Health Dept. orders restaurants, bars and casinos to close 'for in-person operations' for a week
Due to a greater-than-expected increase in COVID-19 cases — the latest daily case count of 233 — Dr. Debra Bogen has ordered bars, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos and taverns to close for in-person operations for a full week starting Friday, July 3 at 12:01 am. Takeout and delivery are still permitted, as well as to-go cocktails. The Director of the Allegheny County Health Department also ordered that gatherings and events shall be limited to a maximum of 25 individuals.
Allegheny County bans on-premises drinking in bars and restaurants due to spike in COVID-19 cases
Starting Tuesday at 5 p.m., the Allegheny County Health Dept. will restrict on-premises alcohol consumption at any business establishment in Allegheny County. “Consistent with the state’s order, masks will be required in all businesses,” according to the press release on the Allegheny County website. “The county has additionally ordered that masks in restaurants must be worn even when seated and may only be removed when eating or drinking.
Black Lives Matter mural in Downtown Pittsburgh succeeds as a collaboration. 'Creating unity through a paintbrush'
The team behind the Black Lives Matter mural in Downtown Pittsburgh. Photo by Njaimeh Njie. It started out as a message: Black Lives Matter. Painted in 12-foot high letters under a bridge and over an existing mural, it soon morphed into something else. The Black Lives Matter mural from the Allegheny River. Photo by Tracy Certo. The two who started the message — Conor Clarke, a house painter and JoshuaKrajnak, a carpenter — are the first to say they are not artists, and had not received permission.
Kyle Holbrook completes the largest mural in Pittsburgh, the Liberation Wall, which chronicles black history
Kyle Holbrook, artist and creator of Liberation Wall, in Homewood. Photo by Tracy Certo. It’s called the Liberation Wall. Kyle Holbrook started the mural in 2017 as a chronicle of Black history. He will complete it by Wednesday, three years later, now that he has added George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, recent victims of police brutality and racial violence.
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