brook park newsletter june 2021 red

BROOK PARK NEWSLETTER www.brookparkmanor.com 1

Brook Park Jour nalA PUBLICATION OF THE BROOK PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION JUNE 2021 ISSUE 6

JUNE 2021 IN THIS ISSUE

2021 BP Grad Highlights……2-5 Board of Governors.....................9 Classifieds…………………..9-13 Days of Celebration………… 7 Food Truck Schedule………… 7 Garage Sale Recap……………. 6 Neighborhood Survey Result….6 New Neighbor Announcement….6 Reviews……………………… 8 Tips from the Pros…………… 8

CONGRATULATIONS GRADS!

Brook Park Graduates 2021 The Class of 2021 has faced more unique challenges than any class before or after them. Their junior year was shut down 2/3 of the way through, and the pandemic required these students to be flexible, patient, resilient and persistent in ways we never could have expected. They were all virtual, asynchronous, hybrid cohorts, synchronous and everything in between. But, YOU DID IT! We all did it, and your neighbors here in Brook Park are proud of you and excited for your futures. This year more than ever, the saying “it takes a village" really proved to be true. We are proud to be your village and wish ALL of our graduates the best of luck.

Please note that there are many more graduates who are not featured here; this simply means they and their parents are still caught up in the graduation excitement, which is always a whirlwind and especially in 2021! We love you all! Congratulations!

http://www.brookparkmanor.com


A PUBLICATION OF THE BROOK PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION JUNE 2021 ISSUE 6

Campbell Schweninger, NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: University of Pittsburgh Fav Brook Park Memory: Riding my bike to the pool & meeting friends

Ali Morrison, NA Class of 2021 Next steps: attending the University of Florida - Go Gators! Fav Brook Park Memory: swim meets

Kendall Trunzo, NA Class of 2021 Kendall will attend John Carroll and double major in accounting and criminology. She will also play collegiate softball for John Carroll Fav Brook Park Memory: Playing cops & robbers at the Deible’s house and working at Brook Park Pool!

Charlie Deible, NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: Attending Humboldt University in Arcata, CA Fav Brook Park Memory: Sledding into the pond at the golf course in first grade!

We are SO

PROUD of our Brook Park

Grads!




Joe Hunker, NA Class of 2021 Joe will be heading to Case Western Reserve University to study engineering Fav Brook Park Memory: Trick or Treating with neighborhood friends

Lucas Rodgers, NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: Penn State Behrend, Engineering Fav Brook Park Memory: Getting together with friends and neighbors at night to play Capture the Flag

Kristen Snyder, NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: Penn State Main, Mathematics major Fav Brook Park Memory: Fun times at the pool with friends!

David Lessure, NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: Carnegie Mellon University, STEM focus Fav Brook Park Memory: Having bus stop parties at the end of the year and being greeted with squirt guns



Nova Kroll, NA Class of 2021 Nova will be attending US Air Force Academy following completion of the USAFA Falcon Scholar Academy prep school program at Georgia Military College Fav Brook Park Memory: Playing and marching in the neighborhood Halloween parade


Kiera Wilkinson, NA Class of 2021 Kiera will be attending the College Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati, majoring in Music Education Fav Brook Park Memory: Playing and marching in the neighborhood Halloween parade

Brooke Visconti, NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: Duquesne University Fav Brook Park Memory: Good times at Brook Park Pool!

Megan Pine, NA Class of 2021 Megan will attend SRU Honors College 3+3 Physical Therapy Program Fav Brook Park Memory: Spending time with friends




Steven Bruschi Seton Hall University Class of 2021 Next steps: Masters Degree at Duquesne University

Justin Weidinger Malone University BA in Zoo & Wildlife Biology Next Steps: Get a job working with animals in a zoo! Fav Brook Park Memory: Swimming at Brook Park Pool & Playing baseball in the street

Ashley Weidinger NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: BS in Nursing at Robert Morris University Fav Brook Park Memory: Swimming at the Brook Park Pool in the summer and playing in the cul-de-sac

Congrats to ALL of our Brook Park Grads!

Jennie Hollo NA Class of 2021 Next Steps: Art Education Major at Chatham University



GARAGE SALE RECAP This year’s bi-annual garage sale was, by all counts, a rousing success! 43 families signed up and many more added on. All it took was an attic/garage full of stuff and a red balloon. 30 signs dotted the neighborhood and maps were readily available. Ads brought in lots of outside and inside shoppers. The sunny day was helpful, too. Thanks to all who bought and sold!

NEW NEIGHBOR WELCOMEPlease give a warm Brook Park Welcome to Katie Clark and her fiancé, Joe Flynn (getting married in September) who just moved to Harvest Manor. They have two children - Ella and Mikey. "We absolutely love it here!!! Hoping to get out more soon now that the house is a bit more put together!” Welcome to Brook Park!

BROOK PARK SOCIAL SURVEY: Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our social group and event survey! Between the two platforms, we had 112 responses and many great ideas.

Of our current social groups, Bunco, Creative Cooking and 6-Pack & a Snack were the groups with the most interest for future seasons. Of those surveyed, more than half have not participated in any groups, citing mostly they did not have the time or they are new to the neighborhood as reasons why. Of our current events, Luminaries, Halloween Parade and Holiday Bonfire were the events people indicated they had attended, as well as were interested in returning, the most. Don’t worry, nothing is getting cut. Of special note was Kid Connection, our neighborhood play group. It looks like Kid Connection will return, AND a new branch may be added that more closely matches working parents’ schedules. As long as we can find coordinators, both can be offered.

What else could be added?

The last four questions of our survey asked you to offer your suggestions of groups and events YOU would like to see added, and suggest you did! It was wonderful to see all of the ideas! It is exciting to think about what we may be offering! Rather than list each response, results can be seen in the chart in our Google doc. Those in bold are ideas that were offered three or more times.

We have some fantastic ideas to add to our neighborhood fun. Which caught your attention? With all of the above groups and events, they cannot happen without organizers. We heartily thank all our residents who have given their time to organize these events in the past! Now, we need some new organizers to step up! Often, getting the ball rolling means nothing more than sending out the first email. If you are interested in seeing one of these ideas come to life, reach out to Heather Byers at [email protected]. She can help you take the first steps in making this happen.

It is exciting to see people’s ideas and imagine what could be! We look forward to watching these ideas come to life and Heather is looking forward to working with you to make this happen!

*If you are interested in reading the raw data, please reach out to [email protected] and she will be glad to forward you the numbers.


Groups Events

Walking (75% want walking groups)

Christmas cookie swap

Gardening Block parties

Needle crafting (knitting, quilting, etc.)

Golf outing

Golf Field Day @ Old Orchard

Fantasy football league Clean-up days

Sports watch Axe throwing

Yoga/Tai Chi Khalahari trip

Outdoor adventuring (hiking, kayaking, biking trails)

Scavenger hunt

Art (painting, photography) Mini-golf

Geocaching Art/craft show

Board/card games Photo challenge/scavenger hunt

Pickleball Sunrise/set watch gatherings

Cornhole Snow figure challenge

Astronomy Movies

Sports (basketball, tennis, softball, etc.)

Progressive dinner or cocktails

Faith based group Race

Woodworking Front porch music performance

Happy hour Communal dumpster rentals

Day trips Hard cider tastings

Smoking club (cigars/pipes) Taps on appropriate holidays

Fishing Tea parties

Kids’ music classes

NEIGHBORHOOD FUN!


mailto:[email protected]



Food Truck Schedule for June 15-July 15June 23 (Wednesday) Yovi's 4-7

June 30 (Wednesday) Kilimanjaro 4-7

July 7 Twisted Potato with Frost Fairy

July 12 (Monday) Urban Trail Coffee at the Pool

July 14 Franktuary (4-7pm)

Days of CelebrationWe all need reasons to celebrate! Check out this month’s National Days of Celebration.

As always, links have been provided, when possible, to help you with your celebrations. Enjoy!


June 16 National Fudge Day. Try some from Shenot’s Farm Market. It’s incredible!

June 17 Global Garbage Man Day. These are essential workers!National Cherry Tart Day

June 18 National Flip Flop Day

June 19 National Garfield the Cat Day

June 20 Father’s DaySummer Solstice... it’s the longest day of the year!

June 21 National Daylight Appreciation Day

June 24 National Bomb Pop Day. Check out bomb pop fun here.

June 25 National Take Your Dog to Work Day

June 27 National Ice Cream Cake Day. Order one from Brusters!

June 28 National Paul Bunyan Day. Disney can tell you the tale here.

July 1 National Postal Workers Day. More essential workers!

July 4 Independence Day

July 5 National Graham Cracker Day

July 9 National Sugar Cookie Day. Don’t bother with a recipe. Pillsbury makes a great product!

July 10 National Pina Colada Day

July 11 National 7-11 Day. Did you know 7-11 got this name because they were originally open 7 AM until 11 PM? Celebrate today with a 7-11 Slurpee.

July 15 National Give Something Away Day.


https://bombpop.com/

https://brusters.com/ingomarpa/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3rZUOJn5W8


I am not a natural born or even dyed-in-the-wool lover of musicals, especially movie musicals. Those “everybody breaks into song and knows the words” moments are sometimes hard for me to watch with un-rolled eyes. There have been some significant exceptions, though. Before I saw the Hamilton tour when it came to Pittsburgh, I had already listened to the soundtrack of the Original Broadway Cast Recording enough that it was solidly memorized. But I had never seen Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Tony-winning musical In the Heights. It just premiered as a film by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) on HBOMax and in theaters. Miranda’s style will be familiar to anyone who knows Hamilton--his musical

motifs and themes and internal rhyme scheme are very identifiable and specific, but that is not a put down. Most great composers are identifiable by their work. And similarly Chu seems adept in capturing urban settings and the yearning and striving that seem to coalesce there.

Set in Washington Heights, the neighborhood in Manhattan, it stars Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, the young owner of a corner bodega. Lin-Manuel Miranda played Usnavi on Broadway but plays a much smaller role in the film. Ramos is familiar to anyone who knows Hamilton as he played John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in the OBC. But this movie is really his star turn. He is charismatic and charming to watch, and has a very dynamic voice. It is Usnavi’s struggle that propels the film’s narrative. The rest of the cast is super talented as well, many of whom have Broadway roots and some of whom are more known for TV and film, like Jimmy Smits.

The music is joyful and layered and textured. Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and Broadway standards all influence the music of the film. The choreography features a blend of hip hop and Latin but also harkens back to, in a really touching way, some older musicals--big ‘dancing in the streets’ and pool choreo numbers pay homage to Jerome Robbins, Busby Berkeley and and even Fred Astaire in one memorable scene. This movie really was made to be seen in a theater, and if your circumstances allow it, I would HIGHLY recommend you see it that way. And take your friends.

The themes of finding home and friendship and figuring out your place in the world seem to be recurring themes in Miranda’s writing (one little line from It’s a Wonderful Life really highlights these themes and made this movie nerd smile). In the Heights was set to be released a year ago, but was withheld due to the pandemic. However, the film’s release right now into theaters could not have been more perfectly timed. After the last 18 months or so, this cinematic dive into finding the joy in what you do and where you are, and what it means to have a home and a family through love and loss is cathartic! It is hard for someone like me who doesn’t always inherently appreciate the tropes of musical cinema to say that, but it really is the movie we all need right now.

June Reviews by Melissa French

A PUBLICATION OF THE BROOK PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MARCH 2017, ISSUE 3A PUBLICATION OF THE BROOK PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION JUNE 2021 ISSUE 6

T I P S F R O M T H E P R O S : R E A L E S T A T E



C L A S S I F I E D S


Current Board of GovernorsPresident/Treasurer: Vice President: Secretary: Membership: Dennis Moul [email protected] (412) 366-0168

Lara [email protected](412) 378-0446

Sally Swegan [email protected] 412-760-9216

Jessica Deible [email protected] (412) 367-7356

Members of the Board:Nate [email protected] (412) 585-1701

Heather Byers [email protected] (412) 364-1054

Flavio Chamis [email protected] (412) 635-0694

Jim Hudson [email protected] (412) 364-3605

Ian Lindsay [email protected] (412) 369-4574

John [email protected](412) 779-7325

Colleen [email protected] (412) 367-1196

Brad Weaver [email protected] (412) 366-9089

Brian [email protected](412)983-4095

Alternate: Diane Salvatora(412) 366-9106

Alternate: David Scott [email protected] (412) 369-5371

Women’s/Social Club Coordinators: Welcome: Heather Byers [email protected] (412) 364-1054

Jessica Deible [email protected] (412) 367-7356

Mardy Byrnes [email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Field Club Rep: Theresa Wilkinson [email protected] (617) 905-7325 & Co-Editor Heather Byers (see above)

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BROOK PARK NEWSLETTER www.brookparkmanor.com

C L A S S I F I E D SA PUBLICATION OF THE BROOK PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MARCH 2017, ISSUE 3A PUBLICATION OF THE BROOK PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION JUNE 2021 ISSUE 6



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