SPECIAL REPORT BY BRAM REICHBAUM - Homewood and Larimer residents met Sunday night to discuss community concerns surrounding the new "Bakery Square" development project. The meeting was organized by the Mayor's office as part of the “Mayor Luke Ravenstahl Cares About Neighborhoods, Even Yours” series of neighborhood gatherings.
Most of the 150 residents in attendance had expected the mayor to attend, given the thousands of flyers circulated in the neighborhoods by the mayor’s office that stated, “Mayor Luke Ravenstahl Himself Will Be In Attendance!” However, late word from Neighborhood Initiatives Coordinator Jeff Romoff explained that Ravenstahl was engaged in previous “important mayoral business” in Phoenix at the annual convention of the National Healthcare Non-Profits League and at an undisclosed “event” where “health care business would be discussed, you can be sure.”
"Where’s the mayor?” shouted several angry residents. “We need jobs, we need homes, and we need better schools for our children," hollered Jedediah Blayne, 83, a member of the community coalition Homewood Hooray.
A life-size paper-mache mannequin dressed in a suit and with its hands on its hips was burned in effigy at the back of the room.
Reached after the meeting, Highmark Executive of Governmental Affairs Kenneth Melani defended Ravenstahl’s trip to Phoenix, explaining that the mayor and senior executives from several major regional health care conglomerates made "some critical, albeit incremental, conceptual progress during the first quarter of the ballgame," referring to the Steeler's game against Arizona, “regarding the issue of property tax exemptions in large cities.”
The mayor's Office previously had denied reports that Ravenstahl had attended the Steelers game against the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. However, footage obtained from CBS Sports showed the contrary.
Early in the 2nd quarter, just after a successful 4th down conversion by the Steelers on their own 35 yard line, Mayor Ravenstahl hopped a barricade, landed on the playing field, and ran a distance of about 30 yards, stark naked, save for an unbuttoned white oxford shirt. Chief of Staff Yarone Zober giggled audibly, but swore to bystanders that it was “the first time” he had ever seen “the mayoral junk.” Ravenstahl was brought to a halt by Steelers linebacker Rodney Harrison.
Steelers Football Network color commentator Tunch Ilkin described the incident during the postgame radio broadcast, Steelers Huddle. "Luke kinda sorta puts a decent move on Chidi Iwuoma, who kinda lurches in his direction. But then Debo comes out of nowhere, and man, I'll tell you, he put a serious hurtin' on him."
Alecia Sirk, the mayor's press secretary, defended the mayor’s naked on-field romp, noting that a mayor "must be ready and willing to exercise spontaneity during important business trips.” She noted sternly that the Phoenix air “was much, much cooler than Pittsburghers might think, thus accounting for . . . the mayor’s, ah, reduced stature.” Sirk explained that "the framers of the city Ethics Code purposefully made no provisions for obscenity or public lewdness, and I am certain they had an occasion exactly like this in mind."
Mayoral challenger Mark DeSantis seized the issue. "This is another example of the Mayor's immaturity and lack of judgment," he said. “I'm so looking forward to telling people that lying is bad. Shoot me now. In the face."
For his part, Ravenstahl says that the whole story is "much to do [sic] about nothing. It’s just a political witch hunt," Ravenstahl said, "another example of my opponent using Bush campaign tactics like what we've seen in the past, with John McCain in South Carolina and so on and so forth.”
“And he knows that," said the mayor, wincing again through the pain, “he knows that my administration has been and will continue to be active and will remain active in facilitating and remaining active and streamlining the development process in our communities and what not."
Deputy mayoral communications director Joanna Doven was spotted late last night walking along 4th Avenue towards Wood Street, wearing a crown of thorns and carrying a massive wooden cross upon her back.
GREENTREE -- Radio station WDVE isn’t the only thing that rocks along the Parkway West in this Pittsburgh suburb. Yesterday, PennDOT announced the number of rock throwing incidents along the Parkway West reached “landslide” status under state regulations.
