On Point

As this issue arrives in your inbox, it’s time to say happy 226th birthday to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire.…

You heard it here first: The Pittsburgh 100 is launching a podcast. Why? Because sometimes, 100 words aren’t enough to share a great story.

Welcome to the “dog days of summer,” a phrase that has no relation to happy dogs lazing in the sun.

Every August, when the Steelers hit training camp, my Cleveland birth becomes a subject of morbid curiosity (and bad jokes) from every native yinzer I know.

I don’t know about you, but I’m having trouble keeping track of all the accolades thrown Pittsburgh’s way of late. How can I be a properly promotional yinzer if I can’t recall all our boast-worthy bon mots?

Growing up in rolling Washington County south of Pittsburgh, my dad, Frank, and his childhood pal, Albert Miller, knew Albert’s farm had really cool Native American arrowheads.

Pittsburgh’s military history is strong: Our veteran community is large, and our service connections run deep. They are no deeper than on our publication date, the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe.

Hunter, miner, writer, union organizer, soldier, patriot.

Pittsburgh and dancers, who knew? Gene Kelly and Martha Graham both hail from here. And happy birthday to Martha, born May 11, 1894, in Allegheny City.

Back when I was a newspaper editor (yes, Virginia, those used to exist), I frequently struggled to know whether our staff’s great work was being read. Proof came from winning an award or seeing a crowd with pitchforks outside.

In 1734, Alexander Pope wrote, “hope springs eternal.” That line has become the title of films, TV shows and pop songs –probably why Pope’s the second-most quoted poet in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

As we say goodbye to turbulent March, we hope for a better spring and note March sports milestones from the Pirates, past and present.

There’s something about March in Pittsburgh. Yes, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and fish fries are great, but they speak to something deeper.

If you read to the bottom of this newsletter or webpage (I know you do), there’s a new WordWrite logo. Why?

February may be the shortest month, but it sure packs a celebratory punch. Just check out this issue’s stories – we examine topics relevant to Black History Month, Valentine’s Day and the auto show, so you can fill up your calendar pretty quickly with great local opportunities.

At this point in winter, Pittsburghers have had our fill of snow, cold, sleet, thaws, etc. Why not devote some time to one of Pittsburgh’s greatest mysteries: What happened to the B-25 bomber that crashed into the Monongahela River Jan. 31, 1956?

Pittsburghers love anniversaries (ask the Pirates – they’re still “celebrating” their 1979 championship). There are anniversaries we collectively forget, just as we forget the signs decreeing we “maintain consistent speed” through the Squirrel Hill Tunnels.

Undeniably, 2018 was some year. Many times, friends assured me, “there are no words” to describe it.

Somehow, despite the trials and travails of a tumultuous year, we’ve made it again to the holiday season, a time of gratitude and good deeds.

As a uniquely Pittsburgh publication, we’re committed to sharing the attributes of the ‘Burgh. What better way to do that than with a holiday gift guide with hometown ideas and more?

The 1970s steel collapse made Pittsburgh a great place to grow up – and leave. More recently (no thanks to you, Amazon!), Pittsburgh’s become a great place for young people to grow a life and career.

The holidays are always the busiest season at the airport as generations of Pittsburghers come home to family and friends.

The senses are still too numb, the grief still too enormous to grasp the tragedy that killed 11 and wounded six at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill on Saturday, Oct. 27.

We’re excited to invite you inside The Pittsburgh 100. Join us Wednesday, Nov. 7, at noon for a webinar exploring our content, our publishing team and how you can be part of the 100.

As we continue to enhance our Pittsburgh 100 content, we’re pleased to share our very first video story. And guess what? We’d love to feature your video story, too.

One of the most frequent questions we get about The Pittsburgh 100 is “How can I share this with my friends?”

So much of Pittsburgh’s energy comes from our great events. So we’re proud to debut The Pittsburgh 100 calendar, where you can share your great event.

As we enter September, most of us enjoy a day off on Labor Day, the holiday that celebrates workers. In Pittsburgh, we have a great tradition of workers who gave a lot (even their lives) to establish the 40-hour work week, overtime and, yes, paid holidays.

Since we launched The Pittsburgh 100 last year, we’ve been humbled by the strong and positive community response.

Depending on how you use your calendar, we’re about halfway through summer. Welcome to the only month without a widely recognized U.S. holiday (though here are some tantalizing suggestions).