⛸️ Skate into the holiday season at these Pittsburgh ice rinks

Plus, local residents have reservations over the city’s 2022 budget.

By Francesca Dabecco

Welcome to Wednesday, Pittsburgh.

As the end of the year continues to inch closer, so is the deadline to share your bright spots of 2021 with fellow Incline readers. 

Here’s the gist: The Incline likes to highlight what’s wonderful about living in the Steel City at the end of each year. We want to hear all about what Pittsburghers are grateful for and the bright spots that illuminated a very strange 12 months: share your story by dropping a comment on this Instagram post, replying to this email, or sending a message to hello@theincline.com detailing one positive thing that happened to you (or our city at large) in 2021. Who knows, you might just see it shared in a future newsletter. 

With that seasonal reminder out of the way, let’s take a gander at today’s headlines...

What Pittsburgh is talking about

4 things to know today 

📣 Two Pittsburgh churches have come together to demand answers over the death of Jim Rogers, a Black man who died in October after police shocked him with a taser in Bloomfield. The First United Methodist Church and Warren United Methodist Church sent a letter to Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials asking for “justice and transparency” in the case. (90.5 WESA)

💵 Pittsburgh residents expressed their concerns with the proposed 2022 city budget in a City Council hearing on Monday. Many contended that the city should allocate more funds for things like food assistance, housing, and other social services. The most common complaint concerned the increase in the budget for law enforcement following ongoing protests over police misconduct, such as the October killing of Jim Rogers detailed above. Many residents also argued that the city didn’t do enough to solicit public feedback on its spending plans. (90.5 WESA)

🎨 Local arts and culture orgs are getting a boost thanks to a $500,000 American Rescue Plan grant. The National Endowment for the Arts issued the one-time grant to the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council who will regrant the funds to nonprofit arts groups and independent artists next year. More details about the grant and eligibility will be available in spring 2022. (NEXTPittsburgh)

🗳️ A commission will vote on the preliminary map of Pennsylvania’s redrawn district lines on Thursday. It’ll take some time before the map is finalized, but legislative leaders will start the process by reviewing it based on census changes. The fifth (and potentially tie-breaking vote) will come from Chairman Mark Nordenberg, a former Pitt chancellor. (Associated Press)

• Want to know how the map scores throughout the commonwealth? While the proposed congressional map by Pennsylvania House Republicans meets fairness standards, this report shows how it benefits the GOP. (SpotlightPA)

4 things to make you smile

⛸️ Grab your buds, bundle up, and visit one of these Pittsburgh ice rinks — like the Penguins’ newly opened Hunt Armory rink in Shadyside. (Pittsburgh City Paper)

🎄Dahntahn is in the seasonal spirit, so as a gift to yourself, take a 12-stop holiday happy hour hike through the city. Don’t forget to take a selfie under the World’s Largest Pickle Ornament and grab a cocktail at the Miracle on Liberty pop-up bar. (NEXTPittsburgh)

🧀 Want a holiday spread that’s equal parts beautiful and delicious? Check out this charcuterie wreath from Mediterra Cafe. Be sure to place your order 72 hours in advance, and you can pick it up at the cafe closest to you. (Mediterra Cafe on Instagram)

🎈Did you spot the gigantic Van Gogh head floating over Oakland last Friday? Since Pittsburghers like to stare at big, unusual things (case in point: the giant rubber duck from 2013), Pittsburgh Magazine Associate Editor Sean Collier floated a list of other spectacular heads that Pittsburghers would like to see in the skies above throughout the year. The proposed honorable heads include the likes of Mr. Rogers, Willie Stargel, August Wilson, Mayor Sophie Masloff, Jeff Goldblum, and more. (Pittsburgh Magazine)

🎁 Yinz could win…