| | 🎉 The Betty White effect on Pittsburgh and one last ride on the Steel Phantom | Plus, 16 local restaurants that are requiring proof of COVID vaccination status.By The Incline Staff It’s Thursday, and we’re kicking things off with some feel-good news that’s been circulating the world wide web. America’s sweetheart Betty White would’ve turned 100 on Monday, and to honor her memory, people across the country donated to their favorite local pet rescue charities. When then-Late Show host David Letterman asked Betty what she liked to do in her spare time back in 2011, she retorted, “I like to play with animals mostly, and uh, vodka’s kinda a hobby…” So after she passed on New Year’s Eve, the “Betty White Challenge” was born: a callout on social media asking everyone to contribute to their favorite animal welfare groups on the star’s 100th birthday. In Western PA alone, that looked like almost $3,000 for Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, nearly $10,000 for Animal Friends of Westmoreland in Youngwood, and $6,000 for All But Furgotten in North Huntingdon. Meanwhile, the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh was the happy recipient of close to $40,000, a twentyfold increase of the $2,000 it received in donations in January of 2021. It’s that kind of news that gets you feeling all warm inside and hopeful for humanity. Anyway, let’s get to the headlines, shall we? | | | Southside Slopes or a miniature replica of it? 📸: @berksbr | Want to see your picture featured here? Tag #theinclinepgh or @theinclinepgh and you could be our next Instagram of the Day. | 🗣 What Pittsburgh is talking about📊 The Steel City just ranked No. 7 on WalletHub’s list of 2022’s Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals. The list-making site studied 19 key metrics in assessing 100 of the country’s biggest metro areas. Pittsburgh ranked 32 for professional opportunities overall but made up for it by notching the 14th slot in STEM-friendliness and 11th in quality of life. (WalletHub) | - Related: Pittsburgh CityPaper is currently in the process of making its own list about all the lists the city finds itself on throughout the year (not to mention how many of them are complete bullcrap) and well, we think you’d enjoy their findings. Head here for a proper laugh and a proper cry.
📰 La’Tasha Mayes made headlines yesterday by announcing her campaign for Mayor Ed Gainey’s state House seat. “I believe all things are possible in Pittsburgh,” ← That’s what she said to Pittsburgh City Paper in an interview announcing her bid. Mayes is a nationally recognized leader in the field of reproductive justice, and more locally, she’s the founder, president, and CEO of New Voices for Reproductive Justice. (Pittsburgh CityPaper) ⛔️Some restaurants around the ‘Burgh are now requiring guests to show proof of COVID vaccination amid the rise in positive cases. As Squirrel Hill’s Hidden Harbor conveyed, “This change to our vaccine policy is not one we take lightly, but we are convinced that it is the best way to mitigate risk during the omicron surge, which is creating pandemic highs both in Allegheny County and Pennsylvania as a whole.” Here are 16 local restaurants requesting to see your vaccination status before you dine in with them. 👉 (Pittsburgh Magazine) 😷 The federal government plans to send out 400 million N95 masks across the country at the end of this week. Masks will be distributed to pharmacies and community health centers, where they’ll be available for pick up at no cost. And ICYMI, you can now order four free at-home COVID-19 tests to be shipped directly to you. (Associated Press / 90.5 WESA) | - Related: As reported by WTAE, Allegheny Health Network announced last week that it is now requiring all patients, visitors, and care teams to wear a surgical-type, N95, or KN95 face mask while in its facilities. The healthcare system also said that it would supply a proper mask to anyone who needs one while on property.
🍸 Lucky Sign Spirits is expanding its footprint to Gibsonia. The popular Millvale-based distillery opened its doors in the height of a global pandemic in August of 2020, and less than two years in is making plans to open an 11,700-square-foot production facility and retail shop. The expansion will quadruple Lucky Sign’s output and free up space at its current location for more cocktail making. Get the full scoop at the link. ➡️ (NEXTPittsburgh) 🎨 Calling local artists: Pittsburgh galleries and arts orgs are looking for you. Get your work out into the world and on display for all to see by submitting it via any of these six callouts compiled by Pittsburgh CityPaper, starting with Atithi Studios in Sharpsburg which has a deadline of tomorrow. (Pittsburgh CityPaper) | 🎯 This week’s trivia winner is… | | | 🎥: Giphy Besides ketchup and fries, Pittsburghers add an “s” to most everything. As Kevin G. said, “It’s Aldis and Giant Eagles” and “Aldi’s and Penney’s” according to Parker W. And it’s the right answer to this week’s Incline Insiders-only trivia question. As former Incline Director, Rossilynne Culgan put it, “There’s a peculiar Pittsburgh penchant for adding a possessive “s” (or sometimes just a plural “s”) to words when it’s not actually a part of the name.” In 2018, Rossilynne sat down with Barbara Johnstone, professor of English and linguistics at Carnegie Mellon University who researches Pittsburghese, and asked what’s up. “Like many of the things that people associate to Pittsburgh, it’s something that harks back to the past,” said Johnstone. “I think that this habit comes from the days when shops were named after their owner, so the name of a shop would be the name of an owner, with a possessive after the name.” Head here to the Incline archives for more backstories and locals’ opinions of where the “s” originated. Shoutout to Incline Insiders Kevin, Parker, Anita C., Lori F., Marisa T., John L., and D.E. Swisher for guessing correctly. What about you? Does trivia really get your ticker going? Put your not-so-useless local knowledge to the test, join us as an Incline Insider today, and this could be you flaunting your Pittsburgh know-how this time next week. | | | Today💰 Meet your future employer at this virtual job fair (Online) 😂 Laugh with Hasan Minaj’s new show, “The King’s Jester,” at the Benedum Center (Downtown) 🚗 Join Pittsburgh Cultural Trust at the Harris Theatre for a screening of “Drive My Car”, winner of three prizes at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival (Downtown) 🥃 Get your bourbon on at this blind bourbon tasting event at Jergel’s (Warrendale) 🗂 Dive into the archives of Heinz History Center and explore the fascinating stories of Pittsburgh-past (Online) 🦸♂️ Assemble your own team and test your knowledge on all things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at Helltown Brewing (Strip District) ☕️ Dust off the mic or sit back, relax and just enjoy the music while sipping on some coffee at Open Mic Night at Gasoline Street Coffee (Downtown) | Tomorrow🎤 Laugh it up at Kingfly Spirits with a live comedy event featuring James J. Hamilton and other comedians (Strip District) ✊🏿 Attend The Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit, a one-and-a-half-day conference dedicated to providing resources and spaces for community dialogues, sharing strategies and experiences of organizing for racial justice, healing from racial trauma, and more (Online) 🎤 Enjoy comedy in an intimate setting at Arcade Comedy Theater’s upstairs theater Thursday thru Saturday (Downtown) | Saturday🎭 Watch Pittsburgh Opera’s presentation of “The Rose Elf”, based on the fairy tale "The Elf of the Rose" by Hans Christian Andersen Jan. 22, 25, 28, and 30 (Strip District) 🧘 Kick off your Saturday with a restorative yoga flow, a beer, and mingling with new gal pals (Castle Shannon) 🎨 Paint a happy little tree and get in touch with your calm side at a Bob Ross Painting Workshop (Monroeville) | Sunday🎭 Catch City Theatre’s "The Medium", which explores the effect of media and emerging technologies on our perceptions, our psyches, and our personal lives (Downtown) 🥂 Grab mimosas with Luna Skye, Indi Skies, and others at this Drag Brunch at Trace Brewing (Bloomfield) 🐰 Sip on a Bouquet de Rosé and meet some of Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh’s most adorable (and adoptable!) rabbits at Threadbare Cider House and Meadery (Spring Garden) | One last thing Wanna relive your glory days at Kennywood? Now you can. Reddit user u/NYCModeller/ took to the Pittsburgh subReddit recently to share their reenactment of the Steel Phantom at the popular theme park circa 2000 and it’ll get your blood pumping. Click here and then throw your hands in the air as you prepare for the ride of your life. Potato Patch fries not included. See you back here tomorrow for a proper weekend sendoff! — The Incline staff P.S. We're still on the hunt for the next director of The Incline! Know someone who would be the perfect fit? Send ‘em on over, wouldya? Or send ‘em to this link so they can apply. 🎉 Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 📩 Tell a friend to subscribe. 📎 Advertise with us. | | |
