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| Lynx Issue 32: Major News on Brady's Run Goose Hunts, Fur Protests Pics & Coverage |
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| Tuesday, 03 February 2009 00:00 |
In this week's edition:
Update on City Vista – Contact Your Council Reps Again! Last Tuesday, January 27th, Pittsburgh City Council held a public hearing on the City Vista condo development project. About 20 residents of Ridgemont plus supporters came to speak out against the rezoning of the land from "park land" to "residential unit development", which will allow for the City Vista project to go through. The Post Gazette printed an article about the hearing which can be found here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09027/944878-100.stm Council decided to delay the vote until after the second district council election which is today. According to Councilman Doug Shields, the vote is likely to come after the second district council member is certified, about 2 weeks after the election today. This means we have another chance to contact our city council representatives again and tell them to vote AGAINST rezoning the land for City Vista. Remember that this vote will determine whether the wildlife who currently live on the vacant land-turkeys, ducks, deer, birds, muskrats-will lose their home and, in particular, their water source they have made from a man-made pond which has been there for decades. Furthermore, the proposed City Vista condos don't have a high chance of being sold. Research shows the condo market in Pittsburgh is saturated-condos in the local area, including in popular areas like Downtown and the Strip District, stand empty and are not selling. In other words, land would be deforested, the animals' habitat would be destroyed, and a local community would be forever ruined all for nothing. It is important to point out to City Council not only that this proposed development is doomed for failure, but also that it goes against the City's much proclaimed "Green Policy". The City Vista developers are claiming that this project is "sustainable". Obviously the developers have no idea what the word "sustainable" means, as there is nothing sustainable in tearing down trees, land, and animals' habitat just to build a luxury condo development. It is very important that the City Council representatives hear from City of Pittsburgh residents on this issue so that they know that Pittsburgh residents oppose this project. Please contact your Council representative, and tell them to vote AGAINST rezoning the land for the City Vista project. Click here to see a map of the district areas: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/council/html/map_of_districts.html District 1: Darlene Harris Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2135 District 2: VACANT UNTIL ELECTION Telephone: 412-255-2821 District 3: Bruce Krauss Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2130 District 4: Jim Motznik Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2131 District 5: Doug Shields (President of Council) Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Phone: 412-255-8965 District 6: Tonya Payne Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2134 District 7: Patrick Dowd Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2140 District 8: Bill Peduto Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2133 District 9: Rev. Ricky Burgess Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 412-255-2137 Macy's Fur Protest, Fur Sale Convention Protest, and VFA's Next Target… Thanks to all who attended VFA's second protest of the newly-launched anti fur campaign. A great turnout of almost 30 people was welcomed at Macy's Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh! Volunteers wore puzzle-piece pins stating, “Fur trim is a piece of cruelty”, alerting passers-by that purchasing fur trim supports a cruel industry. In addition, over 200 leaflets were circulated to educate the public of this product of frivolous fashion. Pictures from the protest are posted below and more can be found at our online album here: http://picasaweb.google.com/VoicesForAnimals/MacySFurProtest    We were pleased to have Rustbelt Radio cover the protest as well. An audio recording of the coverage is available at the following: http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2009/01/30653.php at 15:30 of the January 26th show Just a few days following the Macy's protest, we discovered news of a fur sale convention being held at David L. Lawrence Convention Center over the following weekend. Quick to react, an impressive number of volunteers came out to protest on Saturday, January 31st, given the extremely short notice of the event. We are happy to report that attendance of the convention seemed dead at best. Some pictures from the protest:   More available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/VoicesForAnimals/FurConventionProtest Where next, you ask? Saks! Saks 5thAvenue is yet another major Pittsburgh retailer of fur and fur trim items, including raccoon, rabbit, mink, fox, lamb, and coyote furs. (A quick look at their website is infuriating!) Join Voices for Animals on Friday, February 20th from 6-8pm at Saks 5th Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh. Hope to see you there! When: Friday, February 20th, 6-8 PM Where: Saks Fifth Avenue, 513 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Update on Brady's Run Goose Hunts: USDA Agrees Hunts Were Likely Illegal! In our last LYnX we reported that the recent goose hunts at Brady's Run Park were being challenged on legal grounds due to the fact that park visitors frequently fed the geese at the park, and this could constitute "indirect baiting" of the geese. According to a USDA Fish and Wildlife waterfowl hunting regulation, no "direct or indirect baiting" is allowed during the 10 days prior to a waterfowl hunt. The USDA was looking into its interpretation of "indirect baiting" to determine whether or not being fed by members of the public amounted to "indirect baiting" and the law was broken. Now we are happy to report that the USDA has agreed that the Brady's Run Park hunts were most likely illegal and that public feeding of geese before a hunt does constitute "indirect baiting". Hunting in an area where geese are fed would be prohibited until the area is cleared of all feed and closed for 10 days prior to the hunt. This means that if officials want to hold another hunt in a public park where geese are fed by visitors, they will need to close the park to the public for 10 days before the hunt starts. While it is unfortunately too late for the geese at Brady's Run Park, this sets an amazing precedent to prevent similar future park goose hunts, not only in Brady's Run but also in places like North Huntingdon. This is quite a breakthrough! For Post-Gazette articles on the legal questioning of the hunt and the USDA's decision, see below: Goose Hunt at Brady's Run Sparks Controversy http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09008/940175-57.stm Law May Have Been Broken with Goose Hunt, Officials Say http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09015/941673-52.stm Meet Buddy!  Buddy is an approximately year old lab mix who was rescued from the street during a snowstorm by a VFA volunteer in November. Emaciated with many ribs showing, patches of hair loss, and an infected snout due to embedded porcupine quills, Buddy is now neutered, Lyme Disease and Heartworm negative, up to date on vaccinations, porcupine quill free, and finally putting on some weight, becoming more handsome each day! He is very energetic and needs a loving family ready for lots of play time. Please check out Buddy on Petfinder at: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12963769 Tiger Ranch Trial Update and Donations Following a preliminary hearing on January 7th, Tiger Ranch proprietor Lin Marie now faces seven new misdemeanor counts of forgery, as well as seven felony counts of tampering with public records via rabies vaccinations. While the added counts are another positive step towards the building evidence of the reality of conditions at Tiger Ranch, they will be consolidated with the original 574 animal cruelty counts, with a trial set to begin in July of 2009. Though the futures of surviving feline victims of Tiger Ranch remain unseen, their stay at Clarion SPCA will be a long one, and donations will continue to be needed. You can leave donations for the cats rescued from Tiger Ranch at the TR boxes at Construction Junction- 214 N. Lexington Street (Point Breeze). The boxes can be found to the right after the entrance, behind the announcements blackboard. Donations of quality wet and dry food, bedding, scratching posts, litter and bleach are needed and much appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has and continues to donate supplies! |