North Side Community Conversation
Date: August 9
Location: Penn Brewery – Ratskeller Party Room (800 Vinial Street)
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

This community meeting, though held on the Northside, isn’t about the Northside specifically, but about the larger Southwestern PA/Maryland/Ohio/West Virginia region.

The Power of 32 is a non-profit regional visioning project started in May 2009.

“Regional visioning,” at least in this case, means developing a vision for the future of this 32-county region with the input of all residents.  The project has no agenda–yet.  Residents will essentially create the agenda through meetings where they express their greatest concerns and hopes for the area.

Its goals, as stated on its website, are:

1. Creating a shared vision of the region’s best future that is
   distinguished by concrete strategies and actions.
2. Instilling a sense of realistic optimism—based on commitment
   to achieve established goals—about the region as a powerful,
   innovative, global competitor.
3. Inspiring public determination to solve the region’s problems so
   that we can claim our best future.
4. Connecting people, communities, and institutions in new and
   effective ways to solve problems and seize opportunities.

Community meetings will be held through September, said spokesperson Melissa Marullo.  After that, the organization will organize community input and prioritize items for an agenda.  Finally, it will hold more meetings so the community can give its input on the agenda.

For more information, check out the Power of 32’s website, or call them at 412-648-9301.