Even though he would be the only one or one of a very few White faces on stage or in the building during his early years, he continued to play his music, which was a combination of jazz and R&B on an instrument few have been able to master.

Gene Ludwig, a leading figure on the Pittsburgh jazz scene for half a century and one of the select few to master the Hammond organ, died in West Penn-Forbes Regional Campus July 14, at the age of 72.

GENE LUDWIG

At a Pittsburgh Board of Education public hearing where testimony was overwhelmingly directed at the restructuring of Westinghouse High School, few African-Americans participated. Those who did testify at the July 12 meeting did not have children who would be affected by the changes and their voices were lost behind a group of White women who have deemed the proposed single-gender academies as a practice of sexual apar­theid.

LONE SUPPORTER—Arita Gilliam stands alone with the only testimony in favor of single-gender academies at Westinghouse High School.

“It is difficult to see this proposal as anything other than a ‘Hail Mary’ play, to try something—anything—to fix the problems of low achievement and low enrollment in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. But this is a very harmful proposal that will solve neither,” said Jeanne Clark, president of the Squirrel Hill Chapter of the National Organization for Women. “Since no data has been publicly revealed to justify the reasoning, one can only guess about that reasoning.”

Politicians, dignitaries and other high profile people, as well as the common folks came out to pay their respects to one of the most prominent and respected men in Pittsburgh history.

Robert R. Lavelle, 94, a resident of the Hill District, passed away peacefully on July 4. Lavelle’s homegoing service was held at Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church in the Hill District, July 9. Lavelle was laid to rest at Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville.

FAMILY FAREWELL—Sons Robert M. Lavelle and John W. Lavelle, with their mother, widow Adah Moore Lavelle, at Allegheny Cemetery.

He will always be remembered for his faithful devotion to God’s word and for his many years as an elder, a Sunday School teacher, and Wednesday night Bible study and worship service leader at Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church; as a Realtor who founded his own business in 1951 and in 1969 incorporated it as Lavelle Real Estate; and as a banker who served as a director of Dwelling House Savings and Loan Association, a minority-controlled institution, for more than 50 years.

Coming up on an off-year election, with no contested municipal elections, Ed Gainey has his work cut out for him, but he is unfazed.

“Yes there are obstacles, but we have two important races with two strong candidates,” he said. “My job is to get out the vote. Joe Sestak has name recognition after his win over Arlen Specter and Dan (Onorato) has a successful story to tell. So, to me, it’s actually an advantage to be able to concentrate on the two races that will have the biggest impact.”

ED GAINEY

Getting the Democratic vote for the Senate and gubernatorial races is Gainey’s job because on June 29, he was elected to head Pittsburgh’s Democratic Committee.