“Pittsburgh Cour-eee-irrr 5 cents,” was the chant that nearly a dozen news boys and girls shouted out to the hundreds of people that entered the Twentieth Century Club on Feb. 1 for the annual K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Program.

The Pittsburgh Couriers handed out by the carriers were actually the program for the evening and a mini version of the newspaper complete with ads for Dr. Fred Palmer’s Skin Whitener, promising to make you more popular with lighter skin and Dixie Peach Hair Pomade, 7 full ounces for 25 cents. The ad said the pomade was prepared especially for kinky hair.

CHANNELING TEENIE HARRIS—Photographer Carmon Rinehart.

A photo of a Pittsburgh Courier delivery truck complete with driver from a by gone era had been blown up to full size and was surrounded by stacks of the historic newspaper that celebrates its centennial this year.

Cupid’s day calls for yummy desserts that say “you’re special” at first sight and first bite! With a few easy techniques, four year-round favorites—butter cookies, fruit-filled chocolate shells, brownies and cupcakes— become delicious and doable Valentine treats.
For additional ideas for Valentine’s celebrations, or to order baking and decorating supplies, visit www.wilton.com.

I remember one of the first times my picture was in the Pittsburgh Courier. I was attending a birthday party of a friend of mine at the YMCA in Homewood. A Courier photographer, maybe Teenie Harris, came and took our picture. I saved that newspaper forever. I bet if I look around, I could find it.

When I graduated from the Wheeler School my picture also appeared in the paper, again I was pleased and excited to be recognized by such a prestigious paper. Those pictures and having the Courier in our home each week was the beginning of a long relationship. In 1979, I interviewed for a sales job at the paper but decided to go into banking instead. Who knew that 22 years later I would circle back and end up as the Lifestyles writer for one of my favorite publications.

(NNPA)—United States residents who donated to the relief effort in Haiti will be rewarded this spring when they file their income taxes.

A measure recently approved by Congress and signed by President Obama will allow them to write off those charitable donations on their 2009 taxes. Under current law, those donations would have had to be filed under the 2010 return.

WAITING PATIENTLY— Twins Jhonsley, left, and Jhonsly wait in a recovery room for their mother who was airlifted to the USS Comfort after she suffered from seizures, in the Killick Haitian Coast Guard base in Port-au-Prince.

Since the Jan. 12 quake, Americans have donated millions to the humanitarian effort, including $203 million collected so far by the American Red Cross.