Letter to the Chancellor

The following letter was hand delivered to Chancellor Mark Nordenberg on Oct. 18, 2010.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg:

Once again, I am bringing to your attention the very serious issue of the University of Pittsburgh’s 2010 fireworks display, which is scheduled to take place from Mazeroski Field.

The first firework explosion from last year’s display awakened my 90+ year-old parents from their usual deep sleep and caused me to jump off of the living room couch, unsure if a bomb had gone off in the street. The sound of the exploding fireworks for the next 20 minutes reverberated through my body. If it rattled me, I can only imagine what my parents, who are of advanced age and have weaker constitutions, must have felt. It was a harrowing experience, and I hope that my parents and I never need to suffer through that terror again.

My parents stayed in their bed for 20 minutes, waiting for the fireworks display to end. The exploding firebombs have very serious potential health consequences including: the sudden burst of noise from exploding shells can adversely affect the function of the heart, and the loudness of the booms can lead to hearing loss.

You are knowingly and willingly ignoring the very serious health risks to the residents and numerous hospital patients in our neighborhood. Your own interests are deemed far more important than the health, safety and well-being of the residents and hospital patients.

In addition, ash from the exploding firebombs has landed on rooftops and in the yards of neighbors. How could you choose a fireworks display site that is within 300 feet of residential homes and an adjacent tree-filled hillside? That hillside and nearby homes can easily catch on fire endangering the lives of residents. Do you care? Also, those fireworks traumatize animals in the neighborhood. No cruelty is justifiable.

It is clearly illegal to launch fireworks from Mazeroski Field.

You are avoiding responsibility for this fireworks display by stating that the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire have given their approval of this event in past years. Although it is true that the city must be held accountable for allowing this event to occur, you are responsible for initiating this event and doing nothing to prevent it, despite claims that point to its potential dangerousness. I am putting you on notice that should there be a medical emergency concerning my parents as a result of this event, civil charges will be made against you.

Several weeks ago (and the following event can be verified by Pitt Police Officer Ron Bennett) a student told a long-time resident; “This is a campus neighborhood. If you don’t like it, then move.” This occurred when the resident asked students to keep their volume down during a drunken party. Your attitude is very similar to the student's. By your inaction, you are implicitly telling my parents that if they don’t like the fireworks, then they should leave their home and return when it is over.

But my parents will not leave their home. They intend to keep their dignity. My 94-year old father was born and raised in this neighborhood and lived here his entire life, with the exception of the four years he spent fighting for our country in the Second World War. My mother has been here for 68 of her 90 years. They didn’t ask for this fireworks display to take place in our neighborhood, and they will not stand by as helpless victims.

Attached is a petition signed by twenty-one long-time residents of Panther Hollow. You will note that the majority of them are between the ages of 71 to 94 years. All of us are speaking to you with one voice and one message – move the fireworks display to another venue outside of Oakland.

Sincerely,

Carlino Giampolo