First of a series

Monday, December 22, 2003

By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Casualties of war, near-record homicides, budget debacles, police layoffs, crummy sports teams, restaurant-related illness, the death of perhaps the most popular Pittsburgher ever.

More than a few Western Pennsylvanians will be happy to say good riddance to 2003 11 days from now. It was not a year of headlines to inspire warm and fuzzy memories, not unless there's a story yet to come about a Santa-outfitted Osama bin Laden surrendering himself and a stockpile of flu vaccine locally on Christmas morning.

Oh, sure, there were some people with as much reason as celebrity defense attorneys to be thankful about the year's news.

	CLOSE-UP 2003 Families grieve as soldiers continue to die

Erin and Joe Perry, of Ross, brought six healthy children into the world on one joyous, busy March day at Magee-Womens Hospital.

Marian and Scott Calligan, of Cranberry, won $73.6 million in the July 9 Powerball drawing, making them the biggest lottery winners in state history.

And none of the Pittsburgh Pirates pierogi racers, not a single one, suffered serious injury during the year from the bat of Randall Simon or anyone else. Much the same could be said of baseballs hurled by opposing pitchers at PNC Park.

But Pittsburgh's lowest batting average of 2003 may have belonged not to the much-maligned Kevin Young but the more-often-maligned Tom Murphy. In his 10th year occupying the mayor's office, Murphy oversaw a massive budget deficit, widespread layoffs, shutdowns of swimming pools and recreation centers, cancellation of long-running city events, and rancor with suburbanites and Harrisburg politicians resistant to his tax-raising initiatives.

The thrice-elected mayor teared up Aug. 6 in announcing 731 layoffs to deal with a $40 million budget shortfall. He and a private panel offered proposals to get more revenue from suburban commuters who work in the city. The city can raise the occupation tax only with state approval, and because Harrisburg lawmakers have balked at the increase, Murphy has applied to the Rendell administration for an Act 47 declaration of municipal distress that could generate revenue.

On top of those strains, Murphy said publicly that racism in the suburbs hindered progress toward greater city-county cooperation. The statement won him no new friends beyond Pittsburgh's borders, seemingly dimming prospects for such cooperation even more.

It remains to be seen what kind of alliance Murphy may build with his fellow North Side Democrat, newly elected Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato. Onorato handily won election over Republican Jim Roddey, with whom Murphy had an often testy relationship.

Harrisburg politicians, meanwhile, had their own problems. Disagreements between Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell and Republican legislative leaders on their budget priorities have held up state funding to school districts and affected numerous social services and other programs dependent on state aid.

Though lawmakers are poised to enact a full spending plan this week, the state's budget stalemate is the longest in 26 years. Halfway through the fiscal year, issues remain unsettled about Pennsylvania's tax structure, education aid, expansion of legalized gambling and more.

While state and local politicians battled with one another, local families and individuals felt repercussions of the dual wars against terrorism and the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. Ten Western Pennsylvanian soldiers have died in Iraq since President Bush launched the invasion.

Early in the year, hundreds of Pittsburghers took to the streets in anti-war protests, sometimes clashing with police. Hundreds more were called into active duty as members of Reserve units.

Heightened domestic security alerts rippled through the region, producing some abbreviated efforts to seal off rooms with duct tape and plastic as overzealous protection against a chemical attack that never came.

A Jordanian student on scholarship at La Roche College was jailed without bond for failing to meet a deadline to register with immigration authorities. When a Lawrenceville father saw the word Jihad printed on manufactured children's valentines, it generated sufficient paranoia that Target removed thousands of boxes of the cards from its stores' shelves.

In truth, Pittsburgh area residents had a lot more to fear from one another than suicide bombers or other foreign menaces. With 115 homicides occurring this year by the weekend, Allegheny County is approaching the 1993 record of 118 violent deaths. Last year, there were 88 homicides.

Some shootings that weren't fatal produced major stories as well. Boxing champion Paul Spadafora allegedly shot his girlfriend during an argument one Sunday morning. Attempted homicide and other charges against him have derailed his professional career.

Health risks didn't come just from shootings, stabbings and beatings. Simply dining in a restaurant led to weeks of fever and nausea, even death.

Three patrons died after contracting hepatitis A at the Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant at Beaver Valley Mall. They were among some 650 people who became ill after eating there. It was the largest outbreak of the disease ever at a U.S. restaurant, with investigators identifying contaminated green onions as the probable source. Thousands of additional people who dined at the restaurant were given shots to protect against the disease.

The restaurant chain had already faced economic hardship nationally. Financial health also sagged in 2003 for a number of local businesses.

May Department Stores Co. announced in July that it would be closing the 3-year-old Lord & Taylor store on Smithfield Street, Downtown, although it has to remain open through 2005 under contractual obligations to the city.

The biggest economic jitters locally once more stemmed from uncertainty about the future of US Airways as the dominant user of Pittsburgh International Airport and major regional employer. Negotiations took place intermittently between the airline and state and local officials, with no outcome decided about US Airways' future in Pittsburgh.

One addition to the local economy that attracted great attention was the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which officially opened in September. The $370 million center drew raves as an architectural marvel and one more riverfront addition in which Pittsburghers could take pride.

Resurrecting riverfront news from 200 years ago, local historians boasted of the role the region played in launching the Lewis and Clark expedition. They held a re-enactment of Meriwether Lewis' travels in a keelboat down the Monongahela River and into the Ohio, although some controversy remained over lack of official Pittsburgh recognition by national organizers of bicentennial events.

Some modern Pittsburghers put their names into national headlines.

Local Episcopal Bishop Robert W. Duncan Jr. became leader within his church nationally of a movement opposed to consecration of an openly gay bishop, the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, of New Hampshire.

On television, Jenna Morasca, of South Fayette, achieved celebrity by winning the $1 million top prize in the spring edition of the "Survivor" reality series. Matt Kennedy Gould, of Mt. Lebanon, became popular for his good nature while being duped as a victim on Spike TV's "The Joe Schmo Show."

And both television and Pittsburgh lost one of their all-time stars. Fred Rogers died of stomach cancer Feb. 27 at age 74. Some 2,700 people filled Heinz Hall in May to pay tribute to the children's television legend.

Gary Rotstein can be reached at grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255.

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