Tom Pollard
By Janice Lane Palko
“Some people are like beautiful flowers. They’re planted in a career and work at that job their whole life. Me? I’m more like a weed.” Tom Pollard laughed. “I thrived through persistence!”
Tom Pollard, 70, of Brighton Heights is the owner of three businesses: Tom Pollard Designs, a custom brass ornament company; Positively Pittsburgh, a business specializing in Pittsburgh souvenirs and gifts; and PopularPittsburgh.com, a website devoted to everything Pittsburgh–from recipes to movie and restaurant reviews to profiles of Pittsburghers and entrepreneurs to sharing fun activities in and around Western Pennsylvania.
“I don’t believe many people want to really stop working. I believe that after you do the same old, same old for years and years at some point, many people want to do something different. For many that means retirement. For me it means starting a new business venture,” Tom said. “I feel fortunate I’m able to do this. At this point, I’ll only get involved with a business I can start very small and try to grow. I have to be very careful with the businesses I pursue. Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
Tom grew up in the Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and attended Langley High School. As a teen, he developed a love for photography. “My friend, Bill, had a grandfather who lived in Homestead His grandfather had a darkroom and would invite Bill over to develop pictures every Saturday morning. Bill would only go if I came along. One day while making black and white prints, Bill’s grandfather looked at me and asked if I had seen Bill lately.” Bill had stopped going to the darkroom lessons a long time ago, but Tom had continued. He couldn’t get photography out of his system.
Tom’s entrepreneurial bent was apparent even as a teen. “I cut grass, shoveled snow and sold newspapers on the street corner in the West End,” said Tom. After high school, he got a job at Max Azens, “doing anything they wanted me to do.” After two years, he was promoted to manager of the Shipping Department. “The company sent me to Pitt for specialized retail courses. I learned things there that I still use today.”
One of Tom’s biggest regrets came in 1969 when he was drafted. “I really wanted to serve. Probably because my dad told me I should go to Canada. Maybe it was rebellion, but I went through all the physicals until someone noticed on the day we were scheduled to leave that I was walking with a limp. I’d broken my leg a couple of times as a kid, and they told me I couldn’t serve. You can’t march and limp. I was so embarrassed, I didn’t go back to Azens,” he said.
He did some construction and then took on some side jobs painting until a job came open at Penn Camera on Smithfield Street. “I grabbed it. I didn’t even ask what they paid.” The job gave him access to the world of photography. From the retail store Tom and a friend opened a commercial photo studio, Triangle Studio, in the heart of the city. “We shot catalogs for Gimbles, annual reports for utility companies and public relations photos for everybody from Alcoa to Westinghouse,” Tom said.
Then the 1980s came along with the demise of the steel industry and many others. “Gimbles went out of business. It seemed like many of our corporate clients were cutting their budgets. My partnership ended; our studio was gone.”
Now 35 and married to wife Carol and the father of two girls, he found himself selling photo magnets and postcards to make ends meet. That was the beginning of Positively Pittsburgh.
“Tom Pollard Designs started when I was making a delivery to a former retailer in Station Square, The Hello Shop. Susan, the store manager, told me that they wanted to find a supplier of Pittsburgh brass Christmas ornaments. I told her I could be that supplier. I knew nothing about the ornament business, but I learned quick, and she had her ornaments as promised,” said Tom.
Nine years ago, Tom launched his Pittsburgh information web site, PopularPittsburgh.com. “I don’t know how this venture survived,” Tom said. “There were just so many things I didn’t know, so many things I assumed would happen.” But he didn’t give up on the site because of something he recently learned. “I heard that if you want to be successful in just about anything, you have to put 10,000 hours in to developing your skills. I believe I’ve hit the 10,000-hour mark. Let’s see what happens from here,” said Tom.
In the beginning, Google Analytics revealed that a paltry 20 people were reading the site daily. This year, 250,000 come to the site for information on Pittsburgh. Tom employs nine people either on salary on freelance basis for his three businesses. “I’m very fortunate to have these talented men and women working with me.”
Even though Tom is in no hurry to retire, he doesn’t anticipate launching any new ventures. “I’ve started my last business. But one thing I would like to do is get some public speaking engagements on topics ranging from: starting a business, entrepreneurial stories, the real Pittsburgh or on whether or not to retire.” When asked if he was a good speaker, Tom replied, “Not nearly as good as I want to be, but just wait until I have 10,000 hours behind me.”
While Tom’s career path has been circuitous, Carol’s was like the beautiful flower. She retired several tears ago after 42 years of working as a special education teacher. In addition to raising their two daughters, the Pollards are the proud grandparents of five.
“I think we all want to do something we consider meaningful,” said Tom. “And I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing than what I’m doing. I consider this the eighth round, and I’m doing my best to go the distance.”
Dr. Elaine Berkowitz: An Extraordinary Life of Service
By Janice Lane Palko
Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile – Albert Einstein
To say that 
Dr. Elaine Berkowitz has lived a life of service is an understatement. From the time that she began volunteering at age 14 at Montefiore Hospital until now, Dr. Berkowitz has been serving humanity. Raised in Squirrel Hill and a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School, Dr. Berkowitz, 73, is still caring for others, practicing geriatric and special-needs dentistry. She treats patients in private homes, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and hospitals. “Geriatric and special-needs dentistry is not a specialty, but it should be,” Dr. Berkowitz said. “Unfortunately, dental health in the older population and among special-needs people is often neglected when caregivers are dealing with so many other issues.”
-
- Senior Profile: Tom Pollard By Janice Lane Palko Some people are like beautiful flowers. They’re planted in a career and work at that job their whole life. Me? I’m more like a weed.” Tom Pollard laughed. “I thrived through persistence!”
Dr. Berkowitz, who now lives in Ross, took a circuitous route to becoming a dentist, entering dental school at the age of 38. In addition to teaching dental assisting in city high schools, she also taught at Pitt. “I knew if I didn’t go to dental school, I’d regret it.”
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh Dental School, she went to The Ohio State University for her General Practice residency. It was there that she found her niche–working with seniors and special-needs patients. “I liked working with seniors so much, my instructor let me run the program,” said Dr. Berkowitz.
She also served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1974 until her retirement in 2012. “I was teaching dental assisting in a high school when they said a colonel was coming, and I thought we were getting Kentucky fried chicken,” said Dr. Berkowitz joking about how she enlisted in the reserves. “It sounded interesting, and I thought, why not? It was the reserves and I could continue teaching . . . although I hated summer camp as a youngster.” She was deployed four times during Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, once to Iraq and three times to Kosovo—a total of 27 months.
Her love for dentistry and her patients has taken her around the world. globe. While in Kosovo, she lectured at the dental school at the University of Prishtina and in private dental offices as well as teaching dental care to the local people—a deed that did not go unnoticed. She has been honored numerous times for her work, but two of those honors are particularly near and dear to her heart. “I received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Prizren in Kosova. That same award was given to President William Clinton and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair. The other honor I treasure is being named the 2016 UPMC Caregiver Champion,” Dr. Berkowitz said.
Dr. Berkowitz has lectured internationally on Geriatric Dentistry in such countries as Japan and Ukraine. She has been to five of the continents, having not yet gone to Australia and Antarctica. To honor her military service, the Jewish Military Museum in Washington, D.C., has asked to display her uniforms and other memorabilia. “I already have a uniform display at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland and the Heinz History Center has many of my uniforms, medals and awards,” she said.
In her spare time, she likes to ride her bicycle and fish and you guessed it—serve others. “I’ve read for the blind and print handicapped for 33 years, and this fall I will begin volunteering at two new venues as well as serving with Operation Safety Net one evening per week treating the homeless in Pittsburgh,” she said.
Dr. Berkowitz has had such a full and interesting life, others urged her to write a book about her experiences. She published her autobiography, Live Life . . . Love Country, in 2014. It is available through Amazon.com.
Although she loves her work and patients, she knows she should eventually retire. “I would love to find someone with the right temperament and dedication to dentistry to take over my practice. I really care about my patients,” said Dr. Berkowitz.
By Marianne Reid Anderson
Golf is known as the game of a lifetime because you can literally learn to play at any age and play throughout your lifetime.
My husband and I learned to play golf later in life and have thoroughly enjoyed our time on the links.
To begin, you take a few lessons and get hold of some hand-me-down clubs. Then you hit the driving range to practice. Once you get the feel of the swing, hitting off the tee with wood clubs and the ground with iron clubs, note how far you hit the ball with each club in your bag.
Take a few more lessons in chipping and putting and you are ready to hit the links!
But before you go out, you need to learn a few rules of courtesy for play among your fellow golfers.
The most important rule as a beginning golfer, is that you will make mistakes and hit errant shots. If you watch golf on TV, you will see that even the professionals hit bad shots. So, the second thing to remember is that while a golf ball is very small, it is also very hard. Therefore, it is very important to yell “FORE!” very loudly when you hit an errant shot just as all golfers do. That is the way to warn your fellow golfers who are “Fore” of you, that a golf ball is heading their way. Likewise, if you hear “Fore!” be aware as if someone yelled “Heads-Up” or “Watch-Out!”
The second most important rule as a beginning golfer, is to keep up with the pace of play. This is a more important rule for golfers overall than an accurate score. So, at the beginning, you may need to “pick-up” somewhere along the hole and move on to the next rather than play the hole all the way to the end until you sink a putt into the hole. It is perfectly okay to “pick-up” and all fellow golfers will appreciate you being thoughtful to your fellow golfers and the teams behind you who also want to finish their rounds as well.
There are a few other rules that are mostly just politeness. For example, not to talk when someone is about to hit the ball. This courtesy is why TV golf announcers always whisper their commentary. Likewise, many golf courses have a dress code such as collared shirts and no jeans. While these may be staples in a man’s closet, ladies be sure and visit Gals On and Off the Green for the latest in golf apparel and so much more or browse and shop online at http://galsonandoffthegreen.com.
One of my favorite golf courses is Conley Resort & Golf in Butler County and its sister course Suncrest Golf Course. These courses are open and welcoming to golfers of all skill levels. Plus, together, golfers have the option to play as many as 36 holes of golf. This variety provides so many different types of holes that every golf round there has proven to be a fun day out for me and my fellow golfers and teammates.
To learn more about how to begin playing golf, visit http://www.pga.com/play-golf-america. To plan a golf round at Conley Resort & Golf, Suncrest Golf Course, or both, visit, http://www.play36holes.com.
BEWARE: Unknown Phone Callers
Can Be Scam Artists
The IRS is urging the public to stay alert for scam phone calls!
The IRS continues to warn consumers to guard against scam phone calls from thieves intent on stealing their money or their identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Here are several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:
• Scammers make unsolicited calls. Thieves call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via phishing email.
• Callers try to scare their victims. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
• Scams use caller ID spoofing. Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
• Cons try new tricks all the time. Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scams often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.
• Scams cost victims over $23 million.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, has received reports
of about 736,000 scam contacts since October 2013. Nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million as a result of the scam.
The IRS will not:
• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way.
For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.
If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:
• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
• Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may
owe tax:
Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.
| Franco Wants you to Stay Warm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Forecasters are predicting another cold winter for western Pennsylvania. While the local, abundant supply of natural gas is keeping costs low, colder weather means customers will be using more natural gas to warm their homes,” said Morgan O’Brien, President and CEO of Peoples Natural Gas. “If you or someone you know is having trouble with a heating bill, help is available. Please apply for LIHEAP.” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) that helps income-eligible families pay winter heating costs. The program provides a one-time grant to assist with paying home heating bills. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| “We all know a friend, neighbor, or family member who may have fallen on tough times. Anyone who is having trouble paying their heating bills should find out if they are eligible for LIHEAP assistance,” said Franco Harris. “Let’s be sure those we care about stay safe and warm this winter by encouraging them to apply for LIHEAP as soon as possible.” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LIHEAP funds are limited. Columbia Gas and Peoples Natural Gas urge eligible home owners and renters to apply as soon as possible. Eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP change, and customers who may not have been eligible in the past are encouraged to reapply. The income eligibility limit for the 2014-2015 program is 150% of the federal poverty income guidelines. This means individuals with an annual income of up to $17,505 are eligible to apply. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $35,775. LIHEAP closes on April 3, 2015 or earlier if funds run out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customers are encouraged to apply in any of the following ways: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To apply, the utility customer must provide the following information: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LIHEAP is a federally funded program. However, additional programs may be available for you or your elderly parents on an internal level from your gas company to help pay for heating costs. Call the number on your gas bill to find out what programs are available and to learn if you or your elderly parents qualify, even if you miss eligibility for LIHEAP. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Together, we can stay warm this winter with this generous assistance for low-income friends and family.
|
