As a 9-1-1 Officer who sees daily the ills this city is suffering from, and as a community leader who still attempts to make the neighborhood(s) he lives in a better place for his children, I often volunteer a lot of time & effort to grassroots causes that will directly impact the fate of both. And when times look real dire, sometimes I offer to take the lead, such as when I ran against our current incumbent council member (funny how many people have since approached me to say they regret their choice)! Will i run again? Quite possibly, but that is not the point of this post.

Every so often, a spark for change is lit in this city. Every so often people say they have had enough, and “organize”. Yet no matter how “organized” they may be (and some have been very organized/powerful/impacting), they just can’t make it into the end zone. And in this city that is because of the strangle hold our supposed elected “leaders” have over “process”.

The solution? To change the players! Get people in power who will return power to the people! And if they flip, then replace them as well. This city has seen many up & (mostly) downs in the past 30-40 years. And yet, every so often a beam of light shines through. Bob O’Connor was one of those, and actually one of the reasons I still gave this city a chance when the Murphy “Tech Bubble” pre-maturely burst. And sadfully, Bob was taken away from us so very quickly.

Well another “beam” has just broke through the dark clouds of this city. It seems that other young professionals like myself who have also decided to stay & give this city a chance have taken their organizing to the next level, creating a group to promote progressive change for this city, and now offering to put their money where their mouths are by supporting candidates who will promote progressive policies as well. As I said, at the point where we are at in this city, the only way we will bring about change is from the inside, and we have to start getting some people in.

As such, I feel it is my duty to promote this campaign, and I fully endorse it. Please feel free to visit it, along with their webpage at http://progresspittsburgh.net for more information on the group & to join Pittsburgh’s strongest movement for change!

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And who said you can’t have the best of both worlds! If you are a blogger, and love facebook, there now exists a “wordpress widget” will allow one to cross post to both applications! In fact, this posting is a test of such! Just kicking the tires, and taking her for a ride! Let’s hope!

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As many of you may have heard by now, we at the Allegheny County Emergency Services 911 Emergency Operations Center tragically lost one of our beloved colleagues, Edward Fetcho, Friday evening. Ed & his wife, Jane, died in a vehicle accident in Mount Gilead, Ohio, where they were on their way to do one of their favorite things, visiting their daughter, Ashley, who was attending a cheerleading competition. Ed,  a veteran dispatcher for over 24 years, was liked by most, and his presence will most definately be missed. The media is reporting as of Sunday evening that the family viewing will be taking place Tuesday & Wednesday, with the funeral to be held Thursday. More details to follow as soon as they are available. Our family’s thoughts & prayers go out to his at this time.

> The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
> The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
> WTAE Channel 4
> WPXI Channel 11
> KDKA Channel 2
> The Columbus Dispatch

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Though I know more then a few people who would love to see her behind bars, my fellow colleague & friend, City Of Pittsburgh Zone 1 Police Cmdr. Cathy McNeilly is being charged with having a big heart! She is currently out on her recognizance, but must raise $3600 before February 27th if she wants to avoid doing jail time!

All puns aside, Cathy suffers from multiple sclerosis, and I applaude her efforts in trying to raise awareness & research money for this debilitating & life threatening disease. My step mother died of Muscular Dystrophy, a similar neurological disease, back in the late 90’s, and it is with deep sympathy that I am willing to contribute to her cause.

In an email she she sent out, she suggested donating on behalf of the neighbors around us, so true to my word, my contribution of $62 to her bail is representative of the 620 households in Summer Hill, which is covered by her Zone station. Should you like to make a donation, just click on her picture, and it will take you directly to her page on Jerry Lewis’ site. Of course, should she fall short of her goal, she will have to do a “stint behind bars”, so stay tuned!

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Back by popular demand, the photo album is now back up! And as you can see to the right, it even works better with WordPress (the software programming behind this blog style webpage)! Just to get it started I have uploaded a selection of the best photos we have taken in the past 3 months, and more are to come soon. The nice thing about it though is that now, after you register, you can have your favorites printed & mail ordered to you, whether you are in North America or Europe! I just got it back up & working, but feel free to send me feedback as I will be tinkering with it over the next week or two (for example, I will be increasing the font in the album page itself, changing some of the default sizes, etc). Older pics will also be added, especially from our trips, as time allows. And just like with the webpage itself, if you want of a folder of your own, please do not hesitate to ask. Enjoy!

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As I look back at 2007, one word comes to mind…challenging…and in many senses of the word! Of course there were all the “firsts” that we were priviledged to see Katie go through, and of course Matthew was going through his “Three’s”. Some of our 2007 memories came from our family trip to Montreal, and then there was the great results Dave posted in the Pittsburgh general election in his race for our neighborhood’s Pittsburgh City Council seat. Probably the most challenging part of 2007, however, had to be all the family illness’ between Thanksgiving & New Years, along with the car wreck Dave was involved in on his way to work one night in December (or more importantly, the search for a reliable replacement vehicle, which at this time is still in the air)!

With 2007 behind us, though, 2008 looks great, and we welcome it with open arms. A good part will be spent getting back to everything that was put on hold after the accident, not to mention improving our financial situation. With a Presidential Election in full swing now, we also anticipate Dave’s participation in one of the Candidate’s local campaign teams this fall. But most of all, we just look forward to spending more time as a family, and creating more memories to remember 2008 by!

You are all in our thoughts & prayers, and we hope you are all doing well, and we wish you all the best in the coming year. And of course, always feel free to get in touch with us throughout the year. Dave has committed to update this page more frequently (especially now that he has updated this page with an improved web template & blog program), so also feel free to visit this page throughout the year for updates!

God bless, and may you have a joyous & fulfilling New Year!

The Schuilenburgs

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Hope you all are enjoying your holidays!

Well, as many have been aware, our Princess, Katie, has joined the walking world. Actually she has been walking since right before Thanksgiving! This video was taken on my PDA Phone, and has since been sent to many of you. So as to save space on your computers, I have since posted it here so all can enjoy. Stay tuned for future videos to appear as well. Enjoy!

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I came across this the other day, and though everyone may have a different opinions on where this world is headed, I thought it was interesting food for thought.

To Kill an American (or a Canadian) What Is An American?
A primer.

By Peter Ferrara, an associate professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law. September 25, 2001

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper there an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.So I just thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.

An American is English…or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country. As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly cruel, old men. American men will not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill innocent people, so that these foolish old men may hold on to power. American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them choose.

An American is free to criticize his government’s officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.

Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of them choose.

And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring, from all over the world. The best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The nation symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America. Many of them were working in the twin towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo and Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world. But in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

So look around you. You may find more Americans in your land than you thought were there. One day they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands too will join the community of free and prosperous nations.

And America will welcome them.

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Kids get hurt, kids get sick … and parents just keeping putting one foot in front of the other every morning.

A day in the life…
Each morning I wake up and push the button on my coffee machine and must finish the cup before I can tackle anything. Which is what happened yesterday. I come downstairs and have my cup - sometimes I drink it while I’m feeding Katie and catching up on last nights news and the weather. But this was going to be a different day. Matthew came home from school with a sore foot yesterday & refused to walk on it. Well, I thought we’d give it the night to heal. But the first step he took was again, agony.

Dave (the good father he is) took both kids to see the doctor. (Because you know, in real life, it isn’t as easy as having one healthy kid - they ‘both’ have to have something wrong with them.)

So - after a visit from the doctor - he’s off to the hospital for x-rays. Well, what do you know? It isn’t an ‘ingrown toenail’ - as so expertly diagnosed by the daycare staff - but in fact - it is a fractured bone! Well, one big giant purple bandage later - Matthew is sporting a shiny new cast on his left foot.

Now - here’s the fun part - here are the questions… well? Can he walk on it? When can he go back to school? Will it heal properly or will he be limping for the rest of his life?

Because in real life… there are no safety nets! So folks, you’d better put on that seat belt / safety helmet / and tie those shoes tight because you just never know.

Keeping it real.

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With all that has happened this year, it has been a busy one to say the least! Over the next few days & weeks, I’m sure we will reflect on some of what has happened, but to start, I think our most recent mailing summarized the year best, and thought it would be appropriate to post a copy of it here. To be continued!

Happy Holidays!

Dear Family & Friends, near & far;

Well another year has come & gone, and we just wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the events & changes our family has seen over the past 12 months. Some of the highlights include:

• The arrival of the newest member of our Family! Katherine (Katie) Elizabeth was born August 18th, and simply put, she has been just a joy. We are all enjoying & adjusting to life with the new baby;
• Matthew is in preschool and is learning a lot! He turned 3 this year and is 150% boy! He really shines in his new role of ‘big brother.’ You can see just how loving and proud he is of his little sister;
• Dave is still working as a Pittsburgh 9-1-1 medical & police dispatcher. Talk about stress, but he handles it beautifully. He also did a lot of community work this year as treasurer of our neighborhood group, working with other groups to organize & moderate a public debate between candidates running for State Rep, raising over 21,000$ for a nearby family that lost their home to fire, and finally by running Pittsburgh city council himself & getting a respectable showing. This is not to mention all the work he has done on the house!
• Sarah is still working at MSA (Management Science Associates) and is busy raising the kids! This past summer/fall was a great time to spend with our new daughter and watching Matthew enjoy the outdoors. She is truly the glue that keeps this family together!
• This year Sarah & Dave also enjoyed a well deserved vacation to the Netherlands, visiting family, and meeting many pleasurable people along the way! Thank you all for making the trip across the pond so enjoyable! Matthew, mean while, got to spend quality time with GrandMa & Grandpa. Thanks Nana & Pap-Pap!

Tentative plans for next year? To rent a condo & spend 2 weeks in Montreal in June & July, and enjoy the Jazz Fest & Fireworks Competitions! Hope to see you there!

Well that does it for us this year! For those who may not have already been aware, all are welcome to get updates on our goings-on by visiting our family website at http://TheSchuilenburgs.Net. And should you live in the Montreal area, don’t forget reaching us is a simple as a local phone call to our Montreal phone number at (514) 448-2445! We love you all and for those that are far away – our hearts are with you! May you truly be blessed this holiday season and always.

Love,
Dave, Sarah, Matthew & Katie!

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