OnQ; 3144

Biggest challenge any of us will ever face. Please watch. On Wednesday night at 9:00 here on 13th this month in Pittsburgh magazine. It's a special report on obesity from the risks and costs to treatments. We examine our region's expanding epidemic. Plus modernizing your older home inside the Guardian and more. In October his Pittsburgh magazine on sale now. Hello I'm Chris Moore on the next black horizons we examine the Alzheimer's disease and its relationship to the black community. We'll look at early treatment and diagnosis you learn about it all in the next town brings you live local music. Tune in Saturday afternoon October 12 to 3 when we broadcast the Carnegie Mellon wind ensemble with conductor Denis Caldwell. Ted Sawyer here I'll be your host for this live local performance from Carnegie Mellon University. Only on all classical WQED FM. Next on cue Pittsburgh Parkway there is talk of some big changes in order to prevent big

trouble and big traffic jams in the future. Also tonight the human body is the newest film at the Carnegie Science Center. We have a sneak preview of things that are right here on queue starts right now. Good evening and welcome to On Q magazine. I'm Stacey Smith. If you live in the Pittsburgh region you probably use the Parkway West occasionally if not daily. Certainly the closing and the renovation of the Fort Pitt bridge and tunnels is affecting thousands of people and for the most part the project has been ahead of schedule and going well. But if you thought all of the construction will soon be over you may be wrong. A new study shows the Parkway West faces the possibility of dramatic changes to try to

keep up with growing traffic needs. What kind of changes are they possible on cue correspondent Tanya Caruso looks at the possible Parkway West of the future in tonight's cover story. You know it's just so easy fun and all the Jetsons made traveling in the future look easy. They just jump in their cars and they're on their way with rarely a traffic jam or a delay. But when it comes to the Parkway West the future's not as rosy. One hundred forty eight thousand vehicles every day use the Parkway West currently and that number is only expected to rise. In fact a new study suggests traffic on the Parkway West will increase by 40 percent over the next two decades. That means by the year

2025 the morning back up that currently begins at the top of Green Tree Hill could stretch all the way back to the 79 interchange. Now regional leaders don't want you to faint. They say the extra traffic will be the result of a good thing. The development of the airport corridor but that development brings with it lots of challenges and expenses beginning with the study in question. The airport multi-modal core door study cost one point five million dollars. It was paid for by Penn Dot the Port Authority Allegheny County and the Southwestern Planning Commission. The goal to see how development of the airport would affect Parkway West traffic. The probably fastest developing area economically the most vital areas the airport corridor. You have to start somewhere and this is at least identifying the conditions what the problems are

and maybe what some potential solutions are. Penn dots Dick scrounger explains there are a number of potential solutions being discussed right now. Each one includes some form of public transportation. One plan calls for extending the West bus way from Carnegie to the airport. A second calls for a light rail system from downtown all the way to Pittsburgh International. If Pittsburgh is granted the maglev project the high speed train could be the answer. But there is one thing most plans have in common. A much talked about idea of widening the Parkway West to four lanes in each direction. Why do you think this is is the Indianapolis 500 thousand. Not quite but some believe four lanes of traffic could best alleviate backups on both sides of the tunnels but widening the Parkway would be a major undertaking because it would require widening the tunnels as well. Imagine the Fort Pitt tunnels with two extra lanes possibly connecting to

the Parkway East like this. If anything it provokes debate on what is the best idea and the best solution. Maybe there is a solution short of drilling two new holes in the tunnel for two new holes in Mt. Washington to put planes in to be able to build a particular type of ramp that would go through the mountain down across the river and into the heart of the city. Where are you going to located it who's going to give up the real estate for those ramps to go in to make that kind of connection so you don't even know if it's environmentally and engineering wise feasible to even do something like that it's a suggestion but it's a suggestion Penn DOT and the other groups in the study are taking seriously. Master Bobby can't you. Already going over a thousand. What's the big hurry.

One thing's for sure the process won't be a fast one any way you look at it from concept to digging the the ground to start a project is at a minimum at least seven years. The environmental considerations on any type of project whether it's a transit highway or whatever you're going to do that's going to have some impact on the community. There's a lot of environmental assessment that has to occur. So why even talk about expansion right now. Well Scripture says the answer is based in Pittsburgh history. What's interesting about the Pittsburgh area. It took about 40 years of debate and discussion to get to the point of starting work on Interstate 270 not once it was started it only took five years to build. There's always a no build solution just leave it the way it is based on technology and the ability to predict what technological advances that will be over the next 25 years that might not be a bad solution but short of driving in

space cars most involved in the study seem to agree some type of work will be needed. Any idea is a good idea to start looking at you can't at this point discount any ideas. And this whole process will provoke and stimulate a lot of debate. You know more of the stuff about exactly what is the best right now some say digging two extra lanes through the mountain may be far fetched but one thing's for sure it will be expensive rough estimates of all of the possible solutions mentioned so far. Run anywhere from one point six to one point eight billion dollars last week penned up began the first of what will no doubt be countless public hearings on this issue. And Stacy this is one idea that is certain to create lots of debate and discussion. What about a deadline for making a decision. There are a long way away from a deadline so far they are only in the brainstorming stage if you will. This is the very first step in what will be a very very long process through the study they

have identified that in fact there will be a problem. Now those spend the next few years kicking around some of the suggestions we talked about and probably a few more as Dick scrounger of Penn Dot said. One possible solution is they could end up doing absolutely nothing. But they will study the issue for a very long time before making a decision. You know maybe they know something we don't know. But there's been so much talk in this region about declining population. How can they be projecting about a 40 percent increase in the traffic. Good question I asked that question to a designer. Great minds are there you go despite the population studies Penn DOT says on average traffic increases by about one percent or one and a half percent every year. Add to that what they expect and are hoping will be the eventual goal of the eventual development of the airport corridor that's where they really think the large volumes of traffic will come in. There is talk right now that we need to develop the space at the airport they plan to develop the space and then they're trying to plan for what will come next happen if they do develop it.

Excellent thank you. Still to come the human body. It is the newest film of the Carnegie science center Chris Moore previews the film and talks to human body star. It's coming up next. Also still to come the first Big Mac the first slinky and the first public television station. They were all made in Pittsburgh and we will have those stories and more when you continue your watching on Q magazine because these foundations are not about local programming to help pay for the Howard times down at the Everly foundation the Richard Allen foundation the McCune foundation the Pittsburgh foundation the Henry Foundation and we couldn't do it without the members. WQED is broadcast live on cue is made possible by the West Penn Allegheny health system among America's best according to U.S. News and World Report

magazine Western Allegheny is the provider of choice on the web at ass dot org. Welcome back to ON Q magazine I'm Chris Moore. Did you know that every morning when you open your eyes you scorch off the top layer of your retina and every 24 hours you grow another 40 yards of hair. Probably not know all the places you want to be. These are just a few of the all inspiring facts in the newest Omnimax film of the Carnegie Science Center. Heather Pike is one of the stars of the film called The Human Body. So how did you become the star of this epic. I was about five weeks pregnant and I went to a flower market in London with a friend of mine my husband I was working living there at the time he was working there and a woman came up and said Oh you have an American accent. Do you happen to have any American friends living in London that are pregnant. Believe it or not and a certain producer came to our house that was on a Sunday the Wednesday

following an assistant producer came to the house and interviewed us and through our tape and with the tapes of three others that have been chosen after a long process and the money we did not know. How do you decide to go through the process of pregnancy with a film crew or two or three or four five for when you're every move. It sounds like a violation of privacy if I ever heard one. Not at all. Well not for me. I really you're an outgoing person I am. And I also grew up loving to go to the Boston Museum of Science I'm a huge fan of all science museums and the opportunity to be part of this educational film was too much to pass up. And you are quite the adventure you're going off to New Zealand then to England and so this is natural for your personality. In fact when I called my mother to say that I was pregnant in the same breath I said I we might be the stars of the movie she said only you have or she knows that. Yes we're going to take a look at a clip of the movie right now and get a feel

for what it must be like minus the big screen. Here we are we'll take a look at the film at six weeks. The embryo begins to take on a familiar shape the loops of the brain off forming across the top. And the spinal cord. Tiny limbs and in blue the start of a miniscule eye. And as cells are being created millions are being destroyed to hand begins as a fingerless pattern as it forms over the weeks. The fingers don't grow out from its breast sculpture by the death of the cells in between.

One of the features of I Do It Now are you going to have any trouble explaining to your 19 when he gets older. It's not really him in all those shots right. Well the ultrasound is actually him so he'll love seeing that and the birth you of course see him after he's born when he's handed to me for the first time. I think you know all teenagers love him their parents were just giving him a very tangible reason. You're going to have more pictures than those usual cheeky shots of the baby laying there on the towel with. Yeah and you're going to have his whole birth process here right out lad. Do you know how he's reacting right reacted to it yet I know he's only 19 myself. Right he actually saw the film again today and loved it every time he heard my voice or my husband's voice he turned around he looked at it and pointed he really thought it was great.

That sounds super Not to me about this film. Is this something you know when we start talking about reproductive systems. This is something that parents maybe a look and certain about. Is this something that parents and their children can come to and feel comfortable about. Absolutely maxes is a big proponent of family films this is very much a family film an educational piece as well. Everything is treated with the utmost respect and the birth is fully G rated. What's it like having these huge camera because this is a huge carrier it's not like a 16 millimeter or a video camera. What's it like having this huge camera in this crew follow you around for seven months of your pregnancy. It was fantastic I got to be very close with the producer the director all the assistant producers and the camera man so when those you know when 30 people were there to greet me at the hospital and then were there for the birth it was really like having more family then your husband Buster did he except the rest of this growing family as well. He did He had his reservations at first but he always goes along with what I ask.

Yeah but you know they only know you don't have to twist as I do them are you know you knew who you married you would have been just a bird right. What was the most exciting part not only of the pregnancy but the filmmaking process. The exciting part was actually the end result seeing the film for the first time and seeing the impact I had no idea that we were going to be a part of something so grand and you know so big. Not enough. This is more than just about the birth of your son will get an understanding of many of the prophecies that the human body goes through developing and recreating itself in some ways regenerating cell cells dying that sort of stuff. Right right and adolescents in particular really enjoy the film. Young kids will enjoy the film there. There are other characters in the film Luke and Santa play my niece and nephew Luke is about 13 hitting puberty and Zana is about you know 10. So there's something for everybody you'll see in your cell

dance you'll see a real beating heart or cell band. How does that work under microscope they were able to isolate a single cell and they attached electrodes to it and they put on some music and it's the first time that it's ever been captured on film but you actually see how you hear it Rock n Roll it is rock n roll you better believe it. Imagine that rest was dancing around like something else. And I understand this morning at the Carnegie Science Center there was a preview and people got to see it. What was that like. What were the reactions the reactions were very positive everybody said it was an excellent film. And of course I was there so they might have known they wouldn't say anything. But but it is a really fantastic movie and everybody that I see that I meet that sees the film and then meets us for the first time always has a smile on their face. Now I understand there's something in the film. I have not seen it about babies in their natural ability to swim. Yes. It's called the diving reflex. They're not sure what causes it

but babies up to. I think it's about six months of age when they're in the water will open their mouth and take in water. But a flap covers the opening to the lungs so the water is channeled to their stomach. And they'll they can swim. They can do also. I wouldn't advise someone throwing a young child in the pool. They do need parents health help to regain the surface. But it's amazing sequence. I know these films are not rated but if you had to what would you rate it five. All right have a bye thanks for being here we do appreciate it. Previews and runs here at the Carnegie Center all in throughout Tobar is that right. It does and it premieres on Friday and I will be at the Science Center on Friday. If anyone wants to come down to me. OK. Thank you for being here we look forward to seeing the film. Thank you. All right. Over and over and over. Yes. Up next what do the big Mag the stealthy and the Nickelodeon have in common. Carol-Lee asked we will show you went on to continue

to know more about on cue magazine's recent stories upcoming guest on q community calendar and of course viewer feedback. It's on our website WQED dot horn. Just follow the links to on cue for the people of this region are proud of their heritage and proud of all the things that got their start right here in the Pittsburgh area. So we decided to do a little research and we put together a brag book of Pittsburgh. First we got some help from on cue contributor Andy May sick who runs the Heinz History Center and tonight and he shows you first from the world of sports entertainment business and just about every category you can think of. And they were all made in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh a city of first inventors and

President setters innovations and taste sensations some of these firsts are famous Some are nearly forgotten. But curators at the Heinz History Center do remember it's their job to research record and preserve Pittsburgh's life and times of the region's historical record goes back 16 5000 years. When the first Americans found refuge in the meadow cropped rock shelters during the last ice age. Today Archaeologists believe this valley Mirabelle of Washington County to be the oldest site of human habitation in North America. At the very top of this column we have the time frame represented by George Washington in his visits to this meeting at the Senate a George Washington the first president of the United States started the first first world war. Here Pittsburgh 1754 Washington was a young British officer when he fired the first shots in the French Indian War at human hills going

here present a union town. This word was the first gateway to the west. In fact Lewis and Clark expedition left from here at 18 0 3. Nowadays St. Louis claims the gateway title Gateway Arch. It's been a symbol of St. Louis Missouri for more than 30 years and brags about it was their gateway arch which by the way was designed and prefabricated on Neville Island here in Pittsburgh. When Dolly Madison wanted glass for the tables of the White House she came to Pittsburgh the Bakewell factories located near downtown actually made glass for three U.S. presidents. The first factory in the United States to sell him a glass for Madison Monroe and Andrew Jackson the Pittsburgh region claims the first U.S. glass factory first Western Steamboat the Stookey

the first bridge built in Pittsburgh was the covered wooden Monongahela bridge. It opened to the public in November of 18 18. That bridge burned in the fire of 1845. The report said that it burned straight across in eight minutes and fell into the river below the world's wire suspension bridge. The air bridge climb. The ferris wheel in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago H.J. Heinz introduced the first pickle and Heinz hired boys to litter the fairgrounds with gold colored tags inviting people to redeem the tags for a free prize at the Heinz exhibit. That prize was the pickle pan and tens of thousands claimed them as keepsakes. The ploy spread word about the Heinz brand and established

H.J. Heinz as a marketing genius. Pittsburgh built the first indoor ice rink. The casino. This is the projector that was used on Smithfield street at a place called the Nickelodeon. It was the first leader in the world devoted to showing motion pictures. The first picture that they showed was the great train. Pittsburgh service the first World Series the first banana split and the first driving the gas. I don't regret that they're not here but that's the first commercial radio broadcast. It came from a 100 watt transmitter in a makeshift shack with a novice announcer.

We are now abroad grab your leg and return. We heard collaborate Pittsburghers were the first to enjoy reamers bland and in one thousand twenty two eyes Lees introduced the skyscraper cone and the Klondike bar. The thing that you know ring Pittsburghers were the first to play bingo. The Cathedral of learning was the first thing University skyscraper in 1936 the first stainless steel car was made of the Allegheny metal. That's right this car is one of six that was made and traveled back and forth across America to demonstrate the properties of stainless steel. Henry Ford hopes stainless steel the Allegheny metal would be the wave of the future only to find the new metal was too heavy and rigid for mass production. The first

bubble machine the Fraternal Order of Police the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations were all unions founded in Pittsburgh. The polio vaccine. The first African-American NFL quarterback. The first public television station. It's like another Pittsburgh first retractable dome pull tabs. McDonald's Golden Arches made history just south of Pittsburgh in 1067. When Jim Della got it he invented the Big Mac World Series 19. Mr Pittsburgh hospitals can lay claim to many of the milestones in transplant technology. The first heart liver transplant was performed at a

UPMC hospital in 1984 and the first simultaneous heart liver and kidney transplant performed at Presbyterian Hospital in 1989. For hundreds of years Western Pennsylvania has been home to trailblazers innovators and trendsetters. It's part of our heritage and our future. Well if your favorite Pittsburgh first wasn't in our report Well we could only use so many and based on our research a sequel or two could be in order. Now here's a look at what you'll see tomorrow on cue. We have a special edition of On Q tomorrow with a focus on caregivers. The number of people who care for sick or dying family members is growing fast especially in the Pittsburgh region. Tomorrow we talk with local families about the challenges the rewards and the emotional impact. We'll also take phone calls and tell you about resources referrals and other support services. Join us for a special edition about caregivers

with our goal to help you. And thank you for watching and we hope you'll join us again. Why would 7:30 tomorrow night. Good luck. You're watching on Q magazine because these foundations are local programming to help

you during the Howard Hunt him down at the Everly today show the Richard nation the McEwen the foundation the Henry Hill Foundation and we couldn't do it without the numbers from WQED broadcast of on cue is made possible by the West and Allegheny health.