Neville Island (Images of America: Pennsylvania)
Neville Island (Images of America: Pennsylvania)
Overview
Title: Book about Neville Island serves up some surprising historyAuthor: Brian DavidPublisher: Pittsburgh Post-GazetteDate: 1/4/2009To author Gia Tatone, the book, "Neville Island," was a chance to tell the story of a place she loved and to offer "a lot of good, a lot of truth, a lot of hope, a lot of joy" to the people of a community that for a long time has been associated with chemicals and pollution.To co-author Dan Holland, a historian by training, it was a chance to reveal the little-known, to unravel some historic riddles and, in a way, to show America in microcosm.To Dorothy Antonelli, of the nonprofit organization called Neville Green that sponsored the book, it fills a need for "a comprehensive history" -- one showing the positives of the community and the beauty of the island while acknowledging the problems brought by industry."I wanted people to know that when it began it wasn't that way," she said of the factories and work yards that line the island's eastern two-thirds.In the early days, the island was a strategically important way station for American Indians, Mr. Holland said, and was later the subject of a dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania. Virginia controlled the land south of the Ohio, Pennsylvania the land north of it; Neville was in the middle.Then early settlers discovered the island's rich soil, left behind by countless river floods, and for a century and a half, Neville Island was famous for its agricultural richness, "the market basket of Pittsburgh," as Ms. Tatone put it."New York restaurants would put on their menus, 'Asparagus a la Neville Island,' " Mr. Holland said."A lot of people don't know that, don't know the island's agricultural history," Ms. Antonelli said.What they do know is industry, which took over the island during World War II.According to Mr. Holland, the government bought several farms near the end of World War I with the intent of building a munitions plant. The war ended with the plant unbuilt, and the government offered the land back to the farmers. But the price was too high. "They basically lost their land," he said.When World War II began, the government decided to use the land as a shipyard. Dravo Corp. eventually would employ 16,000, turning out cargo ships by the hundreds. Other industries moved in, and the island remains heavily industrialized.Along with ships and chemicals, the industries produced pollution. This led to the most troubling aspect of the island's history, with toxic dumps and coverups both coming to light with some regularity. Most famous was what came to be known as "Poison Park," a planned county park that turned out to be located on a secret waste dump site.But the island is on a comeback. "Poison Park" has been cleaned up and is now part of the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, a recreational gem at the island's western tip. There is a new hotel, a new restaurant under construction, and talk of other development capitalizing on the island's river frontage.And there is, as there has long been, a tight-knit community of island dwellers."There's been a lot of anguish, a lot of hard times," Ms. Antonelli said. "The islanders have always lived with it. Most residents here have been here all their lives and never would want to go anywhere else."For her, highlighting those people was the primary point in having "Neville Island" written. "I wanted it to be a positive image," she said.The other goal was to raise money for Neville Green's "Neville Naturalists" program, which each summer teaches island children about the environment. The program is well regarded -- it won the Three Rivers Environmental Award in 1998 -- and is so popular that it ends up turning children away.The 128-page book, released in November, can be purchased for $20 through Neville Green or for $21.99 in bookstores. All proceeds benefit the organization.Ms. Antonelli said interest has been high. Ashland Oil bought 100 to give its employees for Christmas.Ms. Tatone was brought on board because she had written a history of Coraopolis.She was happy to be asked."I grew up going bowling down there," she said. "I take my daughter bowling there now. ... I couldn't resist."A former teacher, Ms. Tatone is now pursuing ministry. She sees her work on the book, which she donated free of charge, as an early step in that ministry."I felt it was something I needed to do as an act of loving service," she said.She knew Mr. Holland through his work as chairman of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh and brought him into the project because of his background as a historian."I found lots of articles, all stating different things," Ms. Tatone said. "We wanted it to be as accurate as possible and needed his expertise."Beyond sorting through conflicting details, Mr. Holland saw a pattern to the island's history that reflects on America itself."It spans the gamut," he said. "It's had agricultural uses, industrial uses, residential uses and not recreational uses."He called the university's center "a great adaptive use" for the once-polluted ground and said that kind of restoration and reuse is going to be important throughout the region in coming years."You really get a sense for the kind of future our region can have," he said.And who knows? Maybe it could even see a return to farming."The soil is still amazingly fertile," Ms. Antonelli said. "I can grow anything in my garden."Description
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
Title: Book about Neville Island serves up some surprising historyAuthor: Brian DavidPublisher: Pittsburgh Post-GazetteDate: 1/4/2009To author Gia Tatone, the book, "Neville Island," was a chance to tell the story of a place she loved and to offer "a lot of good, a lot of truth, a lot of hope, a lot of joy" to the people of a community that for a long time has been associated with chemicals and pollution.To co-author Dan Holland, a historian by training, it was a chance to reveal the little-known, to unravel some historic riddles and, in a way, to show America in microcosm.To Dorothy Antonelli, of the nonprofit organization called Neville Green that sponsored the book, it fills a need for "a comprehensive history" -- one showing the positives of the community and the beauty of the island while acknowledging the problems brought by industry."I wanted people to know that when it began it wasn't that way," she said of the factories and work yards that line the island's eastern two-thirds.In the early days, the island was a strategically important way station for American Indians, Mr. Holland said, and was later the subject of a dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania. Virginia controlled the land south of the Ohio, Pennsylvania the land north of it; Neville was in the middle.Then early settlers discovered the island's rich soil, left behind by countless river floods, and for a century and a half, Neville Island was famous for its agricultural richness, "the market basket of Pittsburgh," as Ms. Tatone put it."New York restaurants would put on their menus, 'Asparagus a la Neville Island,' " Mr. Holland said."A lot of people don't know that, don't know the island's agricultural history," Ms. Antonelli said.What they do know is industry, which took over the island during World War II.According to Mr. Holland, the government bought several farms near the end of World War I with the intent of building a munitions plant. The war ended with the plant unbuilt, and the government offered the land back to the farmers. But the price was too high. "They basically lost their land," he said.When World War II began, the government decided to use the land as a shipyard. Dravo Corp. eventually would employ 16,000, turning out cargo ships by the hundreds. Other industries moved in, and the island remains heavily industrialized.Along with ships and chemicals, the industries produced pollution. This led to the most troubling aspect of the island's history, with toxic dumps and coverups both coming to light with some regularity. Most famous was what came to be known as "Poison Park," a planned county park that turned out to be located on a secret waste dump site.But the island is on a comeback. "Poison Park" has been cleaned up and is now part of the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, a recreational gem at the island's western tip. There is a new hotel, a new restaurant under construction, and talk of other development capitalizing on the island's river frontage.And there is, as there has long been, a tight-knit community of island dwellers."There's been a lot of anguish, a lot of hard times," Ms. Antonelli said. "The islanders have always lived with it. Most residents here have been here all their lives and never would want to go anywhere else."For her, highlighting those people was the primary point in having "Neville Island" written. "I wanted it to be a positive image," she said.The other goal was to raise money for Neville Green's "Neville Naturalists" program, which each summer teaches island children about the environment. The program is well regarded -- it won the Three Rivers Environmental Award in 1998 -- and is so popular that it ends up turning children away.The 128-page book, released in November, can be purchased for $20 through Neville Green or for $21.99 in bookstores. All proceeds benefit the organization.Ms. Antonelli said interest has been high. Ashland Oil bought 100 to give its employees for Christmas.Ms. Tatone was brought on board because she had written a history of Coraopolis.She was happy to be asked."I grew up going bowling down there," she said. "I take my daughter bowling there now. ... I couldn't resist."A former teacher, Ms. Tatone is now pursuing ministry. She sees her work on the book, which she donated free of charge, as an early step in that ministry."I felt it was something I needed to do as an act of loving service," she said.She knew Mr. Holland through his work as chairman of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh and brought him into the project because of his background as a historian."I found lots of articles, all stating different things," Ms. Tatone said. "We wanted it to be as accurate as possible and needed his expertise."Beyond sorting through conflicting details, Mr. Holland saw a pattern to the island's history that reflects on America itself."It spans the gamut," he said. "It's had agricultural uses, industrial uses, residential uses and not recreational uses."He called the university's center "a great adaptive use" for the once-polluted ground and said that kind of restoration and reuse is going to be important throughout the region in coming years."You really get a sense for the kind of future our region can have," he said.And who knows? Maybe it could even see a return to farming."The soil is still amazingly fertile," Ms. Antonelli said. "I can grow anything in my garden."Description
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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