Top of the world
If the mission statement of this blog is to reflect the passion of Steelers fans worldwide, then the single most recurring theme shown here over the years has been Steelers fans wearing Steeler gear or waving Terrible Towels in interesting locales across this big blue marble.
So, today, a few new ones for your consideration.
First: the shot above is not of a despondent Steelers fan in the hours after Super Bowl XLV or the Tebow game, but rather it's of Luke Niezelski of Latrobe, rockin' his colors and hanging out on the 90th floor of the Empire State Building. Literally on the 90th Floor.
A graduate of Derry High School, the 21-year old Niezelski is in his third year at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken N.J.and he's a full time intern with Thornton Tomasetti in Newark, N.J., which he said designed the steel for the Consol Energy Center. The company does performance (maintenance) evaluation and new construction on buildings, primarily the Empire State Building.
Niezelski is part of a team working on elevator renovations and "was on the 90th floor that day taking dimensions for a closure slab to go over the vents to prevent corrosion of the ventilation shafts due to rain and snow."
He said he was not in any danger, as there is a drop "a couple stories below."
Just a couple. Yikes.
[Ed. Note: I get vertigo just looking at that picture. On my last visit to NYC a year ago I nearly had a panic attack out on the 86th floor public observation deck.]
Next up, a quick mention for Adam "White Chocolate" Brock of Washington, Pa., who took the stage on Tuesday night's American Idol broadcast with a Terrible Towel tucked in his back pocket (dutifully captured by the folks at 96.1 FM).
Best of luck to him.
Finally, below is Craig Johnston, of Mt. Lebanon, in the Cotopaxi province of Ecuador, in the the central highlands region of that country.
Johnston was down there doing vital work with professionals and students who are members of the Pittsburgh chapter of Engineers Without Borders, who volunteer their time and skills to partnering with the villagers of Tingo Pucara, a community in the Ecuadorian Andes mountains.
Tingo Pucara does not have access to clean drinking water, which causes suffering from waterborne illnesses. The community owns a water source but needed the help of engineers to deliver it to the community center.
In February, construction of the system was completed and clean water was delivered to each home in the community.
Pictured along with Johnston are villagers Augustine Lutuala and his daughter Mirian. They are standing by a Pucara (or "fortress" in Quechua, the native Incan Language) which were outposts built by the Incas that were used for communication, and to develop trade routes between the coastal region and the interior of Ecuador.
Said Johnston: "There are a number of children down in that community who have Steeler gear now that people from here have been traveling there since 2008. It's kinda cool."
Kinda cool indeed, as you'll see on the super cute Ecudorian girl named "Gloria" at the bottom.
