Philadelphia Daily Record

Vol. II No. 96 (256)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

July 8, 2011

Philadelphia Daily Record

Energy Whizzes JEANNIE DENNIS sets a new standard for home energy efficiency after her home received a radical makeover by PGW’s EnergySense program. From left are Mayor Michael A. Nutter; Dennis, with family; and Craig E. White, CEO of Philadelphia Gas Works. Story on page 4.

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The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar Jul. 10Benefit for Women Veterans hosted by Cathy Santos at Mom’s Kitchen Table Garden Courtyard, 2317 Ridge Ave., 4-9 p. m. For info Cathy Santos (215) 834-4228.

Jul. 15Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell celebrates her birthday with 14th annual Celebration and Health Fair for Homeless on City Hall’s Dilworth Plaza, 12 m.-3 p.m.

Jul. 15Councilman Curtis Jones celebrates his birthday with White Linen Party at Centennial Café, 4700 States Dr., Fairmount Pk., 8-11 p.m. Donation $50. For info (267) 912-1420 or email SamanthaJoyWilliams@gmail.com Jul. 19Fundraiser for Council candidate David Oh at McGillin’s Ale House, 1310 Drury St., 6-8. Free buffet, open bar. Contribution $50. Cash or money

order. No Corporate checks.

Jul. 23Brady Bunch get-together at Keenan’s at 113 Old New Jersey Av., North Wildwood, N.J., 4-8 p.m. Tickets $35.

For info Tommy (215) 423-9027 or Charlie (215) 241-7804.

Aug. 18Stu Bykofsky’s 21st Candidates Comedy Night at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden Sts., 7:30 p.m. Tickets $75. Order by calling Variety (215) 735-0803.

Aug. 27Fundraiser for Joe McCloskey Memorial Fund at Quaker City Yacht Club, 7101 N. Delaware Ave., 3-7 p.m.

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

13 JUNE, 2011

Toomey Introduces Bill For Long-Term Budget Balancing Yesterday, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), along with colleagues Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. This Act cuts spending for fiscal year 2012 and caps spending over the next 10 years. These cuts and caps are based on levels contained in Toomey’s 10-year balanced budget proposal (S Con. Res. 21) and his Cap Spending Act of 2011 (S1290). In addition, the legislation raises the debt limit by $2.4 trillion contingent on a balanced-budget amendment passing in the House and the Senate.

The legislation divides federal outlays into six cate-

gories (non-defense discretionary; defense; Social Security; Medicare; mandatory veterans and other mandatory spending) and sets specific spending caps for each category. A two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress is required to waive the annual caps except during times of war.

“What this bill does is it makes a substantial increase in the debt limit possible, but contingent on the kind of discipline that I think we badly need,” Toomey commented.

Eighteen other Senators have cosponsored the Cut, Cap and Balance Act.

Farnese Will Submit ‘Caylee’s Law’ Legislation “The disappearance and death of Caylee Anthony and the criminal trial of Casey Anthony riveted the nation and prompted me to take steps to protect Pennsylvania children from similar injustices,” Farnese said. “Regardless of the jury’s verdict on the murder charges, most people agree that the mother’s conduct following her child’s disappearance was shocking and reprehensible.”

In response to the disappearance and death of Florida girl, Caylee Anthony, and her mother’s controversial murder trial, State Sen. Larry Farnese (D-S. Phila.) is planning to introduce legislation that would toughen penalties against those who conceal the death of a child.

“Caylee’s Law” would toughen the penalty for concealing the death of a child from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and a fine of $15,000.

The Farnese measure would also create the offense of “Neglecting to Report a Missing Child” as a first-degree misdemeanor, carry13 JUNE, 2011

ing a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of $10,000.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Two-year-old Caylee Anthony was missing for a month before her disappearance was reported. She was ultimately found dead. Her mother, Casey, was put on trial for her death, but was acquitted of all felony charges, including murder.

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Governor Saluted For Signing Firefighter Cancer Bill Firefighters are saluting Gov. Tom Corbett for enacting a new law that presumes certain cancers are occupational diseases when afflicting those brave Pennsylvanians who fight fires. Volunteer and career firefighters facing cancer will have a greater measure of economic security by presuming related eligibility for Workers’ Compensation.

On behalf of the Firemen’s Association of the State of Pennsylvania, ERG Partners has been diligently working with Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association, Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute to advance this legislation.

The passage of HB 797, and its subsequent approval by the Governor, marks the end to a 25-year legislative battle to ensure that the courageous men and women of the state’s fire services are protected should they develop cancer due to exposure of known

carcinogens while in the line of duty.

“Firefighting entails very real health risks beyond immediately discernable injury,” said ERG partner Tracy Wingenroth. “Many Pennsylvanians, primarily in rural areas, rely heavily on volunteer firefighters.

The brave men and women who risk their health for our neighbors deserve this added measure of economic protection.”

ERG and the FASP would also like to thank the bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Frank Farry, Senate Labor & Industry Committee Chairman John Gordner and Chairwoman Tina Tartaglione, State Sens. Dominic Pileggi and David Argall, House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee Chairman Steve Barrar, State Rep. Kevin Murphy, and all members of the House and Senate who advocated for the passage of this bill.

PGW Showcases New Energy-Efficient Home Philadelphia Gas Works was joined

by Mayor Michael A. Nutter and weatherization and public workforce system partners yesterday to present EnergySense, PGW’s flagship energy efficiency program. The event took place at the home of a customer whose monthly energy use is projected to decrease considerably, thanks to treatments provided by PGW through the CRP Weatherization Program.

EnergySense is PGW’s new portfolio of six energy-efficiency pro4|

grams to help PGW residential, commercial and industrial customers conserve energy and save money. It also creates new jobs, lowers emissions and increases conservation. The programs also support the City of Philadelphia’s Greenworks program to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America. The portfolio is projected to reduce the region’s carbon-dioxide emissions by 1.24 million tons, which is the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off Philadelphia’s streets.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

8 JULY, 2011

Women Break Down Walls A YEAR-LONG PROCESS of bringing together diverse women for sessions of Breaking Down the Walls, a project envisioned by Sandra Sheller and Renee Amoore, culminated in a closing dinner hosted by Drexel University in James E. Marks Intercultural Center on Thursday, Jul. 6. Seen here are, from left, Michele Rovinsky-Mayer, JD, Drexel assistant VP; Sandra Sheller, convenor; Renee Amoore, convenor; and Eliana Papadakis.

Photos by Bonnie Squires

ELEANOR DEZZI, center, was one of participants who received a certificate of honor from Sandy Sheller and Renee Amoore for participation in year-long sessions of sharing goals and life stories.

8 JULY, 2011

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

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Citizens Bank ‘Goes Fishing’ For a Stronger Workforce The Citizens Bank Foundation announced a $200,000 grant to the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program to establish a two-year project called How We Fish. The initiative will start with a work force development summit, continue with a series of community forums throughout 2011 and 2012, and end with the installation of a new mural that will celebrate work, its Philadelphia history, meaning and value.

How We Fish is designed to serve as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue about work force development and job creation for Philadelphia’s citizens, workers, the unemployed, and business and community leaders. The innovative initiative will examine economic development and job creation.

The initiative’s name reflects the saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

“Philadelphia’s strength always has centered around its work force – at one point in our history, we were known as the ‘workshop of the world’,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Times have changed, but our economy still requires an educated, trained work force. I would like to thank the Citizens Bank Foundation for its support of this initiative and The Mural Arts Program for being so instrumental 6|

in promoting and hosting work force development initiatives for young people, ex-offenders and other vulnerable populations.”

In conjunction with the Mayor, the Citizens Bank Foundation and the Mural Arts Program held a news conference to release an overview of the project which will include not only a new mural but a landmark work force and economic development summit that will feature leaders in labor and economic growth. During the event, a symbolic fishing net was cast, with participants attaching their ideas for why work is important to an individual and to the community.

“The Citizens Bank Foundation believes in this project because it gets to the heart of what we need in Philadelphia – a vibrant workforce,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Citizens Bank president for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

How We Fish will serve as a catalyst for conversation and action about the importance of workforce development and how Philadelphia redefines itself as the workplace of the world. “The Mural Arts Program is an ongoing success in large part because of community involvement,” said Executive Director Jane Golden.

Community forums will be held in neighborhoods throughout the city.

The public will be invited to parTHE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

ticipate in a professionally facilitated dialogue around their experiences as workers, job-seekers and Philadelphians. The forums will shape the imagery and themes to be included in the mural design.

Employment Resource Fairs will also be held with representatives from project partners who provide guidance on how to prepare for and seek employment, including District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund, JEVS Human Services, Peoples Emergency Center, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., Philadelphia Workforce Development Corp., and Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians.

In June, a call for proposals was announced to begin the process of selecting the artist or artist teams that will be responsible for engaging the community in all phases of the mural-making process, from design through execution. (The proposal can be downloaded on the Mural Arts Program website here: http://muralarts.org/about/jobsartist-opportunities. The deadline is Jul. 15, 2011).

The mural will be painted on parachute cloth material and has the potential to involve hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals who will participate in the mural-making process. Community painting workshops will be held over the spring of 2012 so that the public can participate in the mural-making process. The mural will be in8 JULY, 2011

stalled over an existing mural at 125 N. 8th St., at the intersection of 8th and Cherry Streets. It is expected to be installed in the summer of 2012.

Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citi-

zens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation’s support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs.

Who’s The Best Street Chef?

Saturday Will Tell On Saturday, Jul. 9 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., the first-ever Philadelphia Vendy Awards will take place at Piazza at Schmidts. The contestants will fight for the coveted “Vendy Cup”, and will be judged by an all-star panel, along with members of the crowd. Proceeds will benefit The Food Trust, a nonprofit that strives to make healthy food available to all and pioneered Night Market Philadelphia.

Last year, three Philadelphia vendors came to New York to participate in the 2010 Vendys, where it was announced the event would debut in Philly in 2011. The vendors will be competing in three categories: Vendy Cup, People’s Choice and Dessert.

The Vendy Awards were started in New York City to benefit the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, a membership-based project with more than 1200 active vendor members who are working together to advocate for and raise awareness of the many issues street vendors face around the nation.

The finalists this year include Cucina Zapata, owned by Robert 8 JULY, 2011

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

and Ruk Zapata, which serves “an amalgamation of Thai and Mexican,” featuring such oddities as Thai Sweet Potato Chicken Curry, Thai Short-Rib Taco and Chicken Satay Taco.

Another international pairup is Gigi and Big R Caribbean/American Soul Food, owned by Elukene René from Haiti and Philadelphia native Thomas Bacon. Their pride specialties are BBQ jerk and fried whiting with René’s special seasonings.

Guapos Tacos is the first trucking venture of celebrity chef José Garces & Jun Aizak from Japan. I features tacos with house-made guacamole and esquites (sweet corn, queso fresco, chipotle and lime).

The King of Falafel is a 22-year staple run by Syrian immigrants Nabil & Hined Akkeh.

“We soak and grind our chickpeas to make our falafel and hummus,” says Nabil. “We don’t use mixes or pre-made food, everything is made by us from high-quality, fresh ingredients; that is our tradition and you can taste the difference.” |

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Upstart La Copine is the brainchild of Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth (owner). Its hook is brunch, cooking with locally sourced, naturally raised food.

Sugar Philly is driven by John Suh, Franklin Shen and Dan Tang.

Desserts are their game; they are particularly proud of their French macaroons and cupcakes.

Magic Carpet Foods is run by Dean Varvoutis, president and Deborah Carson, executive chef.

They serve solid vegetarian staples with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. “People should know you don’t need to be vegetarian to enjoy vegetarian food.

That’s our claim to fame,” said Carson.

Sweet Box is the new dream on wheels of pastry chef Gretchen Fantini. “Every single cupcake is special because they truly are made with love, but the favorite is my Southern Red Velvet,” says Fantini. “It is a cocoa buttermilk cake made with a Madagascar bourbon vanilla, cream cheese frosting.”

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Judges at the Vendy Awards will be Mayor Michael A. Nutter; Jennifer Carroll, Chef de Cuisine at 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge; Brian McManus, food and music editor at Philadelphia Weekly; Drew Lazor, food and web editor at the Philadelphia City Paper; Chef Michael Solomonov, executive chef at Zahav; Lindsay Lidge, wife of Phillies pitcher Brad Lidge and an advocate for healthy eating; and Jamie Shanker, who runs the Philadelphia edition of Midtown Lunch, a website dedicated to finding Philly’s most delicious, under$10 lunches.

8 JULY, 2011

People’s Light & Theatre’s Farce Hatchetman Hits A (Hilarious) Birdie

by Marianna Salz and Adam Taxin Hatchetman, running at People’s Light & Theatre in Malvern through Sunday, Jul. 17, will not cause audience members to rethink their approaches to life. After all, no self-respecting farce should cause such a thing. However, what the David Wiltse-written, Steve Umberger-directed Hatchetman does offer is a ridiculously raucous glimpse into office politics, In this case, the workplace dysfunction occurs at the appropriatelynamed Putts, a golf magazine in the process of being acquired. Among the six characters in the cast – all awaiting an ominous “hatchetman” who would terminate less-productive employees – are lonely newcomer Johnson (Andrew Kane, recently in Theatre Exile’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore); bombshell-in-her-own-mind Temple (Mary McCool), high-strung writer Carter (Pete Pryor, recently in Act II’s Art); dominatrixesque editor Sam (Mary Elizabeth Scallen) and socially awkward Jane (Julia Stroup).

Hatchetman requires strong chemistry within the entire cast, and this cast has it. However, if one performance particularly stands out in drawing laughter, it is that of Otis (Tom Teti, recently in InterAct’s Two Jews Walk into a War), the middle-aged, dim-and-

8 JULY, 2011

TOM TETI as Otis, Mary Elizabeth Scallen as Sam, Andrew Kane as unconcerned-about-it grandson of Light funny&asTheatre it progress toward its end, Johnson in Hatchetman at Peoples in Malvern. morals (and hair) Putts’ founder; one of Otis’s numer- at which point Photo

by Mark Garvin ous quirks is a tendency to wander have pretty much long been let in and out of the newsroom aim- loose. lessly, desperately trying to recall irrelevancies, e.g., names of various On the whole, Hatchetman, suanimals that had just been on the tip perbly written and performed, ofof his tongue. fers considerable amusement for a summer afternoon or evening.

Hatchetman is replete with double entendres, physical humor, sexual - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - innuendo and slapstick. Audiences Note: a slightly different version of should expect come-hither hip- this review article appeared in the shaking and plenty of leg ... in some Philadelphia Jewish Culture Examcases involving wastepaper baskets. iner column on examiner.com.

Also consistent with good farce, the performance gets increasingly

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

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