Philadelphia Daily Record

Vol. II No. 150 (310)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

September 29, 2011

Philadelphia Daily Record

Talking Black

AT PHILA. BAR ASS’N luncheon at Bellevue-Park Hyatt Tuesday, Chief Justice Ron Castille, left, and Chancellor Rudy Garcia, right, welcomed keynote speaker Eugene Robinson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist and MSNBC regular political commentator.

Robinson delivered Judge Leon Higginbotham Lecture, based on the columnist’s 2010 book, DISINTEGRATION: The Splintering of Black America, his analysis of four streams of Black America today.

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Sep. 29Fundraiser for judicial candidate Anne Marie Coyle at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden Sts., 57 p.m. Live music, food, beer and wine. Tickets $35. For info (215) 462-3200.

Sep. 30Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco hosts “Party for the People” at H&H Banquet Hall, 2036 E. Haines St., (Haines & Limekiln Pk.), 8 a.m.-12 p.m. $35 in advance. Seating limited. BYOB cabaret style. For tickets (215) 437-3294, ext. 209.

Sep. 30Emerging Leaders Happy Hour fundraiser for Councilman Curtis Jones at Chima, l901 JFK Blvd. VIP admission 5 to 6 p.m. $100. General Admission follows 6 TO 8 pm, $25.

Checks payable to friend of Curtis Jones, Jr., Suite 1530, 100 S. Broad St., 19110. RSVP Dorian Stanley, 732-642-2163.

State Sen. Shirley Kitchen and Phila. Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network present voter registration drive at 1701 W. Lehigh Ave., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in rear parking lot.

Make a diference. Have your voice heard. Must bring photo identification. Free food, music, giveaways, Special appearance by Power 99.

For info Kentia (215) 227-6161.

Oct.1Celebrating Anniversaries of Rev. Terren D. Griffith at Penn’s Landing Caterers, 1301 S. Columbus Blvd., 4-8 p.m. Donation $75.

For info (215) 735-1050.

Oct. 1Fishtown Neighbors Association hosts RiverCity Festival at Penn Treaty Pk., Delaware & Columbia Aves., 12-5 p.m. Family fun.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Oct. 1Megan Simpson-Burke Memorial Fundraiser for breast cancer at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden Sts., 7-10 p.m. Open bar, buffet.

Tickets $40. For info Jim or Mary Simpson (215) 332-9896.

Oct. 2I Know Joe But I Love The Eagles Party fundraiser for Council candidate Joe McColgan at SmokeEaters Pub, 7681 Frankford Ave., 12-3 p.m. Includes draft beer, buffet, plasma and 100” projector TVs. Children under 12 free. Tickets from $40 to $2,500. RSVP Judy Camiel (610) 668-1730 or j.camiel@comcast.net.

Oct. 2St. Nicholas Ch. Italian Festival on 1700 block S. 9th St., 12-5 p.m., with Procession of Saints from St. Nicholas Tolentine Ch. at 12:30 p.m. Family event.

Oct. 6State Sen. Anthony Williams & State Rep. Ron Waters host Town Hall on Crime at KIPP Phila. Sch., 5900 Baltimore Ave. For info Don Cave (215) 492-2980.

Oct. 6Iron Workers Local 401 hosts Mayoral Town Hall Meeting at Bridgeman’s Hall, 11600 Norcum Rd., 5 p.m. Roofers’ James Donnelly to moderate. General public invited.

Oct. 6Karen Brown For Mayor Fundraiser at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden Sts., 6-9 p.m. $25. Call (215) 279-7210.

Oct. 7Mayfair Civic Ass’n hosts Autistic Endeavors Beef & Beer at Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy Rd, 7 p.m.-12 a.m. $30. For info Barbara (215) 360-1569.

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Fattah Launches Roxborough Streetscape Congressman Chaka Fattah (DPhila.) joined the Roxborough Development Corp. and City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. yesterday to launch the $2.2 million Ridge Avenue Streetscape /Gateway Project.

“This is a gigantic opportunity for the local business community and for Roxborough and the rest of Northwest Philadelphia,” Fattah said. “This streetscape is going to revitalize the area, put people to work and it will enhance the shopping experience on Ridge Avenue.

“If you want to see how it will look, go over to Germantown Av-

enue where the streetscaping effort

by Mount Airy USA is almost complete,” Fattah added. “You can see the new signage, the greening, the new curbs and streetlights, how beautiful it is going to look.”

“These projects work best when different levels of government work together with the community,” Fattah said. “We have all those elements in place here today in Roxborough.”

Construction began Sep. 19 on three miles of streetscape improvements along the Ridge, financed by an $800,000 federal Home Town Streets Grant secured by the Congressman as well as City and State funding. Fattah praised Jones for bringing $500,000 to the project, and State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-W. Phila.) for another $977,500 in State transportation funds.

The announcement of the Streetscape Gateway project was made by Bernard Guet, executive director of the RDC, which is overseeing the effort. The announcement was made against the backdrop of a front-end loader in the Acme Market parking lot at Ridge Avenue & Gerhard Street.

Janitors Rally At City Hall For Strike Thousands of property-service workers from Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, the Washington, D.C.-area, Connecticut and Delaware, rallied downtown yesterday to call for a fair contract in Philadelphia. They were joined by Congressman Bob Brady (DPhila.) and President of the Service Employees International Union Mary Kay Henry. Contract negotiations are underway for more than 2,600 building cleaners in Philadelphia, who are fighting for a fair wage increase and secure benefits.

Following the rally, the Philadelphia property service workers voted to give their bargaining committee the power to call for a strike, if necessary. A strike, if one occurs, could affect more than 100 buildings, including Liberty Tower, Comcast Center and Com29 AUGUST, 2011

merce Square. The current contract expires at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 16.

“Today’s strike vote shows we’re determined to keep our city a place that working families can afford to call home,” said Wayne MacManiman, Mid-Atlantic director for 32BJ. “Our members are determined to protect their good jobs, which are critical to their families, their communities, and to the thousands of tenants who depend on these workers’ services.”

Negotiations began on Sep. 8 between 32BJ, the city’s largest private-sector union, and leaders of Building Operators Labor Relations, Inc., an organization representing Philadelphia’s major commercial office building owners, managers, and cleaning companies.

“The real estate industry in THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Philadelphia surely has the money to keep the benefits that keep our children healthy,” said Angel Castro, a cleaner in Center City who has three children. “I’ve got two kids in college, a mortgage to pay, groceries to buy. I’m struggling like many people these days.”

Philadelphia and the Washington area are the first of several cities where contract negotiations will occur this fall. Altogether, 60,000 commercial members from Northern Virginia to Connecticut and Philadelphia to Pittsburgh are united in a campaign to secure new contracts that protect good jobs.

“Our city, our state, and our country need for working people to get the fair pay and decent benefits they deserve,” Congressman Bob Brady (D-Pa.) said. “A win for commercial office cleaners in this |

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contract fight will be a win for all of us.”

“At a time when American workers are under attack, 32BJ members are standing together for the good jobs our communities and our country needs,” said Mike

Fishman, president of 32BJ, the nation’s largest union of propertyservice workers. “Not just here in Philadelphia, but in 22 cities across the country today.”

“The 2,600 property-service workers here in Philadelphia who are

bargaining to keep good jobs alive are not in this fight alone,” said Henry. “Across the country, more than 150,000 janitors over the next year will be sitting across the table from their employer — bargaining contracts to defend good jobs and rebuild the middle class.”

Nutter Announces $2.3 Million For Small Businesses Mayor Michael Nutter, together with Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and others, will announce the awarding of $2.3 million in CDBG funding to help support small business development.

He will also at that time expand the Americorps VISTA Initiative.

This will take place at 2 p.m. at FINANTA, 1301 N. 2nd Street, which will fund the “Circles of LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5PM (Preview 3PM) LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY AT 11AM (Preview 9AM) LIVE INTERNET AUCTION EVERY SATURDAY AT 4PM AT:

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Success” program to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Waterfront Master Plan Wins Award The Delaware River Waterfront Corp. has received two prestigious awards from the 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania during the 2011 Commonwealth Awards at the Hilton Harrisburg.

A crowd of developers, planners, legislators, local government officials and others involved and interested in responsible and efficient land use practices were in attendance as the DRWC received the Commonwealth-Gold award for Plans and Planning for the Master Plan for the Central Delaware and received the Commonwealth Award for Public Infrastructure for the Race Street Pier.

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania is an alliance of organizations and individuals from across the state who are committed to land use policies and actions that will enable Pennsylvania to strengthen its diverse urban, suburban, and rural communities and reduce sprawl. 10,000 Friends seeks development that will support the social and economic viability of Pennsylvania’s

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

29 SEPTEMBER, 2011

cities and towns, protect environmental quality, conserve fiscal resources, and preserve our state’s exceptional rural and heritage resources. The Commonwealth Awards is a juried state-wide program honoring smart growth projects, but also the Pennsylvanians who are leading the way on smart growth.

Receiving the Commonwealth Award for Public Infrastructure Projects was the Race Street Pier.

The Race Street Pier is an one acre park located on the

Delaware River at Race Street adjacent to the Old City section of Philadelphia. Opened in May 2011, its cutting-edge design by James Corner Field Operations takes advantage of the breathtaking views up and down the river, as well as the monumental Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The formerly vacant municipal pier has been repurposed as stunning public recreation and green space.

Jack Machek, President of the 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania adds, “The Race Street Pier is al-

ready showing that it is successfully transforming and revitalizing the waterfront into a vibrant space for visitors and businesses, and nearby residents. Not only is this dynamic project catalyzing development on nearby parcels and drawing visitors to the park and other waterfront destinations, but very importantly it aligns with the City of Philadelphia’s greenworks goals, the Master Plan for the Central Delaware waterfront.”

Bishop Honors Hurricane Victims, Responders The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has adopted a resolution authored by State Rep. Louise Williams Bishop (D-W. Phila.) that honors the victims of Tropical Storm Lee of 2011 and Gov. Tom Corbett and State and local emergency-rescue workers who were on the front lines of the recovery effort.

Bishop said the resolution (HR.410) honors members of the national Red Cross, the Pennsylva-

29 SEPTEMBER, 2011

nia National Guard, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and other volunteer groups for generously giving their time to help others survive the storm.

“Gov. Tom Corbett and state and local emergency responders kept people informed of the dangerous flood water levels in the affected areas,” Bishop said. “The rescue volunteers went door to door in flood-prone areas urging residents to evacuate, and police and fire de-

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

partments increased their manpower to get citizens prepared for the high water.”

Bishop said the resolution recognizes that cleaning up and restoring businesses and neighborhoods will take months as damage estimates climb into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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