South Philadelphia Public Record

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

Vol. XV No. 26

Issue 612

June 27, 2019

“The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”

PhiladelphiaPublicRecord

@phillyrecord

PhillyRecord

PhillyRecord.com

MIDSOMMAR

IN SOUTH PHILLY The Swedish American History Museum’s annual Midsommarfest was a sunny success. Crowds gathered all day long to take part in the tradition of celebrating the longest day of the year, which has been part of Swedish culture for centuries. Those attending the event on the museum’s spacious grounds next to FDR Park took part in maypole dancing, garland-making, a concert from Swedish legends JAERV and much more.

ValueKIA.com 00!

“Think Value, Think Value Kia.”

PLUS $6,5

At least $6,500 for your trade, even if it doesn’t run!

Drag it in, tow it in. It’s worth at least $6,500 at Value Kia! 6915 ESSINGTON AVENUE

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

JU N E 27, 2019

T HE S O U T H PHIL A D EL PHI A P UB L I C R E CO R D

2

L

Officials Respond to PES Explosion

ast week’s explosion at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philadelphia has continued to reverberate through the neighborhood, the city at large and the entire region as more information has come out about just how close a call it was for residents – if a tank holding a highly toxic acid had blown, mass casualties could have resulted, according to several reports.

While there has been no official word yet from PES, plenty of city and state officials have been weighing in on what happened, what could have happened, and what needs to happen next.

Here is a sampling of those comments.

NOTE: News that PES will close the plant came too late to be reported on in this edition.

Mayor Jim Kenney: “I want to thank the first responders of the Philadelphia Fire Department as well as the Office of Emergency Management for assisting Philadelphia Energy Solutions crews with the speedy and effective response to this incident. The Philadelphia Police Department also provided support by handling road closures and other assistance. I am also thankful the incident appears to have caused no serious injuries.

“Nonetheless, I am aware of the concerns of the residents around the refinery in light of this incident, as well as another fire on June 10th.

I convened a conference call this morning with leadership of PES, along with PFD and the Managing Director’s Office, and was assured that the two incidents are unrelated in their nature and cause.

I was also informed of the speed with which a ‘shelterin-place’ notification and other communications went out to residents in the immediate aftermath of this morning’s explosion.

“Still, I believe that there is room for improvement, both in the operation of the refinery in light of two fires in as many weeks, and in the communication to residents. To that end, I have asked Managing Director Brian Abernathy and Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel to convene a working group with the leadership of Philadelphia Energy Solutions, as well as members of its Community Advisory Panel, to explore both concerns.

A particular focus will be ensuring that air quality questions during such incidents are addressed immediately and communicated effectively to residents.

“Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, State Representative Maria Donatucci, State Representative Jordan Harris, as well as staffers representing U.S. Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon share my concerns about the need to continuously assess and improve the response to such incidents.

“Those who live and work in close proximity to the refinery and all Philadelphians have our word — we are firmly committed to ensuring the safe operation of the refinery, and the safety of those in its vicinity.”

Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel: “Members of the Philadelphia Fire Department continue to assist PES with the fire response. It is standard practice when fighting a fire of this type to let the flammable gases burn away in a controlled fashion.

“Earlier this morning, our EMS providers treated one individual on scene who refused transport. We have since learned from PES that four other individuals were treated by their on-site medical clinic.

“The Fire Marshal’s Office will investigate the cause and origin of the fire once the in-

cident is over and the scene is safe to enter. But the investigation will take time. For now, this remains a dynamic situation.”

Health Department spokesman James Garrow: “The Health Department has no findings that would point to any immediate danger in the surrounding community at this time, and the City is NOT recommending evacuation or shelter-in-place.

“Preliminary testing both at the site of the refinery and in the adjacent community has shown no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfide. Samples were also taken from up- and down-wind of the refinery, were transported to the Air Management Service Laboratory, and are currently being tested for the presence of air pollutants.

The Health department will release an analysis of these results as soon as the tests are completed, which is expected later today.”

Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym: I want to commend the Mayor’s team and our first responders for their swift leadership today.

The explosion at the PES refinery is a terrifying reminder that there are thousands of Philadelphians who live in close proximity to this plant and 1,000 workers who show up everyday with the goal of providing for their families and getting home safe. This is the second fire in as many weeks, and PES’ financial problems and management upheaval should have us asking about the company’s ability to prioritize public safety over its bottom line.

The PES refinery should be shut down until a full and independent investigation by city, state and federal officials has determined the cause of the explosions and the fires,

assessed and improved safety protocols, and communicated clearly to residents and workers of these findings. Their health and safety must be assured, and PES should not be in charge of that determination.

Our future cannot and will not lie in fossil fuels.

We need to see a swift transition of this refinery and our city toward clean energy alternatives that provide good, sustaining jobs and address the urgent environmental and health needs of our residents - not next month or next year but immediately. No Philadelphian should have to wake up with their city on fire.

State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic Whip: “First and foremost, I’m relieved to hear that as of this point, officials believe there are no injuries in the explosion that ripped through the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery on Passyunk Avenue. The safety of the employees, first responders and citizens that live in South Philadelphia is of the utmost importance.

“Though this incident occurred outside my district, the flames and smoke were clearly visible from our community and my constituents have a right to be concerned about their safety and well-being. Over 150,000 people live in South and Southwest Philadelphia and we deserve the peace of mind of knowing that our homes and lives are not in danger.

“Government at all levels, local, state and federal, has a job to do to ensure that the proper safety standards are met and our industrial complexes, which provide thousands of jobs to local residents, are operating in a safe and efficient manner.

Though this directly impacts South Philadelphia, the entire city and region breathes the same air and drinks the

same water. Incidents like this must be taken seriously to ensure public safety, and I’m extremely concerned that this is the second explosion within two weeks at the same facility.

“While we must balance the fact that we are all environmental stewards for future generations with the need to maintain a diverse energy portfolio, we simply cannot sacrifice safety measures or environmental standards at the expense of the communities we represent. I’ve been in contact with state Representative Maria Donatucci, state Senator Anthony Williams, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, the office of Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials to ensure that the situation is under control and there is a full investigation into the cause of today’s explosion.

“Currently, we’re being told there is no environmental risk and air-quality readings continue to be normal.

I implore PES and the Department of Environmental Protection to continue to monitor this situation, as I will, to ensure that residents of South Philadelphia and the surrounding communities are not subject to harmful pollutants. We’ve also been told PES is in contact with the Community Advisory Panel and information is being further disseminated to the public. It’s imperative that this continue and the people I represent are kept up to date and fully informed of the situation.

“Beyond that, I plan to work with officials at all levels to get to the bottom of this and give our community members the confidence they deserve that incidents like this are taken extremely seriously and the health of our communities and our environment is a top priority.”

The Philadelphia Public Record (PR-01) (ISSN 1938-856X) (USPS 1450) Published Weekly Requested Publication ($20 per year Optional Subscription) The South Philadelphia Public Record 21 S. 11th Street, Suite 205 Philadelphia, PA 19107 Periodical Postage Paid at Philadelphia, PA and additional mailing office POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: The Public Record 21 S. 11th Street, Suite 205 Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 755-2000 Fax: (215) 525-2818 editor@phillyrecord.com EDITORIAL STAFF In Memoriam:James Tayoun, Sr. Editor/Publisher: Greg Salisbury Managing Editor: Anthony West Everyday People Editor: Denise Clay Contributing Editor: Bonnie Squires Photographers: Leona Dixon

Wendell Douglas Jim Jenkins

Harry Leech

Director of Operations:Allison Murphy Production Manager: Sana Muaddi-Dows Sales Director: Melissa Barrett Circulation: Yousef Maaddi The Public Record welcomes news and photographs about your accomplishments and achievements which should be shared with the rest of the community. Contact us by phone, fax, e-mail or by dropping us a note in the mail. If you mail a news item, please include your name, address and daytime telephone number so we can verify the information you provided us, if necessary.

The Public Record reserves the right to edit all news items and letters for grammar, clarity and brevity.

No reproduction or use of the material herein may be made without the permission of the publisher. City & State will assume no obligation (other than the cancellation of charges for the actual space occupied) for accidental errors in advertisements, but we will be glad to furnish a signed letter to the buying public.

The Philadelphia Public Record is a publication owned by:

City&State PA LLC 21 S. 11th Street, Suite 205 Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-490-9314 Copyright @2019 City & State PA LLC

Teamsters 628

T

he Rising Costs of Not Defending Against Cyberattack Every news cycle reports a new cyber-attack or breach of personal privacy. The cyber-attack in May on the electronic information system of the Philadelphia Court of Common, resulted in a near total shutdown of the system to the detriment to the City, citizens and litigants. The Court’s civil litigation electronic filing and docketing system remains inoperable to this day. In 2014, one of the largest attacks occurred when hackers allegedly stole the employee files of all 62,000 employees of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the largest employers in Alleghany County and in the Commonwealth. The plaintiffs in the UPMC lawsuit claim that their personal and financial information (including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, home addresses, tax and bank account information) was stolen and has been used against them in a variety of crimes, including opening credit card accounts and filing false tax returns to obtain refunds.

ture investment are all expensive propositions for small to medium enterprises (SMEs), organizations, unions and non-profits.

Thus, an organization must ask itself: Is my organization one that is likely to be targeted? This question really comes down to: does this organization hold valuable data?

Again, that may simply be personal, health and financial data relating to members of the organization.

Unfortunately, in conducting their daily business, many organizations fail to seriously consider the risk of a cyber-attack or even the accidental release of personal health or financial information.

While all organizations are vulnerable to attack,

some are more likely to be attacked than others which must drive investment in protection.

Organizations which engage in large and frequent electronic funds transfers are sought-after targets, because criminals can directly try to divert those funds through fraudulent means. Organizations that store credit card information are obviously at great risk. Finally, organizations that hold large amounts of personal information are at risk. Even a database of employee information can pose a valuable target, as proven by attacks on healthcare employers and providers.

Organizations must consider their own threat profile and vulnerabil-

ities.

Remember that every organization is a potential target and the enemy is everywhere.

While insurance can mitigate the damage done to organizations, insurance alone is never sufficient to protect organizations from cyber-attack. Organizations must protect themselves through technical competence, employee training and strong governance. Failure to do so can be catastrophic for the organization and its members.

John F. Barrett is the Chair of the Privacy and Data Security practice group at Bennett, Bricklin & Saltzburg LLC, a law firm headquartered in Philadelphia. He may be reached at 215-665-3391 or at barrett@ bbs-law.com.

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

demonstrate how close all organizations are to an attack or to an accidental disclosure of private information.

Many organizations believe that they are adequately insured against such losses or are not targets. Yet many small organizations have been victimized. Unions, which often maintain pension funds and administer health plans, hold a wealth of valuable personal, financial and health data.

Such data, especially if poorly protected or backed up can pose an easy and lucrative target for criminal hackers. Not only may the financial information be misused directly, but personal and health data may be sold anonymously on the web. Furthermore, many organizations have been seriously damaged (both financially and in reputation) by the accidental release of private health and financial data.

Insurance is often the solution for many organizations. Unfortunately, many organizations are surprised to learn that their general business insurance policies do not cover such losses or provide very strict limits on cyber losses that do not adequately compensate them or their customers, clients or members. While purchasing stand-alone cyber coverage can be one part of the solution, an organization must practice “Cyber-Hygiene.� Good cyber hygiene includes employee training, information system protection, and strong organizational governance and operating procedures.

Employee training, hiring and infrastruc-

JU N E 27, 2019

OPINION

The employees contend that UPMC had lax cyber-security and violated accepted industry security standards. However, this could happen to almost any organization that holds personal data in an electronic database.

Furthermore, medical centers and courts are not the traditional types of targets associated with cyber-attacks. Cities, states, non-profits and companies have been held hostage by so-called ransomware, most recently the City of Baltimore. While the recent Baltimore attacked received greater media coverage, the City of Allentown was hit with a cyber-attack in February of 2018 that may have cost over $1,000,000 to remediate. Citizens, employees, members and customers all pay a price for such attacks.

In 2014, Community Health Systems which operates hospitals in Northeastern Pennsylvania was allegedly the victim of a cyber-attack that stole information on 4 million of its patients. On May 29, 2019, Bucks County, Pennsylvania was hit with a verdict of $67 million dollars for disclosing minor criminal records that should have been expunged. Unions are not immune from attacks or losses. According to a private cyber-security firm cited in a December 19, 2018 Fortune Magazine article, the AFL-CIO itself was attacked by a coordinated cyber-espionage campaign conducted by Chinese hackers.

The AFL-CIO has denied through its spokespersons that any data was compromised. These incidents

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

The Rising Costs of Not Defending Against Cyberattacks

3

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

4

State Budget Lacks Minimum Wage Bump, Ed $

POLS on the STREET

JU N E 27, 2019

A

s the state budget continues on a remarkable glide path toward timely passage in Harrisburg – legislators in both chambers have agreed to the outline and Gov. Tom Wolf has issued a statement that he would sign the package in its current iteration – from Philadelphia’s vantage point, the monies glass is decidedly half full.

First and foremost, despite relatively flush times that have led to a rare surplus and paved the way to relatively rancor-free negotiations, the GOP-led Legislature again

managed to abdicate its sense of fiscal fair play by refusing to include an increase to the state’s minimum wage for the first time since 2009 – or as Sen. Tina Tartaglione, one of the most vocal advocates for the raise, puts it, 4,735 days. The continued lack of action to help lift Pennsylvanians out of poverty will win Republicans no fans from the millions of residents who would benefit from raised wages and who can cast their eyes across state lines to eye significantly higher wages in neighboring states.

Despite an increase in funding for schools, the need to address the numerous dangers inherent in Philadelphia schools has led to many of the city’s officials to join with the Fund Our Facilities Coalition to call on Harrisburg to allot $170 million to clean up clear and present dangers that include lead, mold, lack of heat, lack of air conditioning, crumbling structures and more. As State Sen. Vincent Hughes put it, “We cannot continue to mandate our

Open Primaries: One Step Closer The State Senate approved with overwhelming bipartisan support (42-8)

AT YOUR SERVICE

Bullock

198th District

STATE REP MARY ISAACSON

195th Leg. Dist.

2835 W. Girard Ave Phila, PA 19130

310 W. Chelten Ave. Phila PA 19148

175TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

T: (215) 684-3738 F: (215) 235-4629

P: 215-849-6426 State Senator

Sharif

Street 1621 W. Jefferson Street Philadelphia, PA 19121

215-227-6161

610 N. SECOND STREET 215.503.3245

Representative

Angel Cruz

District Office 3503 ‘B’ St. 215-291-5643 Ready to Serve you

Paid for with PA Tax Dollars

Anthony Hardy Williams 2103 SNYDER AVENUE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19145 (215) 755-9185 FAX: (215) 952-3375 ---SENATE BOX 203008 HARRISBURG, PA 17120 ROOM: 11 EAST WING (717) 787-5970 FAX: (717) 772-0574

“Paid for with Pennsylvanian taxpayer dollars”

State Rep.

Councilman At-Large

DEREK S. GREEN City Hall, Room 594 Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-686-3450 www.phlcouncil.com

9th District

District Office 1538 E. Wadsworth Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19150 Phone: 215-686-3454 Fax: 215-685-9271. www.phlcouncil.com/CherelleParker

Facebook: CouncilwomanCherelleLParker Twitter: @CherelleParker9

Senate Dems to Wolf: Declare Gun Violence Disaster Members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus, including the city’s Senate delegation, jointly sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf requesting a disaster declaration for gun violence in the Commonwealth.

“We believe it is necessary to raise the public’s awareness of the massive loss of human life and the suffering inflicted on affected family, friends and neighbors where this tragedy is unfolding daily,” they wrote. “Just as you have signed six disaster declarations to provide every tool at the Commonwealth’s disposal to combat the opioid epidemic, the death toll and impact from illegal guns should merit immediate and coordinated attention.”

Specifically, a disaster declaration could do the following: • Establish a task force led by the Department of Health to create and implement a public health framework for addressing gun violence (Cont. Next Page) Councilman

Mark

McClinton

Squilla

191st Leg. Dist.

6027 Ludlow St. Unit A Phila., PA 19139

1st District City Hall Room 332

T: (215) 748-6712 F: (215) 748-1687

215-686-3458/59

Donatucci

City Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker

mary reform with representatives across the state and with leadership.”

Joanna E.

Rep.Maria P.

8th Senatorial District

2901 ISLAND AVE. STE 100 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19153 (215) 492-2980 FAX: (215) 492-2990 ---419 CHURCH LANE YEADON, PA 19050 (610) 284-7335 FAX: (610) 284-5955 6630 LINDBERGH BLVD.

who enters public office and their agendas has also been harmful to the effectiveness of government as a whole.”

The Committee of Seventy is one of several civic organizations that established Open Primaries PA, a nonpartisan coalition focused solely on reforming primary elections to ensure representative and accountable government. The other founding members include Common Cause PA, Commonwealth Commonsense, League of Women Voters of PA, Independent Pennsylvanians, and Philly Set Go. The coalition has noted the striking interest from Pennsylvanians in the issue, highlighting strong support from editorial boards across the state. The Commonwealth remains one of only nine states that still uses closed primary elections.

“Now all eyes are on the House,” said Thornburgh.

“The Open Primaries PA coalition and our supporters look forward to engaging in a constructive debate around the merits of the pri-

Donna

Youngblood

State Senator

a landmark bill that would allow 785,000 independent Pennsylvanians to vote in spring primary elections, a significant step forward in moving away from the Commonwealth’s closed primary system. The proposal, Senate Bill 300, was introduced

by Senator Joe Scarnati earlier this year and would amend state election law to allow unaffiliated voters to choose a party primary -Democratic or Republican -- in which they could vote for candidates. The bill was voted out of the Senate State Government Committee on June 18, also with bipartisan support.

“We’re thrilled to see the tremendous progress made on primary reform” said David Thornburgh, President and CEO of the Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan better government advocate. “Our closed primaries were never fair to the voters who were shut out of these important elections, and the consequences of partisan bases gaining a disproportionate impact on State Rep.

Rep. Rosita

Always Hard At Work for You! P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

children spend 180 days in toxic conditions any longer.

There is still time to do what is right and fund emergency repairs in our schools.” City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker added that “There is nothing more important to the future of the Commonwealth than the health and safety our children. I urge members of the General Assembly to vote ‘no’ on any budget package that does not include additional funding to address the urgent and critical needs of our school facilities.” And PA House Democratic Caucus Chair State Representative Joanna McClinton noted that “We have a historic opportunity to invest in and upgrade schools in Philadelphia.

Our coalition is dedicated to doing everything we can to ensure that we fund our facilities as part of this year’s budget.”

D-185th District 2901 S. 19th St. Phila PA 19145 P: 215-468-1515 F: 215-952-1164 Councilwoman

Jannie L. Blackwell

District 3 City Hall, Room 408 Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 686-3418, (215) 686-3419 FAX: (215) 686-1933

State Rep. Jason

Dawkins District Office:

4667 Paul St. Philadelphia, PA 19124 (215) 744-7901 M.–Th.:8:30a.m.–5:00p.m.

F.: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

State Rep.

Kevin J.

Boyle 172nd Dist.

7420 Frankford Ave. Phila., PA 19136

215-331-2600

The Philadelphia Solar Incentive Program gives all property owners an additional incentive to install a solar photovoltaic system and would be in effect from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2024. Any projects installed after July 1, 2019 will be eligible to apply for the incentive when the program opens

at the start of 2020, making it possible for select projects contracted in 2019 to access both the 30% tax credit and the Solar Incentive Program. The proposed incentive is $0.10/watt for commercial projects and $0.20/watt for residential projects, meaning that a typical homeowner would receive an average rebate of

$1,000 after installing solar on their home.

“Philadelphia can now serve as an example for residents and local businesses transitioning to clean energy. This Solar Incentive Program puts us one step closer in combating the impact that climate change is having on our planet,” said Reynolds Brown.

The bill allocates 5 $500,000 for the Solar Incentive Program to be allocated on a first-come firstserve basis, with a potential prioritization of low-income households. The Office of Sustainability and the Philadelphia Energy Authority will work together to develop an application process to access the new incentive.

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

(Cont. From Prev. Page) a command center in the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to coordinate state and local law enforcement response • Enhance the Joint-Local State Firearm Taskforce through additional personnel and funding to take illegal guns off the street • Expand information gathering and sharing between all levels of law enforcement and community groups • Increase law enforcement presence, both local and state, in targeted areas where gun violence is most prevalent • Expedite and expand grants and other funding sources for community groups and nonprofit associations with a proven

• Establish

record of violence reduction and prevention • Provide additional state resources for behavioral and mental health • Bringing to bear the significant wealth of knowledge and experience in the Departments of Health and Human Services to provide de-escalation and de-confliction training throughout the community • Require the Pennsylvania Department of Education provide training and professional development on trauma-informed education

BRB Energizes Solar for Residents In its last session before the summer recess, City Council passed legislation introduced by Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown (At Large) that will launch a Solar Rebate Program for Philadelphia commercial and residential properties.

A Guardian’s Last Watch

JU N E 27, 2019

POLS on the STREET

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

The Guardian Civic League held their Retirees Luncheon at the Fraternal Order of Police headquarters in the Northeast. Among the honorees was Charlotte Ann Council, shown here accepting her award from Guardian Civic League President Rochelle Bilal. Photo by Leona Dixon.

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

6

Why the Specific Resistance to General Assistance?

OPINION

JU N E 27, 2019

I

t’s budget season, so it can be tough to keep tabs on all of the legislation swirling around Harrisburg – what is deemed consequential can depend on where we are in the news cycle.

But one topic keeps rising to the top of the churn, sticking with us – for all the wrong reasons – longer and with more resonance than other crucial issues like the minimum wage, the severance tax, school funding … you get the idea.

We’re talking about the full-frontal assault being waged by Republican lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on the state’s General Assistance program, which provides roughly $200 a

month to adult Pennsylvanians who are either temporarily or permanently unable to work.

The program, which costs the Commonwealth around $54 million a year – or 1.5% of the 2019 state budget – was reinstated this year by the state Supreme Court after a legal battle over its future in 2012.

The program currently helps just under 7,000 Pennsylvanians, more than half of them in Philadelphia. So forgive us if we’re a little sensitive to having this just-restored section of safety net ripped away so soon by GOP pols who have proposed no alternative to a monthly disbursement that can mean the difference between a roof over someone’s head and homelessness, between feeding a family or going hungry, between necessary personal hygiene or being forced to go without.

One instructive take on the callousness and just venal approach to the issue by the GOP can be found on a daily basis. Specifically, the per diem issued to lawmakers when they are in session, which happens to be

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

SEPTA Makes Push to Hire More Women

SEPTA held its 5th Annual Women Building SEPTA Career Fair to recruit women who are currently working in either construction, mechanical or other skilled trades in the region. The Fair provided an introduction to women who currently do not have experience working in the trades, but might be interested in pursuing a career in that field. It was a great event with more than 150 attendees.

remarkably close to – you guessed it – $200 a day (it’s $183, to be precise). Surprisingly, for all of their pettily mean-spirited approach to cutting off the General Assistance program, there has been no such similar effort by GOP legislators to eliminate the per diem from their raft of benefits – which includes a base salary of $87,000 per annum.

If Republicans could just look beyond their slavish devotion to eliminating anything that smacks of human decency from the budget, they would see just who benefits from the program: It’s overwhelmingly people who are disabled, who have no path to employment, domestic violence survivors, people in rehab … people who need a helping hand, not the rug pulled out from under.

MARK your CALENDAR July 6- DCC Chairman Bob Brady hosts “The Brady Bunch at Flip Flopz, Bar & Grill, 106 W. Spruce Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m. Tickets: $35.

July 7- Carpenters’ Union hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

July 13 - The New 42nd Ward Flapjack Fundraiser will take place at Applebee’s on 2525 Castor Avenue. $10 per person, $5 for kids! 8-10a.m. Hosted

by Sharon Vaughn, Ward Leader.

The News in Black & White

As part of the 200th birthday of Walt Whitman, the organization overseeing the celebration, Whitman at 200: Art and Democracy, held a singing/spoken word event, “New Songs of the Open Road,” at Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia.

July 14- Whitman Council hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

July 14- Teamsters Union hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

July 21- Glaziers’ Union hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

Aug. 3- Local 14 Insulators Union hosts Day at the Beach at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

Aug. 4- Firefighters Union Local 22 Union hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 5- Veterans Comfort House Union hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

Aug. 6 - National Night Out will be held across the city, including the 46th

Ward, with Councilmember Jannie Blackwell.

Aug. 10- Councilman Mark Squilla hosts Summer Soirée at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 7-10 p.m.

Aug. 11- IBEW Local 98 hosts Down Under at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3-7 p.m.

Aug. 11- Local 686 Gas Workers’ Union hosts Shore Party at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 18- IBEW Local 98 Day at Clementon Park, Clementon, NJ. Aug. 24- Bridgemen’s Local 401 hosts Shore Party at Flip Flopz, Bar & Grill, 106 W. Spruce Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 3 p.m.

Aug. 25- Katie’s Komets host Katie Kirlin Day at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 25- Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 hosts

Beach Bash, at Keenan’s, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 2-6 p.m.

Sept. 2 - 32nd Annual AFL-CIO Tri-state Labor Day Parade And Family Celebration! Sheet Metal Workers Local #19, Columbus Blvd. & Washington Ave. - Parade Form-up 8:30 a.m. Pre - Parade Rally 9:15 a.m. Parade to Penn’s Landing Great Plaza, Columbus Blvd. & Market St. 10 a.m. Phila. AFLCIO Family Celebration at the Great Plaza: Food, refreshments, kids fun, make & take crafts & live music: 11a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sept. 7 - Local 14 Insulators Union Day at Clemton Park, Clementon, NJ. Sept. 14 - Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Day at Clementon Park, Clementon, NJ. Sept. 20- Insulators’ Local 14 hosts Mesothelioma Golf Tourney at Philmont C.C., Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Business Manager Kevin C. Boyle (2nd from right) is flanked by Business Agent Steven Alexander and Apprentice Instructor Ron Clauser while assisting a member on benefits. Photos

by Joe Stivala.

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

Local 401 Heads to Clementon

The Local 401 Ironworkers Picnic was the season opener of labor union picnics in Clementon Park last weekend.

7

Clementon Park’s famous Lazy River was an irresistible attraction to many on the beautiful summer day.

The Cobbs Creek Recreation Center Advisory Council Annual Awards dinner honored five (2 posthumously) who have given to the enhancement of the facility and programs there. The gala in Sharon Church Hall honored Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell (standing) and Julia Chinn and Mary Johnson (foreground). The honorees were saluted by Congressman Dwight Evans, Senator Anthony Williams, and Rep. Joanna Mc Clinton. Advisory Board members Prof. Marla Oliver; Baba Bernard Miller; Kathy Jordan and Cierra Oliver stand with the honorees. Photo by Joe Stivala.

This Judge is a Knockout

Local 401 members proudly pose by their banner at the entrance to the park.

JU N E 27, 2019

Honoring Cobbs Creek Heroes

City Council honored Lynne Carter, the longtime boxing judge just named to the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. Joining Carter, second from L, at the podium, were, L-R, City Representative Sheila Hess, City Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, City Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brow, and former City Councilmember Marian Tasco.

John F. Barrett Member, ERM barrett@bbs-law.com Phone: 215.665.3391 Fax: 215.561.6661 1601 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

Privacy & Data Security Practice

8 T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

Parcel#: 511190000; 027S10-0156 NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE WHEREAS, on June 11, 2009, a certain mortgage was executed by Alice Lucas, as mortgagor in favor of Gateway Funding Diversified Mortgage Services, LP as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Document Number 52079841 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 1120 South Paxon Street Philadelphia, PA 19143, parcel number 511190000; 027S10-0156 (“Property”); and WHEREAS, Mortgagor Alice Lucas died on February 6, 2013 and Letters of Administration were granted to Harriet Wright on January 25, 2018 by the Register of Wills of Philadelphia County; and WHEREAS, the Property is owned by Harriet Wright by virtue of deed dated April 17, 2018 and recorded August 28, 2018 in Document #: 53409977; and

WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary”), pursuant to an assignment recorded on 4/18/2012 in Document Number 52472374, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph 9 (a)(i)), as Alice Lucas died on February 6, 2013, and that upon the death the entire principal balance becomes due and owing, and that no payment was made, and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice; and

WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of March 21, 2019 is $119,639.12 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable;

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

JU N E 27, 2019

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, l2 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR Part 29, and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on September 29, 2011 in Misc. Document ID #: 52395684, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, notice is hereby given that on July 11, 2019 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 all real property and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises will be sold at public action to the highest bidder:.

ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground with the messuage or tenement thereon erected.

SITUATE on the Southwest side of Paxon Street at the distance of 159 feet 9 inches Southeastward from the Southeast side of Springfield Avenue in the 51st Ward of the City of Philadelphia.

CONTAINING in front or breadth on the said Paxon Street 16 feet and extending of that width in length or depth Southwestward between parallel lines at right angles with the said Paxon Street 64 feet 6 inches to a certain 3 feet wide alley which leads Northwestward and communicates with a certain other 3 feet wide alley which leads Northeastward into Paxon Street and which first mentioned alley leads Southeastward into a certain other 3 feet wide alley which leads Northeastward and Southwestward from 52nd Street to said Paxon Street.

BEING known as 1120 S. Paxon Street.

TOGETHER with the free and common use of the said alleys at all times hereafter forever.

Being Parcel: 511190000; 027S10-0156 The sale will be held on July 11, 2019 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $119,639.12 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date. Ten percent (10%) of the highest bid is the deposit required at the sale.

The amount that must be paid to HUD by the mortgagors or someone acting on their behalf so that the sale may be stayed is the total delinquent amount of $119,639.12 as of March 21, 2019, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement.

There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale.

When making their bid, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent 10% of the Secretary’s bid as set forth above in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyance fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them.

The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) days, and a fee will be charged in the amount of $150.00 for each fifteen (15) day extension requested. The extension fee shall be paid in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.

If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder’s deposit will be forfeited, and the Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder.

There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein.

KML LAW GROUP, P.C.

Foreclosure Commissioners

(215-825-6305)

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

By Denise Clay was all set to make this week’s edition of “Everyday People” a treatise about how ridiculous it is that former Congressman Joe Sestak has decided to pile into the Democratic Presidential Nominee clown car.

On Wednesday, the first group of Democratic candidates took to the debate stage. Another set throws down tonight. When you have more than 10 people trying to get their vision of the country out to voters, it becomes a hot, ghetto mess

I

They didn’t start out that way, Goldstein said. They started out as a party chair checking out the campaign of an up-and-coming politico. But they eventually got to a point where DiGiorgio sent pictures of, well, Little Val. If we look at this logically, this isn’t necessarily the end of the world for Republicans. In the same Inquirer story, DiGiorgio was shown talking about his weariness with politics, a weariness that’s probably connected to the realization that you’ve doomed your home state by getting a man who shouldn’t be running a dog park elected president. Maybe he was burned out.

But at a time when the Democrats are engaged in a two-night circular firing squad, it makes little sense to draw this kind of attention. When you’ve helped put a man for whom sexual harassment is a form of recreation into the White (Cont. Page 10)

T

he MASSIVE PIER RAID on the freighter MS Gayene is a monumental event! Dear U.S. Attorney MCSWAIN: The bust is what we TAXPAYERS want to see MORE of! It seems to PROVE remarks of Ed RENDELL that your office HAS BETTER THINGS TO DO. The big boys in Washington must be elated, and it happened on YOUR WATCH. The feds are still searching the ship – row by row of containers aboard. The feds have arrested crew members, but there is nary a

CITY HALL SAM

F

ormer Delaware County Congressman Joe Sestak has entered the Democratic presidential primary. Finally, a Democratic candidate who wants to talk about the issues that are actually important to Pennsylvanians. The biggest danger America faces is the war for the development of the 5G technology superhighway.

Chinese government-controlled tech companies want to develop the 5G network, which would allow them to conduct surveillance and

Russian interference seem 9 silly. Russian attacks on the database of the Democratic National Committee left distinctly Russian sloppy work clues. What clues did they find here?...The concept of a one-stop shop for legal services is coming! No more walking far and wide for help...Police Commissioner ROSS worried that the consequences of shooting someone may be so minor for the shooter – but what are we to do? Resort to SHARIA LAW? Commissioner ROSS should not be blamed for taking 72 COPS off the street. He did not do the posting in a “public” domain.

The South Jersey construction of an LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal is in a safe, remote area. How the product will get there for export was not mentioned in a media story?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Ray PESCATORE for 15 (Cont. Page 15)

invade and disrupt all privacy laws.

Additionally, the Chinese continue to violate all trade laws and are notorious for stealing American technology. All future jobs are going to be based on technology and Americans are going to be out in the cold.

Bill Clinton was able to to defeat George H.W. Bush because he talked about the economy. His campaign’s informal motto was, “ t’s the economy, stupid." And they stayed on that message consistently from beginning to end. When Clinton got in the race he was a lower-tier entrant and Bush was coming off his Iraq war victory with approval ratings of 90%. Then came a recession and Bush showed how disconnected he was from the average person.

He did not even know the price of a gallon of milk.

Democrats have been poor at best in talking

about the economy and jobs. All of the party’s 25 presidential candidates seem to be pandering to the extreme left and talking about special-interest issues that regular Americans don’t even care about. Sestak is a 30-year military veteran and admiral. He lost to Pat Toomey the first time for the United States Senate because it was a Republican year. He was knocked out in 2016

by Katie McGinty because treacherous liberals like Ed Rendell couldn’t stand another white male with actual credentials emerging to get to the big show.

Despite $28 million of national Democratic money, Katie McGinty still lost to Toomey. Had Sestak been the nominee, he likely would have won. Don’t count him out in the presidential race.

In any event, win or lose, Sestak is announcing he is not done with Democratic politics in Pennsylvania.

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

in which only the people with a combination of name recognition and dollars get heard.

I don’t think that Sestak has a lot of name recognition beyond this area. And he sure as hell doesn’t have any money. Considering how late he got into the game, he might not be able to find any either. So, I don’t get it.

That’s what I was going to talk about.

As it often does in politics, the conversation changed when someone decided to, as the kids say, “rock out with their c**k out.”

(And no, I don’t mean a rooster.) Around midday on Tuesday, word came down that Pennsylvania Republican Party chairman Valentino DiGiorgio had resigned his post following a Philadelphia Inquirer report detailing a series of sexually explicit text messages he exchanged with former City Council candidate Irina Goldstein.

WALKING the BEAT

mention of the captain(?).

If you halt your ship in the open ocean to load drugs – then the captain knows(?).

The PHILLY POTHOLE dilemma is getting media attention. CITY HALL has provided data on the filling – but the effort appears to be lacking in the urgency needed for drivers who can suffer up to $300 a year in car repairs. It is TIME for Mayor KENNEY to DECLARE WAR on potholes and give it MAJOR EMPHASIS. If you do not have an adequate fleet to do the job – then LEASE EQUIPMENT or CONTRACT WORK. Just do it!

Residents are reacting to potholes – a big hole in Center City was seen with barbeque and lawn chairs in it. A hole in West Philly was declared a deity and worshiped. The MAIN THING to do is to REPORT the HOLES. Flood Room #215 with phone calls.

COMPUTERS IN PHILLY COURTS are coming back! Reports of

J U N E 2 7, 2 0 19

O

n Tuesday Val DiGiorgio resigned as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. His forced departure is due to a number of inappropriate and explicit text messages between him and Irina Goldstein, who was a candidate for Philadelphia City Council At-Large. She lost in the primary and is claiming her defeat was caused in part by DiGiorgio’s sexual harassment.

Apparently, DiGigiorgio sent her a picture of his anatomy. She continued to

Last week once again showed that Gov. Tom Wolf cares more about the hierarchy of the teachers union than the children of Pennsylvania. Wolf vetoed a $100 million expansion of a program that awards tax credits to businesses that donate to scholarships that help Pennsylvania students pay for private schools.

In justification of his veto, Gov. Wolf said, “It is my job as the leader of this Commonwealth to ensure fairness and accountability in our classrooms. House Bill 800 would pour funding into a program that lacks these two critical aspects.” My question to Gov. Wolf is why he approved smaller increases to the program in the past.

If the program did not have adequate monitoring now, then how did it have it in the past? These scholarships are used for schools that the state and municipalities already monitor.

(Cont. Page 15)

P H I L LY R E C O R D . C O M - 2 15 - 7 5 5 - 2 0 0 0

ELEPHANT CORNER

correspond with him for four months after receipt of his inappropriate picture.

According to Joel Frank, an attorney speaking for DiGiorgio, Goldstein sent DiGiorgio an inappropriate picture of herself. As a woman, I am beyond disappointed with DiGiorgio, but Goldstein’s subsequent actions make her a questionable victim.

The good news in all of this is that the PAGOP Vice Chairperson, Bernie Comfort, is more than capable of replacing DiGiorgio on an interim basis. Bernie is highly respected and has been active in GOP politics for years. Bernie worked for Christine Toretti, the PA representative to the Republican National Committee (RNC). Bernie has run the Ann Anstine program that educates women for public service. Perhaps more importantly, she has extensive fundraising experience, which is a prerequisite for leading the state party.

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

10

(Cont. From Page 9) House, being the embodiment of why the #MeToo movement is necessary

PUBLIC NOTICE – LIEN SALE AUCTION

here in Pennsylvania does no one any favors.

And yet, they have.

DiGiorgio says he’s done nothing wrong and he plans to defend himself vigorously. Meanwhile, his vice chair Bernadette Comfort becomes the interim party chair, or, as I like to call

her, the person on whom the jackals will be feasting as they strive toward leadership.

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of this.

I’m just as sure that I’m not alone in wishing it’s the last time we are confronted with such a spectacle.

This is to advise that the personal property of Lorenzo Miguel Custodio located at Garage #7G at 1366-1370 Ruan Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124 will be sold to auction to the highest bidder at 1366-1370 Ruan Street on Monday, July 1, 2019 at 11:00 AM to satisfy the owner’s lien for rent.

NOTICE OF WINDING UP PROCEEDINGS OF PHILADELPHIA TRAVELERS M.C. A PENNSYLVANIA NONPROFIT CORPORATION TO ALL CREDITORS OF PHILADELPHIA TRAVELERS M.C.:

JU N E 27, 2019

This is to notify you that PHILADELPHIA TRAVELERS M.C., a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation with its registered office located at 2100 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19121, is dissolving and winding up its business.

All persons with claims against the dissolved corporation are requested to present their claims in writing. Each claim must contain sufficient information to enable the claimant and the substance of claim to be reasonably identified. Each claim must be mailed to JustLaws PLLC, 621 W Mount Airy Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19119 and received on or before 8/26/19.

LABORERS’ DISTRICT COUNCIL HEALTH & SAFETY FUND 665 N. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19123

(215) 236-6700

www.ldc-phila-vic.org

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

Alan Parham, Adminstrator

Local 57 - Esteban Vera, Jr., Business Manager Local 135 - Daniel L. Woodall, Jr.,, Business Manager Local 332 - Samuel Staten, Jr., Business Manager Local 413 - James Harper, Jr., Business Manager Laborers’ District Council - Ryan Boyer, Business Manager Building better and safer communities in Philadlephia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties

Do it Right, Do It Safe, Do It Union.

PHILADELPHIA TRAVELERS M.C. may make distributions to other claimants and the members of the corporation without further notice.

Date: 6/27/19

By

Steve Masters, Esquire JustLaws PLLC

NOTICE OF WINDING UP PROCEEDINGS OF PHILADELPHIA TRAVELER’S MOTORCYCLE CLUB (MOTHER CHAPTER) INCORPORATED A PENNSYLVANIA NONPROFIT CORPORATION TO ALL CREDITORS OF PHILADELPHIA TRAVELER’S MOTORCYCLE CLUB (MOTHER CHAPTER) INCORPORATED: This is to notify you that PHILADELPHIA TRAVELER’S MOTORCYCLE CLUB (MOTHER CHAPTER) INCORPORATED, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation with its registered office located at 2100 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19121, is dissolving and winding up its business.

All persons with claims against the dissolved corporation are requested to present their claims in writing. Each claim must contain sufficient information to enable the claimant and the substance of claim to be reasonably identified. Each claim must be mailed to JustLaws PLLC, 621 W Mount Airy Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19119 and received on or before 8/26/19.

PHILADELPHIA TRAVELER’S MOTORCYCLE CLUB (MOTHER CHAPTER) INCORPORATED may make distributions to other claimants and the members of the corporation without further notice.

Date: 6/27/19

By

Steve Masters, Esquire JustLaws PLLC

Y

o! Here we go with these random memories. The Waffleman wants you to imagine these memories and go back – I’m talking about way back before the internet, before cable TV, before 9mm semi-automatics and crack and pot, before SEGA or Super Nintendo.

Remember things like playing hide-and-go-seek at dusk, sitting on the front steps talking to your friends, hot bread and butter, waiting for the Waffleman, eating a super-dooper Dagwood sandwich, red-light-green-light, a chocolate-milk moustache, school-lunch tickets, penny candy in a brown paper bag. Playing pinball in the corner store, hopscotch, butterscotch, double-dutch, jacks, kickball, dodgeball and halfball!

Did you play Mother May I? Red Rover, roly-poly, Double Dog Dares and Hula-Hoops? Have you had any of these lately: unsalted sunflower seeds Jolly

City’s Summer Meals for Kids Soars Anew

Former Philadelphia Eagle wide receiver Jason Avant helped kick off the 2019 Philly Summer Meals program for children and teens at Lawncrest Recreation Center. Mayor Jim Kenney, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Deputy Commissioner Orlando Rendon, and representatives from Summer Meals partner agencies participated in the celebration as well.

understanding BANKRUPTCY BY: MICHAEL A. CIBIK, ESQUIRE AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY BOARD CERTIFIED UESTION: Can a Person in a Coma File Bankruptcy?

ANSWER: Several times a year, I get calls from potential clients who want to know how they can get a bankruptcy filed on behalf of a parent or other relative who is incapacitated because of dementia, or who is unconscious and/or in a coma.

Usually these situations involve a pending foreclosure, where the homeowner is not competent to file

Q

a bankruptcy case, but an adult child wants to use Chapter 13 to stop the foreclosure.

The bankruptcy law does allow a living, but incompetent person to file bankruptcy. Ideally, the relatives should first obtain an order of guardianship from the local probate or appropriate state court in the jurisdiction where the incompetent person lives. If an order of guardianship has been issued, it means that a state court judge has reviewed the affected person’s medical records and has made a finding that the person does not have the capacity to make decisions.

Most guardianship orders specifically identify the powers assigned to the guardian. If the concerned relatives anticipate a bankruptcy filing, they should ask the state court judge to specifically include the authority to file a bankruptcy case. Bear in mind, however, that filing for a guardianship may require various

notices and a hearing and 11 that the process could take several months.

Another option, albeit one that is less desirable would be for the concerned relatives to use the authority arising from a power of attorney to file a bankruptcy case on behalf of an incapacitated debtor. This option is less ideal because powers of attorney often do not specifically mention a power to file a bankruptcy case and because the bankruptcy judge has no way of knowing for certain that the power of attorney was issued when the debtor was still competent.

Again, the best course of action if you are tempted to act on behalf of someone who is not capable of making decisions would be to obtain your authority in state court first, and not depend on a bankruptcy judge to clean up a messy filing.

Next Week's Question: Should I Be Worried About Going to My Meeting of Creditors?

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

la or strawberry or maybe butter pecan. A lemon or cherry coke from the soda fountain at the corner drugstore., A million mosquito bites at the drive-in movie and sticky fingers from Crackerjacks. Cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, or just sitting on the curb.

Jumping down the steps, jumping on the bed, pillow fights, being tickled to death, running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard your stomach hurt, being tired from playing.

Crowding around in a circle around the after school fight, then running when the teacher came.

Did any of this get you reminiscing? GOOD! Memories are best when shared – and even better when they spark remembrances anew.

One generation’s memories can be the next generation’s lessons. It is one of the best examples I know of “what they don’t know – will hurt them.”

Banner Day for Squilla

JU N E 27, 2019

the WAFFLE MAN

Ranchers, blow pops, Mary Janes, banana splits, wax lips and mustaches and licorice NIBS, grape and watermelon “Now-Later”" and “Alexander the grape” or “lemon heads,” Kool-Aid powder with sugar?

Running through the sprinkler on the plug (I can't get wet! All right, well don't wet my hair) the smell of the rain and not caring if you got wet. And how about watching Saturday morning cartoons, Fat Albert, Roadrunner, He-Man, The Three Stooges, Fractured Fairy Tales, and Bugs Bunny or even back further, listening to Superman on the radio, catching lightening bugs in a jar, playing buck-buck.

When around the corner seemed far away, and going downtown seemed like a great adventure? Do you remember any of this?

But wait, I haven’t finished just yet. An ice-cream cone on a warm summer night, chocolate or vanil-

As part of the Cradle of Liberty’s annual Flag Day commemorations, Philadelphia City Councilmember David Oh presented his fellow Councilmember Mark Squilla with a Citation from the Flag Day Committee at the Betsy Ross House in Old City. From Councilmember Squilla’s Facebook page.

COUNCILMEMBER David Oh, Congressman Dwight Evans, and Pennsylvania Veteran Boxers Association Vice President Fred Druding, Jr. share a moment at the Muhammad Ali Way Street Naming Ceremony which saw the 52nd Street side of Malcolm X Park in West Philly renamed after the boxing legend.

Philadelphia City Council came out in force to present a citation honoring the thirtieth anniversary of the Father’s Day Rally, a nonprofit organization founded to support, promote and educate people on the importance and virtues of fatherhood. Among the Councilmembers present were, L-R, Mark Squilla, David Oh, Brian O’Neill, Derek Green, Kenyatta Johnson, Cindy Bass, Curtis Jones, Jr., Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, Darrell Clarke, Allan Domb, Al Taubenberger, and Bill Greenlee.

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

52nd Street becomes Ali Way Three Decades of Father’s Day Rallies

Celebrating The 2019 Salute The Philadelphia Joint Board’s brand-new event space on 22nd Street in Center City was the setting for the Philadelphia Public Record’s second annual Salute to Labor. Almost 200 people braved torrential downpours to acknowledge five of the Philadelphia region’s most influential members of organized labor – and to eat, drink and mingle. Photos by Wendell Douglas

The five honorees, from left: Sheet Metal Workers Local 19’s Todd Farally (Rising Star); Teamsters Local 830’s Danny Grace (Lifetime Achiever); PhilaPOSH’s Nicole Fuller (Good Deeds); Laborers District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity’s Ken Washington (Organizer-Activist); and Ironworkers Local 401’s Kevin Boyle (Management Leader) pose with the evening’s master of ceremonies, political legend Jonathan Saidel.

Good Deeds honoree Nicole Fuller of PhilaPOSH holds a commendation from state Sen. Christine Tartaglione.

2018 honoree John Meyerson is flanked by Bob Wolper, L, and James Harrity.

Honoree Kevin Boyle, the 2019 Management Leader, third from left, is flanked by his Ironworkers brethren.

Emcee par excellence Jonathan Saidel is all smiles with Tyrone Reed.

From left: Honoree Danny Grace of Teamsters Local 830, 61st Ward Leader Pete Lyde, Judge Jackie Frazier Lyde, and honoree Ken Washington.

From left: Democratic City Committee head Bob Brady, Jonathan Saidel, Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin, honoree Danny Grace and honoree Kevin Boyle.

Honoree Todd Farally of Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 is all smiles with his mother, Diane.

City Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, who received a loud ovation when her name was announced by Jonathan Saidel, shared a moment with the AFL-CIO’s Pat Eiding.

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

JU N E 27, 2019

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

12

Attendees perused the commemorative issue to learn new details about their favorite union leaders.

Honoree Danny Grace chats with Democratic judicial primary winner Carmella Jaquinto.

Honoree Ken Washington and Amanda Hammock.

Rising Star honoree Todd Farally and his fiancee, Laila Ea.

Jonathan Saidel goes over his carefully curated research material before introducing the honorees.

JU N E 27, 2019

MC Jonathan Saidel chats with Philadelphia Public Record Director of Sales Melissa Barrett.

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

to Labor Awards Honorees

13

Honoree Danny Grace and City Councilmember Al Taubenberger.

Democratic candidate for Philadelphia City Council’s 10th District Judy Moore, L, was among those on hand at the event.

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

2018 honoree Ethelind Baylor is flanked by a colleague, L, and Laila Ea.

Honoree Ken Washington, R, is joined by well-wishers including, from L, DCC chair and former Congressman Bob Brady, Janet Washington, State Sen. Sharif Street, and Tyrone Reed.

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

JU N E 27, 2019

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

14

Special Issue

On July 18, please join us as The Philadelphia Public Record publishes its annual guide to the coolest and hottest happenings in and around town!

Please send your ad to mbarrett@phillyrecord.com or call Melissa Barrett, 215-755-2000 Ext. 5 21 S. 11th Street, Suite 205 • Philadelphia PA 19107

Among the legislators commemorating the momentous event were, L-R: State Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell; State Rep. Morgan Cephas; State Rep. Summer Lee; State Rep. Donna Bullock; State Rep. Margo Davidson; State Rep. Joanna McClinton; and State Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald.

Photo from Rep. McClinton’s Facebook page.

ELEPHANT CORNER (Cont. From Page 9) The fund in question is the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. The bill would have doubled the program to roughly $200 million per annum. The bill included automatic increases to the program and raised the in-

come limit for participating families.

Wolf claims that the tax credits would cost the Commonwealth $660 million over five years in lost tax revenue. I should point out that the Commonwealth’s current “compromise” budget for 2019-2020 K-through-12 education is roughly $6 billion. The state’s contribution is far less than

half of the cost of public schools (paid for by the respective municipalities).

In 2016-17, 34,400 scholarships were granted to Pennsylvania students through the program, averaging $1,660 each.

Please note the average spent per student in public schools was roughly $16,000 for fiscal 2016.

By giving students 10% of the cost incurred on

brother NICK. He will now 15 flood Saint Pete with stories of Nick’s glory days as City Council Sergeant-at-Arms. ...HAPPY NEWS is welcomed in the daily press.

The story of Strawberry Mansion High School graduates was HEARTWARMING and a refreshingly hopeful report for Philly. A breakdancing feature was also fantastic!...The coverage of JUNETEENTH in Philly was outstanding with the Jannie BLACKWELL apex of naming 52nd Street for Muhammad ALI!...Hal & Sue ROSENTHAL celebrated their 65th Anniversary with a visit to Rep. FIEDLER’s District Office Open House on South Ninth Street! Hal had his love of politics, ice cream, the U.S. Navy and his bride-SHANAMADELA SUE on that day! What could be better!

average for public education, the state and municipalities save 90% of that figure.

The bill was supported

by U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R), who sent a letter (released to the public) to Wolf asking him to sign the legislation. Toomey said it is “breathtaking” that the governor would consider the bill not good for Pennsylvania. Toom-

ey did not mention the hypocrisy of Wolf’s veto in that Wolf’s cabinet business took those EITC tax credits. I believe and hope that Wolf’s veto is more based on his desire to hold on to expansion of the EITC program as a bargaining chip in any budget negotiations.

For fiscal 2018-2019, demand for these scholarships greatly outstrips

availability. The Commonwealth Foundation noted that in fiscal 20172018, more than 50,000 applicants were denied scholarships owing primarily to insufficient funding. Tax credit scholarships benefit taxpayers as well as students. EITC alone saved taxpayers more than $1 billion from 2002 to 2014, according to an EdChoice audit.

T HE S O U T H PHIL A D EL P I A P UB L I C R E CO R D

State legislators and voting rights advocates gathered in the state Capitol to mark the centennial of women’s right to vote in the Commonwealth. Photo from State Rep. Joe Hohenstein’s Facebook page.

(Cont. From Page 9) years at SUBMOA LLC! Also, best wishes to my Brother Al NEWMAN for 4 years as Worshipful Master of his lodge. Al was a top Army First Sergeant. ...GOP legislators want to kill the state General Assistance Program. It costs $24.5 million a year in a state budget of $34 BILLION. I call it CRUEL...Councilman David OH seems to be the only lawmaker addressing the GRAVE problem of STUDENT DEBT? We need to keep him!...ICE raids planned, tankers hit, military alerts = presidential race?...U.S. Rep. Liz CHENEY dressed down DEM colleague Alexandria Ocasio-CORTEZ on concentration camps. Cheney read two

books on the subject and is now an EXPERT...CHEAP REMARK: AOL News reported that the Vice President said that immigrant detainees should have soap – but Congress has to provide funding. If there is inadequate funding – then where is your HEART? Mobilize MASSIVE federal RESOURCES and bring them sanitary needs! ...What if GOP legislators fled to New Jersey and Ohio? Oregon GOP lawmakers fled their state after boldly taking a stand.

One of them invited heavily armed militia to attend a rally in the Capitol. Seems like DASTARDLY and POLTROON actions to me. ...DEATHS: Anne GIUSINI, a great mom and wife of the late, great Arnold Giusini, Ph.D. Both joined in Heaven...Peter STAMPONE passed and joined

JU N E 27, 2019

Celebrating a Century of Suffrage

WALKING the BEAT

PUBLIC RECORD CLASSIFIEDS Announcements: Donate a Boat: Free Two Night Vacation

when you donate your old boat, car, truck, RV or jet ski.

Help Boat Angel help others.

800-7002628 Education/Training: AIRLINES ARE HIRING � Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training.

Financial aid for qualified students � Career placement assistance.

CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877207-0345 Miscellaneous: Dental Insurance: Call Physicians Mutual Insurance company for details.

NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. 855-890-4914 or http://www.dental50plus.com/Penn Ad# 6118 Miscellaneous: A PLACE FOR MOM: The nation�s Largest senior living referral service.

Contact our trusted, local experts today!

Our service is FREE/ no obligation. CALL 1-855-400-1032 Miscellaneous: Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! Le-

afFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection.

Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off and 0% financing for those who qualify.

PLUS Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-569-3087

Check Our News & Calendar Daily Updates @ www. phillyrecord.com

P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

SMALL ADS BIG DEALS

JU N E 27, 2019

T HE S O U T H PHIL A D EL PHI A P UB L I C R E CO R D

16

Special Issue

JULY 4th ISSUE The Philadelphia Public Record will proudly publish its

Salute to American Independence P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

on

Independence Day, July 4th, 2019 Please send your ad to mbarrett@phillyrecord.com or call Melissa Barrett, 215-755-2000 Ext. 5 21 S. 11th Street, Suite 205 • Philadelphia PA 19107