South Philadelphia Public Record

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

FEATHERING HER NEST

Vol. XVI No. 9

Issue 647

February 27, 2020

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

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NEWLY EXPECTANT mother Annie engages in an anxious dialog with the stork that handles delivery in Theatre Exile’s science-fiction drama “Babel,” which deals with the complicated advances of in utero testing on a stressed planet.

Story P. 2.

Photo by Paola Nogueras

MUMMERS

PETITION

ON STAGE

WARS

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Babel Delves into Parental Hopes and Fears

L-R, Anita Holland, Amanda Schoonover, Frank Nardi, Jr. and Bi Jean Ngo play wto young couples embarking on the anxious journey of parenthood in a future world that imposes troubling risks on them.

Photo by Paola Nogueras

BY TONY WEST world of depleted water and resources has driven people to rigorous eugenic screening to reduce the number of babies born with any predisposition toward costly physical, mental or behavioral problems. For parents trying to start a family, the overriding question becomes: Will their fetus pass screening and win “pre-certification” as part of the best that the human species can offer?

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This troubling vision is being shared in Babel, the newest production of Theatre Exile at 13th & Reed Streets, a world premiere of a play by Jacqueline Goldfinger. It is a thinky drama whose characters are deeply engaged in dealing with their futuristic society’s norms – the virtues and the pains of compliance, and troublesome urges of defiance.

The story follows the relation of two young couples who are close friends: Dani

and Renee (Amanda Schoonover and Anita Holland) and Ann and Jamie (Bi Jean Ngo and Frank Nardi, Jr.). Both have succeeded in conceiving and both are undergoing the first challenge of conscientious pregnancy: testing.

This future world develops several ideas that lie around us in 2020. Genetic testing has become able to predict the probable risk that a fetus will exhibit antisocial behavior – like violence. Past a certain threshold, parents are encouraged to end the pregnancy. There is a gentle side to this rule: while they may carry undesirable children to term, their offspring will be banished to supervised residences and low-status work, cut off from “polite society.” Families with “normal” children are apt to shun the unlucky families.

But it works! Crime is way down. Consumption of raw materials per capita is now expected to last hundreds of years.

Still, is it good? Are “substandard” persons not part of the natural human balance? Is our life really better off without them?

A few other sci-fi twists dot the narrative. One of the couples is lesbian. In this future, they are able to merge their ova to yield a child that comes from both of them, although artificial insemination from a screened donor is still needed. But only one woman, Renee, still must carry the baby. And everybody is fine with pot, especially during pregnancy.

Oh, let’s not forget the giant hallucinatory stork … but I’ll leave it to theater-goers to see how that plays out.

The play, which unrolls in one long act, begins as farce and posturing but evolves steadily toward a tragic, pensive outcome. It provides a searing study of how social pressures can drive wedges between couples and friends that cannot be healed.

Babel taps the eternal anxieties that all parents feel during pregnancy and reaches primal emotions.

First, though, it must wade through lengthy didactic discussions in which the characters rehearse with each other the moral dilemmas of their age. And come back to them again and

again without ever gaining true communication.

Perhaps this is the Babel of the title: the babble of any time’s received wisdom, complete with internal contradictions that cannot be gracefully resolved.

Theatre Exile has a long tradition in South Philadelphia, where its office has been located for 23 years, in a building formerly shared with Murray Comic Club.

For many years, the company roved the city’s venues for its productions. But when the building’s zoning was changed to allow performances, Theatre Exile had a venue of its own. After new owners rehabbed the property, it now has a permanent basement theater that it settled into last year.

Producing Artistic Director Deborah Block, a longtime resident, is proud of the company’s community-outreach programs in Jackson School, South Philadelphia High School and Columbus Square. It provides free performances in South Philly parks.

Babel runs through March 8. Readers may check it out at www.theatreexile.org.

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Mummers Mark Mardi Gras at Home

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MARDI GRAS was celebrated by the Mummers in Xfinity Live last Sunday. In addition to live performances, attendees were given a taste of making some of the paraphernalia of Mummery.

Photos by Wendell Douglas

critical guidance to City government so that, as the Administration moves forward with our second term priorities, our work can be even more effective. I’m excited to receive applications and welcome our new Commission members later this spring.”

Rev. WashingtonLeapheart was hired by the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement in October 2019 as the Director for Faith-Based & Interfaith Affairs. In this position, she is charged with engaging faith communities who have always been in the forefront of issues impacting Philadelphians. Rev. Washington-Leapheart also serves as a public-facing leader, liaison and subject matter expert for the Mayor’s Office on local and national matters that impact diverse communities of faith.

NUHHCE Local 1199C celebrated a month of birthdays in the new banquet hall at its posh Locust Street headquarters, complete with working bar. Below are two of the birthday kids, Clarice Walker and President Chris Woods.

Photos by Wendell Douglas

Do You Want to

WIN ???

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should: deeply and actively connected to a congregation or faith-based organization in Philadelphia.

• have experience and interest in interfaith collaborative work.

• have innovative ideas about how to create strategic opportunities for engagement and relationship-building between City government and faith communities.

“We recognize that religious institutions and faithbased organizations are invaluable partners to the City as we seek to positively impact the lives of all residents,” said Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Director for Faith-Based & Interfaith Affairs. “The new Mayor’s Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs will provide

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he Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement announced that the City will begin accepting applications for the new Mayor’s Commission on FaithBased and Interfaith Affairs.

The advisory commission will consist of 21 leaders and representatives from a wide variety of faith traditions from across the city. Its work will focus on strategic collaboration between City government and Philadelphia’s diverse faith communities.

The application for prospective Commissioners is now available online and will remain open until April 1, 2020. Selected commissioners will serve a two-year term and may be re-appointed by the mayor.

Applicants for the Mayor’s Commission of FaithBased and Interfaith Affairs

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Faith-Based Commission Welcome to Club 1199C Is Seeking Applicants

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Primary Candidate Lineup Takes Shape

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POLS on the STREET

BY JOE SHAHEELI ix contestants filed nominating petitions for the Democratic primary ballot in the 198th Legislative District, which centers on Germantown and Nicetown-Tioga. Incumbent State Rep. Rosita Youngblood is retiring.

An assistant to Youngblood, Darisha Parker is among their number. She

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may have a leg up with party organizers. But the relevant 12th, 13th and 17th Wards have undergone leadership transitions in recent years, so other candidates may be able compete for some of their support or go directly to committee people.

In the running besides Parker are Fareed Abdullah, Nikki Bagby, Michael Cogbill, Supreme Dow and Bernard Williams.

Also lacking an incumbent until this Tuesday’s special election was West Philadelphia’s 190th District, formerly occupied by Vanessa Lowery Brown. Endorsed Democrat Roni Green won that seat handily on Feb. 25 against Republican Wanda Logan with 86% of the vote,

although Logan, who has run for that seat before as a Democrat, outperformed the minuscule 5% Republican registration in that district.

But most hopefuls ignored the special altogether, focusing on knocking off Green in the April 28 primary. They are Amen Brown, Samuel Downing, Michael Horsey, Roi Ligon, Jr., Danyl Patterson and Theodore Smith. Horsey represented the 190th from 1994 to 2004 while Brown made a serious run for that seat in the 2019 special election.

Once again, the district’s loyalties are splintered. In a seven-way race, anyone can win – in theory with just 15% of the vote. It becomes a retail outreach challenge.

Other incumbents are facing challengers.

State Rep. Maria Donatucci, whose 185th District overlaps the lower Schuylkill River in South and Southwest Philadelphia, is up against three: Wilson Alexander, Evette Thompson and Regina Genell Young. With a background in the Mayor’s Office of Education, Genell Young may draw some progressive support. Alexander has run for City Council at large. But Donatucci’s strong connections with party committees may help her to beat a divided field.

Three challengers are also vying to knock off State Rep. Mary Isaacson in the 180th, which ranges along the (Cont. Page 6)

Representative

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Philadelphia, PA 19121

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DEMOCRATIC Party Chair Bob Brady roused voters at a rally at the ShopRite in Parkside to boost turnout in Tuesday’s special election in the 190th Legislative District. The event, organized by City Commissioner Omar Sabir, L, which drew a host of other officials in support, included a demonstration of the new voting machines.

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Larry Farnese DISTRICT OFFICE 1802 S. BROAD STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19145 (215) 952-3121

HARRISBURG OFFICE SENATE BOX 203001 HARRISBURG, PA 17120-3001 (717) 787-5662

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Councilman At-Large

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City Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker 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

CITY REPUBLICANS packed Revolution House in Old City for their 2020 Kickoff Party. State Chairman Lawrence Tabas promised City Committee Chair State Rep. Martina White and the crowd that the state party would spend money on the Philadelphia vote this fall.

THE LIVELY social event brought together, L-R, Ward Leader Joseph Samuels, City Commissioner Al Schmidt and commentator Stew Bolno.

DAN HAZLEY, L, socialized with Ward Leader Bill Heeney & his wife Therese.

WARD LEADER Walt Vogler, L, & his wife Pam enjoyed the evening with Ben Tribiani.

representative, the signature requirement is 300.

If an individual petitions to get on the ballot as a State representative, they may arrive at the Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation with 600 petition signatures (twice the necessary amount.) The BCEL will usually perform a count of the minimum necessary signatures (300 in this case) and then accept all of the signatures and mark them as filed.

It is up to opponents of the individual running for office, either directly or through proxies, to chal-

“During the last round of petitioning, a number of signature parties were held. We will probably see more of this in the future– petitioning is the most painful part of the process and with fewer people answering their doors today, it may be the wave of the future.” probably see more of this in the future from the Republicans, and maybe even the Democrats – petitioning is the most painful part of politics, and with fewer people answering their doors today, it may be the wave of the future.

When an individual turns in petitions to the City Commissioners in Philadelphia or the Department of State in Harrisburg, neither body makes a determination as to the validity of the signatures. Instead, they simply verify that the minimum number of signatures for the office in question is present, and then, assuming the other parts of the filing are in order, they accept the signatures.

For example, for State

lenge the validity of the signatures themselves, and these challenges take place in court.

When petition signatures are challenged, the challenger is usually required to challenge specific individual signatures on a candidate’s petitions, either by comparing them to the signature on file with the Commonwealth that appears on the voter registration affidavit, or by having actual voters appear in court to testify as to the validity of their signatures. Signature challenges can get quite heated at times. A candidate is wise to gather many more signatures than necessary in order to withstand a signature challenge from an opponent.

It is legal to pay individuals to gather signatures in Pennsylvania. Most candidates pay by the signature, and rates may vary from $1.50 per signature to $5 per signature. This can make getting on the ballot an expensive proposition and, like many parts of the political process, favors wealthier candidates.

One enterprising individual we interviewed who was seeking ballot access gathered several petition signatures by mail. He mailed regular party voters a copy of his petition, along with instructions for signing and a return envelope that had a stamp.

He put himself down as the circulator when the petitions were returned.

Because no notarization of each petition that came back was necessary, this was quite cost-effective, given the going rate for signature collection.

If someone objects to his petitions, it will be up to a judge to decide whether or not the signatures collected by mail are valid. This individual will probably not be the last to petition in this manner, so at some point, the method will be tested in court. Stay tuned.

The petitions filed for the April 28 primary were filed this Tuesday. It will be up to Commonwealth Court to decide their outcome.

David Lynn is an independent political analyst living in Philadelphia. He is often found with his family sampling its wonderfully diverse cuisine. His blog is http:// WinningCampaigns.vote.

He produces software to run campaigns in Pennsylvania at http://papolcm.com.

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frequent train stations to catch commuters to gather signatures (and sometimes do so on the subway itself ), Republicans in Philadelphia have a more difficult time determining exactly who can sign a petition for a candidate.

This means Republicans usually must identify their potential signers from the voter street list and target them more precisely.

During the last round of petitioning, a number of signature parties were held that invited GOP voters to come to sign several petitions at once. We will

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

BY DAVID LYNN he period for gathering signatures to achieve ballot access has just passed for candidates for both party and public office. Through new legislation, new rules concerning petitioning for ballot access for the two major parties (Democratic and Republican) are in play in Pennsylvania. These new rules have relaxed some of the requirements for signature gathering, and are easing ballot access.

Under previous legislation, a petition circulator was required to live in the same district where the candidate for which they were circulating lived. This is no longer the case. Any voter registered with the same party as the petitioning candidate who is also a resident of Pennsylvania may circulate for that candidate. There is conjecture that the law might allow for circulators to be of a different party than the candidate for which they are circulating, but the reality may be affected by future judicial decisions.

In addition to relaxing requirements for circulators, petition circulators no longer need to see a notary to have their affidavit notarized before turning in their petitions. This means that an individual can circulate a petition for a candidate, then turn it into the candidate without paying $5 or going to a special turn-in location at a certain time where a notary will be present.

In Philadelphia, these changes will affect the Republicans in Philadelphia more than the Democrats, who have an overwhelming voter-registration advantage. Whereas Democratic circulators may

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GOP Hopes Petitions Done, Next Come For Revolution The Counting and Challenging

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Today’s Special

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OPINION

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ith Tuesday’s results for the 190th State House District special election in the books, we can – once again – close a shameful chapter in the city’s political history.

As expected, Democratic candidate Roni Green won a resounding victory. She certainly came with the bona fides: According to Billy Penn, she was most recently a business agent for Service Employees International Union Local 668, and previously was a caseworker for the Pennsylvania Depart-

POLS on the STREET

(Cont. From Page 4) Delaware from Kensington to Queen Village: Andre Del Valle, Jeffrey Dempsey and Vanessa McGrath.

Until the campaign, Del Valle was an aide to Councilmember Maria Quiñones-Sánchez.

Dempsey has standing in the anti-gun-violence movement.

McGrath is well connected in the Bar Association, a plus in this attorney-rich district.

Isaacson won her seat just two years ago and her rivals may see her as vulnerable.

State Rep. Jim Roebuck’s 188th District seat in West Philadelphia has drawn a lot of attention for its two well-organized challengers: Gregory Benjamin, the dynamic 51st Ward leader, and Rick Krajewski, who is the paladin of Reclaim Philadelphia. Roebuck has survived challenges before, one quite serious.

Observers believe the district could split into factions

ment of Human Services. It didn’t hurt that she is also a committeeperson in North Philly’s 38th Ward.

Our fervent hope is that Green can bring stability and longevity to the position. The district has been under a dark cloud of misrepresentation and underrepresentation since then-Rep. Vanessa Lowery-Brown resigned in December 2018 after being convicted on bribery charges. Her replacement, who was voted in during last year’s special election, Movita Johnson-Harrell, resigned late last year after being indicted for embezzling some half-a-million dollars from a not-for-profit organization she ran.

We don’t need to get into the long, sordid recent history of Philadelphia pols who have demeaned and defiled their offices. We do of roughly equal proportion.

If Reclaimers, fueled by Bernie Sanders enthusiasm, turn out in droves and also unite behind Krajewski, that could make a difference based on recent voting patterns in that area.

In another West Philly district, State Rep. Morgan Cephas will be taking shots from Jasmine Reavis-Brown and D’Angelo Lee Virgo in her 192nd seat, which represents Overbrook, Haddonfield and Wynnefield. Both are newcomers to candidacy.

Reavis-Brown is a benefits specialist, Virgo a musician and conductor. Party discipline is likely to prevail here.

Closer to Center City, Charlotte Greer-Brown, a longtime aide to State Rep. Curtis Thomas, Jr. in the Near North, wants her old office back in the 181st District – but this time at the big desk. She has connections and may put up a credible assault on young incumbent State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

(Cont. Next Page)

need to talk about how important it is for citizens to be properly represented in Harrisburg, where the antipathy/apathy toward anything that would improve the lives of Philadelphians – especially those from struggling districts like the 190th, which encompasses some of the city’s most hard-hit Zip codes – is de rigueur.

We are hopeful that Green’s deep ties to both the community and organized labor will give her a running start in the Capitol. We are just as hopeful that she will be able to successfully multitask current and future priorities. In addition to doing the people’s business, she has to immediately return to campaign mode, since she is facing numerous challengers in the April 28 Democratic primary.

MARK your CALENDAR Feb. 27- State Sen. Art Haywood hosts Census Job Recruitment Session at CareerLink, 5847 Germantown Ave., 1-3 p.m.

For info: (215) 242-8171.

Feb. 27- State Rep. Danilo Burgos is hosted Fundraiser by Women for Danilo at Taqueria La Raza, 227 W. Allegheny Ave., 5:30-7:30 p.m. Contribution levels: Leader $1,000, Booster $500, Sustainer $300, Supporter $100, Influencer $50, Cheerleader $25. Contribute & RSVP: www.daniloburgos197.

The News in Black & White

STATE REPS. Margo Davidson and Jim Roebuck enter the Civil War & Reconstruction Exhibit at the National Constitution Center. More than 100 items are on display, and there is a half-hour live performance in the Bank of America theater that uses primary source material for the script.

Photo by Bonnie Squires

com, click “Events.” For info: Matt (215) 5959595.

Feb. 27- State Rep. Jim Roebuck hosts Birthday Bash at Warmdaddy’s, 1400 S. Columbus Blvd., 5:30 p.m. Jazz, good food.

For info: Bonnie Squires (610) 329-6826.

Feb. 28- State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler distributes Free Food Box for low-income seniors at 2400 S. 9th St., 11 a.m.-12 m. To reserve a box: (215) 271-9190.

Mar. 4- Peggy Browning Award hosts Reception for Pat Eiding, Sam Pond & Ralph Colflesh at Penn’s Landing Caterers, 1301 S. Columbus Blvd., 5:30-8:30 p.m. For info: https://www.peggybropwningfund.org/events/ e v e n t / 149 / P h i l a d e l phia-Awards-Reception.

Mar. 4- Fair Districts PA hosts Mtg. at WeWorks, 1900 Market St., 1900 Market St., 6-8 p.m.

Speaker Keith Forsyth reviews redistricting. Post-

cards for legislators, volunteer recruiting. Snacks, beer, wine, beverages.

Space limited! RSVP: info@email.ac tionnetwork.org.

Mar. 5- Liberty City LGBT Democratic Cl. hosts Candidates Night at John Anderson Apts., 251 S. 13th St., 6-9 p.m. All candidates welcome. Free pizza & refreshments. For info: Wade Albert (215) 964-2708.

Mar. 7- Stepping Stone Scholars & Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson host Step into College at USciences, McNeill Sci. & Tech. Ctr., 43rd & Woodland Ave., 9 a.m.1:10 p.m. For 200 8th12th-grade students. Free.

Register: sitc2020-saturdasy.eventbrite.com.

Mar. 7- State Sen. Anthony Williams hosts Birthday Party at Hilton City Line Hotel, 4200 City Ave., 7 p.m. Payable to “Williams for Senate,” P.O. Box 6313, Phila., PA 19139 For info: (267) 888-4165 or ah-

w4senate@gmail.com.

Mar. 10- Liberty City LGBT Democratic Cl. hosts Candidates Night at John Anderson Apts., 251 S. 13th St., 6-9 p.m. All candidates welcome. Free pizza & refreshments. For info: Wade Albert (215) 964-2708.

Mar. 11- State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler & Congressman Dwight Evans host Mobile Office Hours at S. Phila. Library, 1700 S. Broad St., 1-4 p.m. Assistance with State & federal issues, SEPTA ID processing. For info: (215) 2719190.

Mar. 13- 57th Ward Democratic Committee hosts N.E. Philly Democrats at Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy Rd., 7-11 p.m. Food, drink & music; there will be a dispensation since it’s Lent.

Tickets: $40 per person, $100 per candidate. Payable to “Friends of the 57th Ward Democrats.”

For info: (267) 773-3251.

Boyle Backs Amtrak Workers SUPPORTING a workers’ protest, Congressman Brendan Boyle, R, joined Transportation Communications Union members across from 30th Street Station to oppose the federal government’s proposed outsourcing of Amtrak call-center jobs to low-paying non-union companies – a major potential hit to Philadelphia.

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politics will recall Cade best from his faint at the hearing on the challenge to his nominating petitions for City Council at large in the 2019 primary. Cade recovered from his faint but his petitions did not recover from the hearing.

During that campaign, Cade proposed several initiatives that were definitely not run of the mill.

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

(Cont. From Prev. Page) State Rep. Brian Sims in the 180th, which owns much of Center City, Queen Village and Bella Vista, usually faces a challenger. This year, it’s Marisa Shaaban, a pro political operative with good links to school and women’s activists.

The 194th District, which awkwardly takes in Roxborough-Manayunk with Lower Merion Township – two disparate communities divided by a river – State Rep. Pam DeLissio will again face a fight. This time it’s coming from Bernie Strain, a longtime activist who knows his way around grassroots politics in the city.

Higher up on the food chain is an interesting challenge at the federal level.

Lou Lanni is taking on Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, whose 5th District takes in much of South Philadelphia as well as all of Delaware County. Lanni’s most-obvious angle is that he is a South Philadelphian of long standing whereas Scanlon lives in suburbia. So he can pitch as the favorite son of 20% of the district.

Other twists: Lanni, now

a businessman, has a background in law enforcement that could appeal to many in South Philadelphia today.

He is also an LGBTQ candidate that can appeal to loyalists in that community.

Many of these challengers’ petitions were themselves challenged – Abdullah, Bagby, Cogbill, Greer-Brown, Horsey, Lanni, Ligon, Reavis-Brown, Thompson, Virgo and Williams.

Nikil Saval’s war on State Sen. Larry Farnese in the 1st Senatorial District has been amply reported. For sure, all eyes in Philadelphia’s political crowd will be watching this like the Super Bowl, eagerly looking for hints on the shape of future city elections. It is a clash of generations, of old Philadelphians versus new immigrants, of people who grew up calling themselves “liberals” versus those who revel in the term “progressives.”

One must, though, also mention the contest in the 7th Senatorial District, where State Sen. Vincent Hughes has reigned supreme in parts of Montgomery County, West and Northwest Philadelphia since 1993. Devon Cade filed nominating petitions in Harrisburg for that seat as well.

Close observers of Philly

www.ldc-phila-vic.org

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POLS on the STREET

Senators Defend Abstinence-Based Treatment

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PUBLIC SERVANTS at WORK

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tate Sen. Sharif Street (D-N. Phila.) led a group of legislators and addiction-recovery professionals to respond to proposed recovery-house regulations promulgated by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs which would eliminate the option of a person to recover from addiction in a drug-free environment and to highlight the importance of drug-free, abstinence treatment programs to those suffering from substance-abuse disorder. This regulatory change is particularly surprising given Gov. Tom Wolf’s personal commitment and strong record in combatting addiction and supporting the recovery community, he said.

DDAP is in the process of developing a licensure program for drug-and-alcohol recovery houses. According to DDAP Secretary Jennifer Smith, under the proposed regulations, drug-free, abstinence recovery houses would not be licensed and therefore unable to receive referrals or funding from the government. This would eliminate an important pathway to recovery. In order to receive referrals from State agencies or State-funded facilities, or to receive federal or state funding to deliver recovery house services, all licensed recovery houses must allow their clients to use addictive substances within the program if they are on Medication-Assisted Treatment.

This policy threatens to put

many community-based abstinence treatment programs out of business.

“For decades, abstinence-based recovery programs have been a lifeline for communities throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and our country,” said Street.

“The very nature of these programs precludes any proximity to addictive substances – and they work. We also know that Medication-Assisted Treatment has also proven to be an important path to recovery. Both methods work for different people. The government should allow people to choose what works for them and not be in the business of punishing personal choice. I am pleased that the Wolf administration has committed to working with me and my colleagues to ensure that drug-free recovery programs remain an option.”

“A recovery program like this saved my life,” said Kasib Carter, who currently serves as special assistant to Street. “I was living in Baltimore and addicted to heroin in the late ’90s and if I didn’t get help, I would be dead today. But I came to Philadelphia and got into an abstinence-based recovery program.”

Legislators from across the state from both political parties called on DDAP to change the regulation in a way to protect the continued existence of important abstinence-based programs.

Democratic Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee State Sen. Art Haywood (D-Northwest) concurred: “I want to make sure that long successful detox programs are not jeopardized.”

State Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Kensington) added, “We are here to support choices in how substance use disorder services are delivered and paid for. Under the proposed statewide drug and alcohol policy, we will be lim-

iting our choices and depriving many Pennsylvanians of their best chance at sustained recovery.”

State Sen. Anthony Williams (D-W. Phila.) expressed his support for abstinence-based recovery programs which he credited for “helping to stabilize a generation when no one else would help during the crack epidemic that ravaged Black communities.”

Tartaglione Leads Mental-Health Talk

In coordination with Gov. Tom Wolf’s Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters initiative announced last month, Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine joined State Sen. Tina Tartaglione to lead a roundtable discussion on the mental-health challenges and needed supports for those with substance use disorder.

The Reach Out PA initiative is a multi-agency effort and anti-stigma campaign aimed at expanding resources and the state’s comprehensive support of mental health and related health care priorities in Pennsylvania.

Reach Out PA will address many recommendations for improving mental-health services laid out by the Council on Reform, created last year by the governor’s executive order to protect vulnerable populations.

According to a 2017 study from the University of Southern California, approximately 1 million adult Pennsylvanians struggled with serious psychological distress at least once in 2015. Of those adults, more than 27% had an unmet need for mental health care.

That population includes 42% who did not receive mental health care because they could not afford it.

The aim of the roundtable was “to reinforce and expand our efforts to address Pennsylvania’s opioid emer-

gency,” Tartaglione said. “As we strive to heal people who suffer from opioid-use disorder, it is crucial that we identify and treat the mental-health conditions that often contribute to and perpetuate their illness.”

Labor Department

By Charter Change?

City Council passed Councilmembers Helen Gym’s (at large) and Bobby Henon’s (6th District) legislation that creates a permanent Department of Labor and Board of Labor Standards with expanded resources and staff, and improved investigatory powers. The department would enforce new and existing City labor laws, resolve disputes between workers and employers, and issue fines and other penalties as deemed necessary.

A key focus is overseeing all sexual harassment and discrimination complaints within City agencies. The law would change the City Charter, and is now up for a vote on the April 28 ballot.

In 2015, the Philadelphia metropolitan area had 128,476 minimum wage violations, 105,458 overtime violations and 83,344 off the clock violations, according to a study by the Sheller Center for Social Justice.

The new Department of Labor would enforce a growing body of local labor laws.

That includes investigating complaints, enforcing penalties for violations, and educating workers on their rights and employers on their responsibilities. Collective bargaining agreements of City employees would also be negotiated and administered by the department.

“Workers have organized to push this city towards a future where the rights of all workers are protected in every workplace,” said Gym. “I’m proud to have sponsored Fair Workweek – one of the many bills that came

out of this growing movement. But laws are only as good as our power to enforce them. With a Department of Labor, and the resources that go with it, Philadelphia will balance the scales between vulnerable workers and their employers.”

Mayor Jim Kenney is on board, saying, “The working people of Philadelphia have always been a top priority for our administration. That is why we created the Mayor’s Office of Labor during our first term and have made continued efforts to grow and strengthen their team ever since.”

Deputy Mayor for Labor Richard Lazer described the move as “the natural evolution for the Mayor’s Office of Labor.”

“This charter change will allow the City to oversee and ensure that the laws we already have on the books, like paid sick leave and Fair Workweek, are enforced and upheld,” said Henon.

“A permanent Department of Labor that is given the resources and staff to succeed will tackle real issues that face working people, like the misclassification of workers, labor negotiations and the need for family and medical leave.”

“At a time when workers are under attack, it’s not the time to retreat and fall back,” said Gabe Morgan, vice president for 32BJ SEIU. “It’s a time to stand strong to ensure the men and women who support us in our jobs, can secure and maintain theirs.”

Stop-and-Frisk Also May See Ballot

As Philadelphia welcomes a new police commissioner and the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police expires on June 30, 2020, Councilwoman Cherelle Parker (9th District) has introduced a resolution that would put a question on the November

ballot finally giving voters a voice in eliminating unconstitutional stop-and-frisk.

“Never before have Philadelphia voters had a chance to formally voice their opinion on this very important and much-debated practice.

Now is the perfect time,” Parker said. “While this is a complex issue, with decades of federal and state case law differentiating between constitutional and unconstitutional stops, I believe Philadelphia residents are ready to have a conversation about this subject and collectively share their opinion. Biased application of the law only serves to erode community trust, which ultimately makes it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs.”

The question would read: “Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to call on the Police Department to eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop-and-frisk, consistent with judicial precedent, meaning an officer must have reasonable suspicion that a person is engaged in criminal activity in order to stop that person, and, therefore, an officer cannot stop someone unlawfully because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religious affiliation or expression, or other protected characteristic?”

In June 2011, the City of Philadelphia and the American Civil Liberties Union reached a settlement in Bailey, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, et al., a suit which alleged that thousands of people each year were illegally stopped, frisked, searched, and detained by the PPD as part of its stopand-frisk policy. Pursuant to the settlement, the PPD now collects data on all stop and frisks and stores this information in an electronic database. It also provides officers with the necessary training and supervision (Cont. Page 11)

Special Issue

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St. Patrick’s Day

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

Publishing March 12, 2020

Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2020

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

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Celebrating the accomplishments of the Irish American citizens of Philadelphia

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ELEPHANT CORNER

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ast Thursday, Republican City Committee held its annual winter fundraiser at Revolution House in Old City. The event was packed with supporters. RCC CHAIRWOMAN and STATE REP. MARTINA WHITE and Pennsylvania Republican Party CHAIRMAN LAWRENCE TABAS addressed the crowd.

Tabas announced that the PAGOP has asked President Trump to speak in Philadelphia and he has agreed to do so. Trump is anything

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

BY DENISE CLAY ere in the City of Brotherly Love and Put the Damned Gun Down, a whole lot of people got shot last year, but only 356 of them died.

(Now, before anyone gets mad at me, I don’t mean to be dismissive. I say “only” because when you look at the thousands of people who got shot here last year, it probably could have been more than that.)

But while we talk about the dead, how they wound up that way, and how tired we all are of picking up the

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but timid, so I do not doubt he is willing to wade into the den of the lion. Tabas believes we have the opportunity to grow the Republican Party in Pennsylvania.

In particular, we have seen many Democrats rally behind Trump (you would not know this by watching most cable news outlets).

White similarly believes the party can grow in Philadelphia. She has actively sought candidates for State and federal races this year where we have rarely had a counter to the Democrats.

For example, businessman DREW MURRAY is running for incumbent Democrat STATE REP. BRIAN SIMS’ seat in Center City. Attorney LISA GOLDMAN RILEY has stepped up to run against incumbent Democrat STATE REP. PAM DeLISSIO in Roxborough/Manayunk.

LOU MENNA has filed to run against Incumbent Democrat STATE REP.

ELIZABETH FIEDLER in South Philadelphia. Menna is a great Republican running in a Democrat-leaning district. However, he has two advantages in that Fiedler is not just liberal but too left-wing for this district. Also Menna’s (similarly named LOU) grandfather was a well-known former State representative and ward leader. Name recognition is very helpful in Philadelphia politics.

Community activist WANDA LOGAN filed to be on the ballot in November to represent District 190 (parts of West Philadelphia).

Logan was on the ballot for the special election for 190 this Tuesday. The vacancy is owing to the resignation of MOVITA JOHNSON-HARRELL due to her indictment for stealing $500,000 from a not-for-profit she ran.

Please note this is the second special election for this seat in less than a year. The (Cont. Page 14)

newspaper or turning on the television and being met with chalk outlines, we don’t really talk about the people who are left behind.

Their parents. Their friends. Their loved ones.

Their neighbors. And in some cases, the people who have managed to survive being shot, but not without personal cost.

Last Thursday, during a hearing in Philadelphia City Council chambers, those people, the ones left behind by gun violence, got a name.

Co-victims. People like Felicia Pendleton, the founder of Mothers United

by Angels, a group of parents who are surviving the deaths of their children.

“I share a neighborhood with the family of the person who murdered my son,” she said. “I went to school with the shooter’s mother. I have to walk past their house to go see my mother. Every homicide leaves behind families and loved ones that will never be the same. Co-vic-

tims need access to a variety of interventions that aren’t currently available.”

Pendleton testified before the Special Committee on Gun Violence last Thursday. The committee, which is chaired by Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson and includes Councilmember Curtis Jones, Dorothy Johnson Speight, founder of Mothers in Charge, and Aleida Garcia, president of the National Homicide Justice Alliance, was formed in response to the city’s rising rate of gun violence.

Throughout the day-long hearing, the panel heard from witnesses in academic, grassroots organizing and the co-victims themselves. The idea behind the hearings was to listen to the concerns of people who are a part of this world and need some help negotiating it.

The topic is a personal one for Johnson, who lost a family member to gun violence.

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WALKING the BEAT

BY JOE SHAY STIVALA o one is a BIGGER FAN than I of City Council. The people’s place. I am a Council watcher since back when Paul D’Ortona was Council President. So when I got wounded by a Council action, it HURT. Legislation was introduced to grant tech-school grads a 10-point preference in City Civil Service hiring – equal to that of veterans. The comparison of vets to tech grads hurt veterans; but not enough of them since few knew of it.

The legislation seemed on a

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CITY HALL SAM

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hiladelphia has a wonderful Chinese community. We have one of the largest Chinatown‘s in America and you will not get better food anywhere.

And last weekend was Chinese New Year.

The big kickoff event was hosted by the Chinatown Community Development Corporations and was held at the brand new Crane Community Center in Chinatown. The overflow crowd included STATE SEN. LARRY FARNESE, COUNCILMEN DEREK GREEN and MARK SQUIL-

FAST TRACK. When I first heard about it, the bill was already reported out of committee.

Someone in Council met with Police and Firefighters Locals 5 and 22 and it was agreed to scale back the preference to FIVE points.

The vets thought they should meet with sponsor Gilmore RICHARDSON – instead met with her lawyer.

Last Thursday in City Council, I was told that the bill was on HOLD. Suddenly, a recommendation from a councilmember was voiced for a first reading of the bill (two are needed). And that reading happened on CAT FEET. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. In my view, the vets, who comprise the third-largest vet population in our region, got a SAD SNUB. Years ago, I asked a New Jersey Army Guard adjutant general why vets are TAKEN FOR GRANTED by politicians. He replied, “They

quietly vote mainstream.

They do not rattle the pol cage.” He was spot-on.

There is talk of a LAWSUIT against the tech school bill.

The bill actually opens the FLOODGATES since others will want preference.

A kid who graduates from Central, Roman Catholic or South Philly High School gets NO preference! Nor do union members.

If a court halts the bill, Council can still tell voters that they tried.

Age-discrimination lawsuits were filed against DA Larry KRASNER by senior prosecutors who were let go when Krasner took office.

An incoming elected official has a SACRED DUTY to pick a team he feels that will carry out the PROMISES that he made to electors.

As to age discrimination – Krasner is 58? Krasner is the reform forerunner – and as such must take the HITS of the old guard. Even (Cont. Page 14)

LA and STATE REP. MARY ISAACSON. The standing-room-only crowd honored CECILIA MOY YEP, an icon in the Chinese American community and a true community public servant. Farnese presented Cecilia with a citation commending all her good works. He was pivotal in helping Chinatown CDC obtain the $5 million RACP money to build the Crane Community Center.

Being able to secure grants such as that is more difficult in Harrisburg than ever. The vast majority of big shots who control the budget or not from Philadelphia and secretly not big fans of the City of Brotherly Love. Luckily, the city has Senate Democratic Appropriations CHAIRMAN VINCE HUGHES as well as Farnese going to bat for them. It’s been crucial for Philadelphia to have Farnese fighting to get Philadelphia’s neighborhoods funding that’s so necessary.

Farnese also sponsored a job fair for census workers at Richmond library. Many folks attended the event in Port Richmond. Many participants, including folks from the U.S. Census Bureau, stated it was the most well attended job fair ever.

A recent poll indicated BERNIE SANDERS is the front-runner in Pennsylvania. If this holds up, the Dems could have a very difficult time winning the presidential election. Pennsylvania is a battleground state that went for Trump last time. And even though HILLARY CLINTON was a bad candidate, some say Sanders would be far worse. He’s not even officially a Democrat. He’s an independent. And he hasn’t done anything in the U.S. Senate to help his own state.

Some folks have pondered how Sanders would he be a substantial enough leader as president if he has not helped Vermont.

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Council Hearing On Fashion Industry City Council authorized the Committee on Global Opportunities & the Creative/Innovative Economy, chaired by Councilman David Oh (at Large), to hold hearings on the state of Philadelphia’s fashion and garment industry.

At the turn of the 20th century, Philadelphia was a global leader in the fashion and textile industries. Notable apparel giants of the era, including Stetson and Jacob Reed’s Sons, were headquartered in Philadelphia.

By the 1980s, however, the number of Philadelphians employed in the industry was cut in half, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since its decline, New York City and Los Angeles have traditionally headquartered America’s booming fashion and garment industry. The industry holds an annual valuation of over $2 trillion, according to Forbes.

Shifting trends may present opportunities for cities like Philadelphia to reclaim a piece of the market. The city provides many of the same benefits of New York City – an international airport, vibrant consumer base, esteemed colleges and a strong workforce – with a lower cost of living and friendlier tax structure. It also has established roots within the industry on which to build. The annual Philadelphia Fashion Week

Roebuck to Chair PHEAA Ruling Body

State Rep. James R. Roebuck, Jr., (D-W. Phila.) has been elected chairman of the Executive Committee of the board of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

Created in 1963 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, PHEAA has evolved into one of the nation’s leading student-aid organizations. Today it serves millions of students and thousands of schools through its loan guaranty, loan servicing, financial-aid processing, outreach, and other student-aid programs. Over the last 10 years, PHEAA has provided nearly $1 billion from its business earnings to support student-aid programs.

Roebuck is minority leader of the House Education Committee.

Bullock, Cephas Address Gun Crisis State Rep. Donna Bullock (D-N. Phila.) joined survivors and advocates from Moms Demand Action to mark the first week of February as Gun Violence Survivors Week.

“Just days ago, a fouryear-old child in my community died from a gunshot wound inside his home,” said Bullock, D-Phila. “We can’t sit idly by and let these heartbreaking tragedies continue. Today, we honor the lives taken, stand with survivors, and vow to keep pushing to protect our com-

munities, especially our children, from this public-health crisis.”

Bullock has spearheaded an initiative (HR 662) that is meant to be another tool to help spread awareness on the social costs associated with gun violence, motivate improvements to public policies meant to prevent further bloodshed, and to give a voice to survivors who are often faced with a long road to recovery.

“We in the legislature hold the power to instill change that can help save lives and stop the suffering,” Bullock explained.

As gun violence continues plaguing Philadelphia, State Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-W. Phila.) hosted her State of the 192nd Town Hall on Feb. 11 to address this public-health crisis. She followed it up with a telephone town hall on Feb. 18 to further discuss the issue.

Dozens of people attended the panel discussion entitled the “Roadmap to Safer Communities: City and State Measures to Address the Gun Violence Crisis.”

“If we want the best chance to stop this growing epidemic, our neighbors, police and community leaders must be part of the conversation,” said Cephas. “I want to thank everyone who came out to listen and let their voices be heard. Showing up is an important part of moving our communities forward.”

“There isn’t just a single answer that can solve gun violence,” Cephas explained.

“Protecting Pennsylvanians requires a multi-pronged approach, which includes investing in mental health programs, fully funding our schools, teaching our children the difference between right and wrong from the beginning, and passing commonsense gun safety laws.”

The two lawmakers are fighting to pass several piec-

es of gun-safety legislation that would enact universal background checks (HB 673), create Extreme Risk Protection Orders (HB 1075), require lost or stolen firearms to be reported to law enforcement within 72 hours (HB 1288), and help keep guns out of the hands of children (HB 525).

At this point, no votes have been scheduled in the State House for these gun-safety bills, which a great number of Pennsylvanians favor.

Solomon Gets Grant For Oxford Circle State Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Northeast) announced a $120,000 donation to Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association from tax credits approved by the Neighborhood Assistance Program.

“I’m grateful and thrilled to have such generous community partners in M&T Bank and Kinder Academy, willing to step forward and invest in the Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association,” Solomon said. “Their continued partnership with OCCCDA will have lasting impacts for the people of my district, who will see new entrepreneurship, workforce development and economic development programs for many years to come.”

OCCCDA will use the donation for a multitude of projects, including developing a small-business training program, creating a hub for education and community events, implementing a corridor enhancement program, investing in small-business and technical-support assistance and workforce development.

These projects will help the people directly involved and the community at large.

Of the $120,000 donation, $100,000 was contributed

by M&T Bank as part of an overall five-year, $500,000

commitment the bank made toward OCCCDA’s programs in Northeast Philadelphia.

The NAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development.

Burgos Headlines Dominican Day State Rep. Danilo Burgos (D-Kensington) led a ceremony at the Pennsylvania Capitol to honor the 176th anniversary of the independence of the Dominican Republic.

“I am honored to headline this ceremony, which celebrates the rich history and accomplishments of Dominicans to our great state, for a second year,” Burgos said. “Events like this showcase past prominent Dominicans up to the present and highlight how we can focus on future endeavors for our community.”

Burgos is the first Dominican American to serve in the General Assembly.

The freshman legislator recently introduced a House resolution that would recognize Feb. 27 as “Dominican Independence Day” in Pennsylvania.

Neilson Scores Money For School Kitchens

State Rep. Ed Neilson (D-Northeast) saw to it that Robert B. Pollock School and Anne Frank School each received a grant of $2,908 to purchase needed equipment for their cafeterias, including a milk cooler.

Neilson said the grant is part of more than $925,000 in competitive grants awarded to 72 elementary, middle and high schools across the state to buy new food service equipment for their cafeterias.

“A quality lunch plays a critical role in ensuring students have the energy they need to focus and excel in the classroom,” Neilson said. “This funding will go toward providing our

schools the tools they need to prepare meals safely and help fuel the minds and bodies of our children.”

Neilson noted that two other area schools also received funding: Stephen Decatur Elementary School with $8,314 for a walk-in freezer and Abraham Lincoln High School with $3,193 for a reach-in refrigerator.

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is a regional leader that attracts over 10,000 fashion executives and consumers to the city – a window into Philadelphia’s potential within the industry.

The committee will explore ways in which Philadelphia can incentivize further investment and reestablish the city as a global leader in fashion and design. The hearing was held during Philadelphia Fashion Week.

Cephas lauds grant for Overbrook H.S. Also coming to the aid of Philadelphia students looking for nutritious offerings in school: State Rep. Morgan Cephas. A grant of $3,193 will allow Overbrook High School to purchase needed equipment for its cafeteria, including a reach-in refrigerator, she announced last week.

Cephas, D-Phila, said the grant is part of more than $925,000 in competitive grants awarded to 72 elementary, middle and high schools across the state to buy new food service equipment for their cafeterias.

“This funding will go towards assisting Overbrook High School in preparing meals safely and efficiently for its students,” Cephas said. “We can’t ignore the value of a quality school lunch and the critical role it plays in learning. This is just one way I’m working to help our children succeed in the classroom.”

Funding for the grants is made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Grants are awarded to schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and have 50 percent or more of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Schools often use the grants to purchase new refrigerators, freezers, stoves and dishwashers to ensure safe food handling.

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

(Cont. From Page 8) relative to stop-and-frisk practices and establishes a monitoring system in which the police department, plaintiffs’ counsel, and an independent court-appointed monitor review and analyze the data.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner supported it, saying, “As prosecutors, we see the destructive effects of illegal stop and frisk every day.”

Hoping for Comeback in Fashion

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City of Philadelphia Public Hearing Notice The Committee on Public Property and Public Works of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following items: 200010

An Ordinance authorizing the Procurement Department, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into one or more agreements with a vendor or vendors for the purchase and servicing of online legal research services, investigative tools, and related goods and services, all under certain terms and conditions.

Immediately following the public hearing, a meeting of the Committee on Public Property and Public Works, open to the public, will be held to consider the action to be taken on the above listed item.

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

Copies of the foregoing items are available in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the Council, Room 402, City Hall.

Michael Decker Chief Clerk

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

(215) 236-6700

www.ldc-phila-vic.org

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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.

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that an application will be made to the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg, Pa., on or after February 20th, 2020 for the purpose of obtaining a proposed nonprofit corporation to be organized under the 1988 Nonprofit Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, effective October 1, 1989, as amended.

The name of the corporation is The Ertz Family Foundation. The purposes for which The Ertz Family Foundation exists is to; empower others by sharing faith, learning through sports and advancing education to build supportive communities.

AT&T proposes to replace an existing 20’ traffic light pole with a new 30’ traffic light pole and install a top-mounted antenna at 34.6’ at 2 S. 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA (20192051).

Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

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WALKING the BEAT

(Cont. Form Page 10) if he is not re-elected, his programs are in place.

When he leaves office, he won’t be hurt by detractors.

Congrats to Beth SHUTTLESWORTH for 33 years at the State Department of Military Affairs. I attended her wedding way back in Pottsville. A wonderful lass – forever young.... Jeff CARUSO completed 14 years at Devon BMW; his dad liked Oldsmobiles.

Thanks to Councilmember Cherelle PARKER for a huge study on business avenues in the 9th Councilmanic District. Given the many business arteries and improvement needs, this effort was HUGE – and will help the 9th.

MEDIA: I read where promised SODA TAX improvements to the many city playgrounds and parks has mostly NOT begun.

The design and contract phase is slow; it is done that way to protect our tax dollars – and for safety. After all the words in the story, you could summarize it and see that many projects will start about the same time – and move FAST after that.... I also read that $54 million in City property has been sold for dollar deeds, and then resold for big amounts by private owners. Did the article infer that this was a bad thing? Yet only 800 of 2,314 were sold? And the big point to be made is how much MORE in tax ratables is the City receiving after improvements were done? The article did

CITY HALL SAM (Cont. Form Page 10) Sam worries that most Democrats will sit out the race if it’s Sanders as the nominee and in Central

ELEPHANT CORNER

note that the program was to revitalize, yes?

An article on a person with probation violations getting too harsh a sentence

by Judge Anna COYLE ignores that it is easy for a judge to get frustrated by a continual violator that you want to help. Probation officers might have prevented this matter going too far – but their CASELOADS are too large. The person in the story had an ailing mom and a JOB. Keep in mind collateral damage when you recommend incarceration.

Your paycheck as a P.O. does not stop.

Federal Judge Amy Berman JACKSON said that she would not recuse herself in the Rodger STONE matter. GOOD! A federal judge in Philly said he was MAKING AN EXAMPLE when he sentenced Joe DOUGHERTY a few years ago. Joe, a former head of Local 401, was already in advanced age. Joe rarely went out in the field (if at all?), and left it to his officers. I was in the courtroom when they testified against him. It seemed like a pet shop full of CANARIES. The long sentence given Joe is a death sentence at his age. How many people today REMEMBER the judge’s example? I wager FEW. The jurist, who is Joe’s age, has made his point.

Judge: PLEASE “Loose thy bonds, let the oppressed go free.”

A 6th Circuit judge ruled that police can shoot a dog if it does anything but lie still during a police action.

This in an era when laws are passed against animal cruelty. Do all dogs SPEAK ENGLISH?

Among the people who testified was new Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, who spoke about gun-violence issues.

While she was entering her third week on the job, she gave some insight into what she expected from PPD officers when it came to crime victims.

“The Philadelphia Police Department firmly believes that all victims of crime and their families deserve to be treated with dignity, respect courtesy and sensitivity and has taken steps to ensure that these individuals and their families receive the services they deserve,” she said.

Commissioner Outlaw might have had some questions of her officers after hearing Stanley Crawford’s testimony.

Crawford’s 35-year-old son William was murdered

ER. Tucker in turn introduced the keynote speaker K. CARL SMITH. Smith is a former Army officer, writer and political activist. He is the former district leader for Americans for Fair Taxation in Alabama. He is the son of COL. (RET.) EARNEST C. & BESSIE SMITH. He is a graduate of Alabama A&M University.

Smith believes that African Americans are more conservative than their voting records. He feels the Democrats take their vote for granted and do not really have the African American communities’ needs in mind. To this end, Smith launched the Conservative MESSENGER, a grassroots initiative to emin the city’s Rhawnhurst section a little over a year ago, a murder that remains unsolved. He was on his way to visit his sister and nephew when he was shot, and, Crawford said, the neighborhood isn’t cooperating with police officers.

And the officers are well aware of this, he said.

“I don’t know who killed him, and the detective investigating the case told the neighbors that the family wasn’t cooperating, so they should be careful, because it will happen again,” Crawford said. “I will not give up the fight until my son’s murder is solved. If you’ve got a son, love him. Victims have to advocate for our loved ones because no one is going to do it better than you.’

The final panel was a group of young men whose lives were permanently changed due to gun violence. They were men whose gunshot wounds left them paralyzed. Tyrone

and Western Pennsylvania, they will line up to vote for Trump. Poor JOE BIDEN is starting to slip because even though he’s liberal, he’s not socialist enough for the fringe-type groups that vote in these early primaries and generally now speak for the

Democratic Party.

Former STATE SEN. and ASSISTANT D.A BOB ROVNER is recovering nicely from foot surgery. Rovner is the energizer bunny. He attends nearly every political event and fundraiser.

He was recently absent for a

Farnese event only because he was having surgery.

The next fundraiser for Farnese is his annual waterworks event. It’s a blockbuster. Sam advises grabbing your tickets and making a contribution soon.

(Cont. Form Page 10) vacancy last year was owing to the felony conviction of then-STATE REP. VANESSA LOWERY BROWN for accepting a bribe and other crimes.

Last Saturday, the 1st Immanuel Baptist Church in North Philadelphia hosted a Republican Black History event. The PAGOP Council for Outreach & Advancement sponsored the event.

The pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, REV. TODD JOHNSON, introduced the Council for Outreach & Advancement’s EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CALVIN TUCK-

EVERYDAY PEOPLE (Cont. Form Page 10)

power, educate, and equip its members to be FREDERICK DOUGLASS Republicans.

Smith authored a recently released book: Frederick Douglass Republicans: The Movement to Re-Ignite America’s Passion for Liberty.

Smith contends that Douglass, who was a former slave, championed personal responsibility and respect for life. Smith noted that when Republicans talk of limited government, many in community see that as code for reducing or eliminated entitlement programs. He believes we need to emphasize instead the notion that government should not dictate how we live and raise our children.

Shoemaker, Jaleel Frazier, Jaleel King testified with Victoria Wylie of the Donte’ Wylie Foundation, which was named for her brother, who was killed by gun violence. She facilitates a workshop for people whose gunshot wounds have left them disabled.

They all told stories about the challenges they have faced trying to negotiate a city with broken sidewalks, houses with no handicapped accessibility either in the house itself or outside of the house.

Negotiating the system to get things like an ADA-accessible house or work that won’t impact their ability to have health care is far from easy. We have to remember

He is pro-life, as he believes Douglass’s fight for equality and the voice of Black people is related to the fighting for the rights of the unborn.

He believes the best way to get African Americans to vote for Republican candidates is not necessarily by asking them to change parties but to vote for the man or woman who best embodies their values. He also noted that we Republicans should attract Black voters by emphasizing our conservative values rather than pointing to specific issues.

He believes this would be especially important when dealing with Black immigrants. that when we talk about gun violence.

“I have seen some things change,” said King, who was shot by a neighbor when he was eight years old. “But we have a long way to go. We’re talking about violence, but not the people left behind.

Some of them have done everything right, but still can’t get things together. I’m doing well considering, but I could be doing better.”

According to my sources in City Hall, Councilmember Johnson is introducing a bill in City Council today to create an office whose sole purpose is to provide the kind of assistance to victims of crime that would help them navigate the city’s victims services maze.

Thomas’s Experience

CELEBRATING the “Black Experience” at Somo Sophi were, L-R, William Dunbar, host Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, LDC Business Manager Ryan Boyer and Dan Muroff. Photo by Wendell Douglas

Legends Honored

CITY COUNCIL paid tribute to five Philly legends in education (four were present) with speechmaking and a resolution: L-R, Gregorio Pac Cojulun of Malcolm X Park; former President Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson; Councilmember Curtis Jones thanking honorees; Dr. Constance Clayton, former Superintendent of Schools; Dr. Naomi Johnson-Booker, CEO of Global Academy Charter School; Lynette Sow-Brown for 22 years at Community College; and former Councilmember Jannie Blackwell thanking the honorees. Photo by Joe Stivala

name from a summer camp he attended as a boy.

Hens cannot lay eggs without a rooster, right?

Nope. Almost all the eggs we buy in the Ack-a-me are unfertilized eggs laid by hens with no help from a rooster. I wonder how they do that.

This is an absolute fact – Vincent Van Gogh, the artist, cut off his entire ear – nope. After months of hard work, hard drinking and arguments with his friends, he was despondent. He did cut off only a small part of his earlobe, not his entire ear.

And this guaranteed fact: Air fresheners remove offending odors from the air.

Nope, not even close. They either cover up smells with a stronger scent or numb your nose so you can’t smell the bad odors. The only way to get rid of odors is with absorption agents like charcoal or silica gel.

The world’s largest pyramid is not in Egypt; it is near Mexico City. The Egyptian

PUBLIC RECORD CLASSIFIEDS

pyramid is much smaller.

Here is a fact, not a myth.

The leading cause of death in Papua New Guinea is fall-

understanding BANKRUPTCY

BY MICAHEL A. CIBIK AMERICAN B ANKRUPTCY BOARD CERTIFIED uestion: What is the pre-bankruptcy credit counseling requirement?

Answer: Before you file for bankruptcy, the law requires that you show that you received credit counseling from an approved agency within the past 180 days.

The credit counseling is done by phone or computer

Q

ing out of trees. This is very 15 important to know. If you go to Papua New Guinea – don’t climb trees. and takes about an hour.

The credit counselor will ask simple questions about your monthly income and expenses, and then tell you what options you have to get your finances in order.

It will also help you to understand how bankruptcy works, its lasting effects, and how to avoid financial risk in the future.

Once you complete the credit counseling, the counselor will issue a certificate that your lawyer will file with your bankruptcy petition.

Next week’s question: What is the pre-discharge debtor-education requirement in bankruptcy?

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

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the WAFFLE MAN

manufactured lamps. Great public relations almost made this myth into a fact.

And the fact that all flamingos are naturally pink – right? Wrong. Flamingos are grey when chicks and turn pink as adults because of the sea creatures they eat that turn pink during digestion. The pigment is absorbed by the flamingo, coloring the flamingo’s body and feathers pink. If flamingos were fed a different diet, they would be white.

How about Johnny Weissmuller’s famous Tarzan yell – that is his own voice, right? Nope. His voice was combined with a high ‘C’ sung by a soprano and a hyena’s howl – recorded and played backward.

Tonto’s nickname for the Lone Ranger – Kemo Sabe – means “faithful friend” right – nope. In Apache, Kemo Sabe means “white shirt’” and in Navajo, it means “soggy shrub.”

George Trendle, the creator of the Lone Ranger, didn’t know that. He took the

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

Y

o! Here we go again with these fascinating facts about myths. Things that you absolutely, positively know as true are frequently wrong.

Here are some examples of things you may believe – but just aren’t true.

For example, watching TV in a dark room is bad for your eyes. This myth was created in the early 1950s on behalf of a client who

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Special Event & Issue

The Public Record & Sid Booker invite you to

Meet the Candidates!

F E B RUA RY 27, 2020

Friday, March 27, 2020

Join us as we welcome the campaigns for the presidential, congressional and statewide races on the April 28 primary ballot as they meet potential constituents!

The event, featuring assorted beverages and light appetizers, will be held at:

The legendary Sid Booker’s Club LaPointe, 4600 North Broad Street 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Admission is complimentary for the general public.

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RSVP Here: https://tinyurl.com/pprprimary2020 For sponsorship opportunities and for candidates and consultants interested in participating:

Contact Melissa Barrett, Director of Sales, 215-755-2000, ext.5; mbarrett@phillyrecord.com