Ron Panepinto Jewelers
7001 ROOSEVELT BLVD.
700 Sansom St. 215-923-1980
PHILADELPHIA, PA 215-331-6600 Jim Stevenson Union Member Sales Representative
J.Stevenson@northeastlincoln.com
Vol. X. No. 38 (Issue 451)
www.PanepintoJewelers.com We Buy Gold & Diamonds
Serving Citywide Political, Labor, Legal and School Communities of Philadelphia “The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”
Value 50 ¢
September 18, 2008
Columbus Day’s Alive And Well! Notwithstanding rumors to the contrary, the annual Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade will be held on Sunday, Oct. 12. Making that announcement were City Council President Anna C. Verna and State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, co-chairs of the 51-year-old parade, and Parade Marshal Cavaliere Severino Verna. The parade is the highlight of festivities commemorating explorer Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. It was reported the parade might face a cancellation due to the fact a State grant had not come through. However, when the word got out, donations began coming in to make up the shortfall, said President Verna. “Everyone is proud to be an Italian on Columbus Day,” said the President. “What would Columbus Day be without the Parade?” Her husband, Cavaliere Sevy Verna, has marshaled the
CONNIE STEVENS ..to star on Broad street
parade from its inception, insuring its orderly and entertaining progress down S. Broad Street. Daily media stories reported the Columbus Day Parade was facing the ax due to loss of State funding, threatening a unique Philadelphia tradition that began in 1957. It has been literally the kickoff fall campaign for both Republican and Democratic city and State elected officials and candidates, all who march at the head of the parade after convening at JNA Catering School at Broad & Federal Streets. Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Anna Ingoglia), distinguished actress, television, Broadway and recording star, and successful entrepreneur, has agreed to serve as grand marshal of this year’s parade. (Cont. Page 17)
Port Sets Day Tonnage Record Rubin Is Endorsed For Pension Board The Port of Philadelphia has been setting tonnage records over the past decade, but this week shattered the one for a single ship’s tonnage of import and export cargo. Setting the new record was the Rickmers New Orleans v 237, which accounted for a total tonnage of 9,770.037 metric tons. Handling that cargo were Tioga Pier and the Delaware River Stevedores, the terminal’s operator, which is celebrating its 100th year of service. The ship unloaded 5,671.878 metric tons and took on cargo totaling 4,098.159 in metric tons. According to Robert Palaima, CEO of Delaware River Stevedores, “This is a record we intend to break and it’s a sign the Port of Philadelphia is surely becoming the ‘other port’ for shippers seeking to transport cargo in a hurry.” “Our turnaround time is phenomenal,” said Palaima, whose DRS traces its lineage over the past 100 years to some of the Port’s legendary shipping companies, back in the days when over 4,000 longshoremen worked the river front. Palaima, now 54, took (Cont. Page 17)
RICKMERS New Orleans set new tonnage record last week for Port of Philadelphia at Tioga Pier, as DRS stevedores unloaded and then reloaded ship with export cargo.
The one election that has the City’s thousands of employees talking and casting their ballots is not the Presidential election. On their front burner is the election for the Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement. Ballots have gone out by mail to the almost 25,000 City employees who qualify by virtue of the fact they are civil-service employees. Those ballots must be returned by Oct. 10. The employees are represented by DC 47 and 33 as well as FOP Lodge 5 and Firefighters Local 22 and members of DC 47 and 33. However, they (Cont. Page 17)
Bill Rubin …Board Vice Chair
Stack Closes Office Because Landlord Hires Non-Union State Sen. Michael Stack has closed his Bridesburg office to show his support for union labor. The Senator found his landlord had contracted nonunion labor to do a major refurbishing of the building at 2644 LeFevre Street in which his Bridesburg office is located.
Stack, who has authored and cosponsored 46 pro-union bills during his tenure as Senator of the 5th Dist., said he immediately contacted the landlord, urging him to rescind the contract and go with union labor instead. The landlord refused and Stack
ordered the closing of his office. “I found I still was stuck with a lease, but I closed the office anyway. I definitely will not renew with a landlord whose actions indicate he is against hiring union contractors.” Stack has instructed his staff to
find another location to relocate his office in Bridesburg. The Senator, who is on the short list as Democratic chair on the Appropriations Committee, has long been considered to be among the strong union supporters in the State Senate.