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Despite Odds, Untermeyer Optimistic About DA Chances by Joe Shaheeli The odds are “as high as an elephant’s eye, and it looks like they’re climbing clear up to the sky.” Michael Untermeyer, the Republican candidate for the position of District Attorney, may hum that refrain from the musical “Oklahoma!” periodically, but he doesn’t believe it. He believes he’s got the right message. He says it’s “zero toler-
ance”. He’s for putting gun-toting criminals behind bars and making sure parole would be hard to come by for them. “Every time I take part in a vigil or memorial of someone killed senselessly on the streets, I can only believe, as I look in the faces of mourning family members, they need a District Attorney who practices and not just preaches zero tolerance,” he states. He’s not worried that role as a
MICHAEL UNTERMEYER
District Attorney would overpack the prisons. “It’s time we put bracelets on those prisoners who are not gun-carrying hoodlums,” he says, “who are put in jail for minimum times. It’ll save us a lot of money and free up needed space for the thugs who deserve prison time.” He also will eliminate plea-bargaining in illegal-gun cases and will seek longer sentences for gun offenses. Untermeyer noted it costs ap-
proximately $98 a day to keep a prisoner under lock, but only $8 per day to monitor his every movement and to sound the alarm if he strays beyond boundaries given to him. Such a bracelet monitor would have sounded the alarm and prevented the deaths of a Feltonville mother and three children, as well as the murder of a Police Officer. “That wouldn’t happen during my tenure as District Attorney,” (Cont. Page 2)
Will 2010 Census Cost City Legislative Seats? COMMUNITY activist Jerry Shorter, right, leads protest at closure of 12th & Cambria Rec Center pool.
Book Lovers Leap To Save City Pools by Tony West A citywide movement has formed to oppose Mayor Michael Nutter’s closure of 27 swimming pools in an effort to cover the yawning 2009-10 budget gap. It is being led by the same people that spiked the Mayor’s plan to close 11 branch libraries in the fall, dealing the popular Mayor his first major pol-
icy setback. Emerging out of nowhere, the Coalition to Save the Libraries engineered a firestorm of protest at rallies in affected neighborhoods across the city. Today, despite ever-worsening fiscal news, branch libraries are off the chopping block. Now CSL is trying to do the same for the pools, and for the same rea(Cont. Page 23)
Welcoming Dr. Nicholas DePace’s New Heart Center Sep. 10, 2009
A strong possibility exists the final results of the 2010 Census will cost Philadelphia one or more of its legislative districts in the State House. If the population shrinkage doesn’t abate, the Philadelphia delegation could drop from its present number of 26 Districts within the city boundaries. It now has an additional two, State Reps. Thomas P. Murt and Lawrence H. Curry, each of whom represent small portions of the city. Both legislatures understand their need to interact with their city constituents, but the numbers are too small to drive their policies, which favor their suburban districts. One of the City’s major problems in past censuses was the reluctance of its immigrant populations, particularly among Hispanics, Asians, Islanders, and Africans to cooperate with census-takers. That is why State Rep. Angel Cruz this Monday hosted a Census forum, inviting everyone to attend so they could “fully understand why the Census is important for everyone, citizen, non citizen, and immigrants alike.” Addressing the group was Fer(Cont. Page 2)
STATE REP. Angel Cruz presses importance of Census to crowd attending his Census Information Forum, as Census Director Fernando Armstrong and neighborhood leader Albert Polanco look on.
PHA’s WAVE Program Saves $$, Environment The Philadelphia Housing Authority is setting a precedent with its groundbreaking Maintenance WAVE program that benefits both the environment and the local economy. WAVE stands for “Weatherization And Value Enhancement.” Upgrades made under the program reduce energy consumption while improving the value of PHA properties. The WAVE program employs craftsmen
and -women who might otherwise be out of work in the current economy. Crews are installing energy-efficient lighting, fixing plumbing problems to conserve water and checking for possible electrical hazards. The Maintenance WAVE is another example of PHA’s commitment to reducing energy costs and demonstrating its stewardship of the (Cont. Page 23)
page 2 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Untermeyer Would Implement New Programs (Cont. From Page 1) states Untermeyer, who was an assistant DA for four years, and then a Pennsylvania deputy attorney general for 11 years, specializing in prosecuting drug cases. “If these criminals would have been wearing ankle tracking devices, they would have been apprehended before they murdered Officer McDonald and allegedly murdered Latoya Smith, Rimanee Smith, Aaliyah Griffin and Gina Marie Rosario,” said Untermeyer. On Aug. 25, 2008, Daniel Giddings fled from a court-ordered halfway house only to gun down Philadelphia Police Officer McDonald 28 days later. In Feltonville, Donta Cradock was a fugitive after failing to report back to a ju-
venile-detention facility Apr. 15. And Ivan Rodriguez failed to appear in court Jun. 2 on a previous charge, resulting in a bench warrant being issued for his arrest. Cradock and Rodriguez were charged with the murders of three young children and a mother following a horrifying car crash Jun. 10. Look for Untermeyer to wear an ankle bracelet on his leg during the rest of the campaign season. “It demonstrates to voters what I am talking about … keeping an eye on every criminal at every level … and saving money for the taxpayers of this city in the process.” He’s pragmatic and doesn’t deny the stats that are arrayed against him in this campaign.
He knows, too, the African American constituency that makes up 70% of the Democratic Party support looks at the District Attorney’s office as the “Holy Grail”. “This is their real first shot at taking the one office that has eluded them over the years. But that isn’t enough to ensure them a victory,” he believes. He’s also counting on his race remaining on the back burner through to Election Day. He believes a strong Republican turnout, plus enough of the support he had as an independent Democrat, could move him past what the Democratic Party can deliver to its candidate, Seth Williams. He’ll depart from what he says is a “broken DA ma-
chine.” One way, he says, is to use a “vertical” system in his administration. This will assign the same assistant DA to a case from “start to finish”. The system now assigns several assistant DAs to any given case during its travels through the Court. “Holding people accountable is what we should be doing – and that’s not being done now,” Untermeyer insisted. “With nearly 140 Philadelphia homicides this year – seven police officers since 2006 – we have to do something to keep closer supervision of violent criminals.” Untermeyer claims what is lacking is the will to change things – and that change will not happen under his opponent.
“My opponent is talking about ‘Community Courts’ that would have absolutely no impact upon these senseless deaths,” noted Untermeyer. “Things won’t change in the DA’s office if my opponent is elected,” Untermeyer predicted, noting past performance. “His role, for the time he served under the current DA, was, for some time, to oversee repeat offenders. Look at the record. He does not present a new solution. He’s part of the problem.” Untermeyer has a history of mixing brainpower with daredevilry. He was, at 18, the youngest ambulance driver in New York City. He walked away from a crashed single-engine plane in Martha’s Vineyard and the very next morning rented an-
other before "fear would ground me.” He’s now flying jets. He’s made money in real estate, $100,000 of which he spent in an unsuccessful challenge to Sheriff John Green in the Democratic primary four years ago. When others were talking about the “poor Hurricane Katrina victims”, he was down in Mississippi as a volunteer first responder for the American Red Cross. He decided to switch party allegiance when he realized he didn’t have the citywide visibility to field a good primary campaign. Republican Party Chairman Vito Canuso took him in readily, noting, “He has more prosecutorial experience than any of the candidates who ran in the Democratic primary.”
Will Census Cost Us District Seats? Chinese Group Cheers For Local GOP (Cont. From Page 1) nando Armstrong, regional director of the US Census Bureau in Philadelphia. "It is important that the community be informed about this process," Cruz told the group. “The City could easily lose one or more legislative seats if we are not able to count everyone in this city.” He noted the Census is the effort, required by the US Constitution, once every 10 years to count everyone living in the United States. The information gathered helps to determine critical decisions from Congressional represen-
tation to the allocation of more than $300 billion annually in Federal funds. In addition to the allocation of Federal funds, the State House and State Senate must reapportion their respective chambers to conform with the numbers posted by the legislature. Ironically, eight State House seats exist because they can officially count, in their population, State and Federal prisoners housed in the jails within their districts. This was done in 2000 by the General Assembly leadership in contrast to State law, which prohibits using the prison
populations in those districts as proper population. Philadelphia’s average of 8,000 in its City prisons could effectively prove to be a “minus” factor if the Census does not take into consideration their home addresses in the city. The city’s seven Senatorial districts are not in any danger of disappearing, but two have already been diluted by having to switch in part to Delaware Co., in the case of Sen. Anthony Williams’ 8th Dist., and in part to Montgomery Co., for Sen. LeAnna Washington’s 4th Dist.
VISITING Phila.’s Chinatown from Western Penna. were Supreme Court candidate Judge Joan Orie Melvin, 4th from left, and her sister State Sen. Jane Orie, 6th from left.
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SEPTA Alerts Riders Via ‘Twitter’ SEPTA has taken another major step towards enhancing customer service and communications with the launch of transit alerts on Twitter. SEPTA went live last week with its official Twitter account. It can be accessed at twitter.com/septa. SEPTA’s followers on Twitter receive real-time transit alerts for all modes of travel, including Bus, Trolley, the Broad Street Subway, the Market-Frankford El, Regional Rail and the Norristown High-Speedline. The
alerts are posted simultaneously at SEPTA’s Web site, www.septa.org. SEPTA’s launch on Twitter comes a few days after the transit agency announced its partnership with Google Transit. Through the Google Maps Web site at www.maps.google.com, riders can find schedules for Regional Rail lines, the Broad Street Subway, the MarketFrankford El, Trolley routes and the Norristown HighSpeed Line. Google Transit also pro-
vides a link to SEPTA’s Web site, where riders can find real-time scheduling information, customized planning tools and fare information. SEPTA’s bus schedules will be added to Google Transit later this year, at the completion of a massive undertaking to geo-map the system’s 15,000-plus bus stops. Along with the “One Day Independence Pass” and the “Family Independence Pass”, which offer economical and unlimited one-day travel, these initiatives represent
major steps forward in SEPTA’s efforts to provide riders with added convenience in navigating the system. They also allow new riders, tourists and others who may be unfamiliar with SEPTA an easy and accessible way to get all the information they need to travel throughout the Philadelphia region. To start following SEPTA on Twitter, visit twitter.com/septa. For more information on fares and scheduling, visit SEPTA’s Web site, www.septa.org.
MEI REN of Fujian Association greets Republican candidate for Controller Al Schmidt at Loyal Opposition meeting at Joy Tsin Lau in Chinatown.
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The Public Record • July 9, 2009
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page 4 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Court Removes Mentally ill From Jail by Tony West Philadelphia’s court system has launched an experiment that may someday revolutionize the way mentally ill lawbreakers are treated. The 1st Judicial Dist. of Pennsylvania, which has long been exploring the use of specialized “problem-solving courts”, yesterday opened a Mental Health Court. Led by Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper, it will supervise nonviolent offenders who can be released from prison safely, but require mental-health treatment with court oversight. “Working together to utilize resources, we can give these people the treatment that is needed,” Mayor Michael Nutter said at a Tuesday announcement. Judge Woods-Skipper will hear all cases involving the targeted population. She will work in tandem with a Philadelphia Forensic Assertive Community Treatment Team of 10 multidisciplinary experts under the Dept. of Behavioral Health & Mental ReState Rep.
tardation Services. PFACT will start with 15 deranged offenders; eventually a PFACT team will handle 75 offenders and new teams will be brought onstream. The project’s aims are lofty. It is estimated 30% of City Prison inmates have mentalhealth problems. DA Lynne Abraham said 1,900 – one-fifth of its total population – could benefit from community-based treatment. Finding alternatives to incarceration for these offenders can relieve the tremendous overcrowding in prison and make it easier to confine truly dangerous convicts, said Common Pleas President Judge Pamela Dembe. And community treatment is much cheaper than incarceration, she added. “It won’t cost us,” she said. “We will take the information we learn from this court, to grow and expand.” Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery, who serves as the 1st Dist.’s problem-solving court liaison, spearheaded the painstaking development of the Mental Health Court. At the
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inauguration, he spoke movingly of his own experience dealing with the mentally ill in the criminal-justice system. “As a Police Sergeant many years ago, my beat included the Philadelphia Underground. I was struck by the numbers of mentally ill homeless people who had been released from Byberry State Hospital,” Justice McCaffery related. “Too many of them wound up in jail instead. “We can’t keep putting these people in jail,” the Justice insisted. “Jail is not the proper place for them. And we will save money as well.” The Mental Health Court follows research from 2002 on. Models in other counties and states were studied, but many were judged inadequate. The court received a “soft start” with an unheralded pilot program under Judge Marcia
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INAUGURATING new mental-health court is Justice Seamus McCaffery, its liaison and sparkplug. He was joined at CJC by, from left, Trial Court Administrative Judge Web Keogh, President Judge Pamela Dembe, Mayor Michael Nutter and DA Lynne Abraham. Neifeld. Out of 500 individu- ilar individuals before they beals that were overseen by come incarcerated.” Judge Neifeld, Abraham said, The Justice, who is a milinot one has become a recidi- tary veteran, also indicated he hopes to develop a Veterans vist. Justice McCaffery made Court to serve troubled former clear the Mental Health Court service personnel who have a will pave the way for other falling out with the law. special programs. “This is a “We’re seeing young vets reentry program for inmates,” coming back from overseas he explained. The next phase after three, four, five tours,” will be a ‘sequential-intercept he said. “Post-traumatic stress model’ that can work with sim- disorder is a serious problem many need help for.” Have a Safe Summer 2009 From Us.
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Whether you go down to the shore or celebrate in Philadelphia, our nation's birthplace, I wish all Philadelphians a happy and safe July 4th celebration. If you are looking for something special to do, Philadelphia has a number of great historical locations and events celebrating our nation's birth including Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House, and the National Constitution Center.
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‘Low Bid’ Contracts Sometimes Cost City City Controller Alan Butkovitz has found the City has been awarding contracts to low bidders who began raising costs soon after the projects began. According to the Controller, the City awarded a contract in 2008 to Nicholas Della Vecchia, Inc. for stucco work that was 24% lower than the company’s contract price for the fourth year of its 2004 extended contract. Vecchia’s bid price was $4.95 per square foot, compared to $6.51 it had charged in 2007. Vecchia’s 2004 contract prices for NTI construction services remained the same for the first two years. In years three and four, the rates increased by 8% and 10%, respectively. Under the City’s current policy, there is no standard clause limiting the annual price increase, according to Butkovitz. “All contracts should include a maximum increase that is allowable annually,” said Butkovitz. “A 4% limit would prevent a contractor from lowballing the original bid, with
the intent of excessive increases in the following years.” The review of the 2008 bidding practices and procedures is in response to allegations of violations in some FY 2004 bids. A 2004 Stucco contract for NTI construction services was awarded to LP Group, Inc., which did not provide work-experience documents during the bidding process. “Without knowing a company’s work experience, the City is just handing over money for jobs that may or may not get completed,” said Butkovitz. Within one year of receiving the award, LP Group, Inc. ran into problems paying the prevailing wages as well as numerous issues with billings and the quality of work. Attempts by Licenses & Inspections to re-bid the contract were abolished and the company received increased payments each year of the four-year contract. “Insufficient contract work should not be rewarded with receiving more money for the job,” said Butkovitz.
Brady Hosts Art Winner In Capitol
CONGRESSMAN Robert A. Brady greets Congressional Art Competition winner Eric Sizer and his mother Vernell Ross at his D.C. office. Congressman selected Sizer’s silkscreen self-portrait to represent 1st Congressional Dist. in the 10-month national student art exhibition in the US Capitol tunnel. Sizer graduated from William Penn HS.
WELL DESERVED, Democratic nominee for Common Pleas Court Joseph Waters, right, was sworn in to fill a vacancy following his appointment by Gov. Ed Rendell and confirmation by the Senate. Swearing in Waters was Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffrey, left. With them is Imam Suetwedien, a strong Waters supporter. Photo by Dawud Sterling.
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Sheriff Green’s Important Steps to Saving Your Home Step 1: www.phillyrecord.com
Assemble your current financial information, and call your lender.
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Warns Against Big Brother? Josephs Wins Labor Honor No one’s sure what the State Senate will do, but if the unanimous passage of State Rep. Babette Josephs’ bill banning forced implantation of computer chips in humans in the House is any indication, the upper chamber will soon pass the bill favorably to Gov. Ed Rendell for his signature. Though the technology hasn’t debuted in Pennsylvania, VeriChip, a company in Florida, received Federal Food & Drug Administration clearance in 2004 to market the implanted microchips, which were tested on 200 Alzheimer’s patients. Injected into the triceps, the chips have unique 16-digit codes and GPS capabilities that allow nursing homes to find wandering patients. California, North Dakota and Wisconsin have enacted laws similar to the ban Josephs is proposing. State Rep. Dan Moul amended Josephs’ bill to allow chips to be implanted by court order. The bill also would allow chips to be implanted in
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Guantánamo Bay detainees who end up in Pennsylvania. State Rep. Babette Josephs was also honored by the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Josephs is the second legislator in the organization’s history to receive this honor. “Babette has spent every one of her legislative years as a champion of the rights of workers, women,” said Kathy Black, president of the Philadelphia Chapter of CLUW. “For many years, she’s also been an active CLUW member, the only elected official in Philadelphia who’s joined. In other words, she puts her money, her presence, her power where her principles and her politics are, which is just what we need from our elected officials.” The group’s usual policy specifies rank-and-file members, not prominent individuals, are eligible for honor by the organization, but an exception was made for Josephs due to her dedication and support of issues and the organization.
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Our Opinion ... Are The Voters Really Watching?
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Letters • Letters Male And Female Your Jun. 4 issue carried remarks by State Sen. Larry Farnese on a bill, about to be introduced in the State Senate, which would stipulate marriage is between a man and a woman. If passed by the General Assembly twice, it would then be placed on the ballot and citizens would be given a vote. If they voted “yes”, it would become part of our Pennsylvania constitution and prevent the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from legislating against marriage. This has happened in other states. Farnese complained about the Marriage Bill, claiming it “excludes an entire segment of our population and sends a message people who also happen to be gay do not have rights.” Since the human race was created, marriage (a union between a male and female) has existed. Marriage attacks no one. Rather, it is an institution created for the purpose of nurturing marital love and raising children within the family.
Janet Glendenning South Phila. Not Even Batman The economy is shaky, jobs are being lost, and tempers continue to rise. Preventive City services are getting cut, including those of Police Officers and their respective support services. With such drastic negative changes, “Murphy's Law" starts to expose itself, which explains the recent rise in violence throughout our city. Every day, I and other activists do what we can to reduce much of the violence and other related crimes that plague "Gotham City". But not even Batman can solve all of the problems in society which leave the sad truth of reality as a wakeup call for us all. If we truly want a brighter tomorrow, then it’s time for residents and government officials to roll up their sleeves and work together. Greg Bucceroni E. Police Division Community Partnership
Jul. 9- Cocktail fundraiser for Controller Alan Butkovitz at Law Offices of Bochetto & Lentz, 1524 Locust St., 5:307:30 p.m. $500 to attend. Jul. 9- Republican candidate for Controller Candidate Al Schmidt’s campaign opening and fundraiser at 507 S. 2nd St., 5-6 p.m. and at Paddywhacks, 2nd & South Sts., 6-9 p.m. Jul. 10– Spring Garden Senior Center, 1221 Spring Garden, invites jazz lovers of all ages to its annual Summer Jazz Bash, featuring a performance by The Grace Notes All-Star Jazz Ensemble. Free refreshments and complimentary health screenings. 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. For info call (215)- 787-2944. Jul. 11– Juniata Golf Club, L & Cayuga Streets, sponsors Independence Day Scramble, starting 8 a.m. $65 per player. 36-hole scramble. Food, prizes, after-golf party with DJ. For information call Mike Fox (215) 743-4060. Bring your spouse. Proceeds go to Juniata Golf Fdn. Jul. 16- Young Democrats hold Meet and Greet Demo-
cratic General election candidates at VFW Post, 24th & Passyunk Ave., next to Bingo Hall, 6-9 p.m. Free admission. Refreshments will be served. Outstanding speakers. Jul. 18– “Tavern Crawl and Block Party" hosted by taverns of Port Richmond., 1-8 p.m., benefits Police & Fire Memorial Plaque Placement Program & PO John Marynowitz. Registration at Richmond Ave. & Tioga St., 12:30 p.m. (ID required) $20. T-shirt and wristband Jul. 21- Come Cruise the Delaware aboard "Spirit of Philadelphia" with friends of Ron Donatucci, departing 501 S. Columbus Blvd., 6-10 p.m. Price $135 per person. Call (215) 686-6250. Jul. 25– Brady Bunch Beach Party at Keenan’s, 113 Old New Jersey Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 4-8 p.m. $35. Pay at door, or call Democratic City Committee (215) 2417805. Jul. 25– Birthday celebration, “Mardi Gras Under Stars”, for State Sen. LeAnna M. Washington at Belmont Mansion, 200 Belmont Mansion Drive, 6-11 p.m. Contribution $300. Checks payable to Friends of LeAnna M. Washington, PO Box 27013, Phila., PA 19118.
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Our representatives in the General Assembly have found themselves in one of those rare periods when they truly are grinding up budget figures, sacrificing some of their pet projects and looking to take as much blood from the opposition as they are giving up themselves. They need to come up with a budget and do it fast. We expect them to come to a full awareness of why this is necessary for their survival. If the budget battle extends past this weekend and next, the ensuing fallout will begin to make the news. The plight of unpaid State employees will become more visible to the general public as their friends and family members who are in State service make known to them their financial dilemma, one they didn’t contribute to in any way. Those nonprofit agencies and authorities throughout the Commonwealth that rely on their share of appropriations once the budget is passed will now begin to suffer along with State employees. The Governor has already asked State vendors to keep on furnishing supplies, without expecting a pay in return, for “a while”. Some of these vendors, hand-to-mouth in many cases, will be pressed to seek loans from “stingy” banks, or pay exorbitant rates for the money they need to stay afloat until the Commonwealth’s checks start flowing again. Those in this position will no doubt give up any delusion they may have enjoyed this would be a profitable year. Also, once the budget is balanced and in place, will the Governor get his procurement department to speed up back payments to ease the plight of these vendors? We can continue to run the list of those who will be suffering from the budget battle if it continues through July. If it does, then the members of both House and Senate will have to look over their shoulders and begin to gauge the feelings of their constituents … who have already sent resounding messages in poll after poll they are not interested in paying any additional new taxes. As for our local legislators, if the City is unable to reach an agreement over its contractual arrangements with its unions, and the biggest and the most reluctant of them decides to strike to bring more pressure on the Administration, they will find themselves in an additional mess. City Council did its duty. It passed a budget engineered and tailored to what the Administration felt it needed and could achieve. But our State legislators could well find themselves being blamed for the whole mess, both with the State and the City. Unfortunately for our good Mayor, he’s presently in the crosshairs of City employees, their unions, and could become vulnerable pending the outcome of his contract talks. So back to the question: Are the voters really watching? Or will they remain distracted by the daily needs to make it through their days? That depends on who cares … which leads us to another editorial, but not in this issue.
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
page 8
Gambrel’s Wet & Wild Summer Splash Off
Union Labor...
MAYOR MICHAEL Nutter joins State Sen. Tina Tartaglione, Councilwoman Maria D. QuiñonesSánchez and members of Gambrel’s Advisory Council to cut ribbon at dedication of Gambrel’s Wet & Wild Summer Splash Off, Gambrel Recreation Center, 1900 Wakeling Street.
FORMER COUNCILMAN Daniel Savage congratulates legend Bill Gambrel on opening of new Gambrel Playground in N.E. Phila.
Building it right for a better and stronger community!
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LOCAL YOUNGSTERS enjoy fun and games at FACE PAINTING was popular at Gambrel’s Wet & Wild Summer Splash Off last Gambrel Playground summer fest week. last week.
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Well, another Welcome America has come and gone, and so have all of the extra people it attracts to our city from far and wide. The hotel rooms are empty, the trash has been picked up and, finally, Sheryl Crow has left the stage. (Admittedly, that last shot was a little sarcastic. Sorry.) But my bit of smart-aleckness highlights the one question I always seem to have when it comes to Welcome America: Why is it, when it comes time to put together the concert on the Parkway every year, we overlook the talent in our own backyard? Actually, this year, it was more like, why do we overlook the talent in our own backyard unless someone else from somewhere else points it out to us? This year, for the first time in a long time, we had a good local act on the Welcome America stage, and for that I have to thank Jimmy Fallon. For those of you who don’t know who Fallon is, he is the host of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on NBC. I haven’t sat through his show much because I didn’t think Fallon was all that funny on “Saturday Night Live”, his former gig. But one thing he did right was pick Philadelphia’s own hip-hop band The Roots (or the Legendary Roots Crew, to those of us who try not to miss one of their often sold-out shows at the Electric Factory) as his house band. Why was that significant? Because were The Roots not the house band for “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”, they wouldn’t have been the opening act (!) for Sheryl Crow this past Saturday. You see, when picking the acts for Welcome America, such things as national prominence, and whether they’re on Top 40 radio, play a part. I’ve been told this is the case be(Cont. Page 20)
Snooper SPECIAL EMAIL “Priority”: Chief, this important EMAIL comes to us from MR. RON HOMER, son of the late IRV HOMER of WBCB, and WWDB RADIO. “Snooper, (whoever you may be), I want to thank your newspaper, The Public Record, and more importantly, yourself, for being so kind towards my DAD and my FRIEND. He meant so much to me and I’m sure to thousands of your readers. I can tell you very honestly DAD did read your newspaper; in fact, he occasionally read a few of your articles ‘ON THE AIR’. My Dad, IRV HOMER, was A TEACHER, A PHILOSOPHER, and also YOUR FRIEND. He really cared about people and did whatever he could to enrich their lives. I thank all those who came to his MEMORIAL SERVICES at Levine’s in Feasterville. There is one among you whose special message I will remember, and it was quite appropriate: ‘GRIEF IS BRIEF, BUT MEMORIES ARE FOREVER’. Thanks.” Snooper’s Question Of The Week: Someone please tell me, every time someone, whether it be a POLITICIAN, a PREACHER, or whoever, commits an indiscretion of some kind, there’s the blazes to pay. Their families are dragged out, hounded, and even paraded before TV cameras – WHY? Yes Chief, in this recent case involving one of The Governors, there’s a tremendous outcry for him to RESIGN. This, as far as I’m concerned, is absolutely ridiculous. What someone does in PRIVATE is their business and he or she will pay the consequences. NO BOSS, he doesn’t need all these phonies who always seem to pop out of the woodwork to benefit themselves and get whatever FREE PUBLICITY they can muster up. We have seen these very same hypocrites too many times. To them, let me just say, “PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES, BE CAREFUL OF THOSE STONES YOU THROW”. Enough, and Amen! Snooper Sightings: I wandered up to THE CASINO DELI to meet and greet their famous ‘Political Icon”, a wonderful young Lady named ELSIE. I’m told she has a favorite place where she sits to meet and talk with all her friends. “Big” STEVE, a fine human being, happens to be THE OWNER of this popular eatery in the Northeast. A few committee persons were there, along with CHARLIE FULLER and his friend. Hey Chief, guess what? They told me even IRV HOMER came here; not bad. I met quite a few people, from both the 58th and 55th Wards – great people too! Snooper’s S-H-O-C-K-E-R! How many of you got to see the TV show with OPRAH and (Cont. Page 17)
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Yo! Here we go again. Did you know that many of today’s soft drinks were once sold as health tonics? They were concocted by the pharmacists. For example, ginger ale contained real ginger and was sold as a remedy for digestive problems. Soda water (carbonated water) with different additives was viewed as medicine and that is why it was sold in drug stores. In 1886 Coca-Cola was prescribed as a daytime pick-me-up by John Styth Pemberton. It was originally marketed to relieve headaches and as a brain tonic. Caleb Bradham created Pepsi-Cola to help customers calm their stomachs with extracts of cola nut and pepsin – a digestive enzyme. Pepsi quickly became a favorite item in his drugstore in New Bern, N.C. Thomas Jefferson originally brought the recipe for potatoes that were ‘frenched’ into long lengths and then deep-fried. He served this French treat to his guests in Monticello. But a question arises – did the French actually create the first ‘fries’? According to some historians, it was that Belgians that claim this honor. The American GIs stationed in France during World War I ate them and coined the name French Fries. If they hadn’t, the world would be eating Belgian fries. Today they are a staple on the American table, and through their national appeal, should be called “American fries”. American ingenuity and technology to mass produce them has made them a plentiful side dish. Colonists had common patties – chopped meat patties. But the American hamburger actually came from immigrants who sailed on the Hamburg-America ship line in the 1850s. These versions of broiled-chopped meat patties were known as “Hamburg-style” steak. Their reputation soared after the 1904 St. Louis World Fair, where they were formally introduced. The hot dog became a popular food item because of its convenience as a ‘finger food’. Legend says that as the hot-dog bun was designed by a baker for a hot-dog vendor who could not retrieve all the white gloves that he loaned out to his customers to hold his steaming hot ‘dachshund’ sausages. About 150 million are consumed on each 4th of July. In 1874 in Evanston, Ill., it was against the law to serve ice-cream sodas on Sunday because carbonated soda water was considered too tingly and exciting for Sunday consumption. Druggist William Garwood, not wanting to lose money on his best-selling item, simply removed the soda water and served his ice cream with flavored sauce, chocolate, cherry syrup (Cont. Page 20)
STATE SEN. MIKE STACK has taken a short break from his responsibilities on the Senate Appropriations Committee (everything having to do with Philadelphia is funneled through him) to discharge his military commitment. Last weekend he had a busy schedule because of the 4th of July weekend before leaving for Charlottesville, Va. He was part of the celebration at Independence Hall, followed by a reception at the Liberty Bell site and concluding with the waterfront fireworks display. STAN BLUESTINE, who was a senior law clerk for old Common Pleas Court #2, has departed this life after a long battle with leukemia. Common Pleas Court #2 was composed of JUDGES EDWIN LEWIS, VINCE CARROLL and MAURICE SPORKIN. In its heyday it was the best of the 10 Common Pleas Courts, at the time before the reorganization and consolidation of the court system in Philadelphia. His fellow law clerk was ED BLAKE, who later went on to become a Common Pleas Judge. Discussing difficult cases, Stanley made an unofficial fourth vote, so he was known as the fourth Judge of Common Pleas #2. He was recommended for Judge and came within a hair’s breadth of being the Democratic Party’s nominee in the 1980s. He had just recently attended the 55th reunion of his lawschool class at the University of Pennsylvania. He had a keen sense of humor and was a great observer of the passing parade in City Hall. He had been a member of the Bar for 55 years. The Irish Naval flagship L.E. Eithne will be visiting the port of Philadelphia on Jul. 15. Deputy General Counsel of Ireland BRENDAN O’CAOLLAI and DAVID BARRY, the commander of the Eithne, will host a reception at Penn’s Landing visitors center on the Delaware River.
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
You really gotta love Obamanomics. First, to make any sense of it at all, you have to literally have no concept of how our American economic system works; the greatest wealth-producing and poverty-decreasing system the world has ever known. Then, once you don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, act as if you know exactly what you’re talking about. See how simple it is? Only then can you make absurd statements such as, “We need to spend our way out of this mess we got into by spending too much”. It’s exactly this kind of logic behind such things as the “Stimulus” Bill, TARP, Cap & Trade, National Health Care, and the trillions in debt we are heaping upon our children and grandchildren. Just the pure emotionalism associated with destructive leftwing policies. We were told by Obama we must pass all these bills “right away” to avoid unemployment going above 8% and an economic free fall. So the Democrats rushed all this legislation through (so quickly in fact, they freely admit they didn’t have time to read it). Now we’ve followed their scheme and 25 White House Czars later, where do we stand? Well, unemployment is now at a staggering 9.6%, banks still aren’t lending, businesses still aren’t hiring (let alone expanding), consumers still aren’t spending, and the rest of the world wants to stop using the US dollar as the world’s standard currency because they’re absolutely terrified by these Democrat policies. Just a reminder: BARACK OBAMA, NANCY PELOSI and HARRY REID (the dynamic trio leading us down this path to destruction) have never run a business, taken a single economics course, or had a real private-sector job in their lives. Hope and Change! (Cont. Page 17)
page 10 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Orange Colored Ships Mean Business You see them often enough on the Delaware River, bringing in and taking out cargo at the Port of Philadelphia. They are the orange-colored ships of Hamburg Süd and their appearance means money for the Port of Philadelphia. Hamburg Süd, established in 1871, has been calling at
the Port of Philadelphia now for over half a century. Its ships supply the region with everything from “A” for automotive parts to “Z” for zucchini. The characteristic orange vessels bring their products into the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s Marine Ter-
minal at Packer Avenue. In the past year alone, the Hamburg Süd North America, Inc. container ships have called at the Port of Philadelphia more than 150 times. In that time, they have brought over 70,000 containers with about 1 million tons of cargo to the US East Coast.
SEPTA Donates 9 Tons Of Food SEPTA fulfilled its promise to help feed local residents in need by delivering nine tons of food during its first-ever Philabundance food drive. According to Philabundance, SEPTA collected 18,560 pounds of food during the campaign – making this the second-largest Philabundance food drive of the year. The food was weighed after a
truck convoy, led by SEPTA’s “Stop Hunger at Your Station” bus, delivered the goods to Philabundance’s Berks Street facility. SEPTA’s two-week Philabundance food drive ran from Jun. 1 through Jun. 15. SEPTA’s nearly 1 million daily riders, 9,000 employees and others in the community responded in overwhelming
force. Donations of non-perishable canned and boxed goods overflowed at 45 dropoff locations throughout the SEPTA system. SEPTA launched the food drive in response to critical shortages at food banks. The economic crisis has forced more families to turn to organizations such as Philabundance to put healthy meals on the table, putting a severe strain on supplies at these food cupboards. Demand is only expected to increase as students who rely on schoolprovided meals begin summer recess.
Having served the Port of Philadelphia since 1957, the shipping group has steadily become the largest container carrier in Philadelphia. The large container ships regularly transport to Philadelphia’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal frozen beef from Australia and New Zealand which is eventually used in McDonald’s hamburgers among other food products. Furthermore, Hamburg Süd provides intermodal services as well as across-theboard logistics solutions. These “door-to-door” services include unpacking containers, customs clearance, warehousing, appliance testing, labeling and delivering single consignments to the retail trade. Explains Senior VP Jürgen Pump, “As far as our intermodal services are concerned, we can, for example, draw on excellent rail connections here in Philadelphia that allow us to handle numerous onward shipments to the Midwest.”
ORANGE-COLORED container ships of Hamburg Süd make their presence easily identifiable as they pull into Philadelphia terminals on a regular basis.
Waters Promotes Nigerian Trade Chairman Ronald G. Waters, of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, honored Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, governor of Osun State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at the State Capital, Osogbo. Waters presented Oyinlola, who was joined by delegates of
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Philadelphia Regional Port Authority A Promising Future By Championing the Channel-Deepening Project And Substantial Port Expansion
Once Again, We Thank Gov. Ed Rendell For Giving Our Port A Great Opportunity And
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Chairman
James T. McDermott, Jr. Executive Director
Robert C. Blackburn
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John F. Dempsey
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his country, with a citation on the House floor during session. Waters and the visiting Governor discussed issues of common interest between the Nigerian state and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Oyinlola is seeking to expand its trade with Pennsylvania and develop a state-to-state economic, cultural and educational partnership. Currently, Nigeria is a major trading partner and exports $10 billion in raw materials to the Philadelphia ports. While this commodity is mostly crude oil, there is an opportunity to satisfy a growing population and export many goods and services from Pennsylvania to Osun State. Osun State, primarily an agricultural community, like Pennsylvania, also has extensive mining activities including gold, tin, columbite, tantalite and gem stones. Waters said he can see why it would be beneficial for Pennsylvania and Osun State to expand trade relations with each other. Osun State is inhabited by people known as the Yoruba. They can primarily be found in West Africa and the Caribbean. "There is a large population of people with African and Caribbean descent in my district. I consider it a privilege to host Gov. Oyinlola and members of his government," Waters said.
NOTICE You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims set forth in the following pages, you must take action within twenty (20) days after the Complaint and notice are served, by entering a written appearance personally or by attorney and filing in writing with the court your defenses or objections to the claims set forth against you. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you by the Court without further notice for any money claimed in the Complaint or for any other claim or relief requested by the Plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you. YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS PAPER TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW. THIS OFFICE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HIRING A LAWYER. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE A LAWYER, THIS OFFICE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT AGENCIES THAT MAY OFFER LEGAL SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT A REDUCED FEE OR NO FEE. COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES, INC. Law Center North Central • Philadelphia, PA 19140 215-227-2400 or 215-981-3700
TO, JOO SUNG KIM and Any Unknown Persons Having or Claiming an Interest or Title to the Subject Premises, MORTAGORS AND REAL OWNERS, DEFENDANTS whose last known address is 6328 Greenway Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19142 . THIS FIRM IS A DEBT COLLECTOR AND WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT OWED TO OUR CLIENT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM YOU WILL BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING THE DEBT. You are hereby notified that Plaintiff JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ACQUIRER OF CERTAIN ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK F/K/A WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK, FA FROM THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ACTING AS RECEIVER, has filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend against you in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, docketed to April Term 2003 No. 2609 wherein Plaintiff seeks to foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property located, 6328 Greenway Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19142 whereupon your property will be sold by the Sheriff of Philadelphia County.
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
TO: Unknown Heirs of the Estate of Janice L. Williams, Deceased MORTGAGORS AND REAL OWNERS DEFENDANTS, whose last known address is 1660 North 60th Street Philadelphia, PA 19151. THIS FIRM IS A DEBT COLLECTOR AND WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT OWED TO OUR CLIENT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM YOU WILL BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING THE DEBT. You are hereby notified that Plaintiff MIDFIRST BANK, has filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend against you in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, docketed to No. 090303753 wherein Plaintiff seeks to foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property located, 1660 North 60th Street Philadelphia, PA 19151 whereupon your property will be sold by the Sheriff of Philadelphia County.
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS PHILADELPHIA COUNTY CIVIL ACTION - LAW April Term 2003 No. 2609 NOTICE OF ACTION IN MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ACQUIRER OF CERTAIN ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK F/K/A WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK, FA FROM THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ACTING AS RECEIVER, Plaintiff vs. Any Unknown Persons Having or Claiming an Interest or Title to the Subject Premises Mortgagor and Real Owner, Defendant
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IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS PHILADELPHIA COUNTY CIVIL ACTION - LAW Term No. 090303753 NOTICE OF ACTION IN MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE MIDFIRST BANK Plaintiff vs. David C Williams, Solely in His Capacity as Heir of the Estate of Janice L Williams, Deceased, Baron Williams Solely in His Capacity as Heir to the Estate of Janice L. Williams, Deceased, Unknown Heirs of the Estate of Janice L.Williams, Deceased, Lisa Dority, Solely in Her Capacity as Heir to the Estate of Janice L. Williams, Deceased and Dana D. Williams, Mortgagors and Real Owners Defendants
NOTICE You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims set forth in the following pages, you must take action within twenty (20) days after the Complaint and notice are served, by entering a written appearance personally or by attorney and filing in writing with the court your defenses or objections to the claims set forth against you. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you by the Court without further notice for any money claimed in the Complaint or for any other claim or relief requested by the Plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you. YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS PAPER TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW. THIS OFFICE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HIRING A LAWYER. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE A LAWYER, THIS OFFICE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT AGENCIES THAT MAY OFFER LEGAL SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT A REDUCED FEE OR NO FEE. COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES, INC. Law Center North Central 3638 North Broad Street • Philadelphia, PA 19140 215-227-2400 or 215-981-3700 PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION One Reading Center • Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-238-6333
Michael T. McKeever Attorney for Plaintiff Goldbeck McCafferty & McKeever, PC Suite 5000, Mellon Independence Center 701 Market Street • Philadelphia, PA 19106-1532 215-627-1322
Michael T. McKeever Attorney for Plaintiff Goldbeck McCafferty & McKeever, PC Suite 5000, Mellon Independence Center 701 Market Street • Philadelphia, PA 19106-1532 215-627-1322
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PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION One Reading Center Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-238-6333
page 12 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
It’s Boot Camp Time Choi Opens New Office It’s summer boot camp again at Bartram Gardens. Conducted by Paul “Earthquake” Moore, the boot camps are held every Saturday and Sunday at the 54th Street & Lindbergh Boulevard site. “It’s important to let children know getting an education is the priority, not carrying weapons,” said Moore. “Boot camp gives them these ideas on how to be a better person and a better student. Hopefully they can pass these things on to their peers and stop some of the violence that’s occurring
in our schools and also in our communities.” Children wishing to attend Moore’s upcoming two-day boot camp should report at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jul. 18 at Bartram’s Garden. The youngsters will spend the night in the field, sleeping in tents. During the time spent in the field, men and women who belong to the Army Reserve will donate their time as mentors. Moore is asking for donations to buy daily meals. For information call Moore at (215) 385-2696.
Michael Choi, Esq. principal of Choi & Associates, P.C., has located freshly appointed new offices just outside of the city limits at 7848 Old York Road, Suite 200 in Elkins Park. Choi is well known in Philadelphia’s legal community. He has emerged as a leader of the Delaware valley’s influential Korean American community. He is the chairman of Asian American affairs in the Governor’s Office of Pennsylvania. Choi has practiced extensively in the areas of human
rights, international business, commercial litigation, personal injury, immigration and workers’ compensation. He received his law degree from Stetson Law School. The well known attorney is the chairman of Asian American affairs in the Governor’s Office of PennsylvaniaChoi has been featured as a prominent class-action lawyer in numerous television programs and newspaper articles, including the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Councilwoman Honors Team From Imhotep Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller had City Council honor the basketball team of Imhotep Institute Charter School as the 2009 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association State Boys Basketball Championships. This new team, only formed in the 2005-2006 season, opened its first basketball court in 2008, a unique accomplishment in Philadelphia HS sports history. They have won three championships: the Philadelphia Public League Championship, the District 8-2A and the City Championship, where on Saturday Mar. 21, at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center, the Imhotep Panthers defeated Pittsburgh’s North Catholic HS Trojans in double overtime, 76-67.
LOCAL ATTORNEY Michael Choi, Esq., opened up his brand-new practice in Montgomery Co. last week. Among attendees were Choi’s associate Jennifer Zegel, Esq., Mark Levy, Choi, Jonathan Saidel, and Ward Leader Vernon Price.
DR. & MRS. Inkyo Kim, right, join hosts Mr. & Mrs. Michael Choi at new office opening in Montgomery Co.
David Chrysler Offers Cash For Your Clunker CITY COUNCIL honors Imhotep basketball team that set records. Aside from Imhotep’s loca- ture lifelong learners and valu- how to creatively improve it, and tion in the 8th Council Dist., able members of the world that learning should be pursued Miller considered this a special community, while allowing the with joy, discipline and tenacity. One of the major factors in moment because Imhotep has student to integrate knowledge Imhotep’s success is the school had a 100% graduation rate for with life experience. Founded and run by Chris- provides an environment where seven straight years since 2002, with 100% of its graduates tine Wiggins, the School's students assume responsibility teaching model is focused on the and consequences for their own going on to college. Imhotep Institute Charter HS desire to help students explore actions, and promotes a safe, is an African-centered, science, their own potential and the mag- calm and disciplined environmathematics and technology nificent boundaries of science, ment in which students can discover and develop their talents. learning center in the 8th Coun- technology and mathematics. Imhotep takes seriously the In addition, Imhotep has high cil Dist. whose mission is to create a standards-driven, high- belief education should help stu- expectations not only for each quality educational environment dents understand the nature of the student, but for the parents of for urban learners, and to nur- society in which they live and the students as well.
The Feds havejust put into law a program called the Car Allowance Rebate System. David Kelleher, owner of David Chrysler and Jeep at the Airport Auto Mall, suggests drivers of old vehicles bring them into his agency to qualify for rebates from $3,500 to $4,500. Kelleher said, “This is a government program that helps you purchase a new, more-fuel-efficient vehicle when you trade in a less-fuelefficient vehicle. Rebates range from $3,500 to $4,500 depending on your trade and by how much you increase your mpg. “In addition, every week we take one of our already-
discounted David Diamond pre-owned vehicles and take an extra $500-$1,000 off the sale price.” David noted, “the Feds have made this a great time to buy a new car.” The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act offers a deduction for state and local sales and excise taxes or other fees you pay when you buy a new car, light truck, motor home or motorcycle through 2009. The deduction is limited to the first $49,500 of the vehicle purchase price. The amount of the deduction starts phasing out if you make more than $125,000, or $250,000 if you're filing a joint return.
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Stu Bykofsky Schedules 19th Candidates Comedy Night Candidates running for Philadelphia offices and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will provide the entertainment at the 19th edition of the “Stu Bykofsky Candidates Comedy Night™”. This event, a fundraiser for the Children’s Charity, “Variety”, is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19. In a race that will be fought across the Commonwealth, Republican Judge Joan Orie Melvin faces Democratic Judge Jack Panella for a seat on the
State’s high court. In the Philadelphia Controller race, Alan Butkovitz, the Democratic incumbent, is challenged by Republican Al Schmidt. Running for the District Attorney’s job being vacated by Lynne Abraham, Republican Michael Untermeyer is squaring off against Democrat Seth Williams. “It’s a smaller show than last year, when we had an embarrassment of riches and 18 candidates,” said Stu Bykofsky, the Philadelphia
Daily News columnist who organizes and produces the show. “This year’s show will be more manageable, with less rush and stress.” The show has been called “a rite of city politics”, and it always sells out. In addition to the candidates, there is usually a surprise or two, and a 50/50 drawing to raise money for Variety. During the show, candidates take to the stage and try to be funny on purpose. The show started during Philadel-
phia’s 1991 Mayoral campaign and has since become a political “must” for nearly all candidates. “The total raised over the last 18 years is about $350,000, which makes me very happy,” says Bykofsky. “Both Mr. Butkovitz and Judge Melvin have done the show before, so they may have a mild advantage.” This is the ninth year the show will be at Finnigan's Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden, in its third-floor banquet
room. Pub owner Mike Driscoll provides the room for free. Everything connected with the show, from the room to the printing of tickets, by Kennedy Printing, to the entertainers to the staff services, are provided free. Everything raised by the zero-overhead show goes to the charity. Tickets for this year’s show cost $60 each, with reserved tables of 10 available for $600. Tables are assigned on a first-come-first-served
basis, by checks arriving, so those who send in early checks will get the best tables. The cost of the tickets is taxdeductible. Checks should be made out to Variety and mailed to: Variety, c/o Ellen Ganley, 2nd Floor, 1520 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. To order using Visa or MasterCard, call the Variety office at (215) 735-0803. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins promptly at 8 p.m. It is expected to end before 10 p.m.
Photos by Lee Buchanan
NETWORKING AND having some fun along the way are members of CCPA during their Rittenhouse stroll.
District of Philadelphia has launched our largest comprehensive summer school program in the last three years. We want to re-position our thinking about summer school,” said Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. “It is no longer restricted to students who need to make up credits for promotion or graduation. Instead, we want parents and stu-
dentsto take a fresh look at what continuous learning is all about. We want to expose students to a myriad of summer learning opportunities that are challenging, fun, and exciting”. This summer-school program enrollment has increased by 50%, over last year when 19,000 students were enrolled in summerschool programs at 90 District locations.
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
The School District of Philadelphia opened its 2009 Summer Learning program for approximately 40,000 public school students in grades K-12 for four weeks until Jul. 31. Those attending will take classes in reading, math and other core subjects every morning, and take advantage of summer enrichment activities in the afternoons. “This year The School
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School Dist. Powers Up Summer Program
STROLLING THROUGH Rittenhouse Square are Megan Sheaffer, administrative coordinator of Center City Proprietors Association, and Karen Brown, president of Southwark Civic, with members of CCPA as they network and talk business.
Local Business Owners Connect At Rittenhouse
Ribner To Rule On SRC Action
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The School Reform Commission has approved a Consent Order bringing the 39-year-old Philadelphia School Desegregation Case to an end. The Consent Order will move to its final approval by Judge Doris Smith-Ribner of Commonwealth Court in a hearing scheduled for Monday, Jul. 13. The Consent Order is an agreement among the Philadelphia School District (defendant), the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (plaintiff) and ASPIRA-Pa (community intervener) and is designed to reduce the racialachievement gap and end resource inequalities that trouble Philadelphia schools. The multifaceted Philadelphia School Desegregation Case has gone through a number of phases in its 39 years. It began in the early 1970s when the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission found that 70% of the District’s schools were racially unbalanced. Unprecedented desegregation plans were proposed.
The Center City Proprietors Association led the crawl through the bars and restaurants to share laughs and focus on each other’s ventures. Ben Frank, executive director of the Center City Proprietors Association, which organizes networking opportunities and educational seminars, brings the group together once a month, to enrich their businesses but to also enhance their growing friendships. CCPA has been existence for 30 years and has been growing to extend coverage of various areas of interest. The group is modeled after the Chamber of Commerce, according to long-time member Marianne Pontillo, who is the proprietor of “ideas that connect.” Pontillo says associations like CCPA make it easier to connect and network. Marlene Talasnik, owner and creator of “Simplified Living LLC”, states CCPA provides her two benefits: “a release from a hard day enjoying a fun conversation with friends, and a marketing tool for new clients.” “It’s a great way to make connections and have fun doing business,” said Chad Shank, business officer of PNC Bank. “In these trying times of economics, groups like these can make a difference between surviving and throwing in the towel.”
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by R. George Linton A group of entrepreneurs took advantage of the pleasant weather to flaunt their businesses on Rittenhouse Square.
page 14 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Thomas Wins William Penn Battle State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas’ campaign to keep William Penn HS open has ended successfully. Superintendent Dr. Arlene Ackerman, School District of
Philadelphia, formally withdrew her proposal to close William Penn HS at a School Reform Commission meeting. In February, the School District of Philadelphia presented a
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plan to close William Penn HS following the 2009-10 school year. Thomas spearheaded the Coalition for the Revitalization of William Penn HS to stop the district from closing the school and to urge renovation of the facility, which has been a cornerstone of the North Philadelphia community for nearly 100 years. Thomas has testified at several meetings of the School Reform Commission in opposition to William Penn HS’s planned closure. At yesterday's hearing, Thomas urged the school district to reconsider the proposal. "Do the right thing," he said. "Invest, not divest in the children of North Philadelphia." Thomas, who attended the meeting, thanked the community coalition for uniting and working hard for many months to keep a state-of-the-art school in North Philadelphia. Thomas pledged he and State Sen. Lawrence Farnese, who also supported the coalition's efforts, would continue to assist with efforts to renovate the high school.
SHARP golf shooter and sharp dresser Ashton Preston joins Councilwoman Blondell JIM MCBRIDE COPE, Director for TWU Local 234, joins Reynolds Brown at TWU Judges Anne Lazarus and Angeles Roca, attorneys Diane Thompson and Joe Waters at Northampton Country Club Local 234 golf outing. Photos by Lee Buchanan in N.E. Phila. for TWU’s annual golf outing.
Transporting Scholarship Money by Saddie Agnes The Transport Workers Union Local 234 will help some of their children to school next year, thanks to a successful Golf Fundraiser in Northeast Philadelphia. TWU’s “Taking Care of Own" 4th annual golf outing attracted many political hopefuls at the Northampton Country Club, as well as hundreds of union members and supporters. The proceeds of this benefit go directly to families and friends of members who have children aspiring to attend college, with the goal of providing them with an opportunity to achieve their dreams of attending college in these struggling times.
TWU Local 234 had a team of organizers who didn’t take the fundraising effort lightly. The event was chaired by Bob O'Connor, Jeanette Torche, Allison Cooper, Cookie, Joe Coccio and Kim Alessi. They all made sure every
participant left feeling special. The team organized and received donations of gifts, which they then used for door prizes, given out to all attendees as the night commenced. At the end of the night, everybody felt like a winner!
LDC 135 Golf Nets $30,000 The Laborers’ Local 135 Memorial Scholarship Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, held its Charity Golf Classic, raising $30,000 to benefit the Jerome Corley, Henry Mayers, Jonathan Woodall, Marvin James Memorial Scholarship Fund. "Our first annual golf out-
ing was a tremendous success," said Daniel Woodall, Jr., business manager of Local 135. "We were able to raise funds that will help qualified students in their educational endeavors." Corporate sponsors included Construction and General Laborers' Local Union No. 1174, Employing Bricklayers Association of Delaware Valley, Insulators Local 14,Laborers District Council of the Metropolitan area of Philadelphia and Vicinity, LECET, Perry N. Blackman CPA, Fox Rothschild LLP, LDC of Western PA, and UFCW LOCAL 1176 Rerum Novarum Charitable Trust. The union’s charity arm has raised money for its various scholarship programs as well as funding day care and other centers dedicated to helping the needy.
“Human Being of Life.” He came up with the title when he was denied the opportunity to speak at a prison in the early 1980s. They told him that he couldn’t speak because he didn’t have a Master’s degree in sociology. He felt he shouldn’t need a postgraduate degree to be able to deliver his message. So he told them he indeed qualified since he was “a human being of life”. Perlman graduated from Central HS in 1960. Of his
four grandkids, two are Catholic, and the other two Jewish. He wishes his two Catholic grandkids lived closer to the City so they could attend the CYO athletic ministry’s programs, for which he has great respect. When he delivers flowers, he sees some of the worst neighborhoods. “We’re giving all this money to other countries. We should be able to do a better job of maintaining standards of public de-
cency at home. “We need to get back to being polite. That’s a habit we can bring back. Something as small as holding the door open for someone at the Wawa can go a long way. To be nice to people is the most selfish thing in the world. If you act in a nice way towards others, then it eventually comes back to you.” Concludes Perlman, “Life is so easy, yet we’re making it so tough.”
POET BOB PERLMAN believes Philadelphia suffers from lack of cheerleaders singing its praises.
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ious schools and giving speeches. In fact, he has been to about 300 different schools in the last 35 years. His book was published in a run of 5,000 copies. He sold about 1,500 and gave away around 3,500. It was popular among college students and sold very well in college bookstores. While conveying his message in public, Perlman will act out his book. He might read one of his poems while simultaneously shooting a pretend basketball into the air. Sports provide important life lessons, Perlman believes. He uses athletics as a vehicle to communicate certain values. He believes women learn more values through sports than do men. Perlman says sports have an amazing power to bring people together. And it’s a philosophy he tries to live by. He is the only white member of the Black Women’s Sports Foundation. He fondly recalls, “When 600 people honored former professional basketball player Earl Monroe, I was the only white person who there.” His proudest day in sports came in 1960, playing for Central HS against Ben Franklin. He was 5 for 19 shooting from the field. “I struggled, but never gave up. That’s a message I feel is extremely important to teach the kids of this city.” He’s still in great shape, running 40 minutes on some mornings and eating healthy meals such as tomatoes, spaghetti and grapefruit for breakfast. Perlman insists we must teach our kids how to eat healthily by giving them more fruits and vegetables. Says Perlman, “If we can teach the kids about this stuff, then they’re going to grow up and teach their kids about it too.” At one point, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference wanted to give Perlman the rights to the Martin Luther King speeches. They believed in him, but the King family got into a legal battle with the SCLC over these rights and Perlman’s bid was turned down. Perlman believes he is a
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
by Nick DePace, Jr. Philadelphia poet Bob Perlman, a self-proclaimed “cheerleader” for all people, claims residents in this city need to change. His one son, who is 40 years old, lives and works in New York City. When Bob asked him what was so great about New York, his response was, “Everyone there is your cheerleader.” According to Perlman, 66, that’s not the case in Philadelphia, where he was born and has lived his entire life. Courtesy and respect are in woefully short supply in this town, he says, and he has dedicated himself to a career of writing and public speaking in an effort to change our manners. His friend owns a flower shop at 5th & Girard Streets. To help out, Perlman delivered flowers in the surrounding neighborhoods. As he plied these errands, he was disgusted by all the signs of rude and callous behavior he saw around him: trash littered the streets, bike riders who didn’t abide by traffic lights, and a total disregard evidenced by neighbors for each other. He canceled his Eagles season tickets in 1981 because the behavior of drunken fans was too rowdy and obnoxious. He simply refused to expose his children to such a grotesque display. His feeling is, “Unless we begin to honor human beings the way other cities do, our kids will be in real trouble.” What’s important to him is we start respecting people as a whole. Perlman has been known to speak up if he sees an injustice. He believes the truth hurts, but the truth also heals. Although, he admits, “If I get a little down, I just want to shut my mouth. You’re not very popular when you speak the truth.” Nevertheless, he speaks the truth about what is going on, regardless of what others want to hear. Perlman’s poetry book, Life and Love Are Not Spectator Sports, came out 23 years ago. Since that time, he has been going around to var-
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Meet A True City Cheerleader
page 16 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Susquehanna Festival Kicks Off Summer In North Philly
SUSQUEHANNA basketball tourney bragging rights went the way of State Rep. Jewell Williams and his all-stars as they defeated Local Laborers by seven points at Susquehanna Festival last week. State Rep. Ron Waters, center, joins winners and losers for this pic.
by Michael A. Cibik, Esq. American Bankruptcy Board Certified Question: What happens to your savings and checking account when filing bankruptcy? Answer: You can gener-
ally keep both your checking and savings account when you file for bankruptcy. However, if you also have a loan with the bank and you intend to discharge it, then the bank will close your account. For example, say you have a savings account with your
WURD 900 AM host Trent Pettus enjoys company of cohost Thera Martin Connelly as they broadcast live at Susquehanna Festival in N. Phila.
STATE REP. Jewell Williams joins Ryan Boyer, “Big” Rob Murray, and Omar Sabir at Susquehanna Festival last Saturday. credit union. You also have a signature loan with the credit union. If you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and do not reaffirm (sign an agreement that you will keep account and continue to pay under original terms) this loan, the credit union will be losing money, so they will no longer provide services to you. Next week’s question: How soon after Chapter 7 bankruptcy can you buy a new house?
KEYSTONE Health Partners, a main sponsor of festival, had volunteers in tents covering Susquehanna festival all day long, providing health-care information and free waters all day.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY candidate Seth Williams is escorted by three lovely volunteers for his campaign: Teresa Marley and sisters April & Barbara Coates at Susquehanna Festival.
STATE REP. Tony Payton escorts New York City Councilman Richard St. Paul around Susquehanna Festival.
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a WINNER too. Now that DR.MURAKO has been restored to his rightful position, we can expect great things to come from THE S.P.C.A. Yes, the power of The Press still LIVES! Again, The Public Record thanks SUE COSBY for correcting a terrible mistake. Snooper’s PREDICTIONS: Now that MICHAEL JACKSON is dead (and, by the way, he will be BIGGER in death than when he was ALIVE), I predict NEVERLAND will be his GRACELAND and it will become a SHRINE for all fans to visit. Yes. There will be plenty of monies made from this venture, and hopefully THE CHILDREN will not be FORGOTTEN. You will see
all sorts of MICHAEL JACKSON memorabilia being peddled and sold. Oh yeah, EBAY will have a “field day” with all of this too. Note: Both “Kings” (Elvis and
Jackson) died of DRUGS. Should never have happened! Again, MICHAEL JACKSON will be MEMORIZED for years to come. WHY NOT?
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(Cont. From Page 9) (meaning you’d better hope you have some change left in your pocket when they get done with us). A quick look around the local GOP calls for “congratulations” to 62nd WARD LEADER SCOTT CUMMINGS on the birth of his new son LOGAN ALEXANDER CUMMINGS. Perhaps a future Republican Mayor is born? The Tea Parties over the 4th of July weekend were a resounding success as thousands packed Independence and Love Parks to voice their opposition to the ruinous policies of this current administration. The City Republican machine has been getting together to chart the future for the Philadelphia party. Its first meeting at Café Michelangelo on Bustleton Avenue in the Great Northeast was well attended but a subsequent meeting saw the attendance cut in half according to sources. CHAIRMAN VITO CANUSO, COUNSEL MIKE MEEHAN, STATE REPS. JOHN PERZEL and JOHN TAYLOR, COUNCILMEN JACK KELLY and BRIAN O’NEILL, Parking Authority Head VINCE FENERTY, WARD LEADERS WALT and CHRIS VOGLER and MIKE CIBIK and others gathered to come up with a plan for the future. Ideas such as a pol-
icy committee, a spokesman, ward regionalization, a fundraising chairman, and a new building were all tossed about. A few years ago 5th Ward CHAIRMAN KEVIN KELLY wrote a paper with some of these ideas and circulated it around the party. It looked a little dry at the time, but maybe the time has come to put a plan together. Let’s see if these meetings continue and who will step up to do the work. Finally, don’t miss Controller Candidate AL SCHMIDT’S campaign opening and fundraiser tonight, Thursday, Jul. 9, 5-6pm at 507 S. 2nd Street, then over to Paddywhacks, 2nd & South, 6-9pm. The Loyal Opposition will be hosting and it should be a blast. Take a mud bath and stay cool!
by their NEGLECT. HON. COUNCILWOMAN MARIA QUINONES-SANCHEZ is trying to do something about it. Hopefully she’ll SUCCEED! The Mayor has done nothing; he has even closed their SWIMMING POOL. WHY? Snooper’s PAT ON THE BACK Time: This is for ALL OUR READERS and FRIENDS. We did it. The SPCA has REHIRED its great gifted veterinarian DR. MURAKO. They get a lot of credit for using COMMON SENSE. After all, they made a STUPID MISTAKE when they fired him. SUE COSBY, the new C.E.O., is one of FAIRNESS and COMPASSION, and in the Dr. Murako “FIASCO” she proved to be
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
(Cont. From Page 9) DR.OZ, and how they can make BODY PARTS for every part of your body, including your HEART? Whew, I’m still in shock of what they said and, better yet, what I saw. They actually had a gentleman who lost part of a FINGER, and guess what? They grew the finger part back on, and it works better than his real fingers. DR. OZ then showed how they can get a PIG’S HEART (closest to a human being’s heart) and put it as a replacement heart in the human body. Can you believe what you saw? I still can’t, and I’m flabbergasted at what I saw on this Oprah TV Show. Snooper’s CRISIS Bureau: I must admit DAN
GERINGER, award winning reporter for The Daily News, was absolutely correct in a recent article he did on the horrendous conditions of The Shissler Recreation Center’s baseball fields. I know about it first hand. After all, I have umpired their baseball games for years, and NOTHING HAS CHANGED! How come The Recreation Dept. has done nothing about these conditions? Sooner or later, someone is going to get seriously HURT, and maybe then they’ll wake up. THE FISHTOWN BASEBALL TEAMS have actually been playing all their games at BLAIR & BERKS on dangerous CINDERS for years. Something MUST BE DONE and done quickly, unless The City wants a couple of LAWSUITS for injuries suffered
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Snooper
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RECORD SPORTS
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Fans Have Say by Nick DePace, Jr. When festivities commence next Tuesday for the 2009 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis, the fans will have their fingerprints all over the American and National League rosters. The starting lineups for each league’s squad are determined by fan balloting online and throughout all 30 MLB ballparks. Thus, fan allegiance plays a major role in dictating who suits up. In some years, fans have practised “ballot stuffing” by simply voting for all players on their favorite teams. This has led to some teams’ being overrepresented, or undeserving players’ getting the nod. This year, however, fans have done an exceptionally unbiased job of picking the eight starting position-players on each league’s roster. Six teams are represented in the American League and five in the National. Fans now have the opportunity to vote for one player from a list of five selected by the teams’ managers in each league to represent their teams as the 33rd man on each roster.
Ringside With The Shadowboxer “Fast” Eddie Chambers Is He Our Next Champ? While most Americans were attending 4th of July barbecues this past Saturday, Philadelphia Heavyweight “Fast” Eddie Chambers traveled to Germany where he beat Ukraine’s Alexander Dimitrenko over 12 rounds at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg. Dimitrenko, the WBO #1 ranked contender, was previously undefeated. Giving up six inches in height and 45 pounds in weight, a sharper Chambers was willing to mix it up with his much-bigger opponent. He consistently beat Dimitrenko to the punch, and was able to avoid the Ukrainian’s power shots. Chambers forced Dimitrenko to take a standing-eight count from a body shot in Round 7 and sent him to the canvas with a left hook in the 10th to punctuate his terrific performance.
“Fast” Eddie Chambers Chambers looked spectacular in the most impressive performance of his career. Chambers will now get a chance to really make his country proud, as he gets a shot at bringing the Heavyweight Championship back to the USA. The win earned him a mandatory shot at WBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko. Heavyweight ranks today are dominated by Eastern Europeans, and most experts believe the younger Klitschko brother is the best in the world.
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The author, Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, who simply used the pen-name “Colette,” was a true Renaissance woman and a French national heroine, although she is still barely known in the US. Colette (1873-1954) was a brilliant, totally independent Renaissance woman long before the word “feminism” came into existence. To quote a phrase used by William Hazlitt to describe the poet/critic/genius, Samuel T. Coleridge (“The Ancient Mariner”), he was “an eagle dallying with the wind.” The same could be said for Colette. She wrote more than 20 books, both fiction and non-fiction, in which she displayed a gift for describing nature in the most lyrical prose. She was also a very talented illustrator whose sketches of animals are right up there with those of the masters. She was also a professional singer who had a music hall career, an actress and playwright. In fact, she wrote a play, Chéri, in which she herself played the
leading role of Lea and received rave reviews. She also wrote the libretto to an opera by Maurice Ravel, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, in 1925, and she was a journalist who covered the Parisian social world, a drama critic and fashion writer. She basically could do almost anything in the arts at a very high level. Therefore, I am delighted the Sofitel Hotel, which opened in May of 2000 at 17th & Sansom Streets, is keeping Colette’s name alive in their restaurant, Chez Colette, an unpretentious, contemporary brasserie with comfortable banquettes, striped upholstery, polished granite and brushed chrome and lots of memorabilia and art posters of Colette on the walls. (Created in France in 1964, Sofitel is the most upscale branch of the Accor Hotel chain, with more than 200 hotels in 53 countries. According to a survey by Travel & Leisure and Condé Nast magazines in 2008,13 Sofitel hotels were named among the
Len Lear world’s best, including those in Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington, D.C.) Despite the hotel’s pedigree, Chez Colette, which serves three meals a day, has never found a niche with foodies in the Philadelphia area. In all of the times we have had dinner there, the restaurant was never even close to half-full. We have enjoyed meals there in the past, but our most recent visit — during a “press dinner” on Jul. 1 — the food was pretty much uninspired. An “amuse-bouche” (complimentary mini-appetizer) of beef carpaccio was probably
the best part of the dinner — feather-light, gossamer-thin shavings of flavorful beef. A spring lobster and shrimp salad appetizer ($17) was bland; a steamed crabcake with basmati rice ($20) did not taste particularly fresh, and seared filet mignon wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon ($30) was disappointing in both texture and flavor. A trio of minidesserts, particularly a caramelized apple tart served warm with cinnamon ice cream and crème Anglaise, was quite pleasant. Glasses of Macon Village Chardonnay and Louis Bernard Côtes-duRhone were just so-so. Chez Colette has not had a high profile in the city’s restaurant scene since day one, and with so many BYOBs and three- or four-courses-for-$35 alternatives these days, it’s hard to see how they can compete. Which is a shame for Colette, who deserves a lot more recognition than she has in the U.S. For more information, call (215) 569-8300 or visit www.sofitelphiladelphia.com.
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
by Len Lear I can still remember seeing the movie musical Gigi when it came out in 1958. I loved it so much that I saw it two more times before it left the theaters. (In those days, long before Netflix and Blockbuster, there was no way to see the movie again after it left the theaters, unless you were an Oscar voter.) Apparently I was not the only viewer who felt this way. Gigi went on to win nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Vincente Minnelli, father of Liza), Best Musical Score (Andre Previn), Best Song (“Gigi”), etc. Anyone who saw the movie is likely to remember Maurice Chevalier signing “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” in such a cool French accent, it did not even matter that he could barely carry a
tune. Gigi was about a w o m a n , played charmingly by Leslie Caron, who was trained by her own aunt and grandmother to be a courtesan (high-priced hooker), but the sordidness of that premise was so sanitized by the movie makers (à la Pretty Woman, with Julia Roberts) that it could easily have been a Disney production. I was so enthralled by the movie that I actually went to the library to find out more about the book on which it was based. (Yes, kids, in the Middle Ages of the late 1950s, Google and Wikipedia were still science fiction, so if you wanted to find out this kind of information, you had to go to an actual library.) What I discovered was Gigi was originally a book written by a French author who tragically died a few years before the movie came out, so she never got to see it or to be thrilled by all of the awards.
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Chez Colette: the food’s not as great as the woman
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State Teachers Back Saidel For Lt. Governor Who says nice guys don’t do well when they find themselves out of office? Not the American Federation of Teachers in Pennsylvania! They didn’t forget the good things Jonathan Saidel did for Labor when he was the City Controller. In fact, many unions, groups and office holders are beholden to Saidel. So it came as no surprise
the AFT voted at its biennial convention to throw its support to Saidel in his race for Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor. Former Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Ted Kirsh, who now is president of the State teachers union, made it clear. “We have a history with Saidel”, he said, remembering the former City Controller’s role in negotiating previous teacher
contracts with the School District. This endorsement puts Saidel far ahead of those hoping to get labor endorsements. Many of the strongest of State unions normally follow in the path set by the AFT. This union has 36,000 educators throughout the State. In the meantime, Saidel continues to run fundraisers and reportedly has close to $1 million in his campaign chest.
TO DEREK (LAST NAME UNKNOWN) A Petition has been filed asking the court to put an end to all rights you have to your child Baby Boy Hills aka Jayden Hills who was born on 5/16/2009 at Einstein Hospital, Philadephia, PA, as well as any rights A. H. has to Baby Boy Hills aka Jayden Hills. The court has set a hearing to consider ending your rights to your child. That hearing will be held on August 13, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at Courtroom 14, One Montgomery Plaza, Orphan’s Court Division, Swede Street, Norristown, PA 19404 before Judge Ott. You are warned that even if you fail to appear at the scheduled hearing, the hearing will go on without you and your rights to your children as well as the rights of A.H. to that child may be ended by the court without your being present. You have a right to be represented at the the hearing by a lawyer. You should take this paper to your lawyer at once. If you do not have a lawyer or cannot afford one, go to or telephone the office set forth below to find out where you can get legal help. You are also warned that if you fail to file either an acknowledgment of paternity pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A. Section 2503 (d) relating to acknowledgement and claim of paternity, and fail to either appear at a hearing to object to the termination of your rights or file a written objection to such termination with the court prior to the hearing, your rights may be terminated under Pa.C.S.A. 2503(d) and 2504(c) of the Adoption Act.
Out & About (Cont. From Page 9) cause we’re trying to attract people from all over to the Parkway for the concert. (Translation: We’re trying to get families from the Jersey suburbs, and folks from the Northeast who believe everything south of Mayfair is a cesspool, to come and spend some money in Center City.) With the exception of last year (the reason why it rained
Waffleman (Cont. From Page 9) and topped it with a candied cherry. To be reverential, the spelling was changed from Sunday to “Sundae”. Apple pie was rarely eaten in early America because sugar was relatively scarce. But once supplies improved, the eating of the Old-World
was because they had John Legend on the Parkway), Welcome America has been held captive by The B101.5 Crowd. Now, for those of you who don’t listen to B101.5, it’s a station dominated by so-called “Easy Listening” music. I don’t put it on when I’m studying, and because it’s so quiet, saccharine and flat-out annoying, I can’t drive to it without fear of falling asleep; or without thoughts of violently ripping my radio out of pie was revived. Apple pie using American apples became the favorite and the symbol of American prosperity. Today no other country eats as many apple pies as we do. All this goes to prove our favorite foods will always be linked with American culture through the world because of their popularity and not their country of origin.
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the car and throwing it into the street. Putting on a show like the Welcome America fireworks production costs money, so you have to make sure the Parkway is full. Still, I’m tired of Sunoco, producers of some of the most expensive gas in the region, being so tight with a buck when it comes to the only event it puts its name on each year. Can we get some of the money you waste on NASCAR? Before you shell out the cash for that next non-threatening act the B101.5 crowd will lap up, or the act that hasn’t had a hit this decade (yes, I’m still mad about Peter Freakin’ Frampton!), let me give you a piece of advice. Have a little more faith in your target audience. As my Significant Other and I were leaving the Parkway, we were talking about the show. He felt Sheryl Crow was on entirely too long and The Roots put on a better show. We were walking behind these ladies who soon became part of our conversation. They not only agreed that Crow had too much time, they also agreed The Roots had too little. They probably hadn’t walked onto the Parkway as Roots fans, but because the folks at Welcome America gave them the chance this year, The Roots won these folks over. The point I’m trying to make is people only learn to appreciate something new when they’re given something new to check out. Parading out the same, old, tired, Top40 nonsense shows no faith in your audience, either locally or nationwide. If you want those millions of folks to keep coming out, it might be a good idea to re-
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ADVERTISEMENT The City of Philadelphia, Division of Aviation, is requesting PROPOSALS for “WAYFINDING STUDY AND REDESIGN”. All proposals are to be submitted to www.phila.gov/contracts/ by 5 pm July 31, 2009 and also as directed in the REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. Interested firms are invited to download the RFP directly from http://www.phila.gov/contracts/ (Click under dContract Philly”) or request the RFP by email to rfp@phl.org
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The Public Record • July 9, 2009
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page 22 The Public Record • July 9, 2009
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Aspite, Inc. Auto Auction Center 7000 State Road • Philadelphia, PA 19135
(215) 335-4884 Fax (215) 333-7793 In accordance with Chapter 73 of the Vehicle Code and authorization of the Department of Transportation, there will be a public auction of the below listed vehicles, THURS, JULY 9, 2009 @ 2:00 PM. The location: 7000 State Road, Philadelphia, PA. All sales final. Cash only.
STOCK# YEAR MAKE US-2073 SPV-7787 •••
1997 2001
SEALION PONTIAC
V.I.N. 45LB32012V2059660 1G2WK52J31F172551
CTRL# 0850435 0842819
MANY MORE VEHICLES TO BE ADDED •••
Page 23
PHA APPRENTICE CARPENTER Clint Speller installs new lightbulb as Wilson Park resident Virginia Sawyer looks on inside her apartment.
The Public Record • July 9, 2009
Andrew Moore and Lamar Kennedy monitor job completion rate inside mobile computer unit at Wilson Park Housing development Tuesday in South Philadelphia.
PLUMBERS make sure Wilson Park resident Virginia Sawyer gets new maintenance check in her tenth floor apparment, Tuesday. PHA WAVE Maintenance team fixed up almost 700 buildings in seven days in South Philadelphia.
PHA WAVE Program Proves Worth (Cont. From Page 1) environment, while re-engineering properties and improving their values. Since the Maintenance WAVE began this spring, more than 8,800 preventive repairs and upgrades have been completed at over a dozen PHA sites. “This is a unique approach to efficiently weatherize thousands of units. These repairs are intended to reduce costs by decreasing energy and water use. The program also has the added benefit of creating new jobs during this economic downturn,” said PHA Executive Director Carl Greene. The WAVE utilizes the skills of carpenters, electricians, plumbers and glaziers
in four teams. Two teams – numbering around 35 people each – handle work at PHA’s conventional sites, while two smaller teams – of around seven people each – handle scattered site homes. The teams work seven days a week, allowing work to take place in units on weekends. In a special agreement with the building trades, team members work shifts of 10 hours a day, four days a week. Unlike other weatherization programs, these workers have been trained to do more than just weatherization, and can make more complicated repairs. Graduates of PHA’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program are included on the teams, providing employment and
experience for PHA residents. The WAVE program is very efficient. Before work crews arrive at a site, units and common areas are inspected to determine what upgrades are needed. Service orders are then created and prepared prior to the arrival of WAVE crews. When work crews arrive at a site, the orders are ready and the right materials have been ordered. Under this system, more work is done in fewer days. “The WAVE allows us to complete more orders in less time than ever before, increasing our efficiency and responsiveness to our residents. Because of our automated systems, we are also better able to track the work performed and plan for future
needs,” Greene said. As upgrades are completed, data entry on each upgrade is entered in a mobile unit with computers at the site. Thus, PHA has a realtime idea of the progress that crews are making. The agency is also able to learn what problems are most common and plan accordingly. The current version of the Maintenance WAVE will come to a close at the end of August. PHA officials estimate that the agency will have invested around $2 million. Next up, PHA hopes to leverage newly available funds for weatherization to expand its Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program and further support “green job” creation and retention.
Library Activists Find New Cause In Pools vantage of the long lead time to organize its own damage control. By soliciting relief from private funders, the Mayor found ways to keep open most of the 62 pools he had planned to close in the first round of budget cuts. Undeterred, CSL has embraced the cause of pools as its own and is moving around the city to organize resistance. Last month there were protests at Chew and Point Breeze pools in South Philadelphia, both of which have been padlocked this
summer. This week, rallies waere staged at 12th & Cambria Rec Center’s pool in North Philadelphia and at Barry pool in South Philadelphia. More are in the works. Activists are shuttling around the city seeking support from local community groups and politicians. It’s not a hard sell as a rule. Working in the administration’s favor, though, is the brevity of the season. With July well underway, it may soon become technically impossible to
staff these pools. And rounding up irate elected officials may prove harder in the summer, with City Council out of session. Should their efforts fail, some activists are vowing vengeance. At 12th & Cambria, neighborhood leader Jerry Shorter said pointedly, “Street would never have done this. Rendell would never have done this.” And his youthful allies sported signs reading, “Nothing to Fear Except Next Election Year.”
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(Cont. From Page 1) son. “Where else can the children go in the summer?” asked West Philadelphia activist Freda Egnal. “We shouldn’t be balancing the budget on the backs of our children.” Last year the protesters had the advantage of surprise. Observers speculated then that it might be difficult to organize in defense of pools until the season came upon the public; by that time it might be too late to reopen them. The administration took ad-
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The Public Record • July 9, 2009
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