Peace In The Park
STATE REP. Kenyatta Johnson encourages Point Breeze Youth Development basketball senior league players, who are going on to college, some with the help of basketball scholarships.
by Saddie Agnes Even though the police had an injured roster, it didn’t stop State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson from hosting the inaugural “Peace Not Guns Memorial Basketball Game” without them. The basketball game was supposed to pit kids from the Point Breeze Youth Development against officers from the Philadelphia Police Dept., at Chew Playground, 19th Street & Washington Avenue. The Police Officers had a few injuries on their roster so they had to pull out of the game. But Johnson, who founded the
“Peace Not Guns” organization, scrambled together enough teams for a mini-tourney instead. “The Peace Day is an effort to promote peace and improved community and police relations,” said Johnson. There were many Police Officers in attendance at the peace day. Johnson said the game will be rearranged for a later date. Johnson founded PNG to reduce violence and change the negative behavior of young adults, and he says the league focuses on the importance of education and community involvement to create a sense of purpose in (Cont. Page 10)
ALSO THIS WEEK
Bull Bout
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Kiss Goodbye Vol. III No. 33 (Issue 97)
Bowling For Sports Club A local community leader is asking you to join her at the brand-new PEP Bowl Bowling Alley for a community fundraiser this weekend. Tiye Thompson wants you to bring your bowling glove on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. at PEP Bowl, Broad & Ellsworth Streets. Reebok, a former sponsor of the Point Breeze Youth Club, seized corporate funding for this nonprofit, educational youth-development program and crippled the continuum to provide professional enrichment to inner-city youth, ages 3-21. (Cont. Page 2)
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August 13, 2009
Grays Ferry’s Got Talent Young Singer Proves Why!
by R. George Linton Remember the name Quran Polk! The seven-year-old Grays Ferry native is a musical star in the making. He may only stand 4 feet tall, weigh in at 60 lb., but he has a voice as strong as Pavarotti, The young second-grader attends Christopher Columbus Charter ES at 9th and Christian Streets, where his music teachers have told his mom Joyce he should be on the TV show “America’s Got Talent”. “I knew he was special at birth because he was born with 12 fingers,” Joyce said. “I feel blessed with the gift God has given me.” Quran, when asked what music he likes to listen to, says he listens to his mom’s soul, R&B and Michael Jackson. (Cont. Page 2)
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JOYCE POLK and her gifted son Quran.
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Two South Philadelphia football stars will be playing in dream land today. Lincon Moranci, of Edward Bok HS, and Daniel Wallace, of South Philadelphia HS, are two winners of the Eagles Youth Partnership program. The high-school footballers are among the “best of the best” of statewide players feted by the Eagles as “Top Achievers”. Moranci and Wallace will visit Eagles Training Camp in Lehighwhere they will watch practice and interact with the players. Earlier this year, the pair were selected to attend a ceremony at the NovaCare Complex based on their (Cont. Page 19)
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