Ron Panepinto Jewelers
Jim Stevenson
700 Sansom St. 215-923-1980
9371 ROOSEVELT BLVD. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19114 215-698-7000 JStevenson@ChapmanAutoGroup.com
www.PanepintoJewelers.com We Buy Gold & Diamonds
Serving Citywide Political, Labor, Legal and School Communities of Philadelphia
Vol. XII. No. 3 (Issue 521)
“The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”
Value 50¢
January 21, 2010
MLK Day Boosted Haitian Relief Efforts HONORARY Liberty Bell-ringer James Bain, who was released from CONGRESSMAN Bob Brady joins NAACP Secretary VP Florida prison after 35 years of wrongDonald “Ducky” Birts and State Rep. Jewell Williams ful incarceration, was hosted in Phila. during 34th annual All Faith Service at Triumph Baptist by Wanda Davis, right, of Sheriff’s ofChurch. fice (here seen with a relative of Bain).
PHILA. COUNCIL AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding sits alongside statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., at premier luncheon event at Sheraton. Rev. Robert Shine is at podium, as emcee Steve Collins looks on.
It was obvious to the thousands who participated in the Day of Service honoring Martin Luther
SEPTA Riders Raise $40 G In Two Days SEPTA, together with Fox 29 and Greater Media, have collected $40,016.39 in cash in less than a week from generous SEPTA riders for the three million Haitian people who have been devastated by their worst earthquake in 200 years. SEPTA set up collection points with its personnel at 69th Street, Frankford & Bridge, 11th at Market East and Suburban Station. The most donations were received from Suburban Station, $14,200.82, with 69th Street following with a collection of $11,479.62, Market East at $7,687.61 and Frankford with $6,498.33. Firstrust bank made up the difference to pass the $40,000 mark. The campaign kicked off Tuesday as SEPTA Ambassadors (employee (Cont. Page 2)
SEN. BOB CASEY, left, talks law on MLK Day with Innocence Project attorney Seth Miller, whose tireless work helped free James Bain from a life sentence for a crime he did not commit.
SEPTA General Mgr. Joe Casey sets up collection station with Rachel Paul, District Director of Cricket Communications; Maxine Dobbins, SEPTA Ambassador; Luke Van Meter, Development Coordinator for S. E. Penna. Chapter of American Red Cross; and Jennaphr Frederick, FOX 29 reporter.
Green’s The Law For City Projects by Tony West Philadelphia took a big step forward into the world of green design when Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown’s Bill mandating LEED standards for construction and renovation of City buildings was
Mike Fera Public Servant Of The Year 2010 Come celebrate with us our Public Servant of the Year 2010. We will be honoring Cement Masons Local 592 President/Business Manager MIKE FERA. A Celebratory Supplement and dinner will be Feb. 4th, 2010. For more information call John David:
215-755-2000 or John@PhillyRecord.com
signed into law Tuesday by Mayor Michael A. Nutter. Its main purpose is to save utility dollars, big time. The measure, which was a year in the making, commits the real-estate arm of the City to meet LEED Silver certification on every public-building project let out to contract. Environmentally friendly design is an investment, but one, the Mayor vowed, that will pay off in five to 10 years, depending on the building. “For example,” he stated, “the Youth Study Center now under construction in West Philadelphia will in(Cont. Page 6)
PFT, Schools Reach Accord
King Haiti was in their minds as they participated in events cleaning up the city as they turned to raising money for that beleaguered nation. State Representative Dwight Evans dedicated the annual Martin Luther King Day of Service events held in Northwest Philadelphia raising money and supplies for earthquake ravaged Haiti. “Dr. Martin Luther King taught us that we are people of the world. It’s in that spirit we will go to work on Monday during the day of service,” Evans said. “The people of Haiti desperately need our support.” Throughout the day, volunteers went about collecting cash donations and supplies such as water and nonperishable food items and turning them over to the Red Cross. A host of elected officials took part in fund raising efforts around the (Cont. Page 6)
Students are assured their school year will not be interrupted this year as the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the School District of Philadelphia have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract covering 17,000 employees, reports PFT president Jerry T. Jordan. No details of the tentative agreement, which went through three contract extensions, will be released until the terms have been presented to the members at a contract ratification meeting tonight. Jordan said negotiations were concluded successfully after nearly three weeks of daily negotiations, including round-the-clock talks that began on Friday and continued through Tuesday morning. (Cont. Page 2)
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