SOUTH PHILADELPHIA
Vol. XIII No. 46
Issue 532
November 16, 2017
“The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”
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PUBLIC SERVANT 2017
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TURNOUT TROUBLES P. 26
RYAN N. BOYER Coverage begins P.3
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Neighborhood Battleground: Preservation vs. Redevelopment
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BY ELDON GRAHAM ISTORY was cemented and dreams were dashed in a controversial 5-4 decision by the Philadelphia Historical Commission during their final hearing on designating the Protestant Episcopal Italian Mission & Church of L’Emmanuello, currently the Christian Street Baptist Church at 1020-24 Christian Street. The church resides in the Bella Vista neighborhood of South Philadelphia. The commission made the decision to designate the church and place it on Philadelphia’s historic register during their most recent meeting on Nov. 10. The commission had a difficult time arriving at a conclusion on what to do with the property, postponing a decision multiple times. There were two sides that had to be taken into account. One was proposed by Oscar Beisert of Keeping Society of Philadelphia, who nominated the building, and the other by Christian Street Baptist Church, which owns it and hopes to sell it. Beisert has led a one-man crusade trying save historical Philadelphia from being endangered by demolition or defacement and the pressures of redevelopment. Beisert has been fighting hard to place building after building on the Philadelphia’s historic register, which protects them from demolition and preserves their exterior façade. Sitting in on multiple meetings, like the one that was held on Friday, Beisert has used these legal proceedings to put buildings on the registry. Beisert declined comment. The Bella Vista property belongs to the Christian Street Baptist Church, led by Rev. Clayton J. Hicks. Hicks was adamant that
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The Protestant Episcopal Italian Mission & Church of L’Emmanuello, aka the Christian Street Baptist Church, was designated by the Philadelphia Historical Commision on Friday, Nov. 10th, after previously debating on the subject multiple times and coming to no conclusion. The building is currently abondoned with no timetable when it can come under resuse.
the commission should not designate the church historic, as it would hinder a handshake sale with Ori Feibush, a developer with widespread interests in gentrifying neighborhoods, many of them in South Philadelphia. Feibush was ready to buy the property as long as it was not designated a historical site because that would thwart his plans to redevelop the property by razing the building. Pastor Hicks noted that the church has many problems, which caused the congregation to relocate to another venue. “An investigation was done in the following areas: our basement, our chapel, our kitchen, second-floor bathroom, chapel office, first-floor meeting room and second-floor meeting room. We found we had high concentrations of mold that had been left untreated,” he said. “The
recommendation of the assessment was for us to get out of the chapel and to actually get out of the church altogether. Everything must be cleaned and that is where we are with things that need to be done with regards to the mold. There is also structural damage with water, which has been repaired.” The total repairs needed would cost the church in excess of $1 million and put an even heavier burden on their already nominal finances. The church abandoned the property approximately six months ago. The congregation was hoping to recoup some of its losses with a sale to Feibush. The commission took into account that the church building was in desperate shape and that a designation would put a damper on its sale. Feibush stated that he would not purchase the property if destination
would be applied. However, the commission went along with the designation as it “meets all the criteria for designation.” The ruling triggered strong emotions, which did not fail to reach Feibush, who was in attendance at the hearing. “I feel disappointed for the congregation that it did not go their way,” he said. “It’s sad they did not have a voice to hear their struggles. I’m sick to my stomach for them.” Feibush was willing to pay approximately $1.4 million for the real estate, which would help the congregation relocate to a permanent residence. During the hearing, the fate of another South Philadelphia religious edifice, the 1st Colored Wesley Methodist Church at 17th & Fitzwater Streets, came into play as it was a similar topic of discussion earlier in the year.
“I had an offer on that church,” Feibush mentioned, “for $2 million more previous to that designation. You can’t compare one neighborhood to another in apples to apples. The moment that designation occurred, the application for designation, not only did I have to with draw my offer, but it was $2 million more than the one that was ultimately accepted by [attorney] Charles Peruto when he later bought it. That designation had an immediate effect on the value; it’s also a much, much, much easier property to restore.” Following the ruling, the Christian Street Baptist Church has few options. One that is recommended is to apply for a “Hardship” claim and go through that process, however, the church believes that appealing in Common Pleas Court would be their best course of action.
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it – and much more to come. As business manager of Laborers’ District Council of Philadelphia & Vicinity, Boyer is integral to the construction and rehabilitation boom that is the most-prominent feature of Philadelphia in this decade. But his leadership extends into important public bodies as well. It is for
these reasons and more that he has been named the Public Record’s James Tayoun, Jr. Public Servant of the Year. It certainly helped that he was born into his trade. His father, Nate Sabir, was secretary-treasurer of Laborers’ Local 332 when it was guided by legendary Business Manager Sam Staten, Sr. “These
were the men I looked up to when I was small,” Boyer said. “They showed me how a man could find a place of respect in the world.” Laborers had not always been prestigious. A hundred years ago, they performed
the simplest tasks in the construction workplace, work often relegated to Blacks and other minorities. But as construction became more complex, Laborers began to occupy more skilled niches in the field. A particular specialty is
highway blacktop. In the Philadelphia area, Staten played a transformative role in this process that served as a national model. He insisted that Laborers concentrate on rigorous (Cont. Page 4)
RYAN BOYER played a key role, hosting a joint press conference Monday for Philadelphia political and labor leaders to protest the federal tax changes under review in Washington. Photo by Wendell Douglas
Congratulations
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BY TONY WEST ORN at 11th and North streets in North Philadelphia, not half a mile from his corner office today overlooking Broad Street, Ryan Boyer has literally seen the building of our city all his life. In fact, he built the building his office now occupies – along with much around
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Ryan N. Boyer: Conscience of the Labor Movement
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2017 Public Servant of the Year 2017
Robert Brady
Congressman 1st District Paid for by Committee to Elect Bob Brady
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Public Servant of the Year 2017
(Cont. From Page 3) technical training for high value-added skills. He and James Harper. Sr. founded a state-ofthe-art training center in Exton, where apprentices could master sophisticated modern construction equipment. By the 1990s, a journeyman La-
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borer was a solid middle-class worker with an assured livelihood, well represented by a powerful union that held its own with the other building trades. “When my dad got into union organizing, my family’s ascension was very quick,”
Boyer noted. “We moved from the projects to Germantown to Overbrook. I saw what a good union career could do.” Education was the family watchword. His mother, Jacqueline Boyer, stressed its importance, sending him to Gesu School, a nearby private
school with a reputation for maintaining high standards in working-class North Philadelphia. He was something of a trouble-maker, he recalls, but bowed to family pressure to keep his grades up. Boyer went from Roxborough High School in 1989 to West Ches-
ter University on a full scholarship, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management. After a stint with a real-estate rehabbing company, he joined his father’s union local, working for the Philadelphia Housing Authority from 1993 to 2000. Along the way, he was taken into Local 332’s organizational team, serving as his father’s assistant. It was an easy learning curve: “I did what my father and Mr. Staten told me to do,” shrugged Boyer. On his father’s death in 2003, Boyer took over his job, managing a $5 million budget and negotiating contracts. Wade Stevens was then Business Manager of the Laborers’ District Council, an umbrella body that handles pensions, training, health and welfare, and prepaid legal services for members of Local 332 and three other unions: Local 57, Local 135 and Local 413. Together, they play a dominant role in construction throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. On Stevens’ retirement in 2008, Staten briefly stepped in to steady the ship. But he knew he needed a younger leader to seize the rudder. Boyer was tapped to take over.
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Boyer’s Era Commences
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Every new leader comes with a style and a mission of their own. 2008, the year of the Great Recession, was a tough time for bold dreams. But Boyer committed himself to a signature project: a new headquarters. “When I took over, it was a really well-run organization that had been operated by my absolute heroes,” Boyer reflected. “I came in with a good team and didn’t want to screw it up. But I knew we needed to keep on that path they had set. I wanted to focus on using data-driven decisions, moving ahead technologically and expanding our footprint in state government.”
And LDC’s old office wasn’t up to the job. “It was a three-story walkup – with steps not up to code,” said Boyer. “And we were a building-trade headquarters!” So in 2013, a new, five-story office building was opened. It was one of the most substantial office investments on N. Broad Street between the Vine Street Expressway and Temple University for decades. This new headquarters sent a message: The younger generation of Laborers would not rest on their laurels; instead, they plan to pick up speed in the 21st century. “The building was a gold mine for us,” said Boyer. “Symbolically, it preserves the memory of Sam Staten Sr. But functionally, it created a one-stop shop where all our members’ needs can be taken care of from the same waiting room.” Boyer boosted LDC’s social media as well, pioneering an app to look up benefits online. Others began to take note. In 2010, Boyer became VP of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. On 2012, he was appointed by the Pennsylvania Senate to be its representative on the Pennsylvania Public-Private Transportation Board. In September 2014, he was elected president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter. CBTU is a constituency group under the AFL-CIO that is dedicated to ensuring proper diversity and inclusion within the union movement, and to mentor and train young minorities to assume union leadership. Boyer currently serves on several boards and commissions; such as the Pennsylvania Convention Center Board Authority, Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (Philly Works) and The Philadelphia Jobs Commission. Boyer is a lifelong technology wonk. He has attended many conferences and seminars on green technology and (Cont. Page 6) 11/15/2017 10:45:16 AM
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ALL ON the Laborers’ team with Ryan Boyer are numerous area elected officials such as Congressman Dwight Evans, State Reps. Morgan Cephas and Joanna McClinton, and City Council President Darrell Clarke.
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A Driver of Education for All (Cont. From Page 4) sustainable energy, researching this new economy – and ensuring new job opportunities for Philadelphians. Education is a passion for Boyer. “Gone is the day when you send kids who can’t make it
academically into the trades,” he insisted. “Our work is necessarily physical. But it has become a more sophisticated challenge to run a successful apprenticeship.” In this business of education, Boyer thinks his trade has much to bring to the table. “A trade union remains more forgiving than college,” he said. “If you are willing to learn, we will keep working with you.” LDC’s next major project, which it hopes to complete by 2020, is to turn the old William Penn High School campus at Broad & Master Streets into a training center – to be co-administered with Temple University. Quite a step up for a trade union that started with wheelbarrows! And quite a step up for lower North Philadelphia as well. When Boyer was growing up there, some thought it was not worth replacing the windows on that stretch of Broad Street. No more; the university is hot in Philadelphia and so are the construction trades. LDC’s latest project will be a 50,000-sq.-ft. facility in which 20% of the slots will be reserved for local residents. LDC will deliver the “hard skills,” Temple the “soft skills,” to succeed as a construction craftsman at building the infrastructure of our era.
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Now the Market And LDC Are Up
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Business is booming for the Laborers of Southeastern Pennsylvania, like most of their brothers and sisters in other building trades. Philadelphia is on a development binge that it hasn’t seen since the 1950s. Somebody has to build all these new buildings and restore all these old ones; and somebody has to do it right. Laborers have played a key role in nailing this assignment, asserted Boyer. “Our man-hours are unparalleled
in their workforce unity; our esprit de corps can’t be beat. We are partners with our construction companies in getting the job done efficiently and expertly.” LDC represents 5,900 members, 900 of whom are pensioners. It manages a pension fund of $1.2 billion. it is jointly managed with 100% member contribution. Its members typically work for union-oriented contractors represented by the General Building Contractors Association, Contractors Association of Eastern Pennsylvania, Interior Finish Contractors Association, Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association and many asbestos-removal companies, to name a few. Pension work is vital to the building trades. That’s because few contractors are able to maintain “on-staff” pension funds for the craftsmen they need periodically. That mission is picked up by the unions, which maintain a supply of skilled labor in the marketplace without sentencing them all to obsolescence when they can no longer do heavy labor. Without the pension funds of the building trades, little could be built in the United States; and nothing of substance would be built well. “We make money for our contractors by the quality of our work,” said Boyer. “And we make money for our members as well. Our last quarter was the best quarter, in terms of man-hours, in 15 years.”
He’s Become Our Bridge-Keeper
In 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf appointed Boyer to chair of the 16-member board that oversees operations of the Delaware River Port Authority the Keystone State shares with New Jersey. The DRPA is a regional transportation agency that serves as steward of the Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and (Cont. Page 15)
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Laborers Are Bipartisan A construction trade has no permanent political loyalties, only permanent interests. Laborers thrive by working with private management and public leaders alike. Construction can advance in counties run by Republicans as well as those run by Democrats. Boyer affirms his relations with all
NATIONAL leaders like Vice President Joe Biden and civic leaders like Mayor Jim Kenney seek out Ryan Boyer’s counsel.
four party caucuses on Capitol Hill are good. “Whoever is going to deliver an environment where construction thrives, that’s whom we will work with and support,” he said. “Give me a job and I won’t need any welfare. Our training fund we pay for ourselves. Our pension fund is fully self-funded.” Boyer is all in with Democratic Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. He is comfort-
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able with State Senate Majority Leader Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson). He commends State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-W. Phila.) and describes State Rep. Jordan Harris (D-S. Phila.) as “up and coming.”
Diversity Is Inevitable There is a long-standing habit of hammering the building trades for lack of racial diversity. But Boyer thinks that
era is actually over; most folks just haven’t realized it yet. America’s cultural push toward college degrees and away from manual labor has hollowed out the white families that once funneled their kids into the building trades. But the need for buildings is just as big as ever. Therefore, the crafts of the next generation must be filled by Americans of all backgrounds. It’s less about whether we want it to be this way and more about that it has to be this way. Market forces will carry the day. That the Philadelphia building trades discriminate against minorities in hiring today, said Boyer, is “an unfair characterization.” The building trades are the worst self-promoters in the field of diversity, he stated. Boyer cited the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98’s role in funding a charter school tar-
geting Philadelphia minority students. It had trouble enlisting many of its graduates directly into IBEW apprenticeship programs. But that, Boyer said, was because so many of them wanted to go to college. Boyer is hardly against college: look at his own life. But he believes there is an anti-trade bias in contemporary American society that cannot be blamed on labor unions themselves. Boyer is concerned about the state of urban schools. “The inequality that is built into them is unsustainable for us as a society,” he said. But as the manager of a competent pension fund, he cannot help noticing that pensions in general are not in good shape in the USA at this time – neither Social Security nor in the private sector. The numbers don’t work, he said. (Cont. Page 18)
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The other is the resuscitation of the Franklin Square Station on the PATCO Line. This station was opened in 1936 and closed in 1979 for lack of traffic. But the Old City and Chinatown neighborhoods are popping these days. Many city planners argue that reopening this station will promote keener business and tourist development in a part of town that is already taking off; Boyer is among them.
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(Cont. From Page 6) Betsy Ross Bridges and the PATCO subway-surface line. This is a major public responsibility. DRPA’s annual operating budget is around $100 million. Its capital plans run to $655 million. Talk about construction! Boyer has two missions for DRPA in his sights. One is hiring. Traditionally, 75% of its 955 employees were New Jersey residents, he asserted. He wants to shift that balance toward 50/50%. Former state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-S. Phila.), who was Philadelphia’s previous power on the DRPA board, favored Philadelphia professional contractors – but not the working men and women who took your toll, fixed your pavement or drove your train. Boyer is more concerned with advancing the bottom of the workforce than the top.
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Working Hard for Our City’s Future
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Ryan N. Boyer (Cont. From Page 15) He sees no way to cover the shortfall for most people without raising taxes. Likewise for infrastructure – the meat and potatoes of the construction trades. “Professional bodies consistently rate the nation’s infrastructure as a ‘D,’” he said. “So we have to make this investment as a nation.”
The Future Is Automated Boyer is confident about the present. It’s the future that worries him. “Automation is what keeps me awake at night,” he expressed. “I like technology but automation scares me. How are we going to have enough jobs for the next generation? How do we not get run over?” Boyer notes with some
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At Day’s End, A Family Man
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alarm the arrival on the construction scene of the Brokk demolition robot. “What happens when robots do everything?” he asked. As a result of such concerns, Boyers finds himself becoming a bit crabby about job-eliminating technology breakthroughs. He is a sullen holdout against EZ-Pass, against self-checkout…. Welcome to middle age, Ryan; you are not alone. But the man is bullish on Philadelphia. “We’re going to have a population boom,” he vowed. “The commute between here, Washington and New York is ideal. We are within a day’s drive of 75% of the US population. We have the restaurants, the culture, the diversity. All strong reasons Amazon should come here.”
Enlightening as he is when the fate of Philadelphia and society is at stake, Boyer turns into a dull boy when he’s off-duty. “The best thing that ever happened to me is that I married well,” he said of his wife Farida. “When I’m not here in the office, I’m home.” Boyer likes sports – particularly his children’s sports. One son, Raghib, plays football for Cheyney. Another, Sultan, swims for Boys Latin School in West Philadelphia. Rydesha and Ryan, Jr. are graduates of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Howard University, respectively. Raki is coming up. Teamwork comes naturally to a Laborer. “We have a great team of guys and gals,” Boyer insisted. “I never look at me, I look at us.” Together, he said, “The Laborers can be the moral conscience of the labor movement. We can create pathways out of poverty for everybody.”
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ELEPHANT CORNER
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FACEBOOK event, organized by the local left-wing group Philly UP, had advertised: “Scream Helplessly at the Sky” to mark the election of PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP a year ago. Participants met outside City Hall last Wednesday at 6 p.m. More than 700 people had signed up online to attend, enough that news crews were interested and the police were concerned. Many of the screamers saw the event as a lark. Apparently, organizer SAMANTHA
EVERYDAY PEOPLE BY DENISE CLAY HILE I WAS waiting for my bus to go home on Monday, I was sitting the lobby of the Marriott at 12th & Market charging my phone. I usually pick the lobby because there are lots of outlets to plug your phone into, and there’s a television set that’s usually showing the news, some form of athletic entertainment, or, if I’m lucky, cartoons. Most of the time, it’s relatively empty or is crowded with people with nametags detailing the convention they’re in town for. But
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GOLDMAN, a kindergarten teacher, took it more seriously. She said the group hoped to eventually inspire millions into the streets, “like the crowds that marched after Trump’s inauguration.” She continued, “We don’t want to scream helplessly at the sky,” Goldman said. “We want to scream like a pack of wolves” that can eventually bring down the administration. Actually, if you are howling at the sky, you are pretty much engaging in an adult version of a temper tantrum – hapless and helpless. I guess Goldman really meant “eventually,” as the screamer contingents initially included five people but did double over time to roughly 10. The largest group in attendance was the Young Republicans, led by its CHAIRMAN ROSS WOLFE. The YRs met at 5 p.m. for a brief tailgate at a local restaurant and then walked over to City Hall to witness the scream. The YRs clearly had four
times the turnout of the screamers. In a gesture of civic duty, the YRs handed out earplugs to passers-by. One message the Republicans – and, for that matter, the Democrats – should take away from Election Day is that voters like females for judicial positions. The ladies (I am a female and do not see “lady” as a pejorative) swept Pennsylvania’s appellate-court races. SALLIE MUNDY, a judge from Tioga County, took down Pittsburgh Steeler DWAYNE WOODRUFF for the one open position on the Supreme Court. CHRISTINE FIZZANO CANNON, candidate for Commonwealth Court, prevailed despite Philadelphia County having spelled her name incorrectly on roughly one-half of the voting machines. MARY MURRAY, who had fourth ballot position on the Republican ballot for Superior Court, appears to have (Cont. Page 25)
on Monday, it was packed with people who had just finished participating in a rally in support of rap artist Meek Mill, who just got sentenced to two to four years for violating his probation. The crowd of hundreds, which included Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving, Philadelphia Eagles Malcolm Jenkins and Torrey Smith, and State Rep. Jordan Harris, was protesting Judge Genese Brinkley’s decision to sentence Mill (or is it Meek? I get confused) after his fifth visit to her court for messing up yet again. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t like seeing anyone get locked up. And more than one person has tried to convince me that it’s the subject of criminal justice reform itself and not just celebrity that made them take to the streets. But if that’s the case, there’s a whole lot of people who could really use your high profile to get themselves the justice they deserve. Over the last few years,
I’ve found myself across an interview table with people who have spent long periods of time in jail for stuff they didn’t do, most of it major offenses like rape and murder. For the most part, they’ve never gotten a march dedicated to their freedom, and if they did, it was a relatively short one. That’s why I’m a little annoyed. Criminal justice reform is necessary. From the moment that George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin to the various police shootings here in Philadelphia, I’ve been cognizant of the need to improve the way the criminal-justice system conducts itself in terms of how how Blacks are treated. But there’s a big difference between advocating for the right for those who have been wronged by the system, and defending some knucklehead who got a suite at the Graybar Motel because he thought the (Cont. Page 29)
WALKING the BEAT
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LOT OF HAPPINESS over election outcomes by Democrats who see results as a portent of what is to come – and the GOP in free fall. NOT YET. Be patient. If taxcut legislation fails, or it is seen as a BOON for the rich (which it is), then we can add nails to the coffin. A survey of confidence in President Trump by the military shows high support in the Marines and low support in the Navy. NEWSPRINT was DOMINATED for a week by the
CITY HALL SAM
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HILADELPHIA’S own Common Pleas court JUDGE MARIA McLAUGHLIN was the biggest vote-getter in last week’s statewide judicial action. She is going to be an outstanding Superior Court justice. Her campaign manager, former CITY CONTROLLER JONATHAN SAIDEL, could not have been prouder. He can now take a break from 24-hour-a-day agita. Sadly, Supreme Court candidate DWAYNE WOODRUFF was unsuccessful. The closing days of the campaign turned negative on the part
MEEK MILL matter. A fullpage ad called for justice for Mill. It hoped that the advice of a probation officer and ADA will be heeded to reverse Judge BRINKLEY’S “Miscarriage.” It is odd how many new “lawyers” arise in scenarios like this. ADAs and probation officers often make recommendations to a judge. We have judges, WHO THEN DECIDE. I have never known of these folks supporting cases of ordinary people with probation violations. Then there was an analysis by Sam Stretton, Esq. I think Sam was once in the Air Force – his logic seems LOFTY to me. Then a reporter asked what the real story behind the judge’s sentence was. They called Judge BRINKLEY’S visit to Meek’s public-service site an “infamous visit.” I don’t. We need MORE JUDGES doing that. It is a NEW ERA of OUTREACH! Someone schedule an LSAT for Mill reporters. In the clear, we
see a 10-year-old case and a judge who has been patient. The story was MILKED until dry in the press. We should remember that we should avoid writing about MILL if we are fans of his rap, or want to gain new fans for ourselves. BRAVO to Philadelphia Judges Maria McLAUGHLIN and Carolyn NICHOLS, who are elected to the Superior Court! And Judges and Judges-ELECT who were selected for Common Pleas Court: Stella TSAI, Vikki Kristiansson, Lucretia Clemons, Deborah Cianfrani, Zac Schaffer, Deborah Canty, Shanese Johnson, Mark Cohen and Vince Furlong. All FRESH AIR. How can words describe the MASSIVE victory Judge-Elect Marissa BRUMBACH and her IMPRESSIVE win? Brumbach could win for governor! I am elated at the retention win of Supreme Court Justice Deborah TODD, (Cont. Page 27)
of the Republicans with an unnecessarily mean attack on Woodruff. In fact, some thought it was clearly racial on the part of his Republican opponent. When will we be free from this terrible type of campaigning? This is particularly unsettling because it is a judicial election for the highest court in Pennsylvania. What kind of a standard does such behavior set? In other Philadelphia elections, city controller candidate REBECCA RHYNHART won handily. She will be a refreshing addition to the City Controller’s Office. District attorney candidate LARRY KRASNER won easily; however, he struggled in some areas of the city. Most notably, he was outpolled 80 to 20 in many Northeast Philly divisions where police officers live. He also polled badly in a number of South Philadelphia divisions. The bottom line is there are still many divisions in our city. Much will have to be done to bring unity.
Everyone understands there must be equal justice, but there must also be a perception that the police are respected. Krasner should make sure the members of the Philadelphia FOP know that he represents them as the chief prosecutor for the city. All the retention candidates for Court of Common Pleas judgeships were retained and so was SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DEBORAH TODD. JUDGE PAT DUGAN presided over Veterans Court graduation last week. The judge has been a leader in making sure that veterans are respected for their service and treated fairly in the criminal-justice system. Another big supporter of veterans courts is LT. GOV. MIKE STACK, who spoke at the veterans’ graduation. STATE REP. MARTINA WHITE was also on hand, as were two actors from “The West Wing,” MELISSA FITZGERALD and DULE HILL. 11/15/2017 12:01:16 PM
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E NORMALLY hate the pop -culture term “I can’t even” with the same ferocity reserved for the casual use of “literally” and conservatives’ pejorative usage of “Democrat” instead of “Democratic” when referring to their rivals across the aisle. But in the case of the Meek Mill kerfuffle, we can’t even – it simply leaves us nonplussed that his repeat violations
ELEPHANT CORNER
(Cont. From Page 20) beaten her three fellow Republican candidates. Note to self and the Republican Party – nominate more female judges. Murray won by 4,500 over fellow Republican, Lancaster County DISTRICT ATTORNEY CRAIG STEDMAN. Because of her slight lead, a recount might be called for Pennsylvania’s Superior Court. Nineteen of Pennsylvania’s 9,162 districts had yet to report results to the state as the close of business on Friday. Current totals show Stedman had 907,445 votes. Democrat JUDGE GEOFF MOULTON trailed Stedman by a solid 22,200 votes and Republican JUDGE EMIL GIORDANO trailed Moulton by 5,890 votes. Stedman, Moulton and Giordano all are within the one-half-percent margin with Murray that would
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trigger a statewide recount. The recount is mandatory, but would not occur if all three men waive it. The recount provision has been triggered three times since it was added to Pennsylvania’s election code in 2004. Recounts in other races in 2009 and 2011 didn’t change who won. Typically, when a recount is done, the vote count tends to change by about the same amount for each candidate, according to state election officials. The State pays for recounts, a cost estimated at $500,000. It appears that a recount would be between Murray and Stedman. So a Republican will probably get the seat. However, I hope Giordano and Moulton realize a recount will not help them. I hope Stedman decides to waive the recount and not go after a fellow Republican who more than likely will win the recount. Saturday was Veterans Day. There were numerous
celebrations throughout Philadelphia. One small one was in West Philadelphia’s Clark Park. Veterans were honored in front of the Gettysburg Stone in the park. The stone was taken from the field of the Gettysburg Battle. Republican judge of elections in the 27th Ward, FRAN BYERS, was the master of ceremonies. Civil War reenactor and Temple PROF. ANTHONY “ANDY” WASKIE educated the crowd about Clark Park, part of which was the site of one of the largest Civil War hospitals. The group honored several local veterans, including US Army Vietnam veteran WALLACE PRESSELY, Navy’s CALVIN WILSON and the Marines’ ERNEST WILLOUGHBY. Master Sgt. Pressely still serves with Philadelphia’s Veteran’s House. The veterans were jointed by Boy Scout’s Troup 152, which is located at St Frances De Sales School.
The News in Black & White
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– the letter of the law is clear on that. Why aren’t all of these people up in arms over this case also demonstrating just as loudly for criminal-justice reform? For the end of needlessly punitive cash bail? For more creative options? For better, more comprehensive reentry programs? We can’t even imagine how much the conversation and progress on criminal-justice reform could be moved ahead if someone on his team let his legion of supporters know he hears and appreciates their actions on his behalf – and that they should also be protesting in support of both the countless other individuals locked up because of an unjust system and the efforts to reform that system.
THE ORIGINAL Armistice Day of World War I (now Veterans Day) is commemorated by the 6th, 11th and 12th Wards Memorial Statue and VFW Post 389 Memorial named for Pvt. A. M. Forsthoffer, U.S. Army K.I.A. at 2nd & Spring Garden Streets. Photo by Harry Kline
MARK your CALENDAR Nov. 16- State Rep. Emilio Vázquez hosts “Meet, Greet, Obtain Constituent Services” at Susquehanna Village, 1421 W. Susquehanna Ave, 3-4 p.m. Nov. 16- Phila. Public Record honors Ryan Boyer as “Public Servant of the Year” at Galdo’s Catering, 20th & Moyamensing Ave., 5:308:30 p.m. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres & dinner. Tickets $50 in advance, $60 at door, tables of 10 for $450. For info: events@cityandstatepa.com. Nov. 16- Sheriff Jewell Wil-
liams hosts Fish & Chicken Fry at Lou & Choo’s, 2101 W. Hunting Pk. Ave., 5:30 p.m. Tickets $12. For info: Andrew (215) 609-5876. Nov. 16- State Rep. Martina White hosts Cocktails & Hors d’Oeuvres at Union League at Torresdale, 3801 Grant Ave., 6-8 p.m. Attendees $100, Hosts $2,500, Sponsors $5,000, Chairs $10,000. For info: (267) 414-3477. Nov. 17- Warrior Writers host “Broken Stones Social Action Happy Hour & Spontaneous Poetry” at Interact Theatre Co., 302 S. Hicks St., 6:30-10:15 p.m. For tix: interacttheatre.secure. force.com Nov. 18- State Rep. Donna Bullock hosts “Is My Home Making Me Sick” Healthy Home Workshop at Prince of Peace Baptist Ch., 1844 N. 32nd St., 2nd fl., 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. Learn about lead, carbon monoxide poisoning & other toxins, also pest control & fire hazards. Free. For info (215) 6843738.
Nov. 18- State Rep. Jim Roebuck hosts Veterans Event at USciences McNeil Science & Technology Ctr., 4320 Woodland Ave., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Speaker: Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Farrell, Pa. Nat’l Guard. Assistance from federal, state & local agencies. Nov. 22- State Rep. Pam DeLissio hosts APPRISE counseling for Medicare open enrollment at 6511 Ridge Ave., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For app’t: (215) 482-8726. Nov. 28- State Rep. Jason Dawkins hosts Weatherization Event at Ziehler Plg., 200 E. Olney Ave., 6:30-8 p.m. Advice & resources for staying warm & saving money this winter. For info: (215) 744-7901. Nov. 30- Phila. Office of Community Empowerment & Opportunity hosts “Uniting to Fight Poverty Summit” at Arch St. Mtg. Ho., 320 Arch St., 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Keynote speaker: State Rep. Chris Rabb. Tickets $35. For info: Jennifer.Selpa@Phila.Gov. (Cont. Page 29)
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OPINION
that led to foreseen consequences have stirred up massive protests online and in the streets of Philadelphia. What could be so different about Robert Miheek Williams – the rapper’s given name – that buses festooned with calls for his release clogged Center City streets on Tuesday? Why did his sentence of two to four years for violating his parole bring out boldface names like Jay Z, Dr. J and Malcolm Jenkins to protest? There’s no question this has become a cause célèbre simply because Mill is a celebrity. The incomprehensible amount of armchair lawyering aside, the question isn’t whether or not he deserves to be incarcerated for violating the terms of his probation
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Philadelphia Turnout Was Patchy
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POLS on the STREET BY JOE SHAHEELI IGH TURNOUT in some wards for the Nov. 7 election continued to buoy Larry Krasner in his race for district attorney. The largely white-collar progressive wards in and around Center City as well as parts of the Northwest, which had shown up in droves to back Krasner in the May primary,
H
Representative N OV E M B E R 16, 2017
Vanessa Lowery Brown 190th Legislative District
repeated their performance. In so doing, he fought off another surge in turnout, in the Northeast as well as the 26th Ward in South Philadelphia. These neighborhoods are sympathetic to police and their voters, who were little interested in the Democratic primary, came out in strong numbers to back Republican Beth Grossman, who was endorsed by most public-safety workers’ associations. It made a difference: She almost doubled the votes that could have been cast by registered Republicans alone, who are a dwindling breed in this city. But their surge could not overcome the progressive surge in Krasner strongholds. Turnout was weak in other parts of town where Democratic leaders had hoped State Rep.
State Senator
Anthony Hardy Williams 8th Senatorial District
2901 ISLAND AVE. STE 100 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19153 (215) 492-2980 FAX: (215) 492-2990 ---419 CHURCH LANE YEADON, PA 19050 (610) 284-7335 FAX: (610) 284-5955 6630 LINDBERGH BLVD.
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2103 SNYDER AVENUE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19145 (215) 755-9185 FAX: (215) 952-3375 ---SENATE BOX 203008 HARRISBURG, PA 17120 ROOM: 11 EAST WING (717) 787-5970 FAX: (717) 772-0574
“Paid for with Pennsylvanian taxpayer dollars”
Casey at the Bat
L-R, U.S. SEN. Bob Casey greeted a large crowd of supporters at a reception at the home of Lonnie & Murray Levin. Michael Reed, Esq., R, a partner of Murray’s at Pepper Hamilton law firm, was one of the supporters who came to hear Casey speak about national and state issues. Photos by Bonnie Squires
Street
1621 W. Jefferson Street Philadelphia, PA 19121
2733 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133
215-425-5708
215-227-6161
Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
State Rep. Jason
L-R, NANCY & GARY Gordon hosted a fundraising reception for Casey right after election day in their Haverford home. Here they are joined by Jennifer & State Sen. Daylin Leach.
City Commissioner
Dawkins
Lisa M.
District Office: 4667 Paul St. Philadelphia, PA 19124 (215) 744-7901 M. – Th.: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. F.: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Room 132 City Hall
Deeley Philadelphia PA 19107
215-686-3460
State Rep.
Councilman
Mark
Joanna E.
Squilla
McClinton 191st Leg. Dist. 6027 Ludlow St. Unit A Phila., PA 19139
1st District City Hall Room 332
T: (215) 748-6712 F: (215) 748-1687
215-686-3458/59
D-185th District 2901 S. 19th St. Phila PA 19145 P: 215-468-1515 F: 215-952-1164
Room 506 City Hall P. 215-686-3446/7 F. 215-686-1927
Representative
Angel Cruz
District Office 3503 ‘B’ St. 215-291-5643 Ready to Serve you
Boyle
198th District
310 W. Chelten Ave.
172nd Dist. 7420 Frankford Ave. Phila., PA 19136
Phila PA 19148
P: 215-849-6426
215-331-2600 State Rep.
John
Donna
(R) 177th Dist. 4725 Richmond St. Phila., PA 19137
195th Leg. Dist. 2835 W. Girard Ave Phila, PA 19130
215-744-2600
Donatucci
Greenlee
Kevin J.
Youngblood
Taylor
Rep.Maria P.
Councilman Wm.
State Rep.
Rep. Rosita
STATE REP.
on Capitol Hill throughout this decade. (Cont. Page 28)
Sharif
197th Legislative District Office
215-271-9190
more egregiously gerrymandered turf that they are using to rule the roost
State Senator
Emilio Vazquez
184th District 1531 S. 2nd Street
1435 N. 52nd St. Phila. PA 19131 (215) 879-6615
minced no words. “Voter turnout in majority Black neighborhoods in North Philadelphia was nothing to brag about,” he noted. Fortunately for the Democrats, their majority on the state’s highest court should remain secure at 7-2. Barring the unforeseen, they hope it to hold at least through 2022. That’s the year when redistricting will happen. Even if the Republicans retain their grip on the General Assembly and regain the governorship, the Supreme Court will get to rule on any redistricting plan, ensuring an ace card for the Democrats in drawing the final lines. Particularly with regard to state legislative districts, Republicans may have to surrender some of their
State Representative
William Keller
Always Hard At Work for You! P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0
for better. Their dream victory would have been for Supreme Court candidate Judge Dwayne Woodruff, a well-known Black jurist from Pittsburgh. A key part of Woodruff’s strategy was to get Philadelphia’s large African American population to go to the polls to boost a champion of their race. He spent a lot of time in Philadelphia and Democratic City Committee leaders did their best to urge their registered voters to come and pull the lever. But they did not. While Woodruff easily carried the city, he did not amass a large-enough majority here to overcome Republican Justice Sallie Mundy in the rest of the state. Commenting to the Philadelphia Tribune, Council President Darrell Clarke
Bullock T: (215) 684-3738 F: (215) 235-4629
City Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker 9th District City Hall, Room 577, Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-686-3454 or 3455
www.phlcouncil.com/CherelleParker
Facebook: CouncilwomanCherelleLParker Twitter: @CherelleParker9
11/15/2017 12:14:43 PM
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ordinance, which should have A HEARING!! Some tickets are so old and NEVER will be paid. Maybe the City will get to tow a 1988 truck to collect? FINANCE DIRECTOR and Deputy Finance Director: Show caring and compassion at Thanksgiving on tickets. SADLY: Judge Armand
DELLA PORTA passed in Chestnut Hill. A real grand and classy Common Pleas Judge. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Chris CONCILLO, super analyst; Jerry DAVIS, who should drive a DB4; Buoyant Phil PRESS, Esq.; Hon. Roger GORDON; Jonathan SHAP-
IRO, Chairman of the 27 DEM Party for Narberth and Lower Merion; and two lovely daughters of Flo PAULING. Thanks to City Commissioner Al SCHMIDT for publishing a pre-election analysis of percentages – and Happy BIRTHDAY to your daughter ERIN! T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D
the TOW list! A proposed City Council Ordinance by Jannie BLACKWELL IN 2016 would forgive tickets over three years old. Mayor KENNEY is against it. Of course. Tickets are a revenue source and were called a SUBLIMINAL TAX. It is just dumb not to support the
N OV E M B E R 16, 2017
(Cont. From Page 20) who is in line to be the first WOMAN Chief Justice in COMMONWEALTH HISTORY! Excellent local judges were retained: Linda CARPENTER, Michael ERDOS, James DE LEON, Joyce EUBANKS, Thomas GEHRET, David SHUTER, Karen SIMMONS, Nazario JIMENITZ, William MEEHAN, Marvin WILLIAMS and Brad MOSS!! Thank you for your service! Why do the media portray Controller-Elect Rebecca RHYNHART as a NEWBIE? Maybe they want to take credit for her win? The LARRY KRASNER LANDSLIDE was met with the FOP willingness to work with him – good for us taxpayers. NO MORE of the KANE-SETH fighting, please... One reporter noted that Krasner never met a cop he liked – which is BS. TWO articles wrote that Krasner faced DEM opposition; NOPE! And that returns show a DIVIDED CITY. Malarkey. One included a paragraph on Rizzo’s allegedly shameful legacy. The writer was maybe in DIAPERS at the time. A cop vented on Facebook by noting Krasner cannot control his arrests and oh, well, if Krasner lets the &^%$# out. A warranted arrest is fine; keep it that way. No human that is arrested is a *&^%$. If an arrest is frivolous, then it costs TAXPAYERS money! Another cop labeled Krasner with a nasty title, and thought he might be helped by a slap. I advise posters to look in the mirror before posting, and throw
the first stone if without sin. Do I dislike COPS? Not as a 50-year Police Chiefs’ member. The ULTIMATE was an editorial telling Krasner how to run his office after endorsing HIS OPPONENT (?). They wrote that Krasner wants to turn the office upside down before the election, and now encourage it (?). What a NUTTY idea, to merge the TURNPIKE with PENNDOT. Congressman LoBIONDO is retiring! The ONLY/ BEST replacement is Rep. Jeff VAN DREW! There is a seminar this month on surviving over age 55. An editor will speak on what we can do to maintain a free press. Hmm; will you listen to our ideas?? We need more media support over Philly refineries being allowed to use less ETHANOL in gasoline. Save it for foods. Harnessing the electrical power of Schuylkill Dam is smart. NOW ALL VETERANS can get tax-free shopping online FOR LIFE with the Armed Forces Exchange system. The number of tickets needed to TOW YOUR CAR went from SIX to THREE in the RENDELL era. If you have three (you can check online); pay one ticket ASAP – or arrange a HEARING for one ticket, which also gets you off
LEGAL NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 83.4’) on the building at 8835 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA (20171025). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.
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WALKING the BEAT
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POLS on the STREET (Cont. From Page 26)
Wagner-Bartos Form a Team
In an unusual move, two millionaires have joined forces to seek the Republican nomination for gover-
nor and lieutenant governor in the 2018 primary. State Sen. Scott Wagner (R-York), a trucking magnate, is a recent entry in electoral politics, having knocked off an endorsed Republican candidate for State Senate in 2014. He is closely identified with the Tea Party movement and has embraced its develop-
ment into the Trump movement, which is powerful in rural and small-city Pennsylvania regions. Bartos owns an energy-efficiency company. He is based in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with extensive connections in the suburbs and with Philadelphia’s corporate elite. (Cont. Page 31)
Representative
Maria P. Donatucci
N OV E M B E R 16, 2017
Congratulations Ryan Boyer on being named the 2017 Public Servant of the year!
2901 South 19th Street, Philadelphia Pa 19145
215-468-1515
McClinton Promotes Veterans
VETERANS DAY weekend was marked at Myers Rec Center in Kingsessing by State Rep. Joanna McClinton, who was joined here by veterans – and veteran boxers Rev. Paul “Earthquake” Moore, L, and Deimonico Hughes. Photos by Wendell Douglas
S.W. PHILADELPHIA veterans received House of Representatives commendations from State Rep. Joanna McClinton. L-R were Alphonso Jasper, Margaret DiSanto, Rudy Roberson, McClinton, Alfred Howell, Leona Jones and Patrick McKenna.
Cephas Meets the Bar
The Philadelphia Licensed Tavern Merchants Association commended State Rep. Morgan Cephas for her work at its annual get-together at the Regal Ballroom in Oxford Circle. At the event were, L-R, Judge-Elect Shanese Johnson, Rita Jefferson, Cephas, Bernard Lopez, Mary Lawton, radio personality Thera Martin and attorney Carmella Jacquinto. Photo
Vanessa Tackles Stop-&-Gos 18TH POLICE DISTRICT Capt. Greg Riley addresses community meeting on stop-&-gos at Christian Stronghold Baptist Church in Mill Creek as former State Rep. Ron Waters and State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, who hosted the meeting, paid heed. Photos by Wendell Douglas
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STATE REP. Jim Roebuck urged the community to organize against this problem. The state can help with some new legislation.
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COUNCILWOMAN Jannie Blackwell vowed city support for the stop&-go problem in her district.
11/15/2017 12:15:20 PM
(Cont. From Page 25) Dec. 6- State Rep. Pam DeLissio hosts APPRISE counseling for Medicare open enrollment at 6511 Ridge Ave., 1-3 p.m. For app’t: (215) 482-8726.
Dec. 6- United Republican Cl. Hosts Anniversary Awards Gala at 3156 Frankford Ave., 6-9 p.m. Awardees: Farah Jimenez & Kevin Pasquay. Tickets $125. Dec. 7- State Sen. John Sabatina hosts Holiday Happy Hour at Blue Duck
on Broad, 220 S. Broad St., 5:30-7:30 p.m. For info: (215) 821-7606 or re.elect.johnsabatina@ gmail.com. Dec. 13- Pa. Soc. meets at N.Y. Hilton Midtown, 1335 Ave. of Americas, N.Y.C. For info: (215) 233-2650.
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE - WHEREAS, on May 29, 2009, a certain mortgage was executed by William J. Leahan Jr., as mortgagor in favor of MetLife Home Loans, a Division of MetLife Bank, N.A. as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Philadelphia Document Number 52072820 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 5920 North Ella Street Philadelphia, PA 19120, parcel number 612500100 / 147N11-41 (“Property”); and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by William J. Leahan Jr. and Agnes M. Leahan, his wife by virtue of deed dated December 7, 1965 and recorded December 14, 1965 in Book CAD 613; Page 247; and WHEREAS, Agnes M. Leahan died on February 3, 2008. By operation of law title vests solely in William J. Leahan Jr. and Agnes M. Leahan is hereby released of liability pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 1144. William J. Leahan Jr. died on August 15, 2013 intestate and is survived by his heir(s)-at-law, Elizabeth Castaldi; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary”), pursuant to an assignment recorded on 7/20/2012 in Philadelphia Document Number 52511117, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph 9 (a)(i)), as William J. Leahan, Jr. died on August 15, 2013, and that upon the death the entire principal balance becomes due and owing, and that no payment was made, and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of November 1, 2016 is $133,115.77 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable; NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, l2 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR Part 29, and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on September 29, 2011 in Misc. Instrument #: 52395684, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, notice is hereby given that on November 29, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, DESCRIBED according to a Survey and Plan thereof made by Joseph F. Delany, Esquire, Surveyor and Regulator of the Fifth Survey District on the Twenty-Eighth day of May, A.D. 1952, as follows, to wit: SITUATE on the Westerly side of Ella Street (Fifty feet wide) at the distance of One Hundred Seventy-Four feet Three and One-Half inches Northwardly from the Northerly side of Nedro Avenue (Sixty feet wide) in the Forty-Second Ward of the City of Philadelphia. CONTAINING in front or breadth on the said Ella Street Sixteen feet, Three inches and extending of that width in length or depth Westwardly between parallel lines at right angles to the said Ella Street (the Northerly and Southerly lines thereof passing partly through the center of the party walls of the building erected on this lot and the buildings erected on the lots adjoining to the North and South thereof) eighty-five feet to a certain line of a certain fifteen feet wide driveway which extends Northwardly into Champlost Avenue (seventy feet wide) and Southwardly into the said Nedro Avenue. TOGETHER, with the free and common use, right, liberty and privilege of the aforesaid driveway and for passageway, driveways, and watercourses at all times hereafter, forever, in common with the owners, tenants, and occupiers of the other lots of ground bounding thereon and entitled to the use thereof. SUBJECT, however, to the proportionate share of the expense of keeping said driveway in good order and repair. BEING No. 5920 North Ella Street. BEING PARCEL NUMBER 61-2-5001-00. The sale will be held on November 29, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $133,115.77 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date. Ten percent (10%) of the highest bid is the deposit required at the sale. The amount that must be paid to HUD by the mortgagors or someone acting on their behalf so that the sale may be stayed is the total delinquent amount of $133,115.77 as of November 1, 2016, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement. There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale. When making their bid, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent 10% of the Secretary’s bid as set forth above in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyance fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them. The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) days, and a fee will be charged in the amount of $150.00 for each fifteen (15) day extension requested. The extension fee shall be paid in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due. If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder’s deposit will be forfeited, and the Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder. There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein.
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LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on October 3, 2017, Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State for Partners for Pennsylvania Families Inc., a corporation organized under the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988 for the purpose of representing the interests of child welfare agencies throughout Pennsylvania.
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MARK your CALENDAR
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on October 31, 2017, Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State for Pennsylvania Together Inc., a corporation organized under the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988 for the purpose of resisting racism, misogyny, and fascism; advocating for policy change; increasing civic engagement, voter registration, and voter turnout; and demanding accountability from our elected leaders to put people and planet first.
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(Cont. From Page 20) rules didn’t apply to him. Meek Mill thought that he could flout the rulings of Judge Brinkley on the regular and get away with it. He thought that he should be
able to wrap himself in the fight for justice reform and use it to walk away from his shenanigans. If that’s allowed to happen, it’ll TMZ a movement that deserves better than that. My hope is that folks won’t allow that to happen.
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on October 6, 2017, Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State for March On Harrisburg Inc., a corporation organized under the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988 for the purpose of fighting against systemic political inequality and corruption, healing our wounded democracy and restoring trust to our republic through citizen lobbying, marching and nonviolent direct action.
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EVERYDAY PEOPLE
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understanding BANKRUPTCY BY MICHAEL A. CIBIK AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY BOARD CERTIFIED uestion: How long will it take before I can qualify for a mortgage or car loan? Answer: Generally, you are not disqualified from a federally guaranteed or insured mortgage after two
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Q
years from your Chapter 7 or chapter 13 discharge. There is a program that avoids disqualification while you are still in a Chapter 13 case if you have timely made at least one year of payments and the bankruptcy court approves the proposed mortgage. Generally, the same rules apply for non-federal mortgages. I apologize for the “Generallys.” There are a whole bunch of things that mortgage lenders look at. You might be denied a mortgage despite the passage of the necessary two years. Car loans are not as regulated as mortgages, and car lenders are not as picky. Each lender can be a different case. My experience is that car lenders only care
about a bankruptcy for the first two years after the discharge, and even then the consequence is only a small increase of interest if you cannot wait the full two years. Getting a car loan while still in an active Chapter 13 bankruptcy case can be a problem. Most lenders will not cooperate, and the few which will expect higher interest – and there is no way to predict what that interest will be. You definitely will have to shop around and then get bankruptcy-court approval. For this reason, I advise all my Chapter 13 clients to get replacement car loans before the filing, if there is reason to expect that the car will not last the 3-5 years of the bankruptcy case. Payments made after a discharge will not appear in your credit report. Your new lender will not know of your payments. You should ask your existing mortgage or car lender for a payment history to show the new lender that you made timely payments. Next Week’s Question: What is a Chapter 13 bankruptcy?
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Y
O! HERE we go again with a little humor sent to me by Tony S. It might help to ease the plan of your next trip to the pump – if that’s possible. Try to find something funny in the absurdity of it all – for example, the price of gas versus printer ink.
12 oz. of Brake Fluid, $3.15 = $33.60 per gallon; 6-oz. container of Vick’s Nyquil, $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon; 4-oz. bottle of Pepto Bismol, $3.85 = $123.20 per gallon; the 7-oz. container of Wite Out (used to correct typing mistakes), $1.39 = $25.42 per gallon; and a 1.5-oz. bottle of Scope, $0.99 = $84.48 per gallon. And this is the real kicker: a 9-oz. bottle of Evian water, $1.49 = $21.19 per gallon. What would our grandparents say about paying $21.19 for a gallon of water? And we, the buyers, don’t even know the source of this water. Ever wonder why computer printers are so cheap? So they have you hooked for
the ink. Someone calculated the cost of the ink at (you won’t believe it but it is true) at $5,200 a gallon. That is five thousand, two hundred dollars a gallon. So the next time you’re at the pump, be glad your car doesn’t run on water, Scope, or Wite Out, Pepto-Bismol, Nyquil or, God forbid, printer ink! And … if you don’t pass this along to at least one person, your muffler will fall off. Okay, your muffler won’t really fall off ... but you might run out of toilet paper. And here is a nice thought from Dr. Seuss: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Is It A Canny One-Two Punch? POLS on the STREET (Cont. From Page 28) A possible strategy for this team may be to use Bartos as the friendly face campaigning in the suburbs, where Wagner’s embrace of Trumpian language and causes looks likely to make moderate voters cringe. In signing on with Wagner, Bartos bailed out from his previous campaign for U.S. Senate, where he
had hoped to win the nod and eventually unseat Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). Casey should take this as a tacit compliment by Bartos, acknowledging that the incumbent has shored up his base without agitating the middle. Joseph Vodvarka, who has run for statewide offices three times as a Democrat, has entered the senatorial fray as a Republican in the May primary. His campaigns have been poorly funded and did not move the needle much.
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the WAFFLE MAN
All these examples do not imply gasoline is cheap; they just illustrate how outrageous some prices are if you think of them in the gallon equivalent. You will be really shocked by the last one! At least, I was. This will make one think, and it also puts things in perspective to other things we buy. Compared with gasoline, do you think a gallon of gas is expensive compared to these common items? A 16-ounce Diet Snapple, $1.29 = $10.32 per gallon; a 16-oz. Lipton Ice Tea, $1.19 = $9.52 per gallon; 20-oz. bottle of Gatorade, $1.59 = $10.17 per gallon; Ocean Spray in the 16-oz. size, $1.25 = $10.00 per gallon.
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