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SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

Vol. XIV No. 3

Issue 542

January 25, 2018

“The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”

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NEW DISTRICTS? P. 3

MEMBERS of the “Diva Bird Gang” party hearty at Chickie’s & Pete’s on Pattison Avenue after the Eagles’ stunning NFC Championship win last Sunday, when the nation’s eyes were on South Philly. More pics P. 9.

Photo by Leona Dixon

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Charles Santore Library Now Open on Saturday

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HE CHARLES Santore branch library, in Bella Vista, has resumed Saturday hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library was fighting tooth and nail to get back its Saturday hours and even enlisted the help from the office of South Philadelphia’s own Councilman Mark Squilla (1st District).

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THE CHARLES SANTORE Free Library is now open Saturdays.

Refinery Broke Big Grant for Garden

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There is a multitude of events featured at the library, including the new Domino Toppling program on this Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. for kids 6 years old and older. Stop in for yoga on Monday evenings, knitting and crocheting circle Wednesdays, and many youth programs. All programs are free.

HILADELPHIA Energy Solutions LLC filed a plan Monday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to restructure $525 million of debt, and bring in new owners.

PES said it will continue operating and paying its bills while the reorganization takes place. The company expects to emerge from the bankruptcy in the first quarter. Current management, led by Chief Executive Gregory G. Gatta, will remain.

The 335,000-barrel-a-day refinery, the largest on the East Coast, employs 1,100 people and about 500 contractors.

The price for renewable-energy credits is factor that caused the company such peril, which now cost the company about $217 million last year, its greatest expense after crude-oil costs, and more than twice the company’s payroll, greater than its annual capital expenditures, and four times more than its interest expense.

Gatta, in a statement, called the agreement a win for the region, the state and the city.

“Today’s agreement positions PES well for the future with a sustainable capital structure and additional liquidity, ensuring we can continue to provide critical refined-product sup-

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ply and energy security to the Northeast United States without disruption and with no impact on our employees, suppliers and customers,” he said.

He pledged to continue to work with the government to address “the broken” renewable-fuel standards system, which the company has argued puts independent merchant refiners like PES at the mercy of traders selling ethanol credits. The Trump administration in December reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the renewable-fuel standard.

The company put out a news release Monday assiduously that avoids using the word “bankruptcy,” but a memo distributed to employees on Sunday acknowledged the reorganization plan would be filed under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Owners of about $525 million in “Term B” debt, due in March, will extend $417 million of debt to come due in 2022, and exchange the remainder for 75 percent equity in the company. Credit Suisse Asset Management and Halcyon Capital Management, hold about 70% of the debt.

Under the restructuring, the current owners will hold a 25% minority share.

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EPARTMENT of Conservation & Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined other state officials and City of Philadelphia representatives at an event celebrating the Commonwealth’s recent investments in improvements at Bartram’s Garden, along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

The oldest surviving botanical garden in North America, Bartram’s Garden in Southwest Philadelphia covers 46 acres, providing visitors a historic garden and arboretum, as well as public access to the Schuylkill River.

A DCNR grant will be used to expand a current public boat dock, making the river more accessible for community recreation and

learning.

“With these improvements, Bartram’s Garden and Philadelphia are rolling out the ‘welcome mat’ to visitors to come, appreciate, and enjoy the Schuylkill River and all its beauty and recreational promise,” Dunn said.

The recipient of a $150,000 grant, Bartram’s Garden will be expanding its current public boat dock, making the tidal Schuylkill River more accessible for community recreation and learning. Also, project improvements will include ADA accessibility, landscaping and signage.

“Connecting our neighbors to their river and parks is one of the most important things we do at Bartram’s Garden,” said Maitreyi Roy, executive director of Bar-

tram’s Garden. “This support will increase access to our free public boating and healthy outdoor recreation, and we expect more than 5,000 people will get out on the river each year. This is a wonderful opportunity to create many happy memories.”

“I appreciate DCNR’s support of the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Department through its grant program,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell.

“Its ongoing and generous support has enabled us to improve access to quality public spaces across Philadelphia.”

“This importance placed on the revitalization of this community and public open space will prove to serve as a great resource to Philadelphians,” said Gilbert King Elisa, volunteer and active user of the river.

Wyatt Seeks House Seat

The Philadelphia Public Record (PR-01) (ISSN 1938-856X) (USPS 1450) Published Weekly Requested Publication ($20 per year Optional Subscription) The South Philadelphia Public Record 325 Chestnut St., Suite 1110 Phila. PA 19106 Periodical Postage Paid at Philadelphia, PA and additional mailing office POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: The Public Record 325 Chestnut St., Suite 1110 Phila. PA 19106 (215) 755-2000 Fax: (215) 525-2818 editor@phillyrecord.com EDITORIAL STAFF

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ATTORNEY Tom Wyatt rallied a team of canvassers last weekend to work the streets of the 184th Legislative District in Bella Vista, where he is vying for the Democratic nomination in the May primary. Starting at the South Philadelphia Older Adult Center, they fanned out to cover neighboring blocks. Right: Wyatt was joined by Cambodian activists Dennis Chhin, L, and Hor Chou. Photos by Wendell Douglas

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ruled that questions about partisanship were not the Feds’ concern. However, the League of Women Voters suit was solely based on the State Constitution.

While further court appeals to the state decision are a near impossibility, Senate leadership has been critical of the lawsuit and sources said they would exercise every option to delay a redraw.

Legal experts said that GOP leaders in the state Legislature could blow the court-imposed deadline or choose to pass off a map that Wolf was unlikely to sign, forcing the Supreme Court itself to draw new maps.

Reform advocates, for their part, were thrilled – although they noted that long-term issues remained.

“It’s huge news. We’re delighted that the court has recognized the level of partisan mischief that goes on in making these maps,” said David Thornburgh, of the good government group Committee of Seventy. “But all this does is fix the districts this time around. This doesn’t fix the process. It’s still operative-driven – it’s still backroom deals with big data and highly secretive maps.”

While the court decision does not install a new redistricting process, experts said it does set a precedent for future lawsuits over excessive partisanship in future redistricting processes, like any disputes likely to arise as a result of the 2020 census. Barley observed that not all Democrats would be thrilled by that prospect.

Many insiders on the left had planned to use their Supreme Court majority to take the reins in the next round of redistricting under the current system.

In effect, some hoped to (Cont. Page 11)

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Altmire wound up facing off against one another in a single merged district.

“We don’t know where our candidates are, if we’re in competitive districts, if two of our candidates are going to be in the same district – it’s completely upended strategic planning that was taking place,” Nevins said. “How do you raise money now? You don’t even know if they’re going to be in your district anymore.

Some will always give, but it’s more challenging.”

Meanwhile, Republicans, who drew the current political districts in 2011 with the support of certain Democrats, saw the 4-3 decision itself as a partisan move by the high court’s Democratic majority.

“Unfortunately, four members of the Supreme Court today put partisan politics ahead of the Constitution.

Anytime that happens, it puts candidates in an uncertain situation,” GOP consultant Ray Zaborney said.

However, some observers were more reserved. Republican campaign consultant Mike Barley pointed to a federal decision in a North Carolina gerrymandering suit that saw courts give Republicans in that state more time to come up with a new political map.

“You lose an election and go to a partisan court and argue to get the lines changed. It sets a bad precedent, but we were expecting it,” he said. “We’re in uncharted waters, but I think there’s more people who think that redistricting is unlikely to happen in time to affect the 2018 races.”

Federal courts have been demonstrably kinder to states with bizarrely drawn political maps like Pennsylvania’s: In one recent decision, a judge

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BY RYAN BRIGGS IDING WITH petitioners in a lawsuit over the constitutionality of the state’s 18 congressional districts, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered a sweeping revision of the redistricting process that could upend numerous races across the state.

While the decision was viewed as a win for Democrats who have long felt marginalized by gerrymandering – the party holds just 5 of Pennsylvania’s 18 U.S. House districts – campaign consultants from both parties were concerned about the ramifications such a radical change could bring in an election year.

“As a Democrat, it’s encouraging because the lines drawn currently for Democrats are about as unfair as they get,” said Democratic campaign consultant Mark Nevins. “But as a campaign consultant, as a strategist, this is a ‘Game of Thrones’style, season-ending cliffhanger. We don’t know what’s happening.”

The order, released by the state’s highest court in a suit first brought by the League of Women Voters, found that the 2011 Congressional Redistricting Act was crafted in a partisan manner that violated the state Constitution. The order requires the Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf to come up with a new map by Feb. 19 – with an exception being granted for the March special election for PA-18.

Newly drawn lines could radically alter the dynamics of the races already well underway in the currently drawn districts. For example, in 2012 – the last year new districts went into effect – Democratic Congressmen Marc Critz and Jason

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Campaigns in Disarray After SC Redo Order

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Goofy, Donald Duck Are Kicked out

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POLS on the STREET

BY JOE SHAHEELI ONDAY, the earth moved underneath every Pennsylvania congressman as well as all who would unseat them.

On that day, the State Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania’s congressional redistricting plan, which was passed in 2011 when Republicans controlled the General Assembly and the

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Representative

Vanessa Lowery Brown JA N UA RY 25, 2018

190th Legislative District

Governor’s Mansion, violates the State Constitution.

That document contains specific language requiring that districts be as contiguous as possible and strive to avoid splitting local governmental boundaries.

It’s a commandment that all General Assemblies have winked at when drawing new district lines. Their effective mission has always been to preserve incumbents and favor parties in power.

In this case, though, the 2011 Republicans created districts spectacular in their disregard for geography.

The most famous may be Congressman Pat Meehan’s (R-Delaware) 7th District, whose bizarre shape has been dubbed “Goofy Kicking Donald Duck.” But the two cartoon characters are not alone on the Keystone State political map.

What politics made, politics can unmake. The court now has an elected Democratic majority of 5-2. That majority made the decision to read the law as it stands.

The Pennsylvania Republican Party will fight back.

PAGOP released a statement criticizing the decision as “a partisan attempt to overturn the will of the Legislature” and vowed “to support efforts to secure a stay from the United States Supreme Court, similar to the recent stay granted in North Carolina.”

But North Carolina is a shaky platform for PAGOP to stand on. That action was a federal case based on the U.S. Constitution. This is a matter entirely governed by state law. The Pennsylvania SC has said it can draw a new map in time for the May primary and the Department

184th District 1531 S. 2nd Street

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197th Legislative District Office

Street 1621 W. Jefferson Street

215-425-5708

215-227-6161

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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

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Thomas to Hike Minimum Wage

AS the House of Representatives resumes session, State Rep. Curtis Thomas, Jr., R, announced at Mt. Olive Holy Temple in North Central, he will introduce legislation calling for a hike in the state minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $15/hour. It hasn’t been raised for 29 years. His bill will seek an end to sub-minimum-wage tip-based jobs, include a cost-of-living adjustment and allow municipalities to set their own minimum wages higher than the state standard. He was joined by John Meyerson, convener of Raise the Minimum Wage PA.

Kenyatta Opens Office VOLUNTEERS swarmed the street outside the new office at Broad & Girard of 181st Legislative District candidate Malcolm Kenyatta. Kenyatta is the grandson of Muhammad Kenyatta, who ran for mayor in 1975.

He was elected junior block captain at the age of 11 and as a delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He is active in the Liberty City Democratic Club, Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, the Philadelphia Chapter of National Organization for Women’s Education Fund and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Equality PA.

Sharif

Philadelphia, PA 19121

2733 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133

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State Senator

All across Pennsylvania, then, incumbents and challengers are stymied in their campaign planning, which they should be polishing in (Cont. Page 5)

Emilio Vazquez

William Keller

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Where Am I Running?

Pols Must Now Ask

State Representative

State Rep.

1435 N. 52nd St. Phila. PA 19131 (215) 879-6615

of State has said it can carry it out. PAGOP would have to show the Pennsylvania Constitution violates the U.S. Constitution. That’s a tough fourth and long.

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez sneered back at PAGOP, “In Pennsylvania and across the country, Republicans have gerrymandered congressional maps to rig elections in their favor.” He called the Pennsylvania decision “a victory for democracy and another blow to the Republican Party’s nationwide effort to game the system.”

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D-185th District 2901 S. 19th St. Phila PA 19145 P: 215-468-1515 F: 215-952-1164

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City Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker 9th District

District Office 1538 E. Wadsworth Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19150 Phone: 215-686-3454 Fax: 215-685-9271. www.phlcouncil.com/CherelleParker

Facebook: CouncilwomanCherelleLParker Twitter: @CherelleParker9

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POLS on the STREET

Goofy, Mickey’s Loss May Be Dan’s Gain In the case of Philadelphia Ward Leader Dan Muroff, however, district-line chaos may be his best friend. His 9th Ward, Chestnut Hill, lies just outside the current 7th Congressional District. But incumbent Meehan’s true base is in Delaware County – where, (Cont. Page 7)

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(Cont. From Page 4) late January. While they still want to run, they cannot, at this time, know where to run.

Congressman Bob Brady (D-Phila.) is the longest-serving congressman in Southeastern Pennsylvania, having passed through two redistrictings. He’s on hold, he says; and so is everyone else, regardless of what they say.

“Nobody knows what district they’re going to be in,” he pointed out. “You can’t set up canvassing operations, media plans, local liaisons until you know where you’re running.”

An influential map presented by Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, based on mathematical professionals, offers one easy path forward for such a fast track. It would certainly improve Democrats’ chances overall, but it could easily create problems for Democratic as well as Republicans, incumbents as well as challengers, in certain districts. So, no contestant sleeps easily tonight.

Congressional candidates enjoy one advantage denied to their state legislative colleagues, however. They don’t have to live in their districts; whereas state office candidates must. Brady, if he chooses, can run for a seat in Pittsburgh without having to move from Philadelphia.

In practice, it doesn’t work well that way. It is best to campaign from close to home.

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Feeling Minnesota

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OPINION

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W

E FEEL for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans. No, really. They’ve had some truly heartbreaking losses across their 58 years of existence: four Super Bowl losses in the 1970s; a truly inexplicable loss by the Randall Cunningham-helmed offensive juggernaut in the 1998 NFC Championship; another crusher delivered via interception by former foe-turned-hopeful savior Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship; and, of course, the Blair Walsh

LETTER to the EDITOR

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True Loyalty

T IS SAD that many attribute the inappropriate words, deeds and subservience of U.S. AG Jeff Sessions to his being “loyal” in the Republican Party.

How erroneous and ironic.

Consider: 1. U.S. DOJ Special Prosecutor/US Solicitor General, Archibald Cox; 2. U.S. DOT Secretary, William T. Coleman; 3. His Harvard Law classmate/roommate, U.S. AG, Elliott Richardson; 4. Deputy U.S. AG/Phila-

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shank in the 2015 NFC Wild Card game.

But we’re also in a Minneapolis state of mind.

This Philadelphia Eagles team, like the city and fans it plays for, knows how to represent. How to stand tall against the forces arrayed against it. How to forge ahead despite setbacks, naysayers and history. How else to explain the team’s presence in the Super Bowl, despite being picked to finish no better than middle of the road in their own division, with optimistic forecasts of nine wins at best? What better way to describe overcoming the adversity of losing all-everything star Darren Sproles, AllPro and future Hall of Fame left tackle Jason Peters, special teams stalwart Chris Maragos, defensive leader Jordan Hicks and delphia U.S. Attorney, Ed S.G. Dennis; 5. Deputy U.S. AG Bill Ruckelshaus; 6. North Philadelphia Public Defender/Pennsylvania State Senator, Phil Price, Jr.; and 7. SCOTUS Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

All were sworn Republicans with a strong sense of independence, a record of excellence, infused with integrity, seekers of the whole truth and revulsed by injustice.

Many, or most, registered Democrats and independents highly appreciated and supported the potent public service of these Republicans, who were elected, or appointed, to office. Many, like me, admire them.

Tommy Massaro

CORRECTION The photo in “The News in Black & White” (Jan. 18) should be credited to Leona Dixon.

QB (and shoo-in for league MVP) Carson Wentz?

These Eagles know how to forget the past: the immediate past, strewn with the season-ending injuries of beloved teammates. The recent past, still smoldering from the end of Andy Reid’s tenure and Chip Kelly’s all-too-predictable flameout. The decades past littered with countless heartbreaks unique to each successive generation of fandom devoted to bleeding green.

Who cares if the majority of fans around the U.S. are cheering not so much for the Eagles but against the Patriots? We know the truth. We know this is a team that is playing with house money. No one expected the Eagles to be on football’s biggest stage this soon. We’re just going to enjoy the show.

MARK your CALENDAR Jan. 20- State Rep. Pam DeLissio hosts Town Hall Mtg. at Roxborough Mem. Hosp., Wolcoff Audit., 10 a.m. Discussing the failure of the State budget and the impact of the national administration on State policy.

For info: (215) 482-8726.

Jan. 22- State Senate candidate James Williams hosts Campaign Kickoff at N. Penn VFW Post 676, 2519 Jenkintown Rd., Glenside, Pa., 7 p.m.

Jan. 25- State rep candidate Elizabeth Fiedler hosts

The News in Black & White

A RISING GENERATION at last Saturday’s women’s march: L-r, Ellen Tiberino, Donna Mitchell, Zeli Colon, Theresa Marley and Jemma Salisbury.

Office Opening at 1208 Tasker St., 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Jan. 25- State Rep. Stephen Kinsey hosts Energy Workshop at 1 st Presbyterian Ch., 35 W. Chelten Ave., 6-8p.m. Free weatherization kits, light bulbs, door prizes, LIHEAP. For info: (215) 849-6592.

Jan. 25- Green Party of Phila. holds Membership Mtg. at Shissler Rec Ctr., 1800 Blair St., 7 p.m. Taking nominations for 2018 City Committee. Free & open to public. For info: (215) 843-4256.

Jan. 29- State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown hosts Community Mtg. at Global Leadership Acad., 4601 W. Girard Ave., 5-7 p.m. Robberies & school safety. For info: (215) 879-6615.

Jan. 30- Councilman Mark Squilla hosts Reception at Ernest Bock & Sons, 2800 Southampton Rd., 5:30-7 p.m. Gold $2,000, Silver $1,000, Bronze $500, General Admission $100.

Payable to “Squilla for Council,” P.O. Box 37332, Philadelphia, PA 19148 or MarkSquilla.org. RSVP: nicolec@ernestbock.com.

For info: (215) 677-2625 ext. 108.

Jan. 31- State Reps. Stephen Kinsey & Donna Bullock host Policy Committee Hearing on Anti-Bullying at 1st United Methodist Ch., 6001 Germantown Ave., 2-4 p.m. To register & speak: (215) 849-6592.

Feb. 2- State Sen. John Sabatina hosts Shrimp Night at Harmonia Cl., 2404 Orthodox St., 7-11 p.m. All you can eat, plus buffet & beer. Tickets $35, table of 10 $350.

For info: (215) 821-7606.

Feb. 4- United Republican Cl. Hosts Super Bowl Party at 3156 Frankford Ave., 6-10 p.m.

Feb. 10- State Rep. Stephen Kinsey hosts Black Vets from all wars at Grace Bapt. Ch., 5942 Germantown Ave., 2-4 p.m. For info: (215) 849-6592.

Feb. 11- 8th Police Dist.

Advisory Committee hosts Vendor Fair at FOP Lodge 5, 11630 Caroline Rd., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 50 vendors.

Food, raffle, 50/50, DJ. For info: 215) 686-3080.

Feb. 12- Phila. Young Republicans host Cocktail Party at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, 1310 Drury St., 6-9 p.m. Featuring former Philly YR & Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley.

Members $50, Nonmembers $75, Silver $125, Gold $250, Platinum $500. For info: PhillyFYR@gmail.com.

Feb. 13- S. Phila. Business Ass’n hosts Valentine’s Day Dinner & Wine Tasting at Popi’s Restaurant, 3120 S. 20th St., 6:30 p.m. Tickets $75. Proceeds benefit scholarship fund. For info: spba1897@gmail.com.

Feb. 23- State rep candidate Maggie Borski hosts Fundraiser at Harmonia Cl., 2404 Orthodox St., 7-10 p.m. Donations $25. RSVP: votemaggienborski@gmail. com or (267) 415-6438.

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Frankford Gets State Grant

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STATE REP. Jason Dawkins and State Sen. Tina Tartaglione teamed up to secure a $120,000 State grant for the Frankford CDC. L-R were Dawkins, CDC reps Ileana García and Kimberley Washington, and Tartaglione. Photo by Wendell Douglas

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U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that Meehan was off the committee.

Year of the Woman?

Nina Hopes so Going after Congressman Brady’s 1st District seat, wherever that may turn out to be, is former Deputy Mayor Nina Ahmad, a Northwest Philadelphia resident who has a strong base in both Asian and women’s activism.

Ahmad cheered the Supreme Court redistricting decision and accused Brady of being involved in the 2011 plan that has just been overturned.

Pennsylvania currently has zero female representation in Congress – out of 20 members. Ahmad, a former chair of Philly NOW, (Cont. Page 11)

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(Cont. From page 5) as it happens, Muroff also has roots. If Meehan is stripped of his fanciful GOP allies in rural Dutch Country, where he is not really better known than Muroff, and winds up in a genuine suburban district that he has not been working of late, Muroff could outpoint him. Delaware County proper has been sliding away from the GOP and 2018 does not look to be a good year for them.

Muroff has picked up the endorsement of Plumbers Union 690. Business Manager John Kane said, “The men and women of Local 690 are proud to put our strong support behind a Delaware county native and a strong supporter of organized labor. Dan’s record of service speaks for itself. He has a deep understanding of the important role unions have played in making our nation strong and he is dedicated to protecting the right to organize when many in DC want to strip that right away.

“In addition, Dan is a fighter – he has the experience and the dedication to take on Pat Mee-

han, who, while in D.C., has simply followed the direction of Paul Ryan and now Donald Trump, both of whom would rather unions not exist. Local 690 will do all it can to ensure Dan Muroff is the Democratic nominee to take on and defeat Pat Meehan.”

This week, Muroff won a deeper opening against Meehan, who paid off a young female staffer with taxpayer funds after she resisted his advances and became involved with someone outside of the office. Muroff beat others to the punch when he said, “What the hell, Pat Meehan?” and called for him to resign from the House Ethics Committee, which hears such complaints, immediately. Shortly thereafter,

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POLS on the STREET

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SpArc Plans Super Bowl Party for the Disabled

pArc Philadelphia, a family of organizations that offers services to hundreds of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has embarked on an initiative to ensure that its program participants can enjoy the Philadelphia Eagles’ upcoming Super Bowl

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appearance.

The organization’s monthly First Friday Dance Party is going to be transformed into a Super Bowl Party on Friday, Feb. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m., at 2350 W. Westmoreland Street.

Rick Forman, former founder and CEO of all the

Forman Mills Warehouse stores across the country, donated $600 to SpArc Philadelphia so it could purchase Eagles gear for 60 program participants.

Laura Princiotta, the CEO of SpArc Philadelphia, dispatched staff member Jamie O’Brien to the Forman Mills

Aramingo store, where she procured Eagles gear for 60 participants, including T-shirts.

All are encouraged to wear their Eagles gear and should be ready to sing the Eagles fight song. There will also be a craft table where attendees will be able to

make “underdog” masks to take home and wear during the Super Bowl.

The $6 ticket includes a dinner of cheesesteak, mac and cheese, and Tastykake.

Two groups of volunteers from St. Joseph’s University and one group from La Salle University will take photos

with the program participants, dance with them and serve the dinner.

Hundreds of SpArc Philadelphia and The Arc of Philadelphia program participants, as well as staff, family members and community members always attend the First Friday dance.

Court of Common Pleas Phila. County Civil Action – Law No. 171201245 Notice of Action in Mortgage Foreclosure Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Champion Mortgage Company, Plaintiff vs. The Unknown Heirs of Christine M. Ligons a/k/a Christine Ligons, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real Owner, Defendant(s) To: The Unknown Heirs of Christine M. Ligons a/k/a Christine Ligons, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real Owner, Defendant(s), whose last known address is 5402 West Berks Street, Philadelphia, PA 19131. 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, Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Champion Mortgage Company, has filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend against you in the Court of Common Pleas of Phila. County, PA, docketed to No. 171201245 wherein Plaintiff seeks to foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property located, 5402 West Berks Street, Philadelphia, PA 19131 whereupon your property will be sold by the Sheriff of Phila. County. 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 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, 1410 W. Erie Ave., Phila., PA 19140, 215-227-2400/215-981-3700. Phila. Bar Assn., One Reading Center, Phila., PA 19104, 215-238-6333. Michael T. McKeever, Atty. for Plaintiff, KML Law Group, P.C., Ste. 5000, Mellon Independence Center, 701 Market St., Phila., PA 19106-1532, 215.627.1322.

1/24/2018 11:58:02 AM

LAST SATURDAY saw an outpouring of women, girls and their supporters as they marched up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Councilwomen Jannie Blackwell, L, and Cherelle Parker were among many civic leaders who lent their voices to a call for action heard around the world.

Salute to Labor

On April 26th, The Philadelphia Public Record will publish its first annual Salute to Labor Special Issue and award ceremony. It will feature five Delaware Valley organized labor leaders who have each made unique contributions to the labor movement and to the community as a whole. Please nominate a person, or persons, in the Philadelphia labor world deserving of this recognition.

The five leadership categories we will honor are: Lifetime Achiever: People at the pinnacle of their career whose accomplishments, stretching back decades, have had a lasting positive impact.

CATS AND DOGS teamed up to party at Frankford & Cottman Avenues as thousands of Philadelphians surged into the streets after the Eagles’ Sunday victory to capture the NFC title. Photo by Bill Myers

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Eagles Joy Widespread

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Women Make Their Move

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Rising Star: Youthful project executives who deserve recognition for their talent, their success and their growth.

Organizer-Activist: Union leaders with a track record of organizing success in the workplace or political arenas.

Management Leader: Union executives who excel in the vital duties of maximizing benefits, training and assets.

Nomination Deadline: Friday, March 9th Awards Ceremony: Thursday, April 26th, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m

Nominate @ https://tinyurl.com/pprlaborsalute

LEONA DIXON enjoyed a moment with former Eagles linebacker Gary Cobb as the city partied its way to the Super Bowl.

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For more information please call: Melissa Barrett: 215-755-2000 Ext. 5 mbarrett@phillyrecord.com

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Good Deeds: Effective promoters and paractitioners of philanthropy in the larger society that union members proudly live among and serve.

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ELEPHANT CORNER

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JA N UA RY 25, 2018

ATURDAY, THE Southeast Caucus of the State Committee met in Bucks County listened to gubernatorial candidates and those for U.S. Senate. The Southeast Caucus includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.

Philadelphia has 12 members on State Committee.

Only State Committee members were allowed in the room for most of the meeting and for the straw poll that was taken for the various seats. The formal endorsement vote will be taken at

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

BY DENISE CLAY AST YEAR THIS time, I was coming back from covering the inauguration of Donald Trump, the man elected our nation’s 45th president.

What struck me most about that day, other than the fact that it was gray and damp and sparsely attended, was how angry everyone seemed.

I didn’t quite understand why one group, the folks who elected Trump, were so angry. I mean, hey. Your guy won. Granted, he’s invented

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the Winter State Committee meeting on Feb. 10.

Candidates for governor include self-made millionaire STATE SEN. SCOTT WAGNER (R-York), former consultant and millionaire PAUL MANGO, Allegheny County attorney LISA ELLSWORTH and Pennsylvania HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE TURZAI. I believe the race is between Wagner and Turzai. Apparently, the straw poll supports my opinion, as Wagner won with Turzai a close second. Mango, I heard, finished quite a bit out of the money.

Wagner has been effectively running for the seat for over a year. Mango entered the race last year as well. Turzai only recently entered the race and is clearly not as wealthy as Wagner.

However, Turzai has $1.6 million in a campaign fund and can raise money.

Turzai brings one very important element to the table.

He is well known and from Allegheny County. I believe

a Republican can beat incumbent GOV. TOM WOLF if he can do OK but still lose the Southeast while winning Allegheny County. Turzai, I believe, is the only one of the four that has the name recognition and respect of Democrats in his area to take Allegheny County.

Candidates for lieutenant governor are Montgomery businessman JEFF BARTOS, former STATE REP. GORDON DELLINGER of Lancaster County and Berks County businessman OTTO VOIT. Voit unsuccessfully ran for State treasurer in 2016.

In Pennsylvania, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately, unlike in many states where they run as a team. STATE SEN. DAVID ARGALL (R-Schuylkill) has proposed legislation that will change the gubernatorial race so candidates run as a team, but the change cannot be completed in time for this election.

(Cont. Page 15)

ways to make you regret your choice since, but you made it.

But the anger of the other group, a group made up of people protesting everything Trump stands for, I better understood.

When you’re afraid of losing rights such as bodily autonomy, the right to love openly, and the right to live your life without worrying about getting picked up by Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents or being denied the right to vote, you’re gonna get a little miffed.

Most of the folks in this other group took to the streets of Washington the next day as part of the Women’s March, which was a combination of letting off some steam, demanding accountability, and, in the case of many of these women, atoning for the fact that 54% of white women voted in favor of a man who cheated on

his pregnant wife with an adult-film actress named Stormy.

While the big march was in D.C., there were smaller marches around the country, including one in Philadelphia that brought out 50,000 women.

On Saturday and Sunday, women around the country, including Philadelphia, took to the streets again to tell the Trump administration they’re not taking their eyes off him.

Thousands of women – and the men who support them – came to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to hear from women ranging from elected officials to people just trying to make due.

In a year that’s felt more like two, it was a way for folks to express some builtup consternation.

But, as I said in a previous column, displays like this must go beyond symbolism. It was nice to see (Cont. Page 15)

WALKING the BEAT

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ONGRESS needs to EXCLUDE DEFENSE SPENDING from short-term stopgap funding. Funding government this way has SERIOUSLY DAMAGED national security. Our current weapons systems are basically from the 1970s. Our computer programing is old; other countries have caught up and have programs THAT WE HAVE – along with countermeasures. It takes years of research and development to bring on line new weapon systems and hardware/

CITY HALL SAM

T

HE BOOM heard across the Commonwealth on Monday was the Pennsylvania Supreme Court detonating the congressional redistricting bomb. In a landmark lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters and supported by top state Democrats, including GOV. TOM WOLF and LT. GOV. MIKE STACK, the court threw out the current Pennsylvania congressional districts because they did not meet the requirements of the

software. That takes a STABLE source of long-range funding. Defense, suffering since the onset of sequestration, cannot modernize with stopgap funding.

Bensalem is preparing to work with federal immigration authorities. That can be expensive for them. Maybe they were promised a grant?

THE LAST of the City Traffic Court Judges, Christine SOLOMON, completed her term in December and departed. She was NEVER accused of ANY wrongdoing, yet was said to be watched by Court Overseer Gary GLASER (?). It may have been FRUSTRATING, since she operated in accordance with her oath of office. Glaser could have retained her and her experience – but did not – a poor decision to me.

One wonders why Municipal Court STILL HAS an unnecessary Overseer who is a Common Pleas judge. Cannot the 1st Judicial District assign him to Civil, Criminal, Orphans’

or Family Court? At a State House Judiciary Committee hearing on Traffic Court some time ago, Glaser was asked how long would it take for Traffic Court to become corrupt if he left. His reply was sotto voce, but it sounded like “five minutes (?). There are some 130 employees in that court. That reply COULD BE insulting TO THEM. They work hard, love their families, and attend houses of worship.

Judge Jacqueline ALLEN: Please, it is TIME for the Traffic Court of Municipal Court to BE FULLY Municipal Court.

Thanks to City Councilmen David OH and Mark SQUILLA to evaluate electric-auto parking sites! WE NEED better PUBLIC ACCESS for electric autos to recharge – not LOSS of valuable parking.

Congressman MEEHAN accused of sexual harassment, and a money settlement in the news. Why did the GOP keep him on the ETHICS Committee? Why did he remain on it?

(Cont. Page 13)

State Constitution. The 7th District, occupied by embattled CONGRESSMAN PAT MEEHAN, is so contorted that many observers have said it looks like Goofy kicking Donald Duck, and is frequently cited as Exhibit A in arguments against the vote-sapping impact of gerrymandering. Just how forced is this map? At one point, two parts of the district are connected by a restaurant parking lot.

The Supreme Court ordered the General Assembly to pass new maps that meet the court’s criteria for fair districts by Feb. 9. Then Gov. Wolf has until Feb. 15 to approve or veto the new maps. If the Supreme Court does not receive a map that conforms to the judges’ guidance, they will create a new map and implement it by Feb. 19 for the May 15 primary elections.

Republicans have asked the PA Supreme Court to stay their decision before

they appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court, asking for a stay of the decision.

But why would the US Supreme Court take up a case involving a state constitutional issue? There are no alleged violations of federal law. It seems like a stretch that the US Supreme Court would intervene to trample on states’ rights.

Pennsylvania congressmen and state legislative leaders have been sent into a frenzy. Legislators have three weeks to draw new districts that meet the SC’s criteria.

In the end, the intense time squeeze is worth it because the court has said politicians can no longer pick their voters. Rather, voters will now pick their politicians.

This is a big change in Pennsylvania politics. And for the sake of our democracy and future, it is both an important and necessary change.

1/24/2018 12:01:41 PM

(Cont. From Page 7) believes that her unique background and skills make her uniquely qualified to break that glass ceiling.

“On the day of the Women’s March, we learned that Congressman Pat Meehan has used taxpayer money to settle a sexual-harassment claim.

“This is why I marched and why I’m running,” Ahmad said when she formally kicked off her campaign. It should be noted, however, that, unlike Muroff, she is not running to unseat Meehan.

Breaking News In State Rep Races The 197th Legislative District in the Feltonville area of North Philadelphia will see a challenger to incumbent State Rep. Emilio Vázquez. That’s Edward Lloyd, who has run for office since 2010.

Lloyd, a retired public-safety expert, has been a committeeman for 30 years, serving on the Democratic State Committee for 12 years. He used to be chairman of the Democratic 42nd Ward Committee.

Lloyd argues he actually beat Leslie Acosta in 2014 when she won that state rep seat, but was stripped of victory by a court ruling.

Lloyd is partner with Orlando Acosta (no relation to Leslie) in a federal lawsuit charging that Vázquez’ victory in a 2017 special election was rife with fraud. Lloyd’s lawsuit has been consolidated with a similar suit brought

by Cheri Honkala and Lucinda Little, the Green and Republican candidates in that unusual race.

“It’s been my dream since I was little, to be a state representative,” Lloyd said. “I want to serve the people in my district, who have not been well treated by their elected officials.”

Lloyd plans a concurrent run for Congress in the 1st District. His aim there is to draw votes away from the incumbent. He claims a team of door-to-door volunteers.

In the busy Democratic primary contest for the 177th District, the seat now held by retiring State Rep. John Taylor (R-Northeast), former Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, who represented Northeast Philadelphia and eastern Montgomery County for a decade as the member of Congress from Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District, announced her endorsement of Maggie Borski.

Schwartz stated, “A native of Northeast Philadelphia, Maggie is a young woman who has answered the call to run for office in a state where women are woefully underrepresented in elected office. Maggie’s intelligence, passion, and commitment to public service will be a great

didate, at the end of the day, there is a better way to do it.

Any movement in that direction is good for residents.”

addition to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.”

In South Philadelphia’s 184th District, currently held by State Rep. William Keller, challengers Elizabeth Fiedler and Tom Wyatt both launched door-to-door campaigns this week.

In North Philadelphia’s 181st District, which State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, Jr. has long served, Malcolm Kenyatta was endorsed yesterday at his office at Broad Street & Girard Avenue by Asa Khalif, Philadelphia leader of Black Lives Matter; by Joe Khan, who ran last year for district attorney; and by anti-gun activists Pastor Clarence Wright and Jamira Burley.

AT THE SHERATON for Martin Luther King Day awards were, L-R, Lewis C. Nash, Sr., Leona G. Dixon, Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai and Ward Leader Calvin R. Tucker.

JA N UA RY 25, 2018

POLS on the STREET

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(Cont. From Page 3) gerrymander districts back in Democrats’ favor, even at the expense of the geographic common sense that reform advocates say is part of their goals.

“I think [Democrats] are jumping the gun. They’ve been building their majority in courts for the next redistricting under the current system,” Barley said. “This decision changes the way the system is done. It’s not going to behoove anyone to flip the system on its head.”

Yet even with major questions looming ahead of and beyond the 2018 election season, Nevins said Democrats in Pennsylvania had little left to lose – and all voters had much to gain.

“These lines can’t get worse for us. We’re literally at rock bottom,” he said. “As much as I would like to draw the lines to benefit my canPPR_p011.indd 7

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Gerrymander Redo Order

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NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE - Parcel#: 172506200 / 108N12-42 - WHEREAS, on May 03, 2006, a certain mortgage was executed by Nevader D. Strong, as mortgagor in favor of Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corporation, a Subsidiary of IndyMac Bank, F.S.B as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Document Number 51439139 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 6247 North Beechwood Street Philadelphia, PA 19138, parcel number 172506200 / 108N12-42(“Property”); and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by William C. Strung and Nevader D. Strung by virtue of deed dated May 22, 1963 and recorded May 23, 1963 in Book CAD 2163; Page 465; and WHEREAS, William C. Strong died on or around 1994. By operation of law title vests solely in Nevader D. Strong and William C. Strong is hereby released of liability pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 1144; 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 November 1, 2011 in Document Number 52407427, 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 the property ceases to be the principal residence of Nevader D. Strong and that upon this 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 29, 2016 is $76,447.73 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 February 7, 2018 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, situate in the 17th formerly part of the Fiftieth Ward of the City of Philadelphia. BEGINNING at a point on the Easterly side of Beechwood Street at the distance of ninety-five feet Southwardly from the Southerly side of Medary Avenue, thence extending South eighty-three degrees fifteen-minutes East along the Southerly side of a certain five feet-wide alley, seventy-five feet-to a certain other alley four feet wide which extends Southwardly and communicates with a certain other four feet wide alley at its Southernmost end which extends Westwardly into the said Beechwood Street, thence extending South six degrees forty-five minutes West, along the first above described four feet wide alley, seventeen feet and three-eighths inches to a point, thence extending North eighty-two degrees fifty minutes West passing through the middle of a party wall seventy-five feet to the said Easterly side of Beechwood Street, thence extending North six degrees forty-five minutes East, along the said Easterly side of Beechwood Street, sixteen feet six and three-quarters inches to the first mentioned point and place of beginning. BEING KNOWN AS premises 6247 Beechwood Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. BEING Parcel: 172506200 / 108N12-42. The sale will be held on February 7, 2018 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 $76,447.73 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 $76,447.73 as of November 29, 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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the WAFFLE MAN

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O! HERE WE go again with this offering sent to me by Betty B. It dates back originally, in great part, to that legend of gentle wisdom, Erma Bombeck. But it has grown over the years.

I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible. How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched “Jeopardy” on television?

I cannot count the times I called my friend and said, “How about going to lunch in a half hour?” She would stammer, “I can’t. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, it looks like rain.” And my personal favorite: “It’s Monday.” She died a few months ago. We never did have lunch together.

We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained.

We’ll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet.

We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises we make to ourselves gets longer.

One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a list of “I’m

going to,” “I plan on” and “someday, when things are settled down a bit.”

When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It’s just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now ... go on and have a nice day.

Do something you want to ... not something on your should-do list.

If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry-goround or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask, “How are you?” do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, “We’ll do it tomorrow”? And in your haste, not see her sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say “Hi”!

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift ... thrown away. Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

“Life may not be the party we hoped for ... but while we are here, we might as well dance!”

1/24/2018 9:47:35 AM

LEGAL NOTICE T-Mobile proposes to collocate antennas (tip heights 195’) on the building at 300 Busti St, Philadelphia, PA (20180025). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

T-Mobile proposes to collocate antennas (tip heights 52.5’) on the building at 5500-62 Tabor Ave, Philadelphia, PA (20170770). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

T-Mobile proposes to collocate antennas (tip heights 39.5’ and 41’) on the building at 5649 Christian St, Philadelphia, PA (20171236).

Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

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NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE - Parcel#: 101380300; 145N21-76 - WHEREAS, on September 25, 2009, a certain mortgage was executed by Beulah B. Blackwell, as mortgagor in favor of Generation Mortgage Company as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Philadelphia Document Number 52131241 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 1903 Penfield Street Philadelphia, PA 19138, parcel number 101380300; 145N21-76 (“Property”); and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by Beulah B. Blackwell, by virtue of deed dated February 9, 1967 and recorded February 14, 1967 in Book: 911; Page: 009; 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 January 22, 2013 in Philadelphia Document Number 52587735, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, BEULAH B. BLACKWELL died on March 14, 2015 intestate and is survived by her heir(s)-at-law, ROBERT NELSON; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph 9 (a)(i)), as Beulah B. Blackwell died on March 14, 2015, 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 14, 2017 is $158,677.86 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 February 7, 2018 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, SITUATE on the Northerly side of Penfield Street (40 feet wide) at the distance of 348 feet 1 1/2 Eastwardly from the Easterly side of Andrews Avenue (60 feet wide) in the 50th Ward of the City of Philadelphia.

CONTAINING in front or breadth on the said Penfield Street 21 feet 10 1/2 inches and extending of that width in length or depth Northwardly between parallel lines at right angles to the said Penfield Street, passing partly through the center line of a 9 inch party wall on the West, 70 feet to the center line of a certain 12 feet wide driveway which extends Eastwardly from the said Andrews Avenue communicating at its Easternmost end thereof with a certain other 12 feet wide driveway which extends Northwardly from the said Penfield Street to 74th Avenue. The Easternmost 6 feet of the said lot being the Westernmost moiety of the second above mentioned 12 feet wide driveway. BEING N. 1903 Penfield Street. TOGETHER with the free and common use, right, liberty and privilege of the aforesaid driveway as and for an automobile driveway, passageway and watercourse 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. BEING parcel number: 101380300; 145N21-76. The sale will be held on February 7, 2018 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 $158,677.86 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 $158,677.86 as of November 14, 2017, 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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JA N UA RY 25, 2018

(Cont. From Page 10) PEOPLE: State Rep. Isabella FITZGERALD presented a well-deserved MLK Award to police Chief Inspector Anthony Washington!

The Assistant DA prosecuting the State Rep. Vanessa BROWN trial is reportedly gone from the DA’s Office as part of the 31 resignations.

The prosecution of that case seemed too STRIDENT to me.

PHILLY is still a candidate on the narrowed list of potential Amazon sites! Part of the reason for it has to be the LOCAL 98 aircraft that flew a Select Philly banner around the Amazon headquarters in Seattle. A great site for AMAZON would be Northeast Airport – if neighbors would allow increased air traffic.

The airfield is a vast tract of underutilized land.

Christopher JOHNSON, ESQ., brother of Judge Shanese JOHNSON, was prominent during the robe ceremony of his sister. Chris once served as a Wilmington City Solicitor and is now Special Assistant to Delaware’s Governor – and plans to run for State Attorney General!

It does not appear that Mayor KENNEY was a driving force behind Rich LAZER’S news blurb that he is a candidate for Bob BRADY’’S congressional seat.

So WHERE did it come from?

A recent news article on the revival of E. PASSYUNK Avenue did not credit the man

who began the renewal – former State Sen. Vince FUMO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to innovative athlete-judge Vince MELCHIORRE! He is needed on the bench!...

Happy Born Day to Bruz Kevin PRICE! Does Kevin have good prospects in the leadership of the 2nd Ward?... A great woman, Eleanor REBSTOCK, passed and is deeply missed.

TRUMP announced new APPLE efforts to build in the USA as a result of the tax bill. The ECONOMIST announced the building plan a while back, however. Are corporations really PATRIOTIC? Hmm. Like raising the minimum wage, and shedding 100,000 workers?

HAVE YOU WONDERED why gas is edging up in a period of surplus oil and natural gas? We might hear that the WINTER-BLED gas is more expensive to produce.

SURE it is! The price blips come and go, with no government investigation EVER. WHY NOT?

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WALKING the BEAT

1/24/2018 11:35:47 AM

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understanding BANKRUPTCY

BY MICHAEL A. CIBIK AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY BOARD CERTIFIED uestion: Is there a fiveyear plan limitation in a Chapter 11?

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is usually a good fix for someone behind on their mortgage if a loan modification outside of bankruptcy is not possible and foreclosure is looming. However, there are times when a Chapter 13 will not work. I will mention three of these and then say a few additional words about the last.

1. You generally need to be able to afford your mortgage payment plus an additional amount to pay to the

JA N UA RY 25, 2018

Q

LABORERS’ DISTRICT COUNCIL HEALTH & SAFETY FUND 665 N. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19123

(215) 236-6700

trustee to cure your arrears.

2. You need to be under the Chapter 13 debt limits ($383,175 in unsecured debt and $1,149,525 in secured debt).

3. You must be able to complete your plan in no more than five years.

This last issue is one that I’ve been confronted with recently. When a family can afford their mortgage payment but doesn’t have the additional amount needed to live and pay back mortgage arrears over five years, Chapter 13 won’t work because five years is the maximum limit of a Chapter 13 plan. This limitation does not apply in Chapter 11 cases.

Although individual Chapter 11 cases are more complex and expensive than Chapter 13 cases, sometimes they are the only way to get the job done. You could, for example, propose a plan that would cure your mortgage arrears over seven years in Chapter 13, leaving you sufficient funds to live.

Although this is possible,

the option does carry with it some costs.

1. Chapter 11 is far more complex and, therefore, expensive than Chapter 13 in terms of legal fees and costs.

2. Proposing a plan calling for payment over, say, seven years could be challenged on feasibility grounds. It’s hard to say what will happen seven years in the future, and this can be a negative factor affecting plan confirmation chances. However, with a stable source of income and realistic projections, plan confirmation is possible.

3. Creditors must vote on a Chapter 11 plan. Even if you are attempting what is known as a cramdown plan, you must have at least one consenting class of claims. If the mortgagee controls your secured class and opposes your plan, this can create difficulties. However, most of the time Chapter 11 prompts creditors to act in their economic interest, including preferring a cure over a foreclosure.

Next Week’s Question: Can many innocent reasons lead to bankruptcy?

www.ldc-phila-vic.org

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Alan Parham, Adminstrator

Local 57 - Esteban Vera, Jr., Business Manager Local 135 - Deniel L. Woodall, Jr.,, Business Manager Local 332 - Samuel Staten, Jr., Business Manager Local 413 - James Harper, Jr., Business Manager Laborers’ District Council - Ryan Boyer Business Manager

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Building better and safer communities in Philadlephia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties

Do it Right, Do It Safe, Do It Union.

1/24/2018 9:44:21 AM

(Cont. From Page 10) Wagner has endorsed Bartos, and Bartos is supporting Wagner. I understand that Bartos won more votes than Wagner, indicating that committee members believe Bartos will work with Turzai if he wins. From what I have heard of Bartos, their confidence is not misplaced.

CONGRESSMAN LOU BARLETTA (R-Luzerne), national security expert CYNTHIA AYERS, STATE REP. JIM CHRISTIANA

(R-Beaver) and businessman BOBBY LAWRENCE are seeking to run in the fall against incumbent Democrat U.S. SEN. BOB CASEY. Barletta was an early supporter of Trump and has the president’s endorsement. Barletta, I understand, won the straw poll decisively. Barletta was not there on Saturday.

He was in Washington working on a solution to the government shutdown.

Christiana is running on the message that he is a true conservative and that he is not attached to Trump, as is Barletta. Ayers was a profes-

sor at the Army War College and is now a security consultant. Lawrence founded “Protect Your Vote.” He also looks and sounds like a clone of STEVE BANNON, in my opinion. Unlike Bannon, he is still a Trump man.

Monday night, at North Penn VFW in Glenside, 50TH WARD LEADER JAMES WILLIAMS announced his candidacy for the 4th State Senate district. Democrat STATE SEN. ART HAYWOOD currently holds the seat.

The district includes all or parts of Abington, Chel-

tenham and Springfield Townships, as well as the boroughs of Jenkintown and Rockledge. The district also encompasses parts or all of Cedarbrook, Chestnut Hill, Germantown and Mount Airy.

Williams is a businessman and the track coach at Cardinal O’Hara High School and has lived all his life in Cedarbrook. He also attended high school in the Montgomery County part of the district at Bishop McDevitt, where he had been a volunteer coach for years. He knows the district.

At the announcement, he was introduced by 2017 district attorney candidate BETH GROSSMAN. Williams is running on the message that he is a leader who can get things done.

The announcement was well attended. Philadelphians at the event included Republican City Committee CHAIRMAN MIKE MEEHAN, 2nd Congressional candidate KAHILL JACKSON, Philadelphia Young Republican CHAIRMAN ROSS WOLFE, as well as fellow McDevitt graduates and

WARD LEADERS MATT 15 WOLFE (27th) and DENISE FUREY (46th).

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

(Cont. From Page 10) large groups of people protesting, but I want to see what’s next.

For the next couple of “Everyday Peoples,” I’m going to look at the Women’s March to see what changed; what needs to; who is doing the talking; and, most importantly, who’s listening.

Hopefully, we’ll all learn something.

T HE S O U T H PHI A D EL PHI A P UB L I C R E CO R D

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P H IL LY R E CO R D.C O M - 215 -755 -20 0 0

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1/24/2018 11:35:09 AM

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T HE S O U T H PHIL A D EL PHI A P UB L I C R E CO R D

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