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SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

Vol. XIV No. 7

Issue 543

February 15, 2018

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

PhiladelphiaPublicRecord

@phillyrecord

PhillyRecord

PhillyRecord.com

THEY DID IT! JUBILANT

Philadelphia

Eagles paraded up Broad Street from the Novacare Complex last week, celebrated by South Philadelphians. Photo by Sal Patrone

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Johnson Leads Ward Committee Retreat

BY TONY WEST OUNCILMAN Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District) convened a “ward retreat” in a Point Breeze church on Feb. 10.

Rather than the usual ward party, its purpose was to delve into the larger role of a party committee person – and how important that job can be.

About 30 committee people turned out at St. Simon the Cyrenian Episcopal Church for Johnson, who doubles as Democratic 36th Ward Leader. He treated them to a substantial lunch and wowed them with two dynamic speakers who began their careers as committee people: City Commission Chair Lisa Deeley and former Mayor John Street.

The timing was crucial because, as Deeley explained, “When the governor runs, committee people also run.” So their first task in this year’s primary is to circulate petitions to get themselves on the ballot, and then win their division.

Each division should have two committee people of each major party.

These races are tiny – a committee person needs just 10 valid signatures on

C

DAWN CHAVOUS, the wife of Councilman and Ward Leader Kenyatta Johnson, raised an issue with fellow committee members

the petition – but it takes work; and victory is not guaranteed.

Sometimes rival candidates seek this post, and the person who has reached out to more voters is likely to win. They will serve for four years.

Deeley, a committee person for 31 years, came from a political family in the Northeast (her mother Barbara is a former sheriff) and began campaigning

DAVE SCHOLNICK was recruited by Tulsa Wills. They are running as a team for committee persons in the 236th Ward, 29th Division.

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as a preteen, going door to door with some girlfriends – for the wrong party. “It was when Republican Charlie Dougherty held the congressional seat there,” she recalled. “I came home and told my mother what I had done and what a good time I’d had. She told me our family was Democrats.”

Deeley said the two-party committee system is in crisis. “We have 2,500 unfilled elected positions out of 6,500 citywide,” she noted. “And voter participation is dropping. Why, as city commissioner, am I doing all this work on the back end of elections if people don’t come out and vote on the front end? Help us get more people engaged in the process.”

Committee people need to know two things well, Deeley advised: the mechanics of voting and their division. “You are part of a community of neighbors,” she said.

Petitions must be technically accurate, or they can be challenged and thrown

out. They must know relevant election laws and rules. They should keep an eye out for names on voting rolls that are deceased, or registered at addresses that they know are vacant. They must counsel handicapped persons and ex-offenders on getting assistance to vote.

Street echoed Deeley, stressing that a committee person’s contributions to the community can go far beyond elections. “A committee person is a real job with real responsibilities,” he told the retreat. “If you don’t want to do the job, you should get out.”

In a feisty speech, Street emphasized the human side of a division committee member. “There has to be a direct relationship between you and your neighbors,” he said. He urged committee people to be walking advertisers of the importance of voting. On Election Day, they should note who has not yet voted and reach out to that household.

That relationship should begin with the committee

person’s own campaign, said Street. He originally ran as an insurgent against a North Philadelphia ward leader who liked his ward to remain quiet. So Street ran a write-in campaign. He gave out hot dogs and sodas – and write-in stamps. He won.

Because they walk the streets of their division, a good committee person will keep a lookout for local problems. “Is there a pothole that needs to be fixed?” he asked. “You’ve got to tell us in government if that pothole hasn’t been fixed. Nobody in government can check every street every day.”

After lunch, the retreat concentrated on helping committee candidates prepare their petitions.

Johnson said he was inspired to organize the retreat by seeing some work being done by younger progressives to organize educational programs for committee races. “I thought it was a good idea,” he said. “I decided to bring this model to my own ward.”

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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.LUCIEN E. BLACKWELL 1931-2003

Macklin. Lucien also passed landmark legislation forbidding discrimination based on gender.

During his political career, he was accompanied by his wife Jannie, whom he met when she taught his children at the neighborhood school. She was so influenced by him that she succeeded him in City Council. They were the first couple to be elected to public office on the same day, she to City Council and he to U. S. Congress.

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L

UCIEN E. BLACKWELL was a labor leader, state Representative, City Councilman and U.S. Congressman. His reputation included fighting against gang wars in the 1970s, when his slogan was: “Help stop gang wars.

Give youth something to do, something to love and something to look forward to.”

Lucien believed in helping those in need and influenced government to create the first funded City department to aid homeless people. While in City Council, he was responsible for minorities getting City contracts through the Minority Business Enterprise Council with the help of John

Named in his honor are the Lucien E. Blackwell Homes, the Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library and the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center (under construction).

Lucien was an avid amateur boxer, winning the Diamond Belt Championship. He always maintained close ties with local boxers.

Honoring him in the year of his passing, the Lucien E. Blackwell Annual Boxing Tournament was established as well as The Lucien E. Blackwell Guiding Light Award which recognizes community leaders.

Lucien E. Blackwell will always be remembered for his love for the common man and his faith in God. Even today, people still say that they are sorry he is gone and how much they miss him!

–Jannie Blackwell

Saluting The Achievements Of All African Americans

ROBERT BRADY

Congressman 1st District Paid for by Committee to Elect Bob Brady

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Lucien Blackwell

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HARDY WILLIAMS 1931-2010

achieve good government for those who did not have a voice.

Hardy Williams served in the Pennsylvania State Assembly for 30 years, retiring

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ARDY WILLIAMS was the architect of the independent Black political movement in Philadelphia. He stood up to the old, Democratic establishment and created a diverse coalition to fight for change in his community. He ran for mayor in 1971, when no one thought a Black candidate could run a serious campaign.

When you speak with those who knew him, they will tell you Hardy Williams was a brilliant lawyer who left millions of dollars on the table when he went into public service. In his heart, Hardy was a grassroots community organizer and a social justice leader.

His primary mission was to

in 1998. He died in 2010, but so many of those he touched continue his fight to this day. They met him as children at a campaign rally or a town hall meeting.

Perhaps they met him because he’d heard they were in trouble. He instilled in them a sense of community, a sense of purpose, and a sense of self.

His legacy endures in his son, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams. It endures in State Reps. Joanna McClinton and Jordan Harris.

It endures in Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and Congressman Dwight Evans. It endures in the work of Lynette Brown-Sow, Dr. Tom Reid and so many others.

This Black History Month, we honor Hardy Williams. He spent his life in the service of his community. – Anthony Hardy Williams

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Hardy Williams

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BLACK HISTORY TODAY

Rev. John White, Sr.

W

HEN MY grandfather, John White Sr., passed away in 1999, I vividly remember the cover of the Daily News declaring him the Godfather of Black Politics. At 13, I didn’t realize the weight of his legacy or the impact that he had and would continue to have on the political landscape in Philadelphia.

In 1968, my grandfather helped to found the Black Political Forum, with the purpose of electing African Americans that were true public servants. Between the group’s founding and the election of W. Wilson Goode as the first African American mayor of Philadelphia in 1983, the Black Political Forum helped elect

REV. JOHN WHITE, SR. C, (1924-1999) and family

10 city and state officials and one member of Congress.

From Hardy Williams to David P. Richardson to William H. Gray III to his son (and my father) John White, Jr., my grandfather worked tirelessly to expand the political influence and power of African Americans in Philadelphia.

Electing African Americans was not the goal but rather the means to the end.

Once they were elected, my grandfather used the Black

Political Forum to bring elected and community African American leaders together to consider how their combined influence could affect true change in the African American community. He served as a confidant and strategist for African American leaders seeking to influence the community in positive ways.

As an example, he was integral in helping C. Delores Tucker become the first African American woman to (Cont. Next Page)

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icate one’s life to public service to help others; a belief that has been instilled in the lives of all he touched and to this day remains a core value of the men that carry on his legacy, including me, my father and brothers.

The inscription on my grandfather’s tombstone

reads: “Lift the Burdens of others while holding Christ above all.” It is by these words that he lived and it is the legacy he left behind – to better Philadelphia and the surrounding community.

–Kellan R. White First Deputy City Controller

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(Cont. From Prev. Page) serve as Secretary of State in Pennsylvania and mentored Rev. Charles Quann and Rev. James Lovett, among others, as they answered the call of ministry.

My grandfather believed that the best way to uplift the community was to ded-

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Living History: Marian Tasco

BY TONY WEST ORMER Councilwoman Marian Tasco has been invited to Washington, D.C., later this month as the honoree of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (DPa.) at his annual Black History Month celebration. Af-

F MARIAN TASCO embodies 50 years of Philadelphia history.

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ter moving here from North Carolina in 1968, she has witnessed the momentous history of the civil-rights movement in Philadelphia for the last 50 years – and played a vital leadership role in much of it.

Tasco served on Philadel-

phia City Council for over two decades. Following her seventh term as representative for the 9th District in Far North Philadelphia, she stepped down after 2015. A pioneer, she was elected as the first African American city commissioner in 1983.

She also served as both City Council majority leader and majority whip.

The list of leaders Tasco worked under or alongside is a Who’s Who of the generation of Blacks who rose to full participation in the corridors of power in this city. “I was running in high cotton,” she acknowledges with a smile. Today, she stands at the head of a lineage of younger public servants whose careers she molded.

She soon settled with her family in Oak Lane, where middle-class Blacks were moving in that era.

“We were all younger,” she notes. “We cared about our neighborhood and worked together to maintain its quality. We became block captains. We engaged in town hall meetings and rec center activities.”

She met John White, Jr. in 1974 and became involved with him in the Urban Coalition. She worked alongside Secretary of State C. Delores Tucker, Charles Bowser, Sharmain Matlock-Turner, Jerry Mondesire, George Burrell, Connie Clayton and Chuck Finney, among others. She formed a close relationship with Dwight Evans when he first ran for state representative in 1978. Today, he sits in Congress.

While a clerk-typist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Tasco put herself through night school at Temple University. But political activism was her passion. She began working for Rev. Bill Gray when he first ran for Congress in 1976; two years later, she man-

aged his winning campaign.

She remains a member of Gray’s congregation, Bright Hope Baptist Church.

In 1983, she ran for city commissioner as an insurgent. “I was not endorsed,” she relates, “but I won.”

Winning became a habit for her. In 1987, White, now 9th District Councilman, made it known he was stepping down and that he would support her as his replacement. The Democratic Party did not endorse her, but she won his seat on City Council, which she then held for 38 years.

On her election to Council, she also took over the leadership of the 50th Ward Democratic Committee, a post she retains today. The 50th Ward is legendary for its tight discipline and high turnout, an organization whose endorsement any city candidate is eager to seek and relieved to get – as Mayor Jim Kenney, among many others, will testify.

The 50th Ward only works that well because Oak Lane neighbors trust that Tasco and her team know how to deliver on constituent concerns. Thus, when election time comes, they trust her advice on candidates and deliver for her.

“She doesn’t take it kindly when a staffer can’t solve a constituent’s problem,” says Crystal Jacobs, who worked in Tasco’s office.

In Council, Tasco set to work on core neighborhood issues like zoning. Absentee landlords were attempting to convert some buildings in this community of single-family dwellings into multi-unit housing; Tasco slammed the brakes on that movement and West Oak Lane’s character remains unchanged today.

Tasco pushed for better athletic programs for local youths. She mastered the art of hoarding her (Cont. Next Page) 2/14/2018 10:44:36 AM

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gional destination, so planners are reluctant to turn it into a giant park (especially since it is so close to recently renovated Hunting Park).

“No one has found any answers yet,” Tasco remarked. “Goldenberg, the

real-estate company, has been trying to figure out how to do it. We’ll do anything we can to help them.

But it’s not been easy.”

History never ends and Tasco’s work is not over.

“The bottom line is service,” she says.

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ly regarded as resistance by blue-collar whites who were distressed by the chance that low-income Blacks would move onto their streets.

Toward the end of her last term, Tasco clobbered a formidable foe: Mayor Michael Nutter. Nutter wanted to privatize the City-owned Philadelphia Gas Works. But Tasco, as chair of the Philadelphia Gas Commission – the governmental agency that oversees PGW, wasn’t having any of it. She sank Nutter’s boat. Kenney, his successor, has stayed as far away as possible from PGW. In any career, some important work is measured by what you have left unaccomplished. For Tasco, the standout challenge may be the Logan Triangle – the 40-acre plot just north of the Roosevelt Expressway, built on a wetland fed by Wissinoming Creek in the 1920s, that developers ignorant of environmental science filled in with ash waste so they could build rowhomes.

By the 1950s, this neighborhood was already sinking as the ground slowly melted beneath it. By the 1980s, it was uninhabitable. Nine hundred families had to be moved.

Tasco spent much of her career managing this disaster. At first, she had to oversee the complex process of condemning and razing structures, relocating and compensating residents, and fishing around afterwards for a viable new use for this land. Because of its geology, it is hard to put structures on this land. It would be doable – but costly. But its location right off the Roosevelt Expressway and close to the Schuylkill Expressway makes it attractive as a re-

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(Cont. From Prev. Page) councilmanic funds and working with state elected officials to achieve costly, long-term goals, like rebuilding Finley Rec Center and Emmanuel Rec Center.

Predatory lending was a problem that vexed urban Black communities in the 1990s. She explained that “People were losing their homes because of balloon loans,” which started out with low interest rates that steadily increased, year after year, she recounts.

Tasco ran workshops on the subject as president of the Black Caucus of the National League of Cities.

Reforms she helped put in place have since helped homeowners not just in Philadelphia, but across the land.

Tasco also played a role in engineering community behavioral-health programs, collaborating with Estelle Richman, who was secretary of Public Welfare under Gov. Ed Rendell, and Mayor John Street. In lay terms, this is the wing of public health that deals with drug and alcohol abuse, gambling problems and similar matters. Different neighborhoods face different challenges in behavioral health – some of which can be devastating.

But intervenors need to be attuned to the communities they work in, and the way they are set up matters, Tasco argued.

As often befits a political winner, Tasco did not hesitate to cross swords with others in the political arena. “I often fought with Marge Tartaglione,” the redoubtable City Commission chair, Tasco, said.

She worked hard to whack community opposition to public housing in South Philly’s Whitman neighborhood, which was wide-

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to Be Honored by Sen. Casey

9 U.S. SEN. Bob Casey will honor Tasco in Washington for Black History Month.

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Redistricting Jockeying, Petitions Begin

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POLS on the STREET

BY JOE SHAEELI T’S OFFICIAL: The race is on. And sometimes, smaller races have bigger impacts.

Petitions started in circulation on Tuesday for all state legislative races. In Philadelphia, among the most intriguing are three state-rep races: in Northeast Philly’s 177th, North Philly’s 181st and South Philly’s 184th.

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Representative

Vanessa Lowery Brown 190th Legislative District

No state legislative boundaries are affected by the recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikedown of our Commonwealth’s congressional districts. That means every incumbent and challenger at the state level knows where they will be running in the May primary.

In Philadelphia, most initial action is swarming around the seats of three senior state representatives who appear to be signing out. All have health issues that are common among senior citizens.

In Mayfair and Bridesburg’s 177th Legislative Dist., retiring State Rep. John Taylor (R-Northeast) will be replaced on the Republican ballot by Port Richmond’s longtime civil servant, Patty-Pat Kozlowski, a bipartisan moderate. If any Republican can hang onto an inner-city Republican district anywhere in America, Kozlo-

wski has the chops.

Democrat Joe Hohenstein, who challenged Taylor in the last election, is going for the Democratic nomination again. This year, he is facing stiff opposition from numerous other Democrats, who smell an opportunity to win this largely working-class white neighborhood.

In 2017, Hohenstein raised just under $65,000 from over 140 individual donors. By contrast, his next closest competitor Sean Kilkenny raised just over $50,000 from only three individual donors and 10 PACs. The Hohenstein campaign also held the opening of its first campaign office in Frankford this past Saturday.

In Lower North Philadelphia’s 181st District, all indications are that incumbent State Rep. Curtis Thomas, Jr. will wrap up his career this year.

Emilio Vazquez

William Keller

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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”

U.S. congressional races remain up in the air as of today, but everyone expects the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will entertain redistricting map submissions from General Assembly Republicans, General Assembly Democrats, Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. Mike Stack – and then promulgate their own version, which will blur the three Democratic views of fairness with the one Republican view of fairness – just enough to leave no sound grounds for Scarnati et al. to file a sustainable legal appeal.

StateRepresentative Representative State

Morgan Morgan Cephas Cephas

Street

192ndLegislative LegislativeDistrict District 192nd

1621 W. Jefferson Street Philadelphia, PA 19121

2733 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133

215-425-5708

215-271-9190

State Races Clarify; Congress Bubbles

Sharif

197th Legislative District Office

184th District 1531 S. 2nd Street

fice and has shown significant results within a short time period. I’m honored to provide her with the Ward endorsement and I am looking forward to her continuing to serve the residents of the 192nd,” said Brady.

State Senator

State Representative

State Rep.

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

Three candidates have been floated in that district. Laborers’ District Council, HQ’ed in that district, endorsed a candidate after we went to press; we’ll update online.

In Whitman’s 184th District, State Rep. Bill Keller’s (D-S. Phila.) long run appears to be over. Journalist Leslie Fiedler has launched a vigorous signature campaign, the first step to getting on the ballot.

In West Philadelphia’s 192nd District, freshman State Rep. Morgan Cephas kicked off her re-election campaign despite the absence of perceptible opposition. 52nd Ward Chair Steven Jones was first to announce an endorsement.

Congressman Bob Brady (D-Phila.), 34th Ward leader, and Sonny Campbell, 4th Ward leader, joined in.

“Morgan just ended a very strong first year in of-

5921 Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19151 (215) 879 6625

215-227-6161

Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

www.facebook.com/RepCephas www.pahouse.com/Cephas

Paid for with PA Tax Dollars

State Rep. Jason

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

47th Ward 2nd Division 192nd Legislative District

1533 West Stiles St. Philadelphia, PA 19121 (267) 226-5755 map.nashsr@gmail.com

Councilman Wm.

Greenlee 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

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

Rev. Lewis Morgan Cephas Nash

Kevin J.

Youngblood

Taylor

Donatucci

State Representative Committee Person

State Rep.

Rep. Rosita

STATE REP.

Rep.Maria P.

So congressional candidates across the state will know by next Thursday exactly where they are running.

State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-W. Phila.) wrote the governor that the new districts must adhere to the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“Recent statements and actions from the majority parties in the General Assembly have raised alarms,” Hughes said.

The Voting Rights Act dictates how districts with a majority of minority voters should be drawn. Hughes pointed out that the 2011 maps included two majority-minority districts. He said Pennsylvania’s 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts were majority-minority districts and they must remain so in new maps.

Meanwhile, regardless of next week’s new boundaries, Philadelphians Nina (Cont. Next Page)

Bullock T: (215) 684-3738 F: (215) 235-4629

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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REJOICING with the Eagles last Thursday were State Sen. Sharif Street, Council President Darrell Clarke and Councilman Derek Green.

Photos by Leona Dixon

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Feeling like Winners

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(Cont. From Prev. Page) Ahmad and Dan Muroff are running for the 1st and 7th Districts, respectively, at the moment, although neither of them currently lives in these districts. But who knows what the morrow may bring?

Money would help their quest for a seat on Capitol Hill in D.C., wherever it is located.

The latest campaign-finance filings for these races lay out comparative stats.

In the 1st District, Nina Ahmad raised $601,073, with $563,954 on hand. Kevin Johnson, Willie Singletary and Michele Lawrence did not file with the FEC. In the 7th District, Daylin Leach raised $537,550, with $181,800 on hand. Dan Muroff raised $421,210, with $267,073 on hand. Molly Sheehan raised $204,230, with $186,752 on hand. Elizabeth Moro raised $69,167, with $10,914 on hand. Shelley Chauncey, Greg Vitali and Ashley Lunkenheimer did not file with the FEC. PPR_p011.indd 7

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS PHILA. COUNTY, PA July Term 2017 No. 3930 SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT - CIVIL ACTION QUIET TITLE/EJECTMENT Margery Bruck, Individually and as Administratrix of the Estates of William J. Kraftsow and Evelyn Kraftsow, Plaintiff vs. Antonio Rossi, Joseph Ruggiero and Frankford Plating II, Inc., Defendants To: Antonio Rossi, Defendant, l/k/a 2324 Loney Street, Philadelphia, PA 19152.

NOTICE You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims set forth in this action, you must enter a written appearance personally or by attorney and file your defenses or objections in writing to the court within 20 days. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you without further notice for the 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, 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. Lawyer Referral & Info. Service, Phila. Bar Assn., 1101 Market St., 11th Fl., Phila., PA 19107, 215.238.6333 DAN ROSIN, Atty. for Plaintiff 822 Pine St., Ste. 2C Phila., PA 19107 215.629.1775

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POLS on the STREET

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L-R AT THE parade were Council Members Cherelle Parker, Curtis Jones, Blondell Reynolds-Brown, Derek Green and David Oh.

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ELEPHANT CORNER

T F E B RUA RY 15, 2018

HE PENNSYLVANIA Republican Party concluded its annual Winter Meeting in Hershey last weekend on a positive note with a call for unity to defeat GOV. TOM WOLF, LT. GOV. MIKE STACK and U.S. SEN. BOB CASEY in November.

The keynote speaker at the Friday dinner was White House DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF RICK DEARBORN. Dearborn worked for six senators, including two members of the leadership, and spent more than 25 years working on Capitol Hill. He

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

BY DENISE CLAY AST FRIDAY, I got my first box of separates from Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix is a company that provides boxes of clothing for men and women that are put together by a stylist. The boxes for women include shirts, sweaters, dresses, pants, shoes and accessories such as belts, earrings, necklaces and purses.

I got a box that included a skirt, a sweater, a pair of pants, a necklace and perhaps the ugliest shirt I’ve ever seen in my life. If I had

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was assistant secretary for congressional affairs at the Department of Energy in the GEORGE W. BUSH administration, and chief of staff to former Sen. and now ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS. The Resolutions Committee approved two resolutions. The first is that PAGOP opposes the legalization of recreational marijuana; the second came out against sanctuary cities.

The full State Committee approved both.

Of the 349 members of State Committee, 252 were actually there while another 87 sent proxies. The business meeting took place on Saturday morning with the most important being the endorsement vote for governor, lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidates. PAGOP CHAIRMAN VAL DiGIORGIO ran the meeting.

DiGiorgio first requested a vote on whether the party would endorse. For all three positions State Committee

opted to endorse. This has been a tricky issue for the PAGOP over the past few years as some members think the voters should pick the candidate in a primary. Others believe that as the Republican electorate at the polls selected State Committee members, State Committee takes a stand on their behalf. That being said, non-endorsed candidates are not precluded from running in the primary in May. The Senate endorsement was easy as CONGRESSMAN LOU BARLETTA (R-Luzerne) soundly topped STATE REP JIM CHRISTIANA (R-Beaver). For lieutenant governor, Montgomery County businessman JEFF BARTOS also soundly beat former STATE REP. GORDON DENLINGER and social-conservative advocate PEG LUSTIK. Businessman and 2016 candidate for treasurer OTTO VOIT dropped out of the race before the vote.

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kept it, I could have used it as part of my “Black Panther” outfit, but it had no other real use.

The idea behind these boxes is to let you pick out what you want to keep and send the rest back. Admittedly, some of the stuff is a little pricey, but it’s good quality, so I won’t have to worry about it falling apart.

These days, you can get just about anything you want without leaving the comfort of your home. You can buy clothes through places like Stitch Fix. You can get contact lenses or razors without hitting the store. Heck, there are folks that will come to your house and do anything from groom you to groom your dog.

But the first place where everyone noticed the trend toward shopping from home was in grocery shopping.

From grocery stores that allow you to order online for home delivery, to companies like Blue Apron that provide

a gourmet recipe and the fixings to make it, getting food delivered to your house isn’t just about pizza and Chinese food anymore.

Among the people who have noticed this trend were the folks at the White House. But to paraphrase Inigo Montoya, from the movie, “The Princess Bride,” I don’t think the home food box thing means what they think it means.

The Trump Administration has proposed a $17 million cut in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.

That didn’t come as a surprise to many of us, because border walls ain’t cheap. And let’s face it, you can’t retract the multi-trillion-dollar tax cut you gave your so-called “job creator” friends because they won’t give you the bags of money you’ll need to fight to hold on to your gerrymandered congressional district. So (Cont. Page 14)

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NOTHER CANDIDATE has entered the race for Congress in the 7th District as we await the Governor’s opinion on the new boundaries for all districts. The new candidate is a former U.S. Attorney. Please, Lord, tell me why U.S. prosecutors feel a need to run for Congress? They were the UNELECTED investigating those elected BY THE PEOPLE. Over a lifetime, I have seen so many of them run and mostly LOSE. Could they feel that they have DIVINE RIGHT to run?

And how about the SCARNATI-TURZAI redistricting

CITY HALL SAM

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HE EAGLES’ Super Bowl victory was stunning for a city starved for a Lombardi Trophy. The pundits and oddsmakers kept making the Eagles underdogs, and the Birds kept rising to the challenge and answering the call to destiny and greatness. Coach DOUG PEDERSON; quarterback NICK FOLES; and the rest of the players, coaches and members of the Eagles front office never stopped believing that they could put together a memorable season. That

map! Drawn by TWO for 11 million residents of the state?

Are we a monarchy?... Did Ed RENDELL chime in on redistricting yet? The GOP STATE LEADER did – in an op-ed, he felt that we should be troubled when the high court takes power to redistrict away from the legislature. Scarnati and Turzai are the (entire) legislature? Val DiGIORGIO, State GOP leader, would not be troubled if the high court ruled in a way AGREEABLE TO HIM. The courts had to step in, since there would have been little agreement if the lawmakers haggled.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES to Judge Paula PATRICK and Iraq hero Dave HENDERSON! GET WELL to Mike KATES soon!!

So far, the two LEADING CANDIDATES for the lst Congressional District seat are Rich LAZER and State Rep. Joanna McCLINTON! A daily press article on Lt. Gov. Mike Stack’s legal bills reaching $100k. To it, I say SO WHAT!

They hammered the Governor, ET AL for obtaining Eagles tickets at standard rate. WHO CARES! Ed RENDELL did comment on the selection of a day for the Eagles Parade. Yes, it was NOT the one selected… You have to really appreciate Police Commissioner Richard ROSS for coming down hard on the few damage-causing Eagle celebrants. He kept control over massive crowds and sent a message. WELL DONE! In sadness, I report the passing of Rosanne PAUCIELLO, Leader of Ward 39A. I have known her over a lifetime, as both friends and adversaries.

But we always came home – and most recently I served as a committeeman in her ward. If she backed you – you were successful, or protected.

Rosanne has now crossed the river of life, after long suffering, and rests in the shade of the trees beyond.

Brady consultant Ken SMUKLER made a case, in his filing, for FBI anger at (Cont. Page 15)

season ended with the Lombardi Trophy taking a slow cruise down Broad Street to the Art Museum.

The Eagles coaches, front office and players took turns thanking the fans and city for believing them. They reveled in their accomplishments in the face of doubters and adversity. Not lost on CHS was that the underdogs celebrated their first Lombardi Trophy at the Art Museum that houses a statute for Philly’s most famous underdog, Rocky Balboa.

Many of Philadelphia’s top politicos joined the parade down Broad Street, riding in a double-decker bus.

The list of heavyweights joining the celebration included CONGRESSMEN BOB BRADY and DWIGHT EVANS. Eagles super-fan STATE REP. JORDAN HARRIS was there. City Council was well represented with City COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE leading the way.

He was joined by COUNCILMEN MARK SQUILLA, KENYATTA JOHNSON, BRIAN O’NEILL, DEREK GREEN, BILL GREENLEE and AL TAUBENBERGER. MAYOR JIM KENNEY and GOV. TOM WOLF joined the Eagles at the Art Museum for the celebration.

Both spoke and congratulated the team and the city.

Speaking of incredible victories, let’s clap it up for democracy. Gov. Wolf rejected the GOP’s latest congressional redistricting maps, which were only slightly less gerrymandered than the districts the State Supreme Court found to be unconstitutional in January. Democratic legislative leaders are working on their own maps and are likely to send them to the Supreme Court for consideration in addition to a map that Wolf will send. These maps will join the Stack Map that LT. GOV. MIKE STACK (Cont. Page 13) 2/14/2018 10:57:40 AM

BY STATE REP. MORGAN CEPHAS JOINED the group In Our Own Voice to discuss our efforts to ensure Pennsylvania women of color have access to quality reproductive health care.

Our conclusion: We have a lot of work ahead of us.

Last year alone, we witnessed an onslaught on women’s reproductive rights.

From the White House to the state House, politicians – mostly older white men – have sought to strip countless women across the country of

I

Philadelphians climbed up many vantage points to see the landmark Eagles Super Bowl parade, including the Benjamin Franklin statue in front of the Municipal Services Building. Photo by Leona Dixon

Girard Protest Days MARK your CALENDAR

IN 1968, CECIL B. MOORE culminated 15 years of legal struggle to integrate Girard College with months of constant protests at the historic institution that finally succeeded. Photo courtesy of Temple University Library collections

CITY HALL SAM (Cont. From Page 12) submitted to the court. The court can pick one of these maps or work with their redistricting consultant to create and implement their

own map.

It is hard to say which map will be picked, but the underdogs in this process have been the voters of Pennsylvania. Their voices have been silenced by political consultants and legislative leaders intent on foisting their will on the people

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of Pennsylvania. But just like the Eagles, the voters will be victorious in the redistricting issue. They will not have a trophy to hoist, but they will have won their democracy back from perverse partisanship ... and that is certainly worth a parade down Broad Street.

Feb. 15- State Rep. Jason Dawkins hosts Workshop on Apprenticeship Opportunities at 4667 Paul St., 6-7 p.m.

For info: (215) 744-7901.

Feb. 16- Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell hosts African American History Month at Kingsessing Rec Ctr., 50th St. & Kingsessing Ave., 6-8:30 p.m. Free dinner, positive entertainment, giveaways for the family. For info: Mike Ross (484) 250-9055.

Feb. 17- Pa. Veteran Boxers Ass’n hosts Fundraiser at VBA Cl., 2733 E. Clearfield

St., 7-11 p.m. $5 cover, drink specials. For info: Fred Druding, Jr. (215) 221-2374.

Feb. 20- Judge Marsha Neifield leads Panel on Human Trafficking at Union League, 140 S. Broad St., 5:30 p.m.

For info: (215) 563-6500.

Feb. 20- State Rep. Joanna McClinton hosts Energy Forum at 18th Dist. Police Sta., 5510 Pine St., 6 p.m. For info: (215) 748-6712.

Feb. 21- State rep candidate Jeff Curry hosts Fundraiser at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, 1310 Drury St., 5:30-8:30 p.m. Open bar, buffet. Hosts $500, Friends $250, Supporters $100, Guests $50.

Payable to “Friends of Jeff Curry,” 219 St. marks Pl., Phila., PA 19104 or VoteforJeffCurry.com.

Feb. 22- Green Party of Phila. hosts Membership Mtg. at Shissler Rec Ctr., 1800 Blair St., 7 p.m. Election of City Committee. For info: (215) 843-4256 or gpop@gpop. org.

Feb. 22- Phila.’s Democrat-

ic Women hold Mtg. at Irish Pub, 2007 Walnut St., Happy Hour 5 p.m., Mtg. 6 p.m.

Guest speaker: State Rep. Donna Bullock. For info: Rania Major (215) 837-3250 or Shantale Galloway (267) 467-0995.

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.

Feb. 27- Mt. Hebron Baptist Ch. hosts Community Feeding Day, Clothing & Items Giveaway at 1417 Wharton St., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Kids, ladies, men, home.

Free. For info: (215) 3368163

For Further Listing See “Calendar” Online At www. phillyrecord.com

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most restrictive abortion bill. This bill would have reduced the time available for Pennsylvania women to get an abortion from 24 weeks to 20 – a clear violation of Roe v. Wade. Fortunately, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed it.

To make matters worse, legislators are making it harder to access birth control and eliminating funding for Title X family planning programs.

As one of nine women of color in the Pennsylvania Legislature – out of 253 total members in our Commonwealth’s 67 counties – resisting has not been easy.

But it is necessary and must be done. I look forward to pushing legislation this year that would not only protect, but expand the reproductive rights that are crucial to the well-being of women of color in our Commonwealth.

State Rep. Morgan Cephas represents the 192nd Legislative District.

F E B RUA RY 15, 2018

OPINION

access to reproductive health care. If these proposals become law, it’s no surprise who will get hit the hardest: women of color.

Historically, women of color have been systematically denied the resources, services and information they need to make important personal decisions regarding their health. For example, before the Affordable Care Act, women of color were charged more for health insurance premiums, since they are disproportionately more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions that often qualify as pre-existing conditions.

These include hypertension, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases and infections.

However, it’s not just our health care that’s at risk, but the free will to use our bodies as our own. Just last year, Pennsylvania legislators passed the country’s

The News in Black & White

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Women of Color in Pa.: We Can Only Go up from Here

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ELEPHANT CORNER

own. Former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley volunteered to be the chairman of the PAC. Turzai made the vote for governor quick and easy.

Wagner decisively beat Allegheny County businessman PAUL MANGO. During the business meeting, DiGioirgio took the time to distribute charter certificates to seven new Pennsylvania Young Republican chapters in Allegheny, Blair, Erie, Lebanon, Lycoming, Schuylkill and Westmoreland Counties. From 2017 to date, the number of YR chapters in the commonwealth has risen from nine to 31. They are our farm teams.

Monday evening, the Philadelphia YRs held a cocktail party fundraiser at McGillin’s on Drury Street in Center City. The event was packed. The key-

note speaker was former Lt Gov. and currently the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Temple University, Jim Cawley.

Philadelphia YR CHAIRMAN ROSS WOLFE presented Cawley with a lifetime achievement award.

Cawley was very active years ago in the Philadelphia YRs. Cawley was not the only person in the room too old to join the YRs. Republican City Committee CHAIRMAN MIKE MEEHAN and COUNCILMAN AL TAUBENBERGER attended. Ward leaders resent included CHRIS LINS (9th), WALT VOGLER (21st), CALVIN TUCKER (22nd), MATT WOLFE (27th), Tom Boggia (34th), DENISE FUREY (46th) and CHRIS VOGLER (55th). STATE REP. MARTINA WHITE was there as well.

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

of pesticides or hormones, the USDA’s food boxes would include such things as shelf-stable milk (powdered, most likely), ready-to-eat cereals, pasta, peanut butter, beans and canned fruit and vegetables.

(To be honest, I’m not surprised this is what we got from the political party that told us that ketchup was a vegetable in the ’80s.

I sort of expected worse.)

The myriad of ways in which this is a bad idea boggles the mind.

For starters, is UPS going to deliver these boxes to the door of these SNAP recipients in the same way that Blue Apron is delivered? Will the delivery

charge be taken out of the recipient’s food stamps?

What if it’s not delivered to the door and the recipient has to go get it? How does one get a month’s worth of canned goods on a SEPTA bus?

What are you going to tell the folks who have been fired from their jobs at grocery stores based in poor communities due to fewer customers?

And last, but not least, have you seen the amount of sodium in a can of canned veggies? That’s why I stopped serving them. To give processed foods to a population whose medical benefits you’re also trying to cut strikes me as the height of irresponsibility.

But irresponsible and this administration go together like chicken and waffles.

Now in places like Philadelphia, places where kids are sad to see school vacations because that’s the only place where they can get a meal, this could possibly make a pretty bad situation worse.

But at the very least, it shows a return to stigmatizing the poor.

(Cont. From Page 12) I did not expect the endorsement vote for governor to be so decisive a win for STATE SEN. SCOTT WAGNER (R-York). However, immediately before the vote, House SPEAKER MIKE TURZAI addressed the assembly and announced he would not run for governor. He acknowledged he thought he would come up a little short in the vote. As he has been pivotal in the past in helping fellow Republicans get elected to the State House, many in the room were relieved that he would continue with that fight. His PAC, PAFIGHTSBACK, which was to fund his campaign, will now focus on the State House races, including his

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(Cont. From Page 12) you’ve gotta cut somewhere.

Why not programs that help the folks in Appalachia who helped put you into office?

To make sure folks get at least some food, the administration has proposed a plan to make things more “efficient” for SNAP recipients by sending half of their benefits to them in the form of boxes of pre-chosen foods.

Unlike Blue Apron, which advertises fresh ingredients including cage-free eggs, free range chicken and vegetables from family farms that were grown without the use

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2/14/2018 11:15:59 AM

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 65’ & 66’) on the building at 4920 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA (20180132). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (centerline heights 153’, 158’, 169’ & 177’) on the building at 1831 W Allegheny Ave, Philadelphia, PA (20180147). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF PHILA. COUNTY, PA No. 140202028 U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee of The Security National Mortgage Loan Trust 2005-1, Plaintiff vs. The Unknown Heirs of Ollie McColley, Deceased and Rudolph McColley, Jr., Solely in His Capacity as Heir of Ollie McColley, Deceased, Defendant(s) – NOTICE - To: Unknown Heirs of Ollie McColley, Deceased and Rudolph McColley, Jr., Solely in his Capacity as Heir of Ollie McColley, Deceased, Defendant(s) - NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL PROPERTY - Being Premises: 5345 Irving Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139. Being in Phila. City, County of Phila., Commonwealth of PA, 603053800. Improvements consist of residential property. To be sold as the property of the Unknown Heirs of Ollie McColley, Deceased and Rudolph McColley, Jr., Solely in His Capacity as Heir of Ollie McColley, Deceased. Your house (real estate) at 5345 Irving Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139, is scheduled to be sold at Sheriff’s Sale on 4/3/18, at 9:00 a.m., at 3801 Market St., 3rd Fl.(First District Plaza Ballroom), Phila., PA, to enforce the Court Judgment of $97,556.74 plus legal interest in the amount of $15,045.52 for a subtotal of $112,602.26, obtained by U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee of The Security National Mortgage Loan Trust 2005-1 against the above premises. FRIEDMAN, SCHUMAN, P.C., Attys. for Plaintiff

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blind and deaf shih tzu who still ran about in the park as he did in youth. In his 15th year, he fell into the Delaware River amid a swift current. He was recovered two miles downstream, happily swimming in the shipping lanes. This Olympian and steadfast friend will be missed by Master Andy Damanick and friends.

F E B RUA RY 15, 2018

(Cont. From Page 12) him for critical op-eds he wrote in his publication. WHY NOT? Critics say that it cannot be – but WITNESS the FBI TUSSLE with the RIGHT on the NATIONAL level. The reporter injects comments on Smukler’s newsletter, which are out of line. Then there is a line on what Smukler’s motion failed to mention. And a line expressing what he thinks that Smukler believes (?). Did the writer study under KARNAK THE MIND READER? That Smukler article mentions the PORN-GATE list uncovered when Smukler was consulting for Kathleen KANE. In answer to the motion, let the FEDS produce the list. Publishing it would ROCK THE COMMONWEALTH to its foundations!

Democratic State Committee met in Harrisburg and decided on an OPEN PRIMARY for LT. GOVERNOR. That is best way to go. If they endorsed Stack, the daily press could crank out many stories on a machine decision. And State Committee is anything but that. The GOOD NEWS is that State Committee delegates chose two 34th Ward Committee persons: Lisa

RHODES as Treasurer (the 1st African-American in that post); and Kathy Huggins as Recording Secretary. Bob BRADY is 34th Ward Leader.

HATS OFF to Mayor KENNEY for his efforts to promote BLUE-COLLAR skills in schools like it USED to be!

I would like to pay homage to a great dog who has left us: DITTY, a 16-year-old

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

(215) 236-6700

www.ldc-phila-vic.org Alan Parham, Adminstrator

Local 57 - Esteban Vera, Jr., Business Manager Local 135 - Daniel 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 Building better and safer communities in Philadlephia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties

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

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2/14/2018 10:30:26 AM

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16

Roebuck Runs Again KICKING OFF HIS re-election campaign at Calvary Center in Cedar Park was State Rep. Jim Roebuck. He was joined by, L-R, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown and State Sen. Anthony Williams, as well as a host of progressive activists including Congressman Dwight Evans, 2nd from R. Photos bv Bonnie Squires

understanding BANKRUPTCY

BY MICHAEL A. CIBIK AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY BOARD CERTIFIED uestion: Have reports of the death of refund-anticipation loans been greatly exaggerated!?

Tax Refund Anticipation Loans are short-term loans that are made by lenders, through tax preparers, which are secured by a taxpayer’s tax refund. With interest and fees associated with RALs, the effective annual percentage rate for these loans are often in the triple digits.

Besides being costly, short-term loans are, for the most part, unnecessary.

According to a report of the National Consumer Law Center, Inc., RALs were usually made for a period of anywhere from 7 to 14 days on average. However, the Internal Revenue Service advises that many tax payers receive their refunds within 10 days, and that 90% of taxpayers receive their refund within 21 days.

In the latter part of 2011, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. entered into consent judgments with several banks to end their lending money for RALs no later than April of 2012.

H&R Block did not offer RALs in 2012, but not because it had seen the error of its ways – rather, because it banking partner for these loans HSBC had been ordered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to stop funding these high-interest loans.

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But, as the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum, so there have been many non-banking lenders that have jumped in to fill the void.

Liberty Tax Service now offers a tax-refund anticipation product known as an Instant Cash Advance to filers expecting a federal refund of $1,500 or more.

USA Today recently reported that an individual getting a Liberty Tax Service Instant Cash Advance would pay about $101 to get $1,700.

H&R Block, while technically no longer offering Refund Anticipation Loans, does not offer what it refers to as a Refund Anticipation Check which allows the taxpayer to deduct tax-preparation fees from the refund.

H&R Block charges $24.95 to have the return deposited onto an H&R Block prepaid debit card, or $54.95 to have a paper check mailed to the taxpayer.

Jackson Hewitt offers a refund-anticipation check similar to H&R Block known as an “Assisted Refund,” which allows a taxpayer to avoid out-of-pocket costs at the time the tax return is filled out.

Whether it’s called a Refund Anticipation Loan, a Refund Anticipation Check, or something else altogether, the fact is that these products are geared toward low-income taxpayers and taxpayers without a bank account, and are designed for the sole purpose of separating an already financially strapped individual from a portion of his much-needed tax refund.

Remember that for low-income workers and the elderly, there are a number of free tax services available such as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.

Next Week’s Question: Can bonuses paid to debtor after Chapter 7 filing be taken by bankruptcy trustee?

2/14/2018 10:30:59 AM

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.

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.

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

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

Nominate @ https://tinyurl.com/ pprlaborsalute For more information please call: Melissa Barrett: 215-755-2000 Ext. 5 mbarrett@phillyrecord.com PPR_p017.indd 15

F E B RUA RY 15, 2018

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.

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Salute to Labor

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17 NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE - Parcel#: 651165500; 117N23-147 - WHEREAS, on March 11, 2009, a certain mortgage was executed by Rudolph T. Piro, as mortgagor in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Philadelphia Document Number 52040703 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 4522 McMenamy Street, Philadelphia, PA 19136, parcel number 651165500; 117N23-147(“Property”); and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by Rudolph T. Piro by virtue of deed dated March 11, 2009 and recorded March 24, 2009 as Philadelphia Document Number 52040702; and WHEREAS, Rudolph T. Piro died on November 9, 2016 intestate and is survived by his heir(s)-at-law, Thomas Piro, Stephen Piro, Susanne Ozias, Stephanie Curro, Patrick Santon, and Kimberly Babiak. 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 August 24, 2016 in Philadelphia Document Number 53103003, 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 Rudolph T. Piro died on November 9, 2016, 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 December 4, 2017 is $237,761.11 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 at March 6, 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 situate in Holmesburg in the Sixty-fifth, formerly part of the Forty-first Ward of the City of Philadelphia, bounded and described according to a survey made thereof dated October 10, 1952 by Howard LeQuin, Surveyor and Regulator of the 1st District as follows, to wit: BEGINNING at a point on the Southwesterly side of McMenamy Street (forty feet wide) one hundred eighteen feet two and three-eighths inches Northwestwardly from the Northwesterly side of Ditman Street (sixty feet wide) containing in front or breadth on said McMenamy street fifty feet and extending of that width in length or depth Southwestwardly between lines parallel with Jackson Street and at right angles to McMenamy Street one hundred forty two feet having a width or breadth of fifty feet on the real line thereof. Commonly known as: 4522 McMenamy Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136. Lot #147. Being parcel number: 651165500; 117N23-147. The sale will be held on March 6, 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 $237,761.11 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 $237,761.11 as of December 4, 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.

2/14/2018 10:31:32 AM

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

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Still Flying

BY RYAN BRIGGS OURCES HAVE reported that State Rep. Bill Keller (D-XS. Phila.) is reportedly considering retiring ahead of a hotly contested Democratic primary that has so far drawn four challengers to the race for the 184th state House District.

With petition season just days away, Keller declined multiple requests to discuss his re-election plans. But multiple sources close to Keller – including friends, political supporters and fellow House colleagues – said the legislator is considering dropping out of the race.

“Other state reps this week were under the impression he wasn’t running,” one House member said, of Keller’s plans.

The former longshoreman and La Salle graduate has represented dockside communities in South Philadelphia since 1993, buttressed

S EAGLES QB Nick Foles joined Mickey Mouse at the post-Super Bowl Disney World parade. Photo by Amanda Kline Taormino

F E B RUA RY 15, 2018

Rep. Keller May Call It a Day

BRIAN EDDIS, Democratic Leader of Ward 63, and son have fond memories of spending the Super Bowl together.

by strong ties to local labor unions. Several sources confirmed that those political backers have recently scouted out other candidates in case Keller does decide to retire – Jonathan Rowan, a staffer for State Sen. Larry Farnese (D=S. Phila.), and Dan Stevenson, a beer distributor owner close to Councilman Mark Squilla (1st Dist.), were both floated as possible surrogates.

Others, like GOP State Rep. John Taylor (R-Northeast), a longtime friend of Keller, said they weren’t counting the lawmaker out.

“He seemed like he was ready for a campaign to me," said Taylor, who announced his own retirement last year.

But Taylor added that he couldn’t explain why Keller would be averse to discussing his re-election plans.

Behind the scenes, associates said Keller simply hadn’t made up his mind. His tenure

has been marked by his perch atop the House Transportation Committee, where he has promoted legislation to fund big-ticket initiatives like the dredging of the Delaware River. Powerful figures, like Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, privately expressed concern about the city’s loss of clout in Harrisburg if Keller followed Taylor into retirement.

Much like Taylor, Keller is often described in Harrisburg as a legislator who is able to work both sides of the aisle.

Closer to home, some say Keller has been keeping a lower profile around the neighborhood, a factor that may have inspired the large number of primary challengers. He will now face at least four primary opponents in May: lawyer Bill Ciancaglini, retired police detective Nicholas DiDonato, Jr., former WHYY reporter Elizabeth Fiedler and attorney Tom Wyatt. DiDonato, who also

hails from South Philadelphia, has called him a “wildly absent public persona.”

Keller’s resignation would also upend dynamics in the race for the 184th District, which covers some rapidly gentrifying wards as well as blue-collar neighborhoods that have historically been a seat of power for politically influential unions.

Two of Keller’s opponents – DiDonato and Ciancaglini – have deep roots in the neighborhood. His other two opponents – Fiedler and Wyatt – are more closely aligned with a wave of more well-to-do newcomers to the area. The latter two candidates have posted decent fundraising numbers: Fiedler raked in $53,000 during the last cycle, while Wyatt posted a $27,000 take.

Keller, meanwhile, brought in just a few thousand dollars – although he will enter this year with a war chest totaling some $80,000.

LEGAL NOTICE TO: Unknown Birth Father of Baby Girl McCanna

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

A Petition has been filed asking the court to put an end to all rights you have to your child Baby Girl McCanna who was born on 9/2/17 at Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, PA, as well as any rights A.M. has to Baby Girl McCanna. The court has set a hearing to consider ending your rights to your child. That hearing will be held on March 6, 2018 at 10:00 a.m., One Montgomery Plaza, Swede Street, Courtroom #14, Orphan’s Court Division, Norristown, PA 19404 before Judge Murphy. You are warned that even if you fail to appear at the scheduled hearing, the hearing will go on without you and your rights to your child as well as the rights of A.M. to that child may be ended by the court without your being present. You have a right to be represented at the hearing by a lawyer. You should take this paper to your lawyer at once. If you do not have a lawyer or cannot afford one, go to or telephone the office set forth below to find out where you can get legal help.

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An important option may be available to you under Act 101 of PA Law that allows for an enforceable voluntary agreement for continuing contact following an adoption between an adoptive parent, a child, a birth parent and/or a birth relative of the child, if all parties agree and the voluntary agreement is approved by the court. The agreement must be signed and approved by the court to be legally binding.

You are also warned that if you fail to file either an acknowledgment of paternity pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A. Section 2503 (d) relating to acknowledgement and claim of paternity, and fail to either appear at a hearing to object to the termination of your rights or file a written objection to such termination with the court prior to the hearing, your rights may be terminated under Pa.C.S.A. 2503(d) or 2504(c) of the adoption act.

LAWYER REFERRAL AND INFORMATION SERVICE 100 West Airy Street, P.O. Box 268 Norristown, PA 19404 (800) 560-LAW1

2/14/2018 10:32:00 AM

Y

O! HERE WE GO again with this from Barry L. It’s been circulating on the internet for a long time and it always moves me.

A young and success-

was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do.” He pleaded, “I threw the brick because no one else would stop....”

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Now sobbing,

the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

“Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy

push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar.

The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: “Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!”

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts.

Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It’s our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the day: If 19 God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning. Face it, friend – He is crazy about you! Send this to every “beautiful person” you wish to bless: God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Pass this message to seven people. “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”

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

the WAFFLE MAN

ful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What

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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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