Grid Magazine July 2018 [#110] by Red Flag Media

JULY 2018 / ISSUE 110 / GRIDPHILLY.COM

T O W A R D A S U S TA I N A B L E P H I L A D E L P H I A

RAYS HOPE The fast growing market for solar in Philly

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Immigrant incarceration in Berks County

YouTube Fishing Sensation finds biodiversity in the Schuylkill

A studentrun shelter breaks down barriers

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Nate Harris NextFab’s Latest Artist in Residence. His illustrations have adorned local beer cans, retail stores, art museum promotions, book covers, skateboards, and more. Nate Harris is the kind of artist that is so fluent in his own style and so prolific in Philadelphia that his work is almost immediately iconic. A long-time member of NextFab and Space 1026, Nate’s work is playful and charming, fluid in it’s form, but executed with precision. He’s constantly inspired by a process or machine or simply a scrap of wood. Nate recently finished a limited edition book titled “Scenic Rout.” Scenic Rout is likely one of the best examples of his style of exploring the intersection of woodworking and printmaking. The title is a reference to the process of creating and printing the book. Using a router, he carved illustrations onto plywood panels. Then, using the router cuts as a relief, he inked the panels and ran them through a printing press. “When used as a drawing tool, the router creates a bold, solid-weight line. Scenic Rout is an exercise in the simplification of form through the limitations of its line.” – Nate Harris This project was actually a refinement of a process that Nate developed with another book project, titled “Scrap Book.”Another clever play on words, Scrap Book was printed using scraps of wood. The scraps were assembled into print blocks, inked and printed on a press. Nate has also used this direct, analog printing process for a number of other projects including one for Spectrum Skateboard Co. Using cutoffs from recycled skate decks, he created textural forms that were then used as printing blocks. Nate’s residency at NextFab has allowed him to hone his craft, find inspiration, and ingrain himself into the creative community of Philadelphia. The next time you see his work around the city, take a minute to explore the nuanced fingerprints of his process.

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EDI TO R ’S NOTES

alex mulcahy

My Mistake publisher Alex Mulcahy editor-in-chief Alex Mulcahy alex@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 102 associate editor Vince Bellino copy editors Cara Stefchak David Jack Daniels art director Michael Wohlberg michael@redflagmedia.com 215.625.9850 ext. 113 writers Bernard Brown Constance Garcia-Barrio Akbar Hossain Vance Lehmkuhl Randy LoBasso Bob Pierson Melissa Simpson Paige Wolf photographers Kriston Jae Bethel Vance Lehmkuhl Rachael Warriner illustrators Luke Cloran James Olstein advertising Santino Blanco santino@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 112 distribution Alex Yarde alex.yarde@redflagmedia.com 215.625.9850 ext. 106 published by Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850 G R I D P H I L LY. C O M

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was wrong. Last month, in my editor’s notes, I was talking about the controversial plan to build a school and ball field on the newly opened Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden. What I was trying to do is raise awareness about this issue and mobilize people around it. I also was trying to put it into a greater context, discussing how humans’ decisions about land use, specifically our farming of palm trees, is largely responsible for the near extinction of some beloved creatures, including lemurs, rhinos, tigers and orangutans. ¶ The mistake I made is that I implied that the parents of Lower Merion School District were the architects of this plan. That is not true. It was put forth by their superintendent. The overwhelming majority of parents are rightfully appalled by it, and will do everything in their power to stop it. ¶ I’m sorry for writing and publishing a misleading piece, and I apologize to the parents who were inaccurately portrayed. What follows are some letters I received after the issue was published.

Your editorial of June 2018 implies that Lower Merion parents are advocating the destruction of a public garden because they want “spacious schools...and sports fields” for their kids. This is inaccurate, irresponsible, and poorly investigated, and you owe an apology to all those parents who have been urging the school board and the township to address the issues of overdevelopment and crowded schools by considering the procurement of available properties and other creative solutions, while advocating vociferously for the preservation of public spaces. You talk a lot about your son in this piece. I am sure you would agree that modelling fairness, responsibility, accuracy and respect for others is as important as teaching respect for the environment. Susan Kanoff Philadelphia, PA Many parents/residents who want relief from overcrowded schools in Lower Merion never asked for Stoneleigh and do not support the superintendent’s consideration of eminent domain. The school board should plan for the future of our schools, which are facing unprecedented growth, and consider properties that are actually for sale. They should build as creatively and economically as possible. Like many parents, we want our children to have room to learn and play. Interestingly, this all began when parents realized our elementary schools were running out of green space, as well as core

space. More students are on the way and in most circumstances we can only build out and not up, further impacting our neighborhoods with traffic and congestion. Yes, Stoneleigh should absolutely remain intact —but perhaps all open space is important? Lauren Fenning I was disappointed to read your letter in the June issue of Grid. Or rather, I wish you had done some more research before you shared such an inaccurate assessment of the situation. It piles misinformation and misdirected blame on top of an already complicated and often misunderstood situation. As a ‘parent of Lower Merion’ who has a child at a school that is busting at the seams, and as a friend of many of the parents who have been involved in this issue for years, I can assure you that we have no plans to build a school on the Stoneleigh property. We don’t even have the type of power to do such a thing (nor do we want to do that, to be clear). Parents of Lower Merion have been dealing for years with increased enrollment, loss of green space at our schools, and decreased core space. We have been trying to work with the school board to come up with creative and innovative solutions that utilize available property (such as the Islamic Center in Villanova). My daughter’s school has already lost green space due to the addition of modular classrooms, and if the School Board goes forward with their ‘neighborCOV E R IL LUSTRATIO N BY JAM ES OLSTEI N

Grid_Perks_Restaurant_5.31.18.pdf 1 5/31/2018 4:39:11 PM

hood stabilization’ plan, [we] will be set to lose 1/3 of the remaining green space. Let’s remember that as well when we talk about preserving green space. Superintendent Copeland and the Lower Merion School Board are the ones who decided to put Stoneleigh on the table as an option, which immediately created unnecessary fracturing in our community. Even their original claim to want the 6.9 acres for fields to make the Islamic Center a feasible option was unnecessary, as the Islamic Center can be a solid solution without Stoneleigh if creative planning is used. I do hope that you continue to learn more about this issue, as many of us are working very hard to do what’s best for our kids and community. Sincerely, Xandra O’Neill

I am a parent of three children in Lower CM Merion School District. We moved here MY from out of state and fell in love with the natural beauty, the accessibility, and yes, the CY CMY schools of Lower Merion. Your article about Stoneleigh recently K was shared with me by a friend, and I don’t typically write letters like this (though I am active in my community) but was moved to do so because of its inaccuracy. I have yet to meet a single parent or community member, other than those serving on our school board, who wish to use eminent domain and take Stoneleigh for use as a school. Not one. While I do respect that our school board is served by volunteers who dedicate a lot of time away from their families to serve our district, I do not agree with their assertion that Stoneleigh is our only or best option. We do have a significant and urgent overcrowding issue in Lower Merion, but many residents, including parents of school-aged children, retirees and others, would prefer that LMSD find another solution. I invite you to come to Lower Merion and to speak with its residents about our interests for our children. Sincerely, Lisa Prosnitz Penn Valley, PA

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ACT I O N MOM

paige wolf

Sheltering The Most Vulnerable Mt.Airy South Philly

West Philly South Jersey thenestinghouse.net

n 2011, while working as an adjunct professor teaching social justice at Villanova University, Stephanie Sena learned that the Ridge Center, Philadelphia’s largest emergency housing unit, would be closing. Sena decided to join forces with her students to see what they could do to take on the growing homeless epidemic in Philadelphia. She worked alongside student leaders to establish the Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia (SREHUP), bringing together college students from five schools, and they now can house up to 70 guests. “There is a reciprocity in this work,” says Sena, 38. “And when the students are speaking to the people experiencing homelessness and learning from them, they hear personal stories and their worldviews are expanded as a result.” Among the problems SREHUP has sought to address is the lack of shelters allowing pets. Each year, many of the people who die on the streets from hypothermia are homeless with their pets. “Over the course of operating shelters in churches, we had to turn away countless individuals who were seeking shelter with their animals,” Sena says. “SREHUP is now working to be a low-barrier shelter and accept people with the three Ps- their pets, their partners and their property.” Accessibility also became a key need Sena wanted to address, as there were few shelters in Philadelphia that could accommodate people in wheelchairs or limited ability to climb stairs. Sena says she became aware of this deficiency when she tried to find shelter for one of her clients who had had a leg amputation. “The only shelter that was equipped to have him was outside of the Office of Homeless Services, and had a long wait list,” she

says. “Luckily I had my mom, and then a friend, house him until a bed became available.” SREHUP began with tremendous support from the animal rescue community, who offered time, services and money to get the new shelter off the ground. Now SREHUP has a proven track record of success and has helped move hundreds of people from the street to housing in its seven years of operation. “SREHUP is not a Band-Aid,” Sena says. “It’s emergency housing designed to save our vulnerable neighbors from homelessness and death on the streets.” But, she says, SREHUP does not stop with shelter. The guests are guided to social workers and the services they need to get back on their feet, including rent subsidies. This work requires collaboration with people across the city. “It’s really a movement to create a more just and equitable society, one in which our neighbors are cared for and safe,” Sena says. “This is all hands on deck—everyone is needed in this work. And therefore a huge step is getting everyone involved, from elementary-age students to corporate CEOs and politicians.” This holistic approach designed to get people back on their feet while educating students on social justice has drawn national coverage as the subject of a recent VICE documentary. Sena’s work has always been informed by her connection to youth, including her 11-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. “A huge part of my work is about educating youth—not just my students, but my own two children—that homelessness is something they can eliminate,” Sena says. “They have the power to make a difference in their own backyard.”

paige wolf is the author of “Spit That Out!: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Healthy Kids in the Age of Environmental Guilt.” Follow @paigewolf on Twitter. 6

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BI K E TA LK

randy lobasso

The Winding Path to Bike Lanes

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n june, the Streets Department installed new protected bike lanes, complete with bicycle traffic signals and signage, on JFK Boulevard and Market Street. And while some kinks are still being worked out, the project is a significant step forward for Philly’s cyclists. But the lane didn’t just appear overnight. The story begins in 2009, when Center City District conducted a survey of property owners and managers asking how the streets could be enhanced. Among other things, building owners and managers wanted better access to bike parking, bike storage and safer bicycling facilities—like protected bike lanes—and beautification of the streets. CCD then commissioned a traffic study to recommend options for improving the streets. In 2011, the Streets Department conducted a “capacity study” by placing barrels in the left-hand travel lane to test its impact on traffic. Community meetings were held, but City Council support could not be secured. In 2013, the Nutter administration secured a grant to prepare a conceptual design. Several were prepared for the neighborhood organizations and City Council members to review. The political support was lacking for any proposal to remove a driving lane, with naysayers citing traffic congestion and some residents worried about cyclists’ behavior. But activists knew that the streets were ready for change. Both streets are four-lane through Center City (with parking on both sides) and see more crashes between all road users each year than average Center City streets. Between 2010-2014 there were 40 percent more crashes on JFK and Market—this includes any accidents involving cars, bikes and pedestrians—than on Walnut and Chestnut streets. By 2016, the city had a new mayor and a

new transportation office. The Bicycle Coalition began holding meetings with City Council staff and constituents to speak about new infrastructure and visiting the apartment buildings on JFK, where residents had been most skeptical of bike lanes. The Bicycle Coalition also visited Center City Residents Association and Logan Square Neighborhood Association to present a “case for traffic calming on JFK and Market Streets.” Both civic associations were open to the idea. After a year of lobbying, advocacy groups were still no closer to a solution. That’s when tragedy struck. In a cruel irony, in the summer of 2017, transportation advocate Peter Javsicas, 76, was killed by an out-of-control motorist while walking on the sidewalk at 16th Street and JFK. The Coalition would hold a walk for Javsicas, through Center City, ending at City Hall and demanding action from City Council. Hundreds responded to the Coalition’s petition, sending personal messages to Council President Darrell Clarke, demanding a safer JFK Boulevard. Clarke responded saying he would hold hearings on the matter. Meanwhile, advocates got back to work. The city’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems began holding meetings at apartment buildings along JFK and Market, speaking to those who worked and lived there. And the Bicycle Coalition put together a survey and went out on JFK and Market, speaking to more than 140 people about making the streets safer. On March 17, 2018, at the Bicycle Coalition’s Vision Zero Conference, Mayor Jim Kenney announced a new bike lane project on JFK and Market. Advocacy is a long, hard road, and it’s not always pretty. But the JFK and Market bike lanes are proof that change is possible when people come together for the greater good.

randy lobasso is the communications manager at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

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akbar hossain

Immigrant Children Caged In PA

he Department of Homeland Security’s “zero tolerance policy” for undocumented immigrants crossing into the United States has caused a major uproar around the country. The protests intensified as images of children being held in cages started to circulate on social media. People across the nation could not believe that our country would do such horrible things to children. The outcry has focused on the morality of separating young children from parents when they are most vulnerable – seeking asylum and protection from violence and persecution back home. Since then, we learned the images were from 2014, when the undocumented minor crisis first spiked, with over 60,000 children crossing our borders from Central and South America largely to escape gang violence. This episode made me consider how much we, as a society, really know about the treatment of immigrant children in the U.S. and whether we realize that children being housed in cages is only the tip of the iceberg. For example, many people would be surprised to know that Pennsylvania is home to the misleadingly named Berks Family Residential Center, one of three family immigration detention centers in the U.S. contracted by ICE to incarcerate children and families awaiting asylum determinations. I’ve been to this facility—I’ve seen the despair in the eyes of mothers holding their children, looking at me helplessly. After I left the facility, I was overcome with numerous emotions: anger, sorrow and shame. As a soon-to-be-lawyer, in the vicinity of privilege, I still couldn’t do anything to alleviate their pain. I knew this was wrong. While detention of children and families in the U.S. has been a controversial concept since its inception, Berks is especially known for its medical neglect, psychological trauma, and sexual harassment of families

and children who are caged there. The problems at Berks have been so bad that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has revoked its license, and the state of Pennsylvania denied approval for its request for expansion of beds. However, Berks County filed an administrative appeal to keep the facility open. The county won that appeal in 2017, and the case is currently in legal limbo. It is well known that systems of family detention are incapable of satisfying basic obligations for the health and well-being of children and families in custody, leading to serious concerns about safety, medical and mental health, and due-process violations. Numerous federal reports have yielded negative findings regarding family detention centers. Furthermore, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, family detention costs over $200 of taxpayer money per individual, per day. Detaining these children and families is not only immoral but also costly. Viable, realistic alternatives to detention are available. Why not employ them? Closing the Berks detention facility would stop additional families from being incarcerated and allow the women and children to be released under more humane approaches to detention, including bail, monitoring and supervision practices to ensure they report to court for their immigration cases. It is easy to be infuriated by reading provocative headlines and simultaneously feeling a sense of satisfaction for further engaging on social media. But the reality for the thousands of children and families constantly living under daily threats of our own making will not change through simple outrage. I hope we learn to channel our shock and newfound power toward real policy goals with measurable impact. I’ve got one in mind: shut down Berks detention center!

akbar hossain writes about community engagement, immigrants’ rights and access to education 10

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ACTIV I S M

divestment at swarthmore

Hard And Fast Swarthmore teachers protest fossil fuel investment by fasting

he hunger for environmental justice became more acute at Swarthmore this spring as a multiyear fossil-fuel divestment campaign culminated in a student-body referendum, demonstrations and successive fasts by multiple faculty members. Once at a boiling point, though, the issue simmered and cooled until after the end of the school year, when the college’s Board of Managers finally addressed the topic. All this was part of a larger, ongoing story: An overseer at Harvard quit in protest of the University’s continued investment in oil, coal and gas companies. Multiple students at Cambridge University embarked on a hunger strike over the issue, and the 12

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University of Nottingham, the University of Bath and Salem State University added to the total of schools divesting. An April referendum back at Swarthmore found 87 percent of voting students in favor of overturning a 1991 ban on socially conscious divestment. After meeting with student campaigners Aru Shiney-Ajay, September Sky Porras and Gabriel Brossy de Dios (all class of 2020), President Valerie Smith agreed to present the referendum results to the board at its meeting on on May 11 and 12. Sympathetic faculty joined activists to ratchet up the pressure: In late April, religion and environmental studies Professor Mark Wallace announced a plan of succes-

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sive one-week fasts by different professors leading up to the board meeting, not “in protest” but “under the weight of concern” that students’ calls had not been heard. After Wallace, Associate Professor Christy Schuetze stepped up to the empty plate. The next week saw simultaneous fasts by English Literature and Environmental Studies Professor Betsy Bolton, Assistant Professor Liz Nichols, and Associate Professor Lee Smithey. Smithey said he’d raised the fasting idea in discussions with student activists three years ago, and with the high-profile board meeting coming up, the time was now. “Fasting brings a sense of urgency.” But he cautioned that “South Africa was

Left: Biology Professor Brad Davidson stands in solidarity with students. Above: The long list of colleges that have divested from the fossil fuel industry.

an 11-year campaign.. We understand these things take time.” And it has. Students formed Swarthmore Mountain Justice in 2012 to address mountaintop removal in the coal industry, launching a campus petition to begin official discussions of divestment. From the beginning, students endorsed slow, progressive steps to help the endowment evolve over time, and their focus also evolved to encompass all fossil fuels, contributors to greenhouse gases driving deadly climate change. Soon the campaign was reverberating far beyond Southeastern Pennsylvania. Hampshire College in Massachusetts had made a divestment commitment in December 2011, and in the ensuing years other school communities picked up the banner and made the move, including Syracuse University, CalArts, Humboldt State University, Union Theological Seminary, the University of California and more. The movement, now taking the name Sun-

rise, spread to 32 total divestments among schools worldwide, with municipal, state and private institutions joining in to add up to $6 trillion in divested dollars. But the Swarthmore’s Board of Managers cited a 1991 rule constraining its actions. This policy, adopted within two years of the college divesting from South African apartheid, charges the Investment Committee to manage the endowment “to yield the best long-term financial results, rather than to pursue other social objectives.” In an April debate, Porras said if the board truly believes that investments should always be managed for solely financial reasons, they’re saying divestment from apartheid should not have happened. The ban’s timing bolsters that interpretation. This restriction, she said, “very much does not align with our values.” But some warn that the ban is a valuable asset not easily cast aside—without it, any number of controversial causes might end up altering policy, a slippery slope into a big morass of ideologically-blazed money trails. The Swarthmore Conservative Society spoke out for retaining the ban, and they weren’t alone. Vice President for Finance and Administration Greg Brown opined in the Swarthmore Phoenix that, “Changing the investment policy to make a moral statement with no tangible effect could have the effect of diminishing performance and reducing funding available for critical mission-centric initiatives such as financial aid and academic programs.” For its part, Sunrise Swarthmore has said it will not support any divestment plan that includes financial-aid cuts. And students such as Brossy de Dios are quick to flip the coin: “By ignoring students and faculty,” he said in late May, “the board also ignores communities threatened by climate change, like my home in California where extreme heat makes it dangerous just to be outside.” No one can claim the board has completely ignored climate change, though: In the past few years the college has created a “Sustainability Framework” for campus construction; committed $12 million toward new sustainable buildings; pledged carbon neutrality by 2035; and even established a separate, $100,000 Fossil Fuel-Free Fund alongside the $2 billion fossil-fuel-friendly endowment fund. Activists still focus

on what they see as the most fundamental issue, the 1991 ban that stymies socially conscious divestment. As the May board meeting began at the Swarthmore Inn, Schuetze brought a banner chronicling all the schools that had divested since 2011, with Swarthmore’s notable absence red-lettered. Board members came out during a break, Porras said, and chatted. As students and concerned faculty pressed their case, some found the board more interested in persuading them that ethics-based decisions could still happen even with the ban. “Even the board members who talked to us and expressed vague agreement,” Porras noted, “didn’t say it outright.” A week later, with no yea-or-nay announcement, biology Professor Brad Davidson began another weeklong fast. On the Parrish Hall porch a few days into it, he was upbeat, but regretted having to attend “all these big end-of-year luncheons” while fasting. Finally, on June 11, Board of Managers Chair Salem D. Shuchman announced that the moratorium would remain in place, that “there is no current plan” to reexamine such divestment. Shuchman’s letter cited the size and complexity of the endowment’s investments as a prohibitive factor for policy change and touted the 2035 pledge and an internal carbon tax as forward steps. In response, Porras opined that the board’s announcement “undermines [itself] by promoting climate action while simultaneously stifling the work students have done to bring the college to a morally and financially sustainable future.” And in May, Brossy de Dios recalled that, in one-to-one chats with board members, “I felt like they were finally at least listening to students and faculty. It’s disappointing that despite having dialogue, they keep refusing to take substantive action.” Smithey noted that “privileged institutions have a responsibility to take action” and vowed that “given our mission of research and learning, students, staff and faculty are unlikely to turn away from the matter.” The board’s off-season announcement timing may have aimed to cool down this heated issue. But over the long term, it’s just going to get hotter. J ULY 20 18

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EN V IRO N M E N T

urban naturalist

Sheng holds a redbreast sunfish.

Reel Time YouTube sensation Leo Sheng enthusiastically by bernard brown fishes for variety, not size

alk to most Philadelphia fishers and you’ll hear about the big, dramatic fish. You’ll hear about pulling a 3-foot-long striper out of the water by the Art Museum. Maybe you’ll hear about a hefty channel catfish caught for dinner. But this particular morning in Cobbs Creek, on the border of West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Leo Sheng was getting psyched about what you and I would ordinarily call a 3-inch minnow. “Psyched” seems to come easily to Sheng, who kicks off each of his Extreme Philly Fishing YouTube videos with an almost impossibly enthusiastic, “Hey, what’s up, YouTube!” before he launches into the fishing topic of the day. As we stood in the creek and chatted, an uncharacteristically mellow Sheng had reeled in fish after fish. Most were red-breasted sunfish: spunky 14

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flat fish around four inches long, with a sunset coloration of a red chest fading into an iridescent blue-green. He had also pulled in a large creek chub (4 inches is large for a creek chub). Then Sheng spotted the oddly colored minnow. “Duuuude! What is that?” he exclaimed. He suspected it was a tessellated darter—later confirmed when he caught it using “micro fishing” tackle— but it wasn’t the least bit tessellated. Rather it was an even light green instead of the usual repeating pattern of black spots on a cream background. If it had been the size of a striper it would have been more-immediately impressive, with tall dorsal fins and huge, fanlike pectoral fins. But when you’re a multispecies fisher, the fish doesn’t have to be big to impress. Multispecies fishing emphasizes variety

over size. At Cobbs Creek, Sheng finished the outing with 10 species, including a 2-inch banded killifish, a thin dart of a fish with electric blue bands down its sides. When I asked him to pick a favorite Philadelphia fishing spot, Sheng named the Schuylkill at the edge of Center City. “You can walk very little to find so many different types of fish.” Although you can explore and enjoy fish diversity anywhere, all sorts of strange, released exotics can pop up in a city, for example a 5-pound pacu, a South American fish he caught in the Pennypack Creek. “I was perplexed but super happy . . . that was definitely one of my oddest catches ever.” Today Sheng has a corporate sponsor P HOTO G RAP HY BY KRISTO N JAE BETHEL

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(KastKing rods and reels) and 131,000 subscribers on YouTube, but he started off fishing with his dad in his hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He moved to Philadelphia in 2007 to start college at the Community College of Philadelphia. “While I was here learning the language, I found the Schuylkill River.” Fishing urban water seemed natural to him but not to everyone else. “Every time I was fishing the urban watersheds in Philadelphia, people would stop by and ask what I was catching. And a lot of them wouldn’t believe that the river had life in it,” Sheng says. So back in 2011 he decided to start a fishing blog. “The main objective was pretty much to inform people of all the different species in the area—our urban waterways have a lot of life. They are not as polluted as you think [they are].” Sheng quickly expanded in social media to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, all of which allow him to interact more with his fishing fans. “I appreciate the feedback on social media. People come and they show me a photo of this little, cute fish, a microspecies, and they say, ‘Thank you for introducing me to it, because if you didn’t, I’d never have known that this species is around,’ ” he says. The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership, which works to improve watershed health in the creek that runs from Montgomery County through North and Northeast Philadelphia, recognized Sheng’s urban fishing outreach in May with their Watershed Legacy award. “TTF chose to recognize Leo with our Watershed Legacy award because of the attention he’s bringing to the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Creek and other small urban streams just like ours. . . . Many locals are amazed to find out there are any fish here at all,” said Robin Irizarry, TTF’s Philadelphia Watershed Coordinator. “Leo’s videos have helped draw attention to the life that can still be found in our urban streams.” Anyone in Philadelphia can go fishing close to home. Sheng’s advice: “Don’t be afraid of casting your line anywhere, as far as you see water . . . you never know what you’re going to catch.”

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FRIENDS CENTER

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EDUCAT I O N

techgirlz

Breaking the Code Nonprofit encourages and mentors middle school girls for by melissa simpson careers in technology

fter watching 2016’s Hidden Figures, a movie that documents the contributions made by three brilliant African-American women to the space race, then-10-yearold Cordelia Dunston decided that she wanted to be an engineer. Her father, who works on Drexel’s campus, heard about a program called TechShopz, managed by the nonprofit TechGirlz, and led by Drexel’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. He signed up his daughter for the program. “I learned how to make a website using HTML, and we also made a game where we had to debug little programs in it—that was fun,” says Dunston of her experiences at TechShopz. “I like how it is college girls who are trying to teach us to do things with engineer18

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ing, because a lot of us have no clue what we are doing,” says Dunston. “They are a little bit more experienced than us, and they can teach us how to make things and have more insight into the engineering world and coding.” For those who have even the slightest interest in the tech industry, it is common knowledge that Dunston’s story is not the norm. There is an enormous gap in the numbers of men and women who work in the field. According to the Economics and Statistics Administration in United States Department of Commerce, “Women filled 47 percent of all U.S. jobs in 2015 but held only 24 percent of STEM jobs.” Tracey Welson-Rossman, CEO and founder of TechGirlz, started the volunteer-organized nonprofit with the hopes

of combating this disparity in STEM while evoking a sense of excitement in middle school girls for the field of technology. According to their 2016–2017 annual report, since its inception eight years ago, TechGirlz has managed to impact almost 5,000 young women through project-based learning on topics such as coding in Python, designing mobile apps, learning UX, and robotics. As Welson-Rossman explains, TechGirlz decided to focus on middle-schoolaged girls when she came across a research study that suggested that girls lose interest in tech starting around 11 years old. A similar study that was conducted by Microsoft in 2017 suggests the same. “In middle school, for example, 31 percent of girls believe that jobs requiring coding and programming are ‘not for them,’” reads the Microsoft report. “In high school, that percentage jumps up to 40. By the time they’re in college, 58 percent of girls count themselves out of these jobs.” “We saw that there wasn’t a place for middle schools that was being worked,” P HOTO G RAP H BY KRISTO N JAE BETHEL

Above: Cordelia Dunston learns how to code at a TechGirlz event held at Drexel University. Left: Jadyn Robertson (left) works with Jillian Saunders (right), a freshman at Drexel University, during a TechGirlz event.

says Welson-Rossman when discussing how 11- to 14-year-old girls were not being encouraged to pursue an interest in technology. With a small core team, TechGirlz relies on partnerships with organizations like the Free Library of Philadelphia, Comcast TechWomen and the Drexel University chapter of Society of Women Engineers (SWE). In the case of SWE, young college women have the opportunity to teach and mentor younger girls about tech while re-

inforcing what they are currently learning in the classroom. Recently, Jui Hanamshet, a 20-year-old second-year computer engineering student at Drexel and a SWE member, instructed about 15 middle school girls on how to code in Python in a small classroom on campus. Although Hanamshet, who has experience in both teaching and tutoring, was leading the Python TechShop for the first time, she had the assistance of a handful of other SWE members, including 19-yearold Elvira-Marie Mikhael, a second-year civil engineering major who has lead other TechShopz in the past. Hanamshet is in an interesting position. On one hand, she is helping to bridge the gender gap in tech by partnering with TechGirlz. On the other, she is navigating

classrooms that still reflect this disparity. For Hanamshet, doing this work helps to ensure that once these middle school girls reach college and perhaps take up a major in STEM, that they do not feel isolated. “In my electrical computer engineering classroom, there is a ratio of 1 [female] to 5 [males]—sometimes it is even worse,” says Hanamshet. “Being able to facilitate for a very young age group, what science is and how amazing it can be and how amazing coding is, strikes a sort of domino effect— one girl can tell another girl how awesome it is, and she can tell her friend. I find it very satisfying to know that I am helping to shape the future.” Mikhael, who works on the SWE Outreach team, found that developing a relationship with TechGirlz was a seamless process. “There are already these established places like TechGirlz that are looking for people like us who are able to facilitate their own event,” she says. “We are both kind of looking for the same thing.” By partnering with organizations like Drexel’s SWE chapter, TechGirlz has been able to make a meaningful impact in not only the lives of thousands of young girls but their parents as well. “The first two and half years, when I was going to every single event, I had parents who would hug me and thank me,” says Welson-Rossman. “[T]he stories are consistent—the parents are just so happy that there are opportunities for their girls.” TechGirlz is looking to branch out to other cities and replicate the impact that they have had on young women in Philadelphia. They set up shop in Chicago during the 2017–2018 school year. According to Welson-Rossman, by the end of the 2018 school year, it is projected that around 750 young women in the Windy City will have participated in a TechShop. TechGirlz is currently in the process of finding footing in the New York Metropolitan Area as well as Raleigh, North Carolina. “I am just really proud of what we’ve been able to do with a small team,” says Welson-Rossman. “The impact that our team has had on the community of girls, parents and volunteers—to me it shows that we can make a difference.” J ULY 20 18

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GR EEN S PAC E

the woodlands cemetery

Resting Spot The Woodlands Cemetery is a calm, lush spot and permanent home to some by constance garcia-barrio fiesty Philadelphians

ubversive cards and other awesome sh*t,” read artist Katie Novak’s business card at the Go West Craft Fest at The Woodlands Cemetery, 4000 Woodland Avenue, a gathering with the liveliness of a Bruegel painting, splashed with light and laughter and layered with the scent of organic edibles and spring buds, against a backdrop of tombstones. “Why not send something mildly offensive?” the card went on. The Donald Trump series by Novak, 34, might rile a few folks. Then again, some permanent residents of The Woodlands, a National Historic Landmark District, might have cheered from their graves. Abolitionist and activist Mary Grew (1813–1896), one of the Woodlands’ permanent residents, probably clapped from the hereafter. Grew helped a small group of 20

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black and white women launch the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society in December of 1833, days after the American Anti-Slavery Society barred women. Women leaping from their parlors into politics shocked many Philadelphians, and their forming an interracial organization enraged them. Grew, however, was just hitting her stride. She would be bounced from the 1840 World’s Anti-Slavery Convention in London for demanding to speak, and later become president of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association. The names on headstones at this green 54-acre site, with its soft swell of hills, reads like a Who’s Who, or Who Was Who, among 19th- and early 20th-century Philadelphians. Famed controversial realist painter Thomas Eakins (1844–1916) rests here, as does cardiologist Jacob Mendez

Da Costa, M.D. (1833–1900), who served as assistant surgeon during the Civil War, where he did one of the earliest studies of anxiety disorders in soldiers, at first called “Irritable Heart.” The Woodlands’ beginning goes back to 1766, when William Hamilton inherited 356 acres of land in West Philadelphia, then known as Blockley Township. In 1770, Hamilton built a magnificent porticoed house with a view of the Schuylkill River. An Anglophile—a family allegiance brought him to trial for treason twice during the Revolutionary War—he visited England after the war and enlarged his house based on what he’d seen there, transforming it into the country’s first Federalist mansion. Some of the mansion’s rooms have geometric shapes, including his drawing room, America’s first oval office. P HOTO G RAP HS BY RACHAE L WARRI NER

Barbara Dale tends to one of the grave gardens in the Woodlands.

A genial host, Hamilton welcomed to his home the likes of Thomas Jefferson, who declared it “. . . the only rival I have known of what may be seen in England.” Hamilton wowed guests not only with architecture, but also with his art collection and greenhouse. He collected more than 9,000 native and imported plants. In 1813, when Hamilton died, the country lost one of its premier botanists. Regularly scheduled tours of the mansion are available Thursdays, April through October, at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.; $10 per person, $8 for seniors. See upcoming themed Second Saturday Tour information at http://woodlandsphila.org/events-calendar. Between 1813 and 1840, the Hamilton family died out and grew poor, and the property was at risk of being industrialized. In 1840, a group of foresighted Philadelphians formed The Woodlands Cemetery Company to save the remaining acres of Hamilton’s estate to “ . . . preserve the beautiful scenery from destruction and maintain the parklike green space . . . ,” according to the articles of incorporation. Members of the company—which included William H. Moore (1804–1887), who directed the funerals of Presidents Harrison, Taylor, and John Quincy Adams—had the cemetery laid out in the Rural Cemetery style of meandering pathways and ornate monuments.

Today The Woodlands seems to meet a human need for lush green healing quiet, to the tune of 40,000 visitors a year. “People run and do recreational walking on our paths, including employees from adjacent hospitals,” said Emma Max, 29, program and operations manager. “We have few cars, so lots of kids ride here without their training wheels for the first time.” Cold weather doesn’t stop activity. With the help of REI and the Sierra club, The Woodlands hosts a free snowshoeing event in winter. The cemetery’s founders would have delighted in visitors’ interaction with nature. Bernard Brown, 41, a government employee and long-time West Philadelphian, recently led a wildlife walk at the cemetery. “There are foxes, groundhogs, and resident and migratory birds,” said Brown, who writes for Grid. “On the walk I hoped that people would gain an appreciation for the wildlife that lives around them and the awareness that even in an urban park or cemetery there are opportunities to engage with nature. People seemed engaged and had lots of questions.” A kind of exchange also takes place between the quick and the dead. For instance, some Masterman U.S. history students choose a permanent resident and do a yearlong study of that person. They give public presentations at the year’s end.

Executive director Jessica Baumert, 40, has deepened that dialogue by partnering with cultural institutions to bring the interests of The Woodlands residents to the lives of visitors. Ezra Cresson (1838–1926) devoted himself to the study of insects and founded the American Entomological Society in 1860. On The Woodlands’ annual Firefly Night, families picnic, watch a firefly-inspired aerial performance by Tangle Movement Arts, and learn from insect experts. The robust Grave Gardening Program adds to the “conversation.” Some graves have a bathtub, or cradle, shape where one may plant flowers. “Each of the 130 volunteer gardeners receives a grave assignment and a list of plants that relates to The Woodlands in Victorian times,” said Emma Max. “I plant flowers on the grave of Dr. David Jayne [1799–1860],” said Mary McGettigan, a West Philadelphian in her 60s. “At first, Dr. Jayne was a country doctor in New Jersey, then he moved to Philadelphia and amassed a fortune by making medicinal tonics. I plant gentian and spearmint because he used them in his remedies,” she said, and touched a mint leaf. “I grew up in the neighborhood, and I like coming here. My father’s buried here.” Baumert has more plans for The Woodlands. “Amenities are being added to allow for more visitors and larger events,” she said. “We’re always looking for public-event help and general site-greening volunteers to assist in bringing plans to fruition.” The cemetery’s founders would take pride in The Woodlands’ achievements. “We won a Grand Jury Award this year from the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia for the restoration of the Hamilton Mansion and stable,” Max said. More than that, the Woodlands has won a place in many Philadelphians’ hearts. J ULY 20 18

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Thomas Glenn and Katrell Holmes of Solar States find satisfaction in bringing solar energy to Philadelphia residents.

STRENGTH N MBERS IN

Solarize Philly harnesses the power of community and gives the solar market a big boost story by alex mulcahy

n a tree-lined street in West Mount Airy, solar panel installer Thomas Glenn confesses to a less than green past. “I was a litter bug,” Glenn, who was born and raised in Kensington, says. “I’d get a bag of chips, throw the wrapper on the ground, get some Kandy Kakes, throw those on the ground. I wouldn’t care. But then when you work for PowerCorps, you gotta pick all that trash up. You really don’t want to litter after that because you see what it’s doing to all the creeks, streams, sewer inlets, and you realize the damage it’s [doing].” Katrell Holmes, another solar panel installer on the team, seconds that. “I curse people out [who are littering] now,” he says with a laugh. “I know what people are going through in PowerCorps right 22

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now. It’s hot outside and they’re cleaning up in the heat, and I’ve been through it.” Both now work for the Olde Kensington-based Solar States, Glenn for two years and Holmes for four. Prior to their jobs in the solar industry, they each worked for the aforementioned PowerCorps, a program started by the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement when Mayor Nutter was in office. It was designed primarily to give job training to people who are reentering society after incarceration. While with PowerCorps, both Glenn and Holmes worked on green stormwater infrastructure projects, which involves creating natural solutions, such as gardens and swales, to keep stormwater from overflowing in our sewers. It also involved picking up a lot of trash. Glenn says that he greatly prefers his work as a solar panel installer. “When I was doing GSI work, it was mostly just 24

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maintaining already pre-built GSI systems. I didn’t really feel like I was doing as much for the environment as I do now doing solar. Right now I’m building something, constructing something, and I get to see what’s going on with each system, so I can see what I’m actually doing. The program that we use, it brings out an equivalent of how many trees you’ve planted, how many lightbulbs you’ve powered, how many gallons of water you’ve saved. Being able to see that and know that you built that, your team did that work, it makes you feel better about yourself than just maintaining a garden that you never get to see function.” Holmes agrees, but says that he likes the work for other reasons, too. “I’m an adrenaline junkie. I like climbing up ladders, looking down and doing all the crazy stuff. I was a climber as a kid. I’d climb trees, anything that was elevated.” On this day, they scaled a Victorian townhouse to install a 3-kilowatt array, one of the

many installations the city has seen in an unprecedented growth in solar. It’s been a long road for solar, and it started earlier than you might think. In 1883, American inventor Charles Fritts created the world’s first rooftop solar array in New York, but it wasn’t until the energy crisis of the 1970s that solar was seen as a potential solution to our energy needs. Since then, solar has undergone many ups and downs—what is known within the industry as “the solar coaster”—both nationally and regionally. Right now, it seems to be ascending. According to the National Solar Foundation, the national solar workforce increased by 168 percent in the past seven years, from about 93,000 jobs in 2010 to over 250,000 jobs in 2017. Philadelphia was the fifth fastest-growing market in the country. With rapidly dropping component prices, shorter return on investment times, a more cooperative utility company and an ingenious city program called Solarize, solar might finally be finding stability.

How Solarize works

aunched here in 2017 by the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), Solarize is a new program to our city, but the concept in the solar market has been around for close to a decade. Solarize harnesses the power of group buying, and consumers get a better deal. When you buy solar, the costs are two-fold. First, there are the components and panels, and secondly, the labor to do the installation. The PEA first negotiated with suppliers based on the volume they anticipated, and the approved installers then had access to that preferred pricing. A critical piece of the puzzle is that, in this case, the city has vetted the solar providers, which instills a level of confidence that consumers might not otherwise have. In Philadelphia, three installers have

been approved for the program: Kiss Electrical of Levittown, Moore Energy of Southampton, and Solar States of Olde Kensington. Finally, the city also helps to market the program and keeps a steady stream of customers in the pipeline. The process is relatively simple. Customers sign up at solarizephilly.org, and then the PEA sends a questionnaire asking basic questions about your home and your PECO bill. PEA then calls to answer any questions and to confirm information before assigning one of the three approved solar providers. A free assessment and project proposal from the installer assesses the property and prepares for a solar installation proposal for the home. After sending their proposal, the installer performs a site evaluation and

takes additional roof measurements. If everything looks good to the customer at that point, the contract is signed and then the solar provider begins the interconnection and permit applications for the project with PECO and the Department of Licenses & Inspections. The simplified and streamlined offering has resonated in the Philly market. “We were thrilled by the response we got,” says Emily Schapira, the executive director at PEA. “We had 2,200 people express interest in the program. We ran the first phase in 2017, from July to October, and we exceeded our goals. Initially we had aimed to have 50 people sign contracts for solar in phase one as we were getting it off the ground. We ended up with 186 contracts. We saw that there was a lot of interest, pent up interest, in solar in the city of Philadelphia.” Philadelphia has added a new wrinkle to the Solarize concept. Since it has been such a boon for contractors, the city is collecting from them a fee for each installation. This money is being used to help finance a program designed to make solar affordable for middle- to low-income households. The pilot program will include 45 houses, but the plan is to accommodate as many as 1,000. “We found with the first phase that we were reaching well-off households who were able to pay for the installation with cash,” Schapira continues. For qualified customers who don’t have cash on hand but have paid their PECO bill on time and in full for the last 12 months, solar panels will be installed with no money down, and the city will lease solar panels for a 15-year term. “It will be, essentially, instead of buying their power from PECO, they’ll be buying their power from their rooftop solar array,” says Schapira. “We’re doing that by setting up a third party that will own those solar systems on the 45 houses, and the lease payments that are coming in will be paying back the financing we got out to pay for the upfront cost of those installations. It avoids them having to lay out any money up front, which I think is really exciting. And we’re

Joe Kiss of Kiss Electrical became passionate about solar energy after taking a class. Now his company participates in Solarize Philly.

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setting it up so that homeowners are paying 20 percent less than they were before.” To scale it up, additional investing will be required, but Laura Rigell, solar manager at the PEA is confident it will work. “There is a company in Louisiana and Connecticut (PosiGen), and they’ve served over 10,000 customers now with a similar lease that we’re modeling here, and they’ve had less than half a percent default rate. So we’re feeling quite confident that while the lower-income population is perceived as risky, it’s not really risky, especially if you’re reducing their household expenses like we are doing.”

The effect on the solar business

oe Kiss, the owner of Kiss Electrical, became a master electrician after serving in the Army, and he has been in business for the past 18 years. In 2005, while completing the 10 hours on code upgrades required for his New Jersey master electrician’s license, he took a class on solar. “Then I had the bug,” Kiss says. “I thought it was really neat how we could generate our own electricity, not have to buy it the traditional way with the monopoly and everything. I thought it was a neat way to go green, understanding what’s going on and where I thought the future was going. So I got passionate about it.” Kiss has been involved in solar for over a decade now, so his business has experienced the ups and downs that have marked this industry. One of the biggest ups was in 2009, when the Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Program dispersed $100 million in rebates for small-scale installations. But it was, according to Kiss, a mixed bag. “It was nice because it was able to get the solar industry on the map here in PA, and other companies came, carpetbaggers came in and tried to start companies. Everyone tried running around starting a solar company. That was a negative. The positive was we got a lot of green energy out of the Sunshine [Solar] Program, a lot of that money went to good stuff. A lot of those systems are still up and running today.” He sees Solarize as something capable of jumpstarting growth without the bust that follows when the rebates go away, because it’s about the power of group buying. Solarize’s biggest long term contribution in Philadelphia may be that it normalizes getting 26

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solar in the city with the utility company and licenses and inspections. “The Solarize program has really helped in relationships with the city and the utility company and...the install,” Kiss says. “Philadelphia especially was a very tough city to do solar in. There’s a lot of red tape in Philadelphia, and the program really does help streamline some stuff.” Kiss is bullish about the prospects for solar because he’s seen how much the technology has improved in the past 10 years. “The efficiency of panels, the size of panels, the price of everything has gone down. When I started selling solar, we were at $8 to $9 a watt. Now we’re at, or under, $3 a watt for installing.”

“We saw that there was a lot of interest, pent up interest, in solar in the city of Philadelphia.” —emily schapira, Philadelphia Energy Authority, Executive Director

“Our philosophy is that we’re not here to sell you solar; we’re showing you a financial package and solar’s the vehicle.” The next big advancement for the industry, Kiss says, will be the improvement of solar batteries, designed to store the energy solar panels produce. “The West Coast is starting to come along pretty quickly [with batteries]. They’re paying double what we pay for electric rates, so it’s a really nice product on the West Coast. As batteries get cheaper and more efficient like the rest of our products have in solar, that’s where we’ll see the next big jump and where you [will be able to] eliminate yourself from the grid.”

The Solarize experience

n some ways, it’s no surprise that a sustainability enthusiast like West Philadelphia resident Gary LaNoce signed up for the Solarize program. After completing his undergraduate program at Penn State in energy, business and finance, he accepted a job at Drexel University in the billing and financial aid office. While there, he earned his master’s in environmental science. After completing his degree, he was able to land a position as a data analytics manager at the Chestnut Hill-based Clean Markets, a clean energy marketing firm with a focus on promoting utility and state energy-efficiency programs across the mid-Atlantic region. Though the decision to get solar certainly aligns with his ethics, he needed to make sure that the decision made financial sense. “Moore Energy did a great job of providing [me with] an energy savings report,” says LaNoce. The documents are straightforward, but there’s a lot to digest. It’s necessary for the installers to conservatively project what the cost of electricity will be in the future, as well as the incremental loss in efficiency that occurs over the life of a solar panel. If you are financing the expense, it’s important to factor the interest on the loan as well. The conclusion for LaNoce’s household? His break-even point is around 10 years, and over 25 years, he would be up $11,930. For LaNoce, the decision was a no-brainer. And, beyond the savings, he’s enjoying the thrill of owning some cool, new sustainable technology. “I’m proud to show it off for sure, and the inverter is pretty impressive. You can look at the production right on the face of it, it displays it for you. People understand it when you hit the face to light up and it says you’ve generated 900 kilowatts per hour during the time of your system.” But then he quickly adds, “Not everybody has a great sense of how much energy a kilowatt per hour is, but the fact that it’s 900 kilowatts per hour just sounds impressive to people!” The inverter’s dashboard also supplies other information, like how many carbon emissions saved by using the array (LaNoce is at 651 kilograms) and what the equivalent in trees planted is (36.1). “So it’s cool,” LaNoce says. “You get an environmental sense of the impact that you’re having, and you get a financial sense of how you’re making ends meet.”

215-621-8353 • ExactSolar.com • Info@ExactSolar.com

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EV EN TS

august 2018

J uly 7 - J uly 8

Nuevofest

Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival

Latin American artists are featured at this festival, which is free to attend with RSVP. The festival features Spanish electronic performers Delaporte, plus a wide variety of other musicians.

This New Jersey festival hosts over 250 artists and craftspeople who will be displaying and selling art in a variety of mediums including ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, fiber, metal, paper, drawings, paintings, photography and wearable art. Downtownhaddonfield.com WHEN: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Downtown Haddonfield along Kings Hwy and Tanner St Haddonfield, NJ

J uly 14 Bastille Day at Eastern State Penitentiary Audience and cast relive this critical moment in the French Revolution as they storm the Bastille at the nation’s first modern prison. There is an hour long performance including cabaret and dance. easternstate.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave

J uly 15 Forever Young: Died Before Their Time This tour focuses on young deaths from Philadelphia in the 19th and early 20th century. It explores the reasons people may not have lived longer and how their parents or loved ones remembered them. thelaurelhillcemetery.org WHEN: 10 a.m. COST: $12-15 WHERE: Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave

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WHEN: 5 to 10 p.m. COST: Free w/ RSVP WHERE: World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St

Commonwealth Classic Theatre presents 'The Complete History of America (abridged)' A 90-minute retelling of American history in a humorous way, "The Complete History of America" comes from the writers as the acclaimed "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare." morrisarboretum.org WHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. COST: Free w/ garden admission WHERE: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave

J uly 18 40th Anniversary Art Reception Commemorating 40 years of the Friends of Laurel Hill’s status as a nonprofit organization, an art show with the theme “Laurel Hill Circa…” and will showcase art and photography depicting the cemetery over the last 40 years. The museum part of the property will also be open to the general public. thelaurelhillcemetery.org WHEN: 6 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave

J uly 19 Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable: Clean Energy Policy This intimate roundtable-style discussion will focus on clean energy policy, including sponors of HB 2132 and SB 1140, bipartisan legislation proposing Pennsylvania's transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. sbnphiladelphia.org WHEN: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. COST: Free, members only WHERE: Navy Yard, 4747 S. Broad St

WBPHL Urban Riding Basics This class is intended to provide a basic knowledge for those who identify as women, trans and/or non-binary looking to develop a basic knowledge of bicycle safety in the city. Topics covered include visibility, predictability, bike laws, avoiding hazards, avoiding hazards and choosing the best route. bicyclecoalition.org WHEN: 6 to 7 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 1500 Walnut St # 1107

J uly 21 Lancaster Avenue Jazz and Arts Festival The 12th iteration of the jazz festival will be headlined by Tim Warfield with his organ band. Terell Stafford plus a number of both established and emerging acts will play. There will be art, food, children’s activities and more. lancasteravejazzfest.com WHEN: 12 to 7 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Saunders Park Greene, 39th St & Powelton Ave

J uly 27 Summer Wine Exploration: Wines of Italy La Porta restaurant brings a variety of Italian wines and food chosen by “noted wine collector and expert Joseph Buchter,” who will explain the chosen pairings. tylerarboretum.org

Margot & Camille

WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. COST: $30-40 WHERE: Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media

J uly 27-29 XpoNential Music Festival The three-day festival hosted by radio station XPN celebrates its 25th anniversary with headlining performances by Philly natives The War on Drugs, plus sets from dozens of other bands. xpnfest.org WHEN: 12 to 11 p.m. COST: $150 WHERE: BB&t Pavilion, 1 Harbour Blvd, Camden, NJ

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47 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 215-923-0508 • margotcamille.com gift certificates available online

J uly 29 East Passyunk Car Show & Street Festival The centerpiece of this street festival is the 150 classic, show and antique cars that will be on the streets of South Philly. There will also be a moon bounce for kids, craft show and $5 deals at many East Passyunk restaurants. visiteastpassyunk.com

GFS GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free to attend, $20 to register car WHERE: East Passyunk Avenue between Broad and Dickinson Streets

August 2-5 Blackstar Film Festival Centered around films from African filmmakers as well as those from global indigenous communities, Blackstar Film Festival screens dozens of films created by black filmmakers. Categories include narrative feature films, documentaries and shorts. blackstarfest.org WHEN: Varies by screening COST: $12-120 WHERE: Varies by screening, see website

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EV EN TS

august 2018

August 5

August 9

August 11

2nd Street Festival

Night Market Kensington

S’mores & More

Started a decade ago with the intention of bringing people, music and art to Northern Liberties, the festival today includes music, art, food, crafts and vendors. The proceeds raised benefit the creation of a business improvement district in Northern Liberties.

The Food Trust’s roving event series lands in Kensington. Attendees will have options from dozens of food trucks, plus entertainment.

Hang out by the campfire and enjoy s'mores, nature exploration and more in the last days of summer. riverbendeec.org

2ndstfestival.org

thefoodtrust.org WHEN: 6 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Frankford Ave and York St

WHEN: 12 to 10 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 2nd St. from Girard to Spring Garden

August 13

August 10

Acana Festival Part of PECO’s multicultural series, the Acana Festival is centered around African experiences and culture. Food, dance, art, crafts will all be on display. delawareriverfront.com WHEN: 12 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, 201 S. Columbus Blvd

The Ghostly Circus: Fire and Aerial Theater Event design company 7textures brings fire and aerial performances to the Laurel Hill Cemetery again with the fifth installment of The Ghostly Circus. Performances are inspired by the cemetery and by Dante Alighieri’s “The Inferno.” thelaurelhillcemetery.org WHEN: 8 p.m. COST: $15-40 WHERE: Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave

Creating strong foundations for a lifetime of learning

WHEN: 3 to 5 p.m. COST: $10/family WHERE: Riverbend Environmental Education Center, 1950 Spring Mill Rd, Gladwyne

Teachers interested in climate change can learn about the subject in addition to carbon footprint, sustainability and green infrastructure. There will also be sessions led by sustainability experts with interactive activities. WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Various locations, Philadelphia

Woman-owned Eco-Landscaping EFTEonline.com 267.607.9254

Got Weeds?

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Kimberton.org

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Sustainability & Climate Change Teacher Training Workshop

Our integrated approach to education allows students to become autonomous, creative thinkers able to put their ideas into action.

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Organic chemical-free weed management Garden Rescue Home Ecosystem Consultations

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Reading Terminal Market 215.627.2100 • ladivisameats.com parking available at 2 nearby garages.

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DIS PATC H

personal essay

Car Free Since ‘73 Forty-five years on a bike, and still pedaling

bob pierson

t was early 1973. Giuliana and I with our 3-year-old daughter, Daniela, had just moved to Philadelphia. Giuliana showed me that we could save money if we rented in Center City rather than in less-dense Mt. Airy or Chestnut Hill. Yes, the rent would be higher but we would save on transportation—if we sold our car. Big if—but she had a good argument. To me, it was the original American sin: selling one’s car and not buying another. I was a car nut in high school, got my driver’s license at 16. In 1958, I entered the General Motors Automobile design contest with my scale model of a sports car. I have owned a used VW, Alfa Romeo Spider, and, the last, a very rusted Mercedes—nice car, but every month another part fell off. So we rented a house near 18th and Lombard and moved in. After getting two parking tickets, I went to a nearby garage to rent a space and told the attendant that I wanted to sell the car so only needed the space for one month. The attendant walked around it, kicked the tires, then asked, "How much?" When I told him, he said, “Sold.” He bought it for his girlfriend. This ended my daily driving habit. For the first several months after we sold the car, I’d leave my house and have a sensation that some part of me was missing. I realized it was the muscle-mind memory of owning a car, driving it, parking it, finding it again. When this feeling faded, it was replaced by one of liberation. The car had finally detached from my psyche and I was free and whole. In 1981, Daniela and I planned a bike trip from our Center City home to the Delaware Water Gap. But I couldn’t find suitable rear carriers for our camping gear and food. So I went to the hardware store, bought metal stock and some nuts and bolts. I made a special rear carrier for my bike, tested it, then made another for Daniela’s bike. We left the next morning. We called it the Alfa-Truck 32

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after a car we had previously owned. Said out loud, it’s “half-a-truck.” Fourteen years after making the initial break, journalist David Hartman’s scout found out about my family living quite nicely without a car in a city, and thought it novel enough to do a Good Morning America segment featuring us: family scene in the home, me riding [my bike] to work, shopping at the Reading Terminal Market, carrying groceries, etc. For the past 45 years, we have lived quite well without a car. Giuliana and I spend nearly all our time within several miles of our home. We found work, went shopping,

and made new friends, mostly within walking distance or a short bus ride. Giuliana walks a lot and goes by bus. She frets when she hasn’t walked at least 3 miles a day. I bike on most of my trips, sometimes in tandem with regional rail or bus. Several times a year I’ll catch a ride with someone who owns a car to get to a meeting inaccessible by public transit. By giving up our car, we saved money; by riding a bike regularly, I’m healthier and don’t take up much room on the road or to park my bike. I’m still riding, more slowly now, but should be good for another 10 years or so before I hang up my wheels.

bob pierson is director of Farm to City, operator of many farmers markets in the Philadelphia area, and lives in Queen Village with his wife, Giuliana. IL LUSTRATIO N BY LUKE C LORA N

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Make Something of Your Summer Challenge yourself in a craft workshop

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Blazing trails for transit How one nonprofit leader is using active transit to improve lives and the environment VIRTUAL CAFÉ Join the MES program

As an undergraduate, Anya Saretzky (Master of Environmental Studies, ’14), was interested in finding ways to affect change in areas like urban decay, poverty and human rights. She discovered a bridge in the environmental field that set her on the path to where she is today. In her own words, “Without a stable climate, people can’t thrive.”

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With this focus in mind for her career, Anya soon found her way to Penn’s Master of Environmental Studies program. “I immediately signed up for the education and advocacy courses and I was able to earn a nonprofit certificate, which made me very marketable. The master’s degree shows I have the knowledge base and the certificate shows I have the right skill set to work within a nonprofit.” Now Anya is a Project Manager in Philadelphia for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that transforms unused rail corridors into outdoor public spaces—which foster a more resilient environment, promote healthier lifestyles and offer accessible, alternative transportation. Anya also sees an even greater aspect to her work on this initiative: “These trails build and connect communities, and make neighborhoods more livable.” To learn more about Anya’s work in driving community development through green infrastructure, visit: