Grid Magazine May 2021 [#144]

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Local brewers, watershed champions

Restorative justice rewrites the script

Philadelphia plays encampment whack-a-mole

p. 10

p. 14

p. 26

MAY 2021 / ISSUE 144 / 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

DON’T TRASH IT! Rabbit Recycling finds a way to recycle just about everything

Rabbit Recycling co-founder Matt Siegfried (seated) with employees (left to right) Haven DeAngelis, Dax Cohen and Cailynn Chase.

every 70 days, a mature oak tree produces enough oxygen to support a human for one year. thank you, oak tree.

Natural Lands has preserved more than 125,000 acres of open space in our region (including millions of oak trees). Help us conserve the natural world that supports us all. natlands.org/support.

land for life. nature for all.

Bryn Coed Preserve, Chester Springs, PA | 520 acres Photo by Mark Williams

Anne Irving Philadelphia, PA @anne.irving TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF Hi, my name is Anne Irving and I am an artist at NextFab. I attended the University of the Arts as a Craft and Materials Studies major for two years and fell in love with the program. My focus was on wood and metals, but I still had the opportunity to explore fibers and glass.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? Do you remember what it feels like to play with a dollhouse?

The practice of playing with dolls as a child gives you lots of mental space and creativity. I wanted to replicate this therapeutic sensation for adults. I’ve been studying the details of old Victorian houses and recreating them in sheet metal on a small scale. Currently, I’m working on a little brass house that can be assembled and disassembled like a puzzle. This little tactile object and the act of building and rebuilding encourages the practice of spending time with yourself to repair a mental infrastructure.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? I am still in the process of figuring out where I am going next. In the meantime, I hope for things to go back to normal soon so I can resume my hands-on training at school. Right now, I’m just opening myself up to new opportunities and exploring everything I can. I’m very fortunate to still be able to learn new things at NextFab and keep developing skills despite the crisis.

M AY 20 21

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EDI TO R ’S NOTES

by

alex mulcahy

publisher Alex Mulcahy managing editor Alexandra W. Jones associate editor & distribution Timothy Mulcahy tim@gridphilly.com copy editor David Jack Daniels art director Michael Wohlberg writers Bernard Brown Constance Garcia-Barrio Siobhan Gleason Alexandra W. Jones Emily Kovach Randy LoBasso Jason N. Peters Lois Volta photographers Drew Dennis Jason N. Peters Rachael Warriner illustrators Sean Rynkewicz Lois Volta published by Red Flag Media Philadelphia, PA G R I D P H I L LY. C O M

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W

hen I was a kid—we’ll call this long ago time “the ’70s”—seatbelts hung unused while Mom’s arm reached across our bodies any time our car came to a sudden stop.

Beer and soda were packaged in aluminum cans and had what was called a “pulltab,” or “ring-tab.” You would put your finger through the ring on the tab, pull it back and remove it—carefully, because they were sharp. Once removed, there’s a good chance you’d throw it on the ground, like a cigarette butt.

I remember one day spending hours in the parking lot of my Dad’s restaurant and picking up hundreds of pull-tabs. I’d like to tell you there was some environmental motivation, but it was really just fun for me.

After the day’s haul filled a bag, someone took it to a place that bought scrap metal.

(Remember, there was no recycling program then.) Unfortunately, my hours of gathering pull-tabs wasn’t highly valued by the market. I may have earned a quarter.

It’s impossible not to marvel at how much progress has been made in the last 40 years.

Our understanding of the implications of waste has grown tremendously. Millions recycle religiously, because once you start recycling, it feels downright sinful to throw an aluminum can in the trash.

The same applies to food waste once you begin composting. A trashed apple core is an assault to the natural order: it’s a crime against nature, however small.

Rabbit Recycling (p. 28) is the next part of the evolution because ultimately, people don’t want to throw away anything. It feels like a failure.

This progression should be applauded, but we need radical change where the problem begins: manufacturing.

“Plastic Is Falling From the Sky. But Where’s It Coming From?” is a disturbing piece published by Wired Magazine on April 13. The plastics in question are microplastics: pieces of plastic that measure less than 5 millimeters. They can come from bottles or bags, but the majority of them come from highways.

Tires, made of rubber reinforced with plastic, break down with wear and tear. These little pieces of plastic are carried by the wind everywhere—even to the most remote places.

And that is only half of the story. Many pieces of clothing have plastic in them.

When they go through the wash, microplastics break loose. Some end up in sludge that is used as fertilizer, depositing plastics into our soil, and some are flushed out to sea. So much plastic is in the ocean now that a sizable chunk of microplastics in the air are actually coming from the sea. Crashing waves launch them into the air, adding to the microplastics already swirling around us. We can’t outrun this legacy.

Another article worth reading: “You’re literally eating microplastics. How you can cut down exposure to them,” written by Consumer Reports and published by The Washington Post in 2019.

The full article is well worth the read, but here’s one excerpt: “[B]ottled water has about double the microplastic level of tap water, according to Sherri Mason, sustainability coordinator at Penn State Behrend and a chemist who has studied plastic in tap water, beer, sea salt, and bottled water.”

My intention is not to overwhelm you, and it’s definitely not to minimize the importance of a company like Rabbit Recycling. Their contributions are enormous, and I might give them a big post-vaccine hug when they take the batteries, light bulbs, torn clothes and computer equipment languishing in my basement.

We need to understand the scale of what’s happening, and we need to address the source. We can’t send our children outside to pick up microplastics. Wait—that’s not true. Just like us, they are gathering them in their bodies when they eat and breathe, whether we like it or not.

ALEX MULCAHY Editor-in-Chief COV E R P HOTO G RAP H BY D RE W DENNI S

I L LU S T R AT E D P O R T R A I T BY J A M E S B O Y L E

A Small Problem

Powering greener tomorrows.

As an energy provider, PECO recognizes our greater responsibility for sustainability. We’re proud to be named an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year, an honor acknowledging our commitment to sustainability, innovation and environmental protection through energy efficiency.

© PECO Energy Company, 2021

M AY 20 21

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by

lois volta

DEAR LOIS,

How do I listen to my inner voice?

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ou are the voice in your head.

You know that voice. Sometimes it’s loud; other times it’s whispering in your ear. We often refer to it as our “true self.”

When I’m confronting an area of my home that needs attention, this little voice pipes up. When I listen, it becomes a bigger voice that tells me to wake up earlier, exercise so I have more energy, or simply to stop having a pity party. There is an art to listening to this voice and taking the middle path, especially when that voice is trying to help us get our homes to a better place.

It’s easy to cast blame on ourselves and find reasons why we are not living in the way our inner voices say we should be.

Many times, I try to squash the voice because I don’t want to hear how I might have to change. But when I do listen, I am often caught off guard at the peace and presence of what is there waiting for me. When I tune in and surrender to my true self, I find that there is a lot of work to do—but also an extraordinary amount of contentment.

When cleaning, we often show up saddled with guilt, procrastination and a disconnection from the way that we wished we were living. When we look at our clutter, closets and dirt, it is seldom that we can say that we are living to our potential.

We oscillate from feeling guilty that things got so out of control to wanting to live to our ideals—then back to feeling guilty 4

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because we know it will take a lot of work to make things right.

Listen to yourself. That inner voice wants to tell you something about how you’ve been keeping the house and how you truly want to live. Look inward, address these feelings and take a deep breath. What would your true self do?

I like to start with showing compassion for myself rather than giving myself a hard time. I understand why I let certain areas of my home become dumping grounds. There

is only so much Lois to go around, especially as a single mother, business owner, artist and friend. It takes far less energy to be calm and graceful with myself than to be frustrated and disappointed. (It has taken me a decade to learn this.) I tune into this awareness and it gives me clarity before I begin the work. Conserving energy is key for anyone who already feels overwhelmed.

Remember that life is a never-ending marathon, not a sprint. This concept can feel defeating. A never-ending marathon sounds awful! On the other hand, accepting that life is messy, we can engage in the present more positively. To my surprise, I have found that I thrive in chaos—when there are more things to balance, I am more careful not to drop anything. I use this awareness to sharpen my common sense. Yes, there is always cleaning, tidying and projects to do (with no end in sight) but what’s at the end anyway—death? Let contentment and peace be never-ending.

P O R T R A I T BY J A M E S B O Y L E

TH E VO LTA WAY

IL LUSTRATIO N BY LO IS VOLTA

Respect and reverence for the natural world enable our students to become stewards of the Earth.

Offering education that matters in: Early Childhood Elementary School High School *430 acres *organic lunch program *farm/garden curriculum

Conserving energy is key for anyone who already feels overwhelmed.”

With a developmentally appropriate, experiential and artistic approach to education, we enable the unfolding of each child’s unique capacities to meet the world with confidence and a sense of purpose. contact us at: admissions@kimberton.org

410 West Seven Stars Road Phoenixville PA

One of the best tips I give my clients is a cold truth: the work that you have to do is part of who you are. Another truth is, there will always be something waiting for you to clean up. It’s better to make peace with this concept than to fight it.

When I decide to ignore or feel indifferent about my dumping grounds or dirt build-up, I ask myself, “Why?” What is it that makes me not want to address a part of my living habits and part of myself? Is it that I feel guilty or ashamed? Maybe I think that if I ignore it, it will go away, or someone else will deal with it for me.

This is ludicrous! When we separate ourselves from the parts of life that need cleaning, we aren’t living in reality. We are also ignoring that voice, and it will become louder and louder as the guilt and apathy grow.

Have the courage to sit in your mess, and the curiosity to listen to the feelings that come up. Give yourself the freedom to step into the mess with empowerment and action. Trust your gut—and listen to your inner voice. lois volta is a home consultant, musician and founder of Volta Naturals. loisvolta.com.

Send questions to thevoltaway@gmail.com.

610.933.3635

kimberton.org

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2/14/17 9:37 AM

bike talk

Back in the Saddle Cycling athletes and bike shop owners explain how to get your ride ready for spring by randy lobasso

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pring is here, vaccine appointments are available for all adults, and you’re ready to get back on your bicycle.

After all, it was a long winter defined by a right-wing riot at the Capitol, some pleasant snowfall (which we hadn’t seen around here in a while) and slightly uncomfortable outdoor dining in freezing temperatures under heat lamps.

You deserve a little two-wheel time.

Bicycling in the street can be a bit hairy— especially if it’s been a few months. It’s always good to make sure you and your bicycle are ready to ride. With that in mind, I reached out to some local bike maintenance 6 GRID P H IL LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

experts to hear what they had to say about getting back on your bike this spring. Spoiler alert: If you haven’t yet, check your tires!

Noah Faust, a 17-year-old Philadelphia high school student and Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling athlete, points to checking what are known as the biking ABC’s: Air, Brakes, Chain.

No Air “The first thing you need to do if you haven’t ridden your bike in a while is to check that stuff you need to make the bike move,” Faust says. “And if there’s something you don’t know how to fix on your own, take it to a bike shop.”

For those of us who live in small row houses and apartments, there’s not much space for bikes. They are often kept outside or in cold, damp basements. The lack of use combined with a fluctuation in weather can mess with a tire’s air pressure.

That’s why it’s important for tires to be inflated to the appropriate pressure every couple of weeks, says Monica Pasquinelli, owner of Firehouse Bicycles in West Philadelphia.

“If your bike has sat for a few weeks, or months, [your tires] may be flat, but that doesn’t mean they need new tubes. Riding with your tires pumped to the correct pressure will give you a better, safer ride and also prolong the life of your tires,” explains Pasquinelli.

Full-size bike pumps measure your tire pressure as you pump, so figuring out what air pressure is right should be easy.

“Each tire has its own suggested tire PSI [pound-force per square inch], which IL LUSTRATIO N BY S EAN RY NKEWI CZ

changed, too, which is a more arduous process, but can also be done with simple bike tools and pulling up a how-to on YouTube.

“Brakes are tricky because they wear down as you use them,” explains Faust. “…

[C]lean the rims of your bike where you brake because they can get greasy and dirty, which can affect your stopping power.”

The first thing you need to do if you haven’t ridden your bike in a while is to check that stuff you need to make the bike move.” — noah faust, Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling athlete you can find on the sidewall of the tire,” continues Pasquinelli.

Low air pressure not only leads to poor biking but also makes it easier to end up with a completely flat tire.

Your tire size (for buying new tubes) is also listed on the side of your bicycle tire.

“Always carry an inner tube, tire levers and a mini pump—a fix-a-flat kit,” says Faust, because you never know when you’re going to get a flat. Fix-a-flat tools (usually sold separately) are sold at all bike shops

and even some chain stores like Target.

You’re Braking Up City riding requires you to be aware of your surroundings at all times and come to frequent stops. Even the safest bike lanes can be obstructed, so good brakes are essential.

Changing brake pads is pretty easy, assuming you’ve got an Allen wrench, but if you’re not sure how to change pads, hitting up a bike shop is important. And if your brakes feel loose, you should get them

[Don’t] Break the Chain If your bike has been outside all winter, make sure your chain has lube on it, says Lee Rogers, owner of Bicycle Therapy on South Street.

Additionally, if your bike has gears, shift through all of them before going for your first ride. “If it shifts without noise, you’re cool,” says Faust.

Words of wisdom: don’t ever be too proud to go to your local bike shop. They’re the experts, and a full tune-up is always a good idea. Your bike will thank you.

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M AY 20 21 G R I DP HILLY.COM 7

urban naturalist

Jon Gelhaus, entomology curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, holds up a Brood X periodical cicada from the museum’s collection.

Generation X Seventeen-year cicadas are due to emerge this May. Will Philly see any?

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n may 9, 1715, Andreas Sandel, a minister at the Gloria Dei Church, aka Old Swedes’ (929 South Water Street), made a note in his journal that “some singular flies came out of the ground.”

“The English call them locusts,” he wrote.

“When they left the ground, holes could be seen everywhere in the roads and especially in the woods. They were then encased in shells, out of which they crawled. It seemed most wonderful how being covered with the shell they were able to burrow their way in the hard ground.”

8 GRID P H I L LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

They made a “peculiar noise” when they flew, he continued, and “ … being found in great multitudes all over the country, their noise made the cow-bells inaudible in the woods.”

This year will be just 18 generations of cicadas removed from those Sandel marveled at, and we’ll have a chance to do the same.

We now refer to these insects as Brood X periodical cicadas. You are probably familiar with annual cicadas: The greenish, two-inch bugs emerge every August, and the buzzing, throbbing cacophony of singing males forms the soundtrack of late sum-

by

bernard brown

mer. Annual cicadas die soon after mating and laying eggs, and their nymphs burrow underground to spend a few years growing before emerging to again sing, breed and die.

Periodical cicadas take the basic cicada life cycle and, in a mysterious, miraculous act of coordination, follow nearly the exact same extended schedule. The newly hatched nymph (immature bug) burrows down into the ground and starts feeding from tree roots. Seventeen years later the adult-sized nymph, looking like a cross between a flea and a crab, burrows out of P HOTO G RAP HY BY D RE W DENNI S

Periodical cicadas take the basic cicada life cycle and, in a mysterious, miraculous act of coordination, follow nearly the exact same extended schedule. the ground and crawls a few feet up a tree or bush. Then, like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, its back splits open and a pale, soft adult emerges. As its exoskeleton hardens, it darkens to black and its wings straighten out. With its striking red eyes and transparent orange-veined wings, it buzzes off into the trees, looking to score.

The adult cicada is singularly devoted to mating. The male sings from a tree and the female flies to him to mate, after which she lays eggs in a slit in a twig. Then, after having spent about a month in the fresh air, they die. Seventeen years later, their offspring emerge to repeat the cycle.

“It’s just bizarre,” says Jon Gelhaus, entomology curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. “Who expects an insect [egg] to live 17 years, and then to have them all emerge and be out for a matter of a few weeks as adults and then be gone

for 17 years?”

Some periodical cicadas live and breed on 13-year cycles, and some on 17-year cycles.

These synched-up cicadas are known as broods, and each brood is numbered depending on where and when they emerge. Brood X (as in the Roman numeral 10), cycles every 17 years and extends from the Mid-Atlantic down to northern Georgia and west to Illinois. The Philadelphia area also hosts two other 17-year broods, II and XIV, which last emerged in 2014 and 2008, respectively.

To make matters even more amazing, each brood includes three distinct species of cicada, which have all managed to synch their life cycles. The three can be difficult to tell apart, even for experts. Greg Cowper, entomology curatorial assistant at the Academy of Natural Sciences, says that the academy lent their periodical cicada collection to an outside researcher who did them the favor

of sorting which was which and labeling the specimens.

I lived in Columbus, Ohio, in 1987, two Brood X generations ago. I remember their shed exoskeletons on practically every tree trunk. I lived in Baltimore in 2004, one Brood X generation ago. The hefty and slightly sinister-looking bugs were everywhere in the city, and they made a racket. The local birds stuffed themselves on the bounty, and I distinctly recall a house sparrow chasing and then trying its best to eat a cicada not much smaller than itself.

I might have to work a little harder to find them this year. Although Sandel had no trouble finding Brood X cicadas in Philadelphia, they have grown scarce in the intervening centuries. Gelhaus says the last cicadas collected in Philadelphia date from 1902.

According to Gelhaus, Brood X were documented nearby, in Haverford, Quakertown and Princeton, but not in the city proper.

He is hopeful, though, that in our current era of citizen science, someone will find cicadas in their garden and upload a picture to iNaturalist.

“I’m excited to see if some are discovered here in Philadelphia,” he says.

Hordes of these noisy, large black bugs can be a bit alarming to the uninitiated, but they are nothing to freak out about, says Michelle Niedermeier, community integrated pest management and environmental health program coordinator for the Penn State Extension.

“This is not a sign of the end of days,” she says. “This is something that happens, and the ecosystem knows what to do with this.

Don’t panic.”

Instead, see how many you can find. Enjoy their song and mark your calendar for May 2038.

M AY 20 21 G R I DP H ILLY.COM 9

water

Drinking the Delaware Breweries are pushing PA’s legislature for better watershed protections by bernard brown

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his is the first time I’ve ever cracked open a beer as I started an article. It’s a Delco Lager from 2SP Brewing Company: a bit malty and quite drinkable, good for a warm spring day. At 4% alcohol by volume (ABV), the buzz shouldn’t interfere with writing (you be the judge).

The alcohol isn’t why I’m drinking it though, and neither is the flavor. It’s the water. And it’s not just any water. About 90% of this beer is water that comes from the Delaware River watershed.

“If something happened to our water supply, we’d be out of business,” says Mike Contreras, director of sales and marketing at 2SP, which brews in Aston, a Delaware County township about three miles from the Delaware River.

“If there’s a massive drought in Australia or the Pacific Northwest, that’s okay,” says Contreras. 2SP can source hops or malt from all over the world. Water, by contrast, doesn’t offer that kind of flexibility.

So when Audubon Pennsylvania (now Audubon Mid-Atlantic) asked 2SP if they’d like to join the Brewers for the Delaware Association, they signed on.

Audubon launched the brewer coalition in January 2019, after identifying them as significant water-quality stakeholders.

“Brewers came to mind as people who should really care about water. Water is the main ingredient in beer,” says Valerie Peckham, field organizer and network engagement manager at Audubon Mid-Atlantic.

Twenty-nine brewers have joined since its launch. They have taken part in advocacy, such as signing onto letters supporting increased environmental funding and asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve a synthetic alternative to horseshoe crab blood, which has been used in 10 GR ID P H I L LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

the pharmaceutical industry.

Horseshoe crabs are ancient aquatic arthropods that look like a round tank with a long spine for a tail. Their population in the Delaware Bay has declined by 90% in the last 15 years, in part due to overharvesting.

In February Contreras and Brown testified to the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee about the importance of water quality for their industry.

Contreras focused on craft brewing’s economic impact. There are 41,000 people employed in breweries across the state, 16 of them with 2SP. Politicians might care more about employment than about the environment, but any threat to water quality is a threat to those jobs.

Timothy N. Brown, head brewer and co-owner of Tannery Run Brew Works in Ambler, testified about the brewery’s work to promote rain gardens, something he and co-owner Carly Chelder elaborated on when we spoke in March.

“Rain gardens and that kind of rainwater capture is important for the local water quality. The clearer the water that goes into our water treatment system, the less chemicals they have to put in to treat it,” says Brown.

Water authorities can shift the mix of source water in response to pollution events, something that can throw brewers for a loop. Different sources provide different minerals, so if one is shut down they have to make adjustments to the brewing process. According to Brown, the Ambler water system uses eight sources for its drinking water (including Tannery Run, a small tributary of the Wissahickon that runs through a culvert beneath the brewery). He regularly checks in with the water department to keep tabs on which water is coming out of the tap.

If something happened to our water supply, we’d be out of business.”

— mike contreras, 2SP director of sales and marketing “Sometimes one of the sources is shut down and they have to balance the water differently,” he explains.

The advocacy organization American Rivers declared the Delaware 2020 River of the Year. The pandemic forced a pause in the celebration, but in October Brewers for the Delaware rolled out a promotion. Customers who said “I love the Delaware” while ordering beer got discounts.

Peckham looks forward to more events and in-person advocacy in 2021.

“We’re hoping to work with them to integrate as many conservation practices to further define the membership that they have. Not just to advocate for policy but to hold them up as leaders that more than likely have a customer base that cares about the environment, too,” says Peckham. “It’s not just for fun, we’re engaging the brewers. It’s a genuine conservation connection.”

As I finish my Delco Lager, I suppose I don’t need another reason to care about the Delaware River watershed, but this one sure is fun.

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Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell at the Meadows at FDR Park. While a popular new recreation space, the Meadows experiences frequent flooding.

Mike Contreras is the director of sales and marketing at 2SP Brewing Company. The Aston Township brewery is a member of the Brewers for the Delaware Association, which advocates for the health of the watershed.

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WATER Circadian New England IPA by 2SP Brewing Comany stands tall at their Aston brewery.

TAPPING IN Six summer beers brewed with Philly H 2O by

emily kovach

Thirsty for great local beer?

Here’s a six-pack of brews from members of the Brewers for the Delaware Association, all made using water from the Delaware River.

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➀

2SP Brewing Company

Manayunk Brewing Company

Bonn Place Brewing Company

This New England-style IPA is brewed with oats for a creamy texture and hazy appearance.

The addition of rye lends a subtle spice, and a whopping 88 pounds of Amarillo hops per batch conjure bright, zesty lemon aromas and flavors. Its charming can design features art by 19th-century naturalist John James Audubon to highlight 2SP’s efforts with Brewers for the Delaware. Available in 4-packs of 16-oz. cans; 6.5% ABV. Aston, PA; 2spbrewing.com

Lots of breweries experiment with this classic Belgian style with varying degrees of success, but Manayunk Brewing nails it. Pilsner malt brings a crisp, clean backbone, flaked oats beef up the body, and the coriander and orange peel flavors are subtle and balanced. There’s a touch of floral fruitiness thanks to Hersbrucker hops, an old-world German variety, and a nice peppery finish brings it all home. Available in 12-oz. cans and on draft; 4.8% ABV. Philadelphia, PA; manayunkbrewery.com

Mooey is an English-style pub ale, an easydrinking bitter that’s good for gray days and “The Great British Baking Show” binges. A touch of bready malt grounds flavors of biscuits and toffee and a slightly astringent finish. In 2017 Mooey scooped a silver medal in the “Ordinary or Special Bitter” category at the Great American Beer Festival. Available in 32-oz. crowlers (a canned growler) and on draft; 4.8% ABV. Bethlehem, PA; bonnbrewing.com

Circadian

❷

Riemer East Branch Brewing Company

Wandering Wit

❹

Working Cat Pale Ale

Mooey

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Joe’s Garage Odd Bird Brewing

Philadelphia Brewing Company Clean, crisp and uncomplicated—that’s what pilsners do best. East Branch Brewing’s version pours a clear, deep gold with a fluffy white head. Find clean aromas of grass, herbal tea and light biscuit-y malt and a pleasantly bitter flavor with subtle minerality and an earthy hop profile. Thirst-quenching and crushable, Riemer hits extra hard in the warm months, perfect for cracking open with vegan hot dogs or sipping on breezy beach afternoons. Available in sixpacks of 12-oz. cans and on draft; 5.3% ABV. Downingtown, PA; eastbranchbrewing.com 12 GR ID P H IL LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

Every brewery worth its salt has a tabby cat on staff. Philly Brewing Co.’s “working cat” is named Duke, and they love him so much they named this limited seasonal beer after him.

Double dry-hopped with Amarillo and Falconer’s Flight, this crispy pale ale is also infused with grapefruit and orange peels for a citrusy punch.

Aromatic, smooth and light bodied, this is a truly sessionable beer for anytime enjoyment.

Available only on draft; 5% ABV. Philadelphia, PA; philadelphiabrewing.com

From May through late summer, find this refreshing Kölsch-style ale at Odd Bird’s taproom, which sits right at the edge of the Delaware River. The beer’s name is an homage to the garage that houses the brewery—and to their landlord, Joe, who was a huge help to them during the pandemic shutdown. This pale German ale, which is fermented cool and hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh, drinks like a light, fruity lager and pairs well with lazy river tubing. Available in 32-oz. crowlers and on draft; 5.2%. Stockton, NJ; oddbirdbrewing.com P HOTO G RAP H BY RACHAE L WARRI NER

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healers in the city

Justice (Self) Served Community-led alternative to criminal justice resolves conflict, fosters community and protects youth

S

by

constance garcia-barrio

ometimes it takes a village to stop a youth from having a criminal record.

“Two friends, [ages]17 or 18, got into a fight over a girl,” explains the Reverend Donna L. Jones, 64, founding pastor of the Cookman Beloved Community Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.

“One guy hit the other with a pistol,” says Jones, a licensed restorative justice practitioner. “That’s a felony offense.” But instead of calling the police, neighbors at the scene contacted Jones, aware that she leads restorative healing circles to handle conflict.

The circle included the two youths, support people chosen by them, family members, neighbors and Jones. At first, the young men balked at taking part for fear of being arrested, but the reverend and her church staff persuaded them to participate.

“Everyone had a chance to speak without interruption,” she says of the meetings, the first of which lasted two and a half hours, a usual range. After four restorative circles that included people impacted by the fight, the young man who struck out with the gun agreed to buy new sneakers for the youth he’d hit because of blood stains from the fight on his old sneakers. He also agreed to pay $50 for the other youth’s pain.

During the circles, the need to address housing security for one youth and truancy issues for both came to light.

“We provided transitional housing through a church program for homeless adolescents,” Jones says, noting that circles help to work out underlying issues. “In addition, the contract or plan of action developed during the circles called for the youths to attend school all day, every day.”

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In the end, the young men resumed their friendship, graduated from high school and had no criminal record limiting their future.

“I’ve led hundreds of healing circles over 15 years,” Jones says. “Only once did participants back out of their contract. When that happens, civil authorities may step in.”

In another case, Jones led an impromptu circle when three boys around age 13 snatched a bag of potato chips from a street vendor’s truck. The vendor brought the boys to the church.

“After everyone had a chance to talk, the vendor asked the boys to empty their pockets,” she says. “All told, they had $13, which the vendor took as reparation, pointing out that the chips were far less. The boys never stole anything again.”

This seemingly new approach to conflict resolution has old roots, notes Barbie Fischer, 36, of Germantown. Fischer is the executive director of Restorative Encounters, a nonprofit association of “restorative justice professionals offering resources and training in restorative practices,” including healing circles.

“In this country, restorative practices began in the ’70s in Indiana, but they represent an ancient approach,” says Fischer, who spent five years learning and working with the Acholi people of Uganda.

“Restorative justice often has a more satisfying outcome [than courtroom proceedings] for those who’ve been harmed or caused harm because it focuses on meeting people’s needs,” says Fischer, who earned a master’s degree in conflict transformation and peace building from Eastern Mennonite University.

“Restorative justice takes a holistic approach.

We’re looking at all the people involved and all their needs. It gives everyone concerned a

Healing circles like this one at a Philadelphia-area school can be places where members are open with others, often sharing or working through emotions.

chance to be heard. Circles may reduce gun violence. If you have a voice, you don’t need a gun to make a statement.”

Healing circles also help to satisfy a basic hunger. “As human beings, we have a huge need to be known, to be acknowledged,” Fischer says. “Circles do that.”

Restorative circles also require certain things from participants, points out Craig Adamson, Ph.D., 48, provost of the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP) in Bethlehem, and the author of “Intentional Classroom Engagement,” a just-published workbook that guides teachers in using restorative techniques in school.

“They require honesty and listening,” Adamson says. “They’re tough conversations, but they lead to mutual understanding. That’s why they’re gaining ground locally and globally.”

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The number of Philadelphia graduates from IIRP, which grants a graduate certificate in restorative practices, is steadily rising, he notes.

In fact, Philadelphia has taken steps toward becoming a more restorative city—one that addresses problems in systems, agencies and neighborhoods—using approaches that include healing circles.

Kevin Bethel, 57, head of school safety for the School District of Philadelphia, has started an initiative where students who have committed low-level offenses, such as fighting in school, can enter a diversion program instead of being arrested.

“The number of students arrested annually has dropped from 1,600 to 384,” he says.

“It helps stem the school-to-prison pipeline.”

Students in the program may attend youth court or restorative circles led by their peers.

In another hopeful move, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has a restorative justice facilitator on staff.

“It’s part of his larger criminal justice reform,” says Jody Dodd, 64, Krasner’s facilitator. “We plan to start with 25 juvenile cases in the first year, double that in the second year, and so on.”

The young people must meet certain criteria, such as taking responsibility for what they’ve done and not having other cases pending.

“Everyone sits down together in the circle,” Dodd says. “Victims tell how the crime affected them. It humanizes what happened and builds empathy.”

Meanwhile, Reverend Jones, as the executive director of the Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia, aims to teach restorative practices to as many people as possible.

“We offer training to neighbors, volunteers, agencies and others throughout the city,” she says. “We request a donation, but we provide the six-hour training free of charge to encourage everyone to take it, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Jones sees wide implications. “If we’re trained to handle conflict, we don’t have to dial 9-1-1,” she says. “People call the police because they don’t know what else to do. But when enough of us can lead circles, the police presence in our neighborhood will shrink.”

Neighbors will begin using circles in other instances, she believes. “Say, a first-generation student is going to college. People could circle up to think of ways to ensure that student’s success.”

“Restorative circles strengthen our communities,” she says. “Together we can do this.”

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As the school year winds down, Philadelphia-area teachers reflect on how they adapted to pandemic restrictions story by constance garcia-barrio

Art teacher Leslie Grace teaching students both online and in-person at George W. Nebinger Elementary School in South Philly.

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P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F L E S L I E G R AC E A N D W E LOV E P H I L LY

A HEAVY COURSE LOAD

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ovid-19 has slammed all teachers with change. Some have held classes online while others have taught in person—sometimes willingly, sometimes grudgingly, and often tired.

“When this is over, we’re going to have collective PTSD,” says Gena Lopata, 48, who is comfortable teaching in person two days a week at The Crefeld School, a small private institution in Chestnut Hill.

“There was no road map,” she says. “It’s been tough.”

But whether they’ve taught with enthusiasm, frustration, bitterness, exhaustion or combinations thereof, many teachers believe that good can come from the upheaval.

Challenges came thick and fast with virtual teaching.

“You have no control over students’ environment,” says Nicole Wyglendowski, 26, a special education teacher in a Philadelphia public school. “Siblings and pets may wander into the room. There are lots of distractions. You can plan a perfect lesson, but you can’t go over and control the household.

It’s harder to keep students engaged. I feel stressed, anxious.”

Art teacher Leslie Grace, 39, president of the Pennsylvania Art Education Association, teaches art at George W. Nebinger Elementary School in South Philly. A self-described organized person, she works hard to keep track of attendance.

“It can take until 7 or 8 [p.m.],” Grace says. “I don’t have children of my own, so I have time, but that’s not the case with some of my colleagues. I also think about losing students who struggle with online platforms, and I feel heartbroken. Yet art is more important than ever for them. It’s a way to express themselves. Drawing and creating centers them.”

Grace has other conflicted feelings. “I hate assigning grades during the pandemic when I can’t offer [students] the same support. I feel morally and ethically twisted in this situation.”

And virtual teaching also puts student teachers at a disadvantage, Grace adds.

“They don’t learn how to float from table to table to help students,” she says. “They’ll have to pick up that skill when they start classroom teaching.”

Stephanie Hasson, 40, who teaches English as a second language (aka ESL) at a public charter school, has faced a different issue.

“It took time to get all the stakeholders together, to grasp who in the family needed phone interpretation and what documents had to be translated,” says Hasson. Many of her students have French, Mandinka or other West African languages as their mother tongue. “You really wanted to alleviate the family’s stress. You always felt like there was more you could be doing. I kept a notepad beside my bed to jot down things I wanted to remember to do.”

Like Hasson, Wyglendowski has devoted more time to students and their families.

“I make weekend runs [to students’ homes],” she says. “Pencils break, notebooks fill up.”

Families struggling with food insecurity, utility bills and rent may lack money

Students working on an outdoor-painting project at a We Love Philly after school program.

You can plan a perfect lesson, but you can’t go over and control the household. It’s harder to keep students engaged.”

— nicole wyglendowski, special education teacher for school supplies, she explains. She takes things beyond the purely pragmatic.

“I send my students Valentines and ice cream, and we do raffles. I don’t want to lose my kids,” Wyglendowski says.

Carlos Aponte, 31, who teaches history and social studies at Bright Ray High School, an accelerated diploma-granting

program for ages 16 to 21, has grappled with students’ technological limits.

“When it comes to cell phones, students are amazing, but their computer literacy wasn’t so high. Google Classroom gave them trouble,” he says.

While Aponte taught his classes online, he also led programs in person for young M AY 20 21 G R I DP HI LLY.COM 1 9

From left: Gena Lopata teaching at The Crefeld School during the “before times.”

Crefeld students explore the outdoors during a lesson.

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“I feel really safe now. The school gives us face guards and KN95 masks, and you wear a mask every moment you’re on campus.

On Wednesdays, when everyone is virtual, a crew comes in and does deep cleaning.”

In addition, the school’s four-acre campus and other resources permit strategies that boost morale. “The administration bought us lunch and set up hot chocolate and cider stations a few times,” Lopata says.

“There are also fire pits where students can talk, but those things cost money. It’s an equity issue. Besides that, administrators would call and ask how the day went, how we were feeling. It makes a difference.”

On the other hand, pressure and coercion to teach in-person stokes fear and resentment.

“COVID-19 has laid bare how little the board and administration keep in mind the faculty’s wellbeing,” says a source at The Agnes Irwin School, a private school for girls in the Rosemont neighborhood of Bryn Mawr. “What used to be enthusiasm has soured for me because we’re teaching under potentially unsafe conditions. Students wear masks, but they’re in close proximity

to each other. It’s a constant battle to remind them [to stay six feet apart]. The in-person teaching model foisted upon us means incredible amounts of stress. Decisions are being made that will impact my health, but I have no say in them.”

Dollars allegedly drive the requirement for in-person teaching. “Agnes Irwin doesn’t want students to leave and go to schools where the faculty is teaching in-person,” the source says. “I think it’s really important to tell this story, especially for private school teachers, whose conditions and issues have not been discussed because we can’t put our names to our stories. We have no unions and rarely any representatives on the boards.”

The danger is exposure with in-person teaching. “There have been students and staff who have contracted the virus,” the source says.

On the other hand, a sense of communal effort has aided teachers in riding out difficulties.

“What helps is helping others,” says Grace. “I do my own art, but I also launched Philadelphia Art Teachers Alliance, a no-

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F T H E C R E F E L D S C H O O L

people at We Love Philly, a nonprofit he created in 2019 to empower students through journaling, meditating, making podcasts and volunteering in programs like the Sunday Love Project, which provides food for hungry people.

“I’m not afraid of getting COVID,” he says. “I mask up, follow the other [health] guidelines and eat brown rice and vegetables. The pandemic has heightened my passion as a teacher and increased my determination to reach young people.”

Lopata, who teaches ninth and tenth grade and oversees senior projects, felt nervous at the start of the school year.

“I’m a cancer survivor, and I finished my treatment just two years ago,” says Lopata, who teaches on Crefeld campus two days a week and online the other three. Students may choose online or in-person instruction.

dues group. We meet every other week and share experiences. You have to stay connected to your peers,” says Grace, who took part in a virtual conference in October 2020 that offered tips to art teachers.

Online teaching has also resulted in tighter ties among students, their families and teachers. “I’ve seen parent engagement go way up,” says Wyglendowski. “I’ve gotten to know families much better.”

Hasson agrees. “I’ve got some kickass families,” she agrees. “You get to see that they really value education. And the kids have been resilient.”

Some teachers feel that the past year’s

chaos could crack open the ailing School District of Philadelphia and lead to healthy change. They suggest capitalizing on the new closeness between families and teachers to boost students’ success. “I was in daily contact with the families, and we developed a we’re-in-this-together mentality,” Hasson says. Administrators can tap that resource to learn what children need to blossom, she believes.

Rebuilding trust after what many teachers consider the mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis by the city and the school district is required, too.

“I would … say that teachers’ unity has

The school gives us face guards and KN95 masks, and you wear a mask every moment you’re on campus. ” — g ena l opata, teacher at The Crefeld School

From left: Bixby tows the homemade wagon used to carry the departed to resting sites; a forked path at Nature’s Sanctuary in West Laurel Hill Cemetery; Steelmantown offers a biodegradable coffin.

been strengthened, but our trust in the school district has lessened,” says Grace.

“These kids are the future of our city. If we don’t take care of them, how can we expect them to take care of the city? The pandemic put a spotlight on [unsafe] conditions in our schools.”

The overhaul must include, and go beyond, removing carcinogens and other toxins from facilities, teachers say. It must address stunted skills. Even pre-pandemic, the school district often did a dismal job of educating children. In 2020, pre-shutdown, 74% of seventh graders could not read at grade level while some 60% could not perform at grade level in math, according to a February 2021 article in The Philadelphia Citizen.

Teachers note that approaches developed during the shutdown can continue to fuel academic achievement.

“My school is … [holding] weekly townhalls with the middle school students to review expectations, host an open dialogue, and to acknowledge and spotlight students’ accomplishments,” Grace says.

Innovations should go farther to strengthen and stretch the curriculum, not only to recover from the “COVID slide”—academic ground lost during the pandemic— but to endorse new learning opportunities.

“Philadelphia schools need radical change,” says former public school teacher Dan LaSalle, 32, executive director of the Niche Clinic, a nonprofit begun in 2020 that teaches financial literacy. “For example, [the district] … could give credit for internships or liberalize how educational credits can be earned without lowering the bar for students. Besides that, Philadelphia could create a cryptocurrency for K-12 students. They earn a certain amount every year. It could be cashed out upon graduation or transferred to a state university to cover some costs.” he says. “Also, now is the time to find a way to amplify students’ and teachers’ voices instead of those of people three or four degrees removed from the classroom.”

The time is also now for the public to lend a hand in restoring the school system, Wyglendowski pushes.

“Write a letter to the mayor about conditions in schools,” she says. “Sign petitions, follow budget proposals. With community support, the change in schools can be transformative.”

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WHAT’S THE TEA? Germantown entrepreneur blends quality, community and customer service story by siobhan gleason

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hrista barfield of Viva Leaf Tea Company is a business owner who isn’t afraid of honest feedback.

“I appreciate criticism,” she says.

“It’s what makes you better.”

It’s a good thing, too, because at an event at Awbury Arboretum in 2019, beekeeper Jeff Eckel of Instar Apiaries had some to offer.

“I was sourcing my honey from a whole22 GRID P H I L LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

sale company,” Barfield says. “He came by my table, picked up my honey and said it looked like it was made with water.”

At the time, Barfield was new to infusing honey and was still workshopping her products. In that critique, she saw an opportunity.

“It came from the mouth of a beekeeper who was able to give me the quantities of honey that I need,” she says.

Barfield now partners with Eckel, who provides raw honey for her to infuse with a variety of herbs, including lavender, turmeric and tulsi (aka holy basil). Both businesses are located in Germantown.

“We offer hyper-local honey,” Barfield says. “I love telling the story of how it came about.”

At a different event at Bok, the South Philly makerspace, Barfield met another future business partner: Scott Case of DiBruno Bros. Case connected her to the specialty food retailer’s cheese buyer, Hunter Fike. Fike was impressed by the quality of Barfield’s honey and the unusual flavor infusions.

“Honey is a natural complement to cheese.

She had interesting infusions we had never seen before. We had never seen a basilinfused honey, and we thought that on a caprese salad would be amazing,” Fike says.

Once DiBruno Bros. decided to stock her honey and tea, Barfield began to reach more customers and the word got out about her business.

“It was a really amazing turning point,” Barfield says.

Barfield makes her teas with health benefits in mind. For instance, she created a pain-relieving tea, pairing black tea, chamomile and rosemary.

“Black tea is high in caffeine and is a P HOTO G RAP HY BY D RE W DENNI S

From left: Christa Barfield of Viva Leaf Tea Company grows her own herbs, which she blends for taste and health benefits. She now has a storefront on Germantown Avenue.

natural pain reliever. I thought about other herbs that also help with pain,” Barfield says, noting she mixes ingredients that have similar medicinal properties and complementary flavors.

Taste is just as important as purpose. To ensure that her blends were crowd-pleasers, she held a tasting on her block in Germantown in August 2019. “I invited friends and family,” Barfield says.

She believes herbs picked when fresh from local sources are much more flavorful and more effective than those shipped from far-flung parts of the world. When Barfield was starting out, she collected fresh herbs from Weavers Way Farms that she dried herself. Now she grows her own in a Roxborough garden, as well as at her newly opened storefront on Germantown Avenue.

Barfield sources hemp from Wild Fox Farm in Barto, and she’s passionate about introducing it to those who might be wary of cannabinoid products.

“There’s so much stigma attached to the word cannabis. We can educate people about hemp and CBD, and we can make it taste really good. You still get the benefits of the plant,” Barfield says. Her best-selling hemp tea is Cinnabush Kush, which contains cinnamon, elderberry and citrus zest.

Education is also a big part of her business.

The quality of tea and the experience of going into the shop and learning is bar none.”

— d e stiny mckinney, customer Many customers come into the shop with a variety of questions, and Barfield is always happy to help. She first determines what customers are looking for. Is it a jolt of energy in the morning or relaxation before bed?

“Some people aren’t tea people, and those are our people, too,” Barfield jokes. “It was important to me to have a range of teas.”

Customer Destiny McKinney says she has been impressed by the level of customer service every time she steps inside Viva Leaf.

“The quality of tea and the experience of going into the shop and learning is bar none,” McKinney says.

McKinney, who recently relocated to Philadelphia from Austin has been creating gift baskets for friends and family that include Barfield’s products. Everyone who has received the tea and honey has enjoyed them, she says. Some have ordered more

directly from Viva Leaf’s website.

“My favorite honeys for the house are the lavender and the saffron—especially if the kids have a little scratch in their throats,” McKinney says.

McKinney’s family members are also fans of the ginger berry tea, which contains raspberry leaf. She says pairing the ginger berry with lavender honey is “the perfect combination.”

“I hadn’t been a tea connoisseur before, but I feel like one now,” she says.

The strong sense of community is important to McKinney, especially because she is a recent transplant. She considers Viva Leaf an important part of the neighborhood.

“Being new to the area, it is just amazing to see it flourish. I would have thought it was a staple in the neighborhood forever,” says McKinney.

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ARTISTS, SEEN Northern Liberties boutique strives to empower and promote makers of all ages story by alexandra w. jones

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here’s a better place than the fridge for children’s art.

Dorothea Gamble and Dagmar Mitchell of the Northern Liberties art boutique Trunc feel strongly about this—and are actively looking for young artists.

“We want to get children in the shop,” says Gamble. She and her partner, Mitchell, both 65, pride themselves on selling art, furniture, clothing and jewelry that “has a story.” And they know where every story begins.

“Every artist or artisan was a child first,” Gamble explains. “Most practiced their skill every chance they got. Most don’t realize

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their passion until later in life, and some don’t realize they can make a living with their craft.”

This was certainly the case with some of their current artisans. Kate Cappelletti of Indy Stone, for one, worked in the corporate beauty world for nearly a decade before coming to terms with the fact that creating was her true passion. She is now a full-time artist, selling wooden trays and dishes adorned with pressed flowers.

“Since I was very young, I have always loved thinking of something in my head and watching it come out through my hands,” Cappelletti says. The Philadelphia-based artist has noticed that Gamble and Mitchell

take a lot of care with how they display and discuss artists’ work.

“They really understand where the artist is coming from and how they do what they do. I’ve talked to a lot of different small business owners and not everyone has that same enthusiasm for the story behind the art,” Cappelletti says.

No surprise, the shop owners’ professional backgrounds are artistic as well.

Mitchell, a veteran, opened up two flower shops following her military service. She is now a full-time drug-and-alcohol-addiction therapist. Gamble, who runs the day-to-day operations at Trunc, spent more than three decades in executive retail management in various clothing, interior design and restaurant businesses.

The couple opened their store at 929 N. Second Street in 2018, almost 20 years after buying the building. They had purchased the property for $40,000 about a year into their relationship, in 1999, with the goal of opening a business. But the path wasn’t straightforward.

“The journey was a bit challenging,” Gamble says.

They were drawn into a legal battle in 2005, when the property was taken from them via adverse possession, aka squatter’s rights. When they regained rights to the building in 2012, they had trouble finding loans to renovate. Eventually they were able to renovate the storefront, along with three condominiums above the store, and opened in October 2018.

“That’s where the name ‘Trunc’ came from,” Mitchell says of the journey. “Because the trunk is strong and sturdy and you have to really cut them out in order to get rid of them.”

Since 2018, they’ve doubled the number of artisans they work with to 25. They juggle a mix of wholesale and consignment partnerships, and everything they sell is handmade and functional.

Gamble, who has been drawing since she was young, says the shop was inspired by a record store in her hometown as well as by a museum gift shop where she had previously worked.

Most of the shop’s artists they’ve met by happenstance, Gamble explains, sometimes when they’ve just come into the shop to look around.

“You can tell a person that has an artistic background by the way they look at the P HOTO G RAP HY BY D RE W DENNI S

merchandise and [for] how long they look…”

Gamble says.

This happened with Johanna Roebas, of Roebas Ceramics, who came into the shop and ended up chatting with Gamble. During their talk, she mentioned that she sometimes works with clay. ”In a moment of big self confidence, I asked, did she want to carry any of my ceramics?” Roebas laughs.

Roebas has been an artist since childhood, doing ceramics on-and-off since she was 11 years old. As a full-time graphic designer bound by structure at her day job, she has found freedom in making pottery.

“When I sit down with a wheel, I set an intention but then let the piece do what it wants,” Roebas says. She describes the process as a conversation between herself and the clay. She’ll know a certain form she wants to throw but works through the ultimate shape of the piece in the moment.

“I can just follow my impulses and see what happens,” the artist says, noting she has had success selling her wares at Trunc.

Previously, Roebas had her pieces in three other locations and never sold one piece, Gamble says. “And when she got to Trunc, she’s doing phenomenally well,” says Mitchell.

Roebas attributes this to Gamble’s talent as a spokesperson.

“Dorothea is my voice and my space,” Roebas says. “She can speak to what the pieces look like and what they can be used for, and I don’t have to worry about the business end of it.”

Gamble says she can tell customers looking at Roebas’s work exactly how it came to be.

“I can tell them that she does it on a wheel and she does a lot of the structure by hand and she glazed it herself because she has a unique glazing technique,” Gamble says.

Gamble’s experience in retail and Mitchell’s in business also come in handy.

“We really like to bring the artists and teach them how to price their merchandise,” Gamble says.

Cappelletti finds this helpful.

“I’m not an expert in every field required to be a successful artist. I’m not an accountant, a marketing specialist, not a salesperson, but I have to wear all of those hats if I want anyone to see my art,” Cappelletti says. “What they’re doing is they take some of those responsibilities off the shoulders of the artists, and really give us the time and

Opposite page: Dorothea Gamble and Dagmar Mitchell opened Trunc in 2018. The North Second Street shop sells a wide varety of artisanal goods, including Roebas Ceramics.

space we need to focus on creating.”

Mitchell adds that Trunc is all about giving local artisans community support.

“A lot of the artisans we work with—we call them the invisible artists. They do a fabulous job. They do some beautiful art, but nobody really picks them up, or ever sees their artwork, or it’s on a very small basis.

They’re not the people that you’re going to find in the Art Museum or at The Barnes, or any big time museum. We give them a platform to start somewhere,” Mitchell says.

The store has made certain adjustments in the last year due to COVID-19, including starting a website and offering curbside pickup. They also fortified the 1,200-square foot space with hand sanitizer on every table, to make customers more comfortable during the pandemic.

Moving forward, Gamble says she hopes to make Trunc’s packaging more sustainable, continue to prioritize female artists

and get their children-artist initiative off the ground.

“We want to do the same thing we’re doing with adults, with children,” Mitchell says.

“So many schools have no art program or a very limited one,” Gamble adds. “We want to support the next generation of artists and artisans. What better way than to show and sell their work in our shop? We are positive it will give them confidence, build their self-esteem, boost their creative juices and teach them that creativity is a valuable tool.”

The weekend of June 20, they will be hosting their first child artist, alongside his father, in a Father’s Day gallery showing, curated by Nile Overton.

The pair of painters go by Gahdsaid Sr. and Gahdsaid Jr. The younger Gahdsaid will turn 3 years old this October, Gamble says, but he’s already displayed strong talent.

“I’ve seen his work,” Gamble says.

“Like father, like son.”

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ENCAMPMENT “RESOLVED” Office of Homeless Services and Philadelphia Police clear out unhoused on Filbert Street story and photography by jason n. peters

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omeless encampments have been popping up around Center City like a game of whack-a-mole— from the Pennsylvania Convention Center to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from Reading Terminal Market to the SEPTA Locust Street underground.

Philadelphia’s unhoused continue to band together in small communities rather than relying on city services. As summer approaches and the fear of COVID-19 is waning, the city appears to be clearing areas where tourists congregate to keep unwitting visitors from beholding the severity of our housing crisis.

On Monday, April 12, access to Filbert 26 GRID P H I L LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

Street between 11th and 12th streets was blocked by metal barricades and dozens of police officers as the city dismantled an encampment of unhoused people located outside of Reading Terminal Market.

Activists yelled from behind the police barricade that the day’s actions were only designed to further displace the unhoused.

Jennifer Bennetch, founder of Occupy PHA and one of the negotiators on behalf of the unhoused regarding last year’s encampments along the Parkway and outside of the Philadelphia Housing Authority headquarters, was among the protestors.

“How many times are we going to do this?

January, Vine Street. March, the Convention

Center. April, Ionic Street. It’s the same people!” shouted Bennetch.

Philadelphia Police were uncharacteristically vocal during the clearing of the encampment. One police officer jabbed at a protester, “Why aren’t you at work right now?”—to which the protestor responded, “I took off to protect them from you.”

The encampment had been there for months, and while there is no verifiable count of people who were living there, it seemed to fluctuate between 15 and 20 people.

Of this group, only seven remained. The others, having seen the notices posted by the city that the encampment would be cleared, left in advance.

When asked where the unhoused would be taken, a police officer answered, “We were wondering that ourselves.”

Two were provided “traveler’s assistance,” aka a bus ticket, out of state: a 61 year-old man who identified himself as Doug and a 48 year-old woman named Selina Brunson. Brunson explained that she was headed to Sumter, South Carolina, to reconnect with family, but had no way of communicating with them, nor a plan of where she would stay.

Both Brunson and Doug had been living along Filbert Street for months, and had initially traveled to Philadelphia to find work.

Doug talked at length about marine biology on the two occasions that Grid spoke with him. Brunson talked about her struggles to find work as someone who was formerly incarcerated.

Dave Holloman, chief of staff for the Office of Homeless Services, explained that they were executing what they call an “encampment resolution.”

“Today what we do is work with the homeless, provide storage help, help them pack up. We have a number of different outreach teams here. There’s about five different agencies that are out here helping and doing transport services.”

As we spoke, five of the seven people decided to accept the city’s offers; the two who had not were Brunson and Doug. Holloman confirmed that the five individuals who accepted services will go to the “couples shelter

placement, Safe Haven, and traditional shelters.”

According to Holloman, none of the possessions of the unhoused would be discarded without their permission, and storage for their items would be provided for up to 35 days. “If they need more than that, we are able to help secure additional time,” Holloman said.

What if people do not want to leave? Grid asked Holloman.

“We strongly encourage them [to leave],” Holloman said. “This is about the sixth or seventh encampment resolution, and so we have a pretty good success rate of getting people to go … We are strongly hoping that people accept services.”

Holloman was adamant that this was not a sweep, a term used to describe the forceful eviction of the unhoused from where they have set up camp.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation about sweep[s]. This is called a service day. And so service day is a service-led approach. We have partnered with law enforcement as a safety for everybody, not just for the staff that work and also for people who are living in those areas. We provide notices to individuals, let them know that we are coming to clean the area. They have the option to leave … trash, but we do not take their personal belongings. I have been

a part of many conversations that have been about sweeps, not in Philadelphia, but nationally, and this is not a sweep.”

“I can’t believe they are saying that,” says Bennetch in an interview after the incident.

“They posted notices saying people will receive citations from police if they don’t leave.

They barricaded residents in, and people who were there to help them, out. There were … how many cops?

“It was a sweep,” Bennetch continues.

“Anytime you close an encampment and prevent people from returning … that’s a sweep. The city does not like to refer to it as a sweep or an eviction or a displacement or anything else that might convey a negative perception. It’s a public relations issue for them. They feel it is important to uphold the image that they are doing something humane and caring.”

Signs placed from 12th and Market to 12th and Filbert streets point to the clearing of the encampment being just one piece of a larger downtown beautification project.

The same signage placed at Filbert Street to warn about the eviction of the encampments could be found on Market Street where the unhoused frequently sleep in the summer. One police officer said, “Do you think that the owners of that Marriott want these people here?”

Below: A sign notifying residents to vacate the premises. Right: Selina Brunson accepted a bus ticket to South Carolina rather than local services.

M AY 20 21 G R I DP HI LLY.COM 27

NEXT LEVEL A new company is upping Philly’s zero-waste game story by siobhan gleason — photography by drew dennis

I

n 2020 the failures of Philadelphia’s recycling and waste management were on spectacular display. Sanitary workers were seen throwing garbage bags and carefully sorted recyclables into the same truck, leaving environmentally minded onlookers appalled. The city blamed a depleted workforce, ravaged by COVID-19, and a significant increase in volume due to people staying home.

But the truth is recycling has been problematic for years.

The People’s Republic of China’s 2017 decision to stop purchasing plastic, glass and metals that are more than 0.5% contaminated put cities like Philadelphia in a difficult position. Between 15 and 20% of Philadelphia’s recyclables are contaminated with food waste, grease or other nonrecyclable waste. And when recycling and trash are mixed in the same bin, the recycling is also considered trash.

When the city became unable to ship recyclables overseas, it began sending about half of its recycling to a “waste-to-energy” plant (read: incinerator) run by Covanta Holding Corporation in Chester, PA, as Grid reported in January 2019.

And this still doesn’t begin to address the many items that cannot be recycled. Is there really nothing to be done with them?

Bryan Siegfried, who co-founded Rabbit Recycling along with his brother Matt, 28 GRID P H IL LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

thought there must be.

Siegfried has been interested in recycling for many years.

“I was brought up by parents who were very environmentally conscious,” he says.

However, he did not begin to think about the importance of creating separate streams for recycling until he started working as a chemist.

“I had to deal with a lot of unique chemicals. I separated them into different waste streams, so I got the idea, ‘What if you did that with household waste as well?’ ” he recalls.

Siegfried first attempted to sort and store recycling in his house, but he had trouble finding adequate space to accommodate the volume of recycling needed to ship to recycling facilities.

While he realized he could not pursue the project alone, “I figured out that this could work if you could find enough people to come together with one service,” Siegfried says.

He reached out to Bennett Compost, a company that he considers a pioneer in providing a service for customers interested in reducing how much of their waste ends up in a landfill.

“I realized that if people were interested in composting, they would be interested in recycling,” Siegfried says, noting Rabbit could fill a niche for Philadelphians frustrated with the city’s municipal service.

“What the municipality has to do is a tough job. I think they’re so overwhelmed,” Siegfried says. “I knew people wanted a solution where they could have their [waste] recycled properly.”

In late 2019 Siegfried first began to spread the word about Rabbit Recycling at different events focused on waste and recycling throughout the city. He participated in State of Young Philly, events organized by Green Philly and socials at bars like Triple Bottom Brewing.

“I’d go to waste events, recycling events,” Siegfried says.

There he met other Philadelphians who were frustrated with the city’s recycling system. Many felt that their actions were futile with so much recycling destined for the incinerator.

Siegfried imagined a recycling option that would recycle, upcycle or donate any item, avoiding the landfill at every turn.

Some Philadelphians he talked to felt guilty when purchasing anything that contained excessive plastic packaging, because they knew those materials would not be recycled. Siegfried wanted his company to search for a way to recycle every item that they possibly could, helping ease residents “[guilt] about the packaging and extra material that they end up getting.”

“We can find a solution by recycling properly,” Siegfried says.

RECYCLING

Matt Siegfried (seated), co-founder of Rabbit Recycling, alongside employees (left to right) Haven DeAngelis, Textiles Coordinator; Dax Cohen, Marketing and Social Media Coordinator; and Cailynn Chase, Operations and Outreach Coordinator.

M AY 20 21 G R I DP HI LLY.COM 29

Rave Reviews Early customers have responded warmly to the company’s efforts.

“I have been trying to reduce my plastic consumption for several years,” says Jennifer Gray, who found @rabbit_recycling on Instagram. “I realized that there are some things you purchase that are going to be in plastic. There’s no way around it. As a consumer, what can I do?”

Gray signed up for Rabbit online and chose a five-gallon container to be dropped off at her home. She could fill up the container with any items listed on the company website. Rabbit collects an extensive array of items, including traditional recyclables, appliances, clothing and household cookware. Some items they accept are microwaves, batteries, linens, balloons, DVDs, plastics No. 1 through No. 7, un-numbered plastics, glass bottles, hairbrushes and construction paper.

Rabbit serves Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs (excluding New Jersey).

Siegfried is interested in expanding his company’s reach in the near future.

“We’re starting to branch outside of Philadelphia. The further out [customers] are, the fewer pickups we have throughout the month. We’re looking into outsourcing our pickups so someone can do the pickups for us in Upper Bucks County or Camden,” Siegfried says.

At first Gray scheduled pickups often because Rabbit accepts so many of the items she had been meaning to get rid of.

Before each pickup, Gray requests a pickup and sets out her items in her bin. Rabbit offers a 5- or 18-gallon container. Each pickup costs $7 for the small container, or $16 for the large. If any items do not fit in the provided bin, they need to be bagged and set next to the container. Pickup of extra bags is priced according to volume.

“The first couple [pickups], it was every 10 days. When people sign up, they realize they have all these things that can go in the bucket. Now [I schedule] every three weeks,” Gray says.

All items put out for pickup need to be cleaned by customers. Chip bags, for example, should be cut open and wiped to remove any food particles. This eliminates the risk of contamination, which plagues Philadelphia’s recycling system. Customers are also encouraged to sort their items, though this is not required.

30 GR ID P H I L LY.CO M M AY 2 0 21

Every three or four weeks, someone stops by Mai Vy Alexander’s house to collect, among other things, her empty plastic clamshell berry containers and chip bags.

Alexander first discovered the company in 2019 after signing up for Green Philly’s newsletter.

“They mentioned Rabbit Recycling as a way of reducing plastic waste, because so much cannot be recycled through curbside

recycling,” Alexander says.

She signed up, requested a container and began scheduling pickups whenever she needed them.

This flexibility is key for customers like Alexander and Gray.

“It can be as frequent or infrequent as you want it to be,” Gray notes.

Alexander was interested in going zero waste but didn’t know how to ensure that

If we can educate residents about higher-level recycling, we can show them there’s an endless amount of solutions to divert waste.” — matt sie gfried, Rabbit Recycling co-founder

Rabbit Recycling accepts a great range of items, which they sort and deconstruct before sending them to recycling facilities.

what she recycled would actually stay out of the landfill. She was aware that certain plastics, such as straws and cling wrap, are rarely recycled by municipalities.

Siegfried has noticed that most people who sign up become repeat customers. “More than 70% of our customers come back to us within a month.”

The company has been growing steadily and currently has about 350 customers. Siegfried is happy with the continued interest.

“We’re not overwhelmed yet. We’ve been able to grow at a steady pace,” Siegfried says.

He acknowledges that customers who are interested are willing to meticulously clean their recycling, which is something not every Philadelphian may be willing to do.

“It’s for people interested in cleaning out a yogurt container to give to us. It’s not for everyone,” Siegfried says.

Both Gray and Alexander have recommended the service to friends and family.

Gray’s friend had previously been using TerraCycle, which was more expensive and required her to separate and store her recycling at home. Items such as toothpaste tubes could not be mixed with any other materials.

Gray says this is a step up: “You don’t have to separate it. It all goes in the same container.”

ARTISTS SUPPLIED Rabbit Recycling makes some unrecyclable items, such as pressure-treated woods, available for artists to upcycle.

Wine corks are another highly popular item.

“We know that people want cork, so we have two solutions.

We can recycle it or upcycle it.

It depends on demand, but our

goal is no landfill,” co-founder Bryan Siegfried says.

Olivia Alongi, a Temple University student and artist, found the company after her friend sent her their Instagram account. Alongi mainly uses bottle caps, beer cans and cork in her art. She values their malleability and bright colors,

Artist Olivia Alongi primarily used bottle caps to create this piece, “La Dama de Los Muertos,” a traditional Mexican calavera (skull).

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F O L I V I A A LO N G I

Where do the goods go?

Once Rabbit collects a customer’s items, they bring them back to their Spring Garden facility, where they are sorted and deconstructed as needed. Deconstruction is all done by hand or with handheld tools.

Dental floss containers, for example, need to be taken apart because they are made up of about three different plastic pieces and one metal component. If the floss container is not deconstructed, it won’t be accepted by a recycling facility.

All items that they collect fit into one of five categories: commodity, donation, upcycle, deconstruct and specialty. These categorizations determine where the items will go and how they will be used.

Commodity items, which make up the majority of what is recycled, include soft and rigid plastics, e-waste and paper. These items need to be shipped to processing facilities in large volumes. Rabbit collects and stores them until they have enough to ship.

Many commodity products are held in bins in the warehouse.

“We get it from our customers, organize it

which helps to enhance her 3-D creations.

“As soon as I saw the materials they’ve been saving, I knew I could make great use of them,” Alongi says. “I went over there and introduced myself. I spent an hour sorting through everything.”

Alongi found wood, a showerhead coil and other items, some of which she has yet to make use of.

“Any time I see a cap or a can or anything that catches my eye, I cannot let that opportunity pass.”

and build up piles of it until it’s worthwhile to send to recycling companies,” Siegfried says.

Specialty items include light bulbs and scrap fabric, which need to be sent to other facilities. These items do not have to be shipped in specific quantities in order to be accepted by facilities.

Rabbit is a “small fish” in the waste industry, Siegfried says, so it is still negotiating relationships with facilities and searching for centers with transparent business practices.

“We’re trying to come up with a way that we can validate that the source we’re sending to has an industry standard. [When] we have conversations with potential vendors, we ask, ‘What are you doing with this? How will it get reused? What is the best way we can give it to you so that it can be reused?’ We relay that to our customers,” Siegfried says.

Milk jugs, for instance, need to be cut

open and dried out before a processing center will accept them. Rabbit tells customers how items should be cleaned and prepared. This ensures that recycling will be processed efficiently and will not end up in the trash pile.

Siegfried is looking into some solutions that may reduce how far some materials need to be shipped, and may even eliminate the need to ship altogether.

“We have foam we need to ship to Oregon to be processed, so we want to find better solutions, maybe closer to home,” Siegfried says.

Rabbit Recycling is also in the process of building their own plastic shredder in to make bins and containers for their customers.

“If we can start doing stuff in-house, it will make us a lot more sustainable.”

M AY 20 21 G R I DP HILLY.COM 31

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EACH OF US BENEFITS FROM ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER,

and it’s our shared responsibility to ensure clean water exists now and for future generations.

To that end, the Delaware River Basin Commission in late February made a monumental decision to ensure clean water for decades to come when the agency permanently banned fracking in the basin. The fracked gas industry in Pennsylvania has a long and infamous history of disrespecting laws, communities, and shared resources, so the DRBC’s move to ban fracking is critical to protect our resources.

PennFuture thanks the advocates who worked for so many years on this issue and applauds the DRBC for taking this step to protect the basin. The Commission still has to decide whether to ban fracking-related wastewater treatment as well as fracking-related water transfers, and PennFuture and other environmental groups will remain vigilant to ensure that our Delaware River water resources can truly be protected for now and for future generations.

Another significant step for clean water came earlier this month when the City of Philadelphia banded together with several nearby municipalities to challenge Pennsylvania’s unlawful ban on implementing plastic bag bans.

Philadelphia’s lawsuit—which PennFuture steadfastly supports—seeks to have this legislation declared as unconstitutional so that municipalities across Pennsylvania can finally take measures to keep the proliferation of plastics out of our communities and our waters.

At PennFuture, we are proud to work daily to increase access to clean water for every person in Pennsylvania. Recent victories within the Delaware River Basin show that anything is possible if we all work together toward common goals.

To learn more about us, please visit www.pennfuture.org

Environmental justice on the ground This Penn alumna returns to teach community impact from research and experience “Environmental justice is everything,” says Dr. Katera Moore (Master of Environmental Studies ’06). “It’s not abstract. It’s a place-based issue with a tangible impact on everyday lives.” Recently a contributor to environmental justice policy at the national level, Moore can testify to that impact on a local, national, and global scale. Wherever you look in the world, she says, “environmental injustice ends up being a symptom of a broader structural injustice. There is no sustainability if we have a citizenry that cannot fully access civic participation.”

Dr. Katera Moore Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Unity College Lecturer, Master of Environmental Studies Program

Virtual Café Join the MES program director from 12-1 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for an online chat about your interests and goals.

Log in with us.

www.facebook.com/UPennEES @Penn_MES_MSAG

Moore returns to the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) program to teach a course on how to effectively partner with communities and help them build the capacity to tackle environmental injustice in the long term. “Climate change is a big issue,” says Moore. “But you can do some small things at the property level, at a community level, and the individual level that can really change the game.”

To learn more about how Moore combines research with practical experience to make meaningful community change, visit:

www.upenn.edu/grid