Philadelphia Weekly 2-28-2018

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TIVE PHILLY’S NEWS ALTERNA

FEB. 28- MARCH 7, 2018

PEOPLE

SWEPT JUSTICE THE BOOK OF WU Ahead of a book tour making a stop in Philly, we sit down with one piece of rap royalty.

Internal Affairs investigated. The allegations held up. But the PPD’s internal justice system remains slow-moving and mysterious STARTS ON PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 8

THEATER

IDENTIFICATION PROTECTED BY PPD

IDENTIFICATION PROTECTED BY PPD

STRAIGHT FROM THE UK How the U.S. premiere of a U.K. favorite is lighting up the stage here in Philadelphia.

SEE PAGE 14

CALENDAR

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Everything is coming roses (and lilies and tulips and daffodils) in Philly this week.

SEE PAGE 15

(IMAGE DOES NOT DEPICT THE ACTUAL ACCUSED)

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FROM THE EDITOR

It goes both ways KERITH GABRIEL

W

e were always told that you can trust the police.

For the most part, we can.

Depending on where you reside in Philadelphia, if there is an emergency, you can run to the closest phone, call 911 and a dispatcher will send an ofďŹ cer to your door in a matter of minutes. And yes to those aghast by this claim, whether it be a lack of manpower or empathy, the response does vary by neighborhood.

But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface level. Underneath the powder blue uniform, badge and ďŹ rearm is a person who, just because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made it past the exams and past the academy, is still a human being, hiding the same beliefs in the closet as so many of us do every day.

I have a few friends who are ofďŹ cers, one formerly of Philadelphia Police Department, who resigned a few years back and joined a new force in the suburbs where we always joke his hardest decision now is whether to pull someone over for driving 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit.

His decision was made in part due to a growing family, but he told me it was also because the things he saw every day both inside and outside the department forced a choice to no longer be a part of either side. I should also note, that although heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a true friend, our relationship has strained in large part of him becoming quite the cynic. We just view things differently. Where I view people who grow up in socioeconomic disparity as already being on the back foot in a desire to make a better life, he sees a collective milking the system, content with collecting handouts and procreating more human beings into the same evolution.

Like I said, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a strained friendship.

But what we have discussed of his time as a police ofďŹ cer is the brotherhood one receives from being a member of a tight-knit community. Sometimes that means looking after your brother even if it means youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not always doing things the right way. He knows other ofďŹ cers who have falsiďŹ ed reports or redacted key moments of a situation (this is all pre-body

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cam, mind you). Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even told me that who you know in the upper echelons can either speed up (or slow down) how fast an ofďŹ cer gets out of a jam. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like watching a televised cop drama and realizing a lot of the stuff you thought was just for the movie is inspired by actual events.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the latter that is the subject of this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cover story (page 6 and 7) as through our partnership with City&State PA, we sifted through pages and pages of newly released documents that both allege and substantiate complaints against ofďŹ cers, but indicate little if anything was done as a punishment to the offending ofďŹ cer. We arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about little old lady violations here, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everything in these docs. From cops pistol-whipping and chipping the teeth of someone they pulled over for a trafďŹ c stop, to an ofďŹ cer who terrorized a former girlfriend and her daughter.

Cases that for the everyday person would bring about a whole bunch of trouble, the scene in this drama mimics a stack of papers being shoved into a folder and placed atop other folders just like it piled a mile high in a bin marked â&#x20AC;&#x153;UNRESOLVED.â&#x20AC;?

When you think of internal affairs, you think of the cops on the other side of the establishment, the cops who cops hate because they could burn you at a momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notice, but in this piece we found that in some instances, whether it was by design or not, they almost work in lockstep. Cops get hit with a violation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or in this case a claim that they have violated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but IA buries the case for so long it becomes a distant memory. Then by the time there is resolution, the decision of many cases is to send the ofďŹ cer in for additional unspeciďŹ ed â&#x20AC;&#x153;training.â&#x20AC;?

Anger management training? Diversity training? We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know as the unspeciďŹ ed training is as mysterious as the entire sordid situation.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interesting read, one that makes you think about the people who are there to protect and serve. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take this as an attack on cops, well aware of the fact that without them there would be little by way of order and that a large majority are upstanding people who care about the city, if not the district theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re employed in.

Think the Eagles Super Bowl win and cops dancing alongside ordinary citizens provided us with proof of that.

But letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not get it twisted here, at the end of the day, I think we all have to understand that sometimes â&#x20AC;&#x153;protect and serveâ&#x20AC;? means that too of those within the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fraternal Order.â&#x20AC;? Q TWITTER: @SPRTSWTR

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Connect with us: @PhillyWeekly EDITORIAL Kerith Gabriel, Editor kgabriel@philadelphiaweekly.com Max Marin, Staff Writer, mmarin@phillyweekly.com Tim Ronaldson, Editor-in-chief , Newspaper Media Group tronaldson@newspapermediagroup.com CONTRIBUTORS: A.D. Amorosi, Swabreen Bakr, Kriston Bethel, Jared Brey, Andrea Cantor, Gregory Dale, Sarah Rose Etter, Scott Himelein, Hayden Mitman, Andrea Monzo, Timaree Schmit, Alex Vuocolo, Daniel Barnes, Anne Johnson, Dan Savage, Logan Gardner, Sabrina Vourvoulias BUSINESS Perry Corsetti, COO, pcorsetti@bsmphilly.com Deidre Simms, Director of Major Accounts, deidre@phillyweekly.com CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION Pearl Harta, 215-354-3146 pharta@bsmphilly.com PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY 2 Executive Campus, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08002 Phone: 215-563-7400 Classified: 215-354-3054

Cash bail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the much-criticized system that mandates criminal suspects pay money to get out of jail before their trial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is on its way out of town. Following through on longpromised reforms, DA Larry Krasner last week announced a list of charges that will no longer require cash bail in Philly. They include: Contraband, Criminal Mischief, DUI, Forgery, Fraud in Obtaining Food Stamps/Public Assistance, Identity Theft, Intentional Possession of a Controlled Substance, Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana, Prostitution, Retail Theft, Resisting Arrest, Non-Residential Trespassing, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and more.

27

OVERHEARD

in PHILLY â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let somebody bring a gun up into [this] school and watch them get [their] ass beat.

Only tragedy is gonna be that fool getting his ass fucked up for trying to set LW RĹŚ Ĺ&#x201C;

Cash bailout

IMAGE COURTESY OF NOEL TOCK

All aboard the Uber bus Last week, the rideshare overlords at Uber expanded their appetite to new levels with the introduction of Uber Express Pool service, a bus-like option that allows riders to get across town for less than the price of a SEPTA ride. Rather than getting picked up and dropped off at your front door, riders hail and depart from an Express Pool ride along an arterial route. Last week, Philly is the sixth U.S. city to get the service. With rates less than $2.50 a trip, this could go one of several ways. More riders will use the service and Uber congestion/rate inďŹ&#x201A;ation wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be as much of issue at peak hours. Or two, not enough people use it and driver wages end up declining even more. We live in truly uncertain times, Philly.

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Two high school age girls discuss how the unfortunate events of recent school tragedies like the one in Parkland, Fla. would fail to happen at their Philadelphia institution.

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Number of candidates the city announced Monday that are nominees for the Philadelphia School Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nine member board. This number was whittled down from over 500 applicants the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Educational Nominating Panel sifted through and of that, 80 that were interviewed.

Now, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a waiting game as Mayor Kenney has until March 18 to appoint the final nine or if heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressed, he has until March 8 to request additional names.

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hoping this is time well spent when it comes to selecting the right decision makers for Philadelphiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children.

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Roman Catholic High School Philly wants Lebron While still unclear if the King will come to Philly, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty sure the marketing guru at hithertounknown Power Home Remodeling is getting a nice bonus this year. The Chester-based rooďŹ ng and remodeling company recently put up a series of three billboards in the Cleveland area in an attempt to lure the Cavaliersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; free agent to the 76ers.

Thumbs up Goes to the Cherry Hill High School students who protested the suspension of beloved teacher Timothy Locke, who essentially told that their school isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily Fort Knox either when it comes to school safety.

Perhaps, Mr. Locke could have chosen his words and audience more wisely, but sometimes a little shock value is exactly whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed to shake up (and wake up) the established order. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bottom line is that I was very concerned about the security at my school,â&#x20AC;? Locke told the Inquirer, Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was adamantly concerned with the welfare of my students.â&#x20AC;? Listen if his being placed on administrative leave and subsequent protest thereof results in changes to ensure a safer school, then Mr. Locke we hope you enjoyed your time off â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and your return as Cherry Hill Highâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cult hero. Q

Tweet of the week Philly teams are killing it on both the sports floor and apparently the sports book as of Feb. 27...

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NEWS disciplinary complaints, records show that little has changed.

Internal justice Philadelphia has had a checkered history of police disciplin-

IMAGE: MARIA YOUNG

Civilian complaints against the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s police force seems to get placed in a bag on the shelf according to recently relesed docs.

SWEPT JUSTICE Internal Affairs investigated. The allegations held up. But the PPDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal justice system remains slow-moving and mysterious.

BY MAX MARIN AND RYAN BRIGGS

O

n a clear September night in 2016, a 20-year-old black man and a female companion were driving through the darkened streets of Northwest Philadelphia when they noticed a 14th District patrol car tailing them. After a few blocks, two ofďŹ cers in the cruiser used their PA system to order the couple to pull over.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unclear exactly what transpired next, but the male driver later afďŹ rmed in a formal complaint that one of the cops pistol-whipped him after he stepped out of the car. According to the complainant, he was struck in the mouth so hard that it chipped one of his teeth. As the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s companion panicked, the ofďŹ cer reportedly said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fuck your pretty teeth.â&#x20AC;?

Although the Internal Affairs Division rejects nearly 98 percent of physical abuse complaints lodged against Philadelphia police, they found this account to be credible. But nearly a year and a half later, neither ofďŹ cer has ever faced any disciplinary action over the use of excessive force.

They are hardly alone. A Philly Weekly and City & State PA analysis of 8,555 newly released civilian complaint records, dating from 2013 to the present, found that hundreds of allegations ruled credible by Internal Affairs have languished â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sometimes for years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with no resolution.

Between 2013 and 2016, 138 cases that sustained allegations

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of misconduct against city police have no listed punitive action.

Despite a requirement that Internal Affairs complete investigations within 75 days of receiving a complaint, an additional 172 cases have remained open for a year or more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and some may never be resolved. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any police department, institution or employer wants a procedure by which they can investigate wrongdoing by employees. But the unfortunate history of Internal Affairs in Philadelphia is that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do a very effective job,â&#x20AC;? said attorney David Rudovsky, who has sued the city over police misconduct. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s police ofďŹ cers investigating other police ofďŹ cers.â&#x20AC;?

Even when Internal Affairs hands off credible cases to the Police Board of Inquiry for punishment, records show that the majority of ofďŹ cers still walk away with nothing more than recommendations for additional unspeciďŹ ed â&#x20AC;&#x153;training or counseling.â&#x20AC;? Even in cases that include potentially criminal allegations, many ofďŹ cers are ultimately ruled not guilty.

But most cases never get that far. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The last time we looked at physical abuse complaints, around 2003 or 2004, something like 1 percent of complaints were sustained. Little meaningful punishment has ever been imposed by Internal Affairs in Philadelphia,â&#x20AC;? said defense attorney Paul Messing, who is Rudovskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law partner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s substantially below the average of most big-city internal affairs units.â&#x20AC;?

But 15 years after Messingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial examination of police

ing their own.

After a series of misconduct scandals in the late 1990s, thenCommissioner John Timoney promised to reform the Internal Affairs unit, which had long been treated as a stepchild by the department. At the time, a handful of staffers were split between tiny, crumbling ofďŹ ces scattered in different parts of the city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In some cases, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if more than one unit was investigating the same person,â&#x20AC;? said John â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ziggyâ&#x20AC;? Norris, a respected Internal Affairs inspector, told the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1998.

Timoney centralized the unit under Norris, pledging to ramp up discipline. But from the beginning, critics questioned how committed the department was to policing itself.

The new unit was banished to an ofďŹ ce in a distant pocket of Northeast Philadelphia, where many members of the department live. Norris would soon retire and his successor would be quickly removed by new commissioner Sylvester Johnson â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who, news reports indicate, had a reputation for leniency â&#x20AC;&#x201C; over a residency requirement violation.

In the late 2000s, Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s replacement as commissioner, Charles Ramsey, once again beefed up stafďŹ ng at Internal Affairs, promising to crack down on dirty cops. But even in cases where the commissioner directly intervened in disciplinary actions, he butted heads with the Fraternal Order of Police, which seeks to shield ofďŹ cers from punishment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At times, Internal Affairs has operated wellâ&#x20AC;Śbut the unfortunate fact in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia is that the police have â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;superâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; due process through union arbitration,â&#x20AC;? Rudovsky said.

More recently â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and following another wave of corruption scandals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mayor Jim Kenney named a former Internal Affairs deputy, Richard Ross, as his police commissioner. Last year, in an apparent effort to increase transparency, Kenney also ordered the online publication of thousands of complaint records ďŹ led by civilians against police ofďŹ cers.

Previously, certain unredacted records were only available via direct requests to Internal Affairs. But to criticsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dismay, the newly released records do not explicitly identify offending ofďŹ cers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or their victims â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by name, reducing their identities to simple initials.

In a questionably timed move, since the release of the online complaint data, Internal Affairs has stopped disclosing the identities of any police ofďŹ cers named in complaints.

Today, not even the Police Advisory Commission, a civilian board established by the Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OfďŹ ce to independently investigate complaints against ofďŹ cers, has access to unredacted complaint records, and public defenders are forced to subpoena individual records. Moreover, records relating to investigations launched by Internal Affairs itself have never been made public.

Police department spokesperson Capt. Sekou Kinebrew declined to conďŹ rm the identities of any ofďŹ cers named in complaints mentioned in this story. The Kenney administration declined to explain the rationale behind the partial release of records.

Delays in discipline Despite those redactions, data analysis suggests that a small number of police ofďŹ cers are likely responsible for a disproportionate number of complaints. Out of the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6,500 staffers, some 2,000 ofďŹ cers received just a single complaint over a ďŹ ve-year period. Thousands of other ofďŹ cers appear to have received no complaints at all during that time.

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NEWS Police ofďŹ cers interviewed for this article concurred that it was unusual for the average patrol ofďŹ cer to receive more than a few complaints over a ďŹ ve-year period, either due to good behavior or victimsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reluctance to ďŹ le formal grievance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; You ďŹ le the Internal Affairs complaint and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get anything, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustained,â&#x20AC;? Rudovsky said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think most people who do ďŹ le legitimate complaints do it because they think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been wronged and maybe want the police ofďŹ cer ďŹ red or retrained.â&#x20AC;?

It is also worth noting that many of the 8,555 complaints lodged against ofďŹ cers are frivolous on their face: one ofďŹ cer rolled his eyes, another spoke too curtly. Other complaints detail terrifying abuses of power â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ofďŹ cers allegedly beating their spouses, stealing money, using racial epithets, beating suspects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but have been deemed not credible

by Internal Affairs for unknown reasons.

But in the rare instances when claims of extreme misconduct are sustained, consequences may never come â&#x20AC;&#x201C; leading criminal justice advocates to question both the sluggish resolutions and the lack of punitive outcomes.

In one harrowing case, an ofďŹ cer facing domestic abuse charges was able to leave the department without facing disciplinary action.

A woman, identiďŹ ed in records only as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ms. P,â&#x20AC;? said she had been repeatedly terrorized by an abusive ex-boyfriend who happened to be one of the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own higher-ups: a 15th District sergeant identiďŹ ed by the initials â&#x20AC;&#x153;JT.â&#x20AC;?

According to the 2013 complaint, â&#x20AC;&#x153;JTâ&#x20AC;? repeatedly threatened to kill â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ms. Pâ&#x20AC;? when she sought to end their relationship â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and later slashed her tires. One night, he used a copied key to enter the womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house uninvited while her teenage daughter was home alone.

Internal Affairs sustained portions of that account, including allegations of domestic violence. But Kinebrew, the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokesperson, said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;JTâ&#x20AC;? retired that same year prior to facing the disciplinary board.

But in potentially criminal cases, department policy says that both Internal Affairs and the Police Board of Inquiry have a responsibility to refer cases to the district attorney for review. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If Internal Affairs develops credible information concerning off-duty misconduct or situations like domestic violence, they have a responsibility to report it. And if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in dereliction of duty,â&#x20AC;? Rudovsky said.

Ben Waxman, spokesperson for DA Larry Krasner, said that it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;absolutely appropriateâ&#x20AC;? for Internal Affairs to share information about problem ofďŹ cers.

The police department declined to iden-

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tify speciďŹ c cases that had been referred for criminal prosecution. But the District Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OfďŹ ce stated that between 2012 and 2017, Internal Affairs had referred 660 such cases â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either from civilians or internally â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for criminal charges. Just 62 resulted in arrests.

Despite internal ďŹ ndings that an ofďŹ cer may have trespassed and committed domestic abuse, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sergeant JTâ&#x20AC;? was never arrested over the incident or otherwise disciplined.

Today, ďŹ ve years after he retired, police records still list the caseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution as â&#x20AC;&#x153;pending.â&#x20AC;?

In other cases of violent misconduct, both disciplinary action and Internal Affairs investigations appear to drag on with little urgency, including another physical abuse case involving a different police sergeant that is fast approaching its one-year anniversary.

Last April, according to this complaint, an 18-year-old white male and his female friend were driving the streets of Northeast Philadelphia on their way to pick up some groceries when they were stopped by an 8th District ofďŹ cer listed in city records only as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sergeant FB.â&#x20AC;?

He accused the pair of making unspeciďŹ ed â&#x20AC;&#x153;offensiveâ&#x20AC;? hand gestures in his direction. During an ensuing altercation, the sergeant decked the 18-year-old and choked his female friend before arresting them both.

Inspectors eventually sustained a charge of physical and verbal abuse against â&#x20AC;&#x153;FBâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but no punishment has been meted out to date.

The department offered no timeline for resolving that complaint and declined to identify the ofďŹ cer involved.

Police sources, who were not authorized to speak on the record, said it is also not unusual for a year or more to pass between the start of an internal investigation and a ďŹ nal disciplinary hearing.

Department spokesperson Kinebrew said delayed verdicts can be caused by the complainant or the accused ofďŹ cerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unavailability due to illness, injury or extended leaves of absence.

But records indicate cases have stalled out even when multiple witnesses identiďŹ ed themselves in the initial complaint.

In November 2016, a registered nurse claimed to have witnessed ofďŹ cers pulling over two parents for erratic driving. The nurse reported that the couple tearfully explained to the police that they were taking their gravely ill child to the emergency room.

As the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief of staff and other employees watched, the father was allegedly removed from the vehicle at gunpoint, handcuffed, cursed at, and placed in the ofďŹ cersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; patrol vehicle.

The father was released only when hospital security intervened on the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behalf, at which point one ofďŹ cer reportedly commented: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should be glad I have a heart.â&#x20AC;?

Nearly a year and a half later, that investigation is still technically ongoing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that a lot of time, you ďŹ nd investigations are not up to par,â&#x20AC;? Rudovsky said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve looked at a lot of instances where witnesses were never interviewed or evidence was never collected.â&#x20AC;?

The shadow tribunal Internal Affairs rejected nearly 85 percent of the 8,555 civilian complaints ďŹ led over the last six years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more than some big cities, like Chicago or Baltimore, but fewer than places like New York City or Washington DC. But the occasional case does make it before the Police Board of Inquiry, a threemember panel comprised of a rotating cast of sworn ofďŹ cers.

The PPD has previously barred members of the public from attending these hearings, which departmental edicts describe as â&#x20AC;&#x153;informalâ&#x20AC;? tribunals where â&#x20AC;&#x153;strict rules of evidence shall not apply.â&#x20AC;? After reviewing each case, the panel makes a disciplinary recommendation to the police commissioner.

Complaint records list these outcomes as â&#x20AC;&#x153;guilty,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;not guiltyâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;training/counseling,â&#x20AC;? but do not specify the police commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subsequent actions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if any. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The process) rarely imposes punishment, even when there is a ďŹ nding,â&#x20AC;? said Messing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think there is a rationale to it. The disciplinary system was long ago found to be ineffective â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and still is ineffective.â&#x20AC;?

Over the last ďŹ ve years, internal investigators have sustained 1,122 complaints against ofďŹ cers. 95 ofďŹ cers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just over 8 percent of the sustained complaints â&#x20AC;&#x201C; were eventually found to be not guilty, while another 840 were referred for retraining or counseling.

Only 160 cases yielded a guilty verdict.

Yet Philadelphia ofďŹ cers facing disciplinary threats still often retain counsel through their union, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. Under its recently renewed contract with the city, the FOP wields outsized power to arbitrate cases and reinstate police ofďŹ cers who have been terminated for misconduct â&#x20AC;&#x201C; though it remains unclear how many dismissals have stemmed from civilian complaints.

Union reps did not return multiple requests for comment on this story.

Advocates want the city to go further than releasing partially censored complaint records. Some, like Marcel Bassett, the Police Advisory Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public affairs specialist, say effective discipline builds trust. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The release of civilian complaints) helped by creating more transparency with the police department,â&#x20AC;? Bassett said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But it alone did not and will not fully repair the bridge of trust which we are tasked with repairing.â&#x20AC;? Q TWITTER: @RW_BRIGGS & @MAXMMARIN

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MUSIC book, man.â&#x20AC;? So I got with my man Domingo and we just started putting pen to pad and my man helped me correct my errors, my grammar and penmanship and shit. [The process] took two and a half years to put it together of constant writing and correcting run-on sentences but in the end Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pleased with how it all came together.

Raw relives a great time in your life and that of the Wu-Tang. But after reading, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good amount that lends introspective into what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like being a Black man in America. Was that by design?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about design; I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t design shit. Design means that you have a pattern or playbook or agenda youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to follow. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a pattern, I do my own shit and I follow my voice...I like to listen to the voice in my head because when I do itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually right.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coming to Philly in March as part of the book tour to promote Raw, what are your thoughts of our fair city?

PHOTO DAGA SAMITOWSKA

As one part of the legendary rap group the Wu-Tang Clan, Lamont â&#x20AC;&#x153;U-Godâ&#x20AC;? Hawkins, told stories through lyrics. Now, U-God tells many of those same stories as author of his new autobiography, Raw.

Giving it to you raw The story of Wu-Tang, as told by one of its original members in new autobiography, the first from any member of the Clan

BY KERITH GABRIEL

L

amont Hawkins doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need you to tell him he was a part of a Golden Age in hip-hop.

Better known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;U-God,â&#x20AC;? one of the original eight members of the illustrious Wu-Tang Clan, Hawkins, 47, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need anyone to tell him anything. He was part of rap royalty, a spoke on a diamond encrusted wheel that turned the way we all witnessed the many ways to drop lyrics over the same beat completely upside down.

Now, Hawkins is retelling the highs and lows of being a part of the legendary group in his new autobiography, Raw. The book, one-part reďŹ&#x201A;ection and one-part social introspective is the ďŹ rst by any member of the Wu-Tang Clan. As part of a nationwide book tour, Hawkins will discuss his reason and timing for the book at the main branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia on March 8. He spoke with PW about his book, his memories and why you can call him an â&#x20AC;&#x153;OG,â&#x20AC;? just know heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anything but.

With such a compelling story like the one that is Wu-Tangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty remarkable that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the first to tell it. Why did you think now was the right time?

All my brothers are in this book. But the one difference between me and them is that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve went through a lot more than my brothers. Real talk, I was a little more daring and that has enabled me to write these stories... being that I saw so much and remember so much of our upbringing and how things went down to get us to where we were, I just said to myself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high time to write this fucking

)(%58$5< 0$5&+

Philly is live, Philly has always been live and I always have a good time in Philadelphia.

You got the Muslims out there, the brothers be out, the women were always right. Philly is a hard town. I could never knock on Philly, plus youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re right next to New York, so when [dudes] from New York they ran to Philadelphia and vice versa. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some hard motherfuckers to come out of Philly, B. Not on some gangsta shit, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking about just hard motherfuckers, [dudes] you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fuck with. Real [dudes]. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resume.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it like to be viewed and to have Wu-Tang viewed as OGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the hip-hop game, especially to an entirely new crop of millennium listeners?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really look at it like that, B. I look at it like, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just a musician looking for the next declaration. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see myself as no OG, I do things my way and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been that belief that has kept me and the music Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a part of at the forefront. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m all about incorporating my shit with this [new school] shit. You can call me â&#x20AC;&#x153;OGâ&#x20AC;? or Triple OGâ&#x20AC;? all you want man, but at the end of the day, I know Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m inspiration.

And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for inspiration and there are a lot of these little bucks out here that have inspired me in a different way. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a songwriter [and now after this book], Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a writer and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for that Phil Collins moment.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re certainly not calling you an OG, but perfect segue as we have to ask what you think of the state of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hip-hop scene?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new time in music, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care. Listen, some of these [dudes] might mumble something and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be like â&#x20AC;&#x153;damn, was that a word? Did he just say a word, right there?â&#x20AC;?

You asking the wrong person to critique how

these little youngins are out here doing their thing because sometimes as much as you pride yourself on being the teacher, sometimes the student becomes the teacher and wants you have that concept in life youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never see yourself as old or played out, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always going to be young. But, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not gonna lie some of this shit is ďŹ re, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll listen to it and be like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;yo, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice.â&#x20AC;? You have to respect the ones that out here trying to do it, because for everyone of these young-inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s putting out shit thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weak, you got just as many dudes out here putting out some quality shit, B.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a typical day for you now?

A typical day for me now is catching up from being burnt the fuck out. You have to think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working and writing on [Raw] for two and a half years, close to three years straight, plus touring with Wu, plus other situations Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just burnt, man. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit the gym in like two or three months and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m starting to get real rubbery right now, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m kinda fucked up with that. I was in the gym every day, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting back on the routine of working out, eating right, you know. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat no swine and I try to eat right so I can keep my heart right because a lot of us Black brothers out here getting these heart attacks, so now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really focusing on getting my body right.

You still smoke though, right?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t smoke cigarettes and to be honest, I take it easy on the weed where I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t smoke like I used to. [Bro], I used to smoke every day, now I can go about 2-3 months without smoking and it feels good to have a clear head. But you know every now and then Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take some puffs...Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not chasing women [anymore], I have children I have to take care of and I have responsibilities, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just chillin, B. You know as you get older you level out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; well, some of us do. When I come out now, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a special occasion. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to preserve myself, you know? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in preserve mode, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about being my best self and hopefully growing old.

In Raw, you write â&#x20AC;&#x153;give us time to come back together and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll show everyone that the Wu-Tang Clan still ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t nuthinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ta fuck wit.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Would you consider joining the flock if everyone else in the group was considering making a return?

Look, the situation is like this. As an MC, I never went anywhere. Our production has went down and our music took a nosedive.

But as far as us grindin? We still here. We still some notorious [dudes]. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the problem and the reason for all the [reported] conďŹ&#x201A;icts with us...once weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to get some hot beats and some hot shit going again, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be right back in your fucking face just that fast, B. Just that fast. I truly believe that. Q TWITTER: @SPRTSWTR

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THEATER

IMAGE COURTESY: LLT

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;culturally specific, but universal story" of survival in "Love, Lies, and Taxidermy" has been a hit in its American premiere at the Drake Theater.

Cross continental theater UK show 'Love, Lies, and Taxidermy' takes to the stage in Philly for its American premiere

BY ANDREA CANTOR

S

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

ometimes theater can be a little stuffy, but come along and have some fun,â&#x20AC;? said Welsh playwright Alan Harris of his latest creation â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love, Lies, and Taxidermy.â&#x20AC;?

Making its American premiere with Inis Nua Theatre Company, the play had its opening night on Feb. 16 at The Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake. The show runs through March 4 with tickets ranging from $25-$30.

With a title that makes you do a double-take, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love, Lies, and Taxidermyâ&#x20AC;? is an offbeat comedy.

Situated in a small town in Wales, teenager Ashley is resolved on paying off the debts of her father, an ice-cream truck driver. Deter-

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mined, the high school student decides to star in a classmateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ lm that could be considered tasteful art or softcore porn â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the constant dilemma of artsy ďŹ lms. Ashleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love interest and son of a Polish taxidermist, Valentyn devises his own money-making scheme to stop her racy ďŹ lm-debut, all while trying to remedy his parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; relationship. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very culturally speciďŹ c, but the story is universal,â&#x20AC;? said Tom Reing, director as well as founder and artistic director of Inis Nua Theater Company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It's young love and trying to solve your parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; problems. [Since] American pop culture is so ubiquitous in the world ... there's a lot of American pop culture references that Americans would get.â&#x20AC;?

But the true love story may not be between the characters, but for the town â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Merthyr TydďŹ l.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a real kind of love for the town. It's kind of a real gritty town where people ďŹ ght to survive,â&#x20AC;? explained Harris, who worked as a journalist for the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local paper before delving into play writing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think a lot of portrayals of this kind, especially of working-class life in the UK is that everyone expects them to be angry, but a lot of people just get on with life with humor.â&#x20AC;?

Writer of nine plays, Harris explained â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love, Lies, and Taxidermyâ&#x20AC;? holds personal resonance for him as a result of his connection to the setting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love, Lies, and Taxidermyâ&#x20AC;? premiered at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Well-received, the play went on to tour the rest of the United Kingdom.

With seating that surrounds the stage, audience members can fully immerse themselves into the quirky narrative that Harris described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;upliftingâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a deďŹ nite reprieve from the depressing news cycle and the humdrum of daily life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think lots of Philadelphians will recognize this post-industrial landscape of the way Merthyr TydďŹ l sits in the world. So I think that will speak to a lot of Philadelphians,â&#x20AC;? said Philly ďŹ rst-timer Harris.

According to Reing, Harrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; other works have been produced in America, but not in Philadelphia. In its 14th season, the Inis Nua Theater Company produces contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think those four cultures are great storytellers and they have a tradition of storytelling, but I'm interested in the people that are continuing that tradition,â&#x20AC;? Reing explained of the theater companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission.

In â&#x20AC;&#x153;continuing that tradition,â&#x20AC;? the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actors underwent vocal training to adopt Polish and Welsh accents. Wales native Harris commended the actors and said that while there is always room to improve, their accents are as â&#x20AC;&#x153;authentic as they can be.â&#x20AC;?

The accents are just one of the many barriers that keeps audiences at bay from the Inis Nua Theater Company, Harris noted. But the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst Philadelphia Theater Week that ended on Feb. 18 helped generate a lot of public interest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of other theaters can produce a wellknown play, a show that has name recognition. Our job is to say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, hey, come see a play by a playwright you probably never heard of, and it takes place in a different culture, and they talk funny. You should come!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Harris. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theater Week, with the discounted tickets, and the additional marketing and promotion, put us on people's radars more, and then they realize we're not so intimidating or scary, and actually we are very accessible.â&#x20AC;? Q Love, Lies and Taxidermy | Now through March 4. $25-30. The Drake Theater, 302 S. Hicks St., inisnuatheatre.org/love-lies-andtaxidermy/ TWITTER: @ANDREAJCANTOR

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THEATER

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALNUT STREET THEATRE.

Two cops. Two best friends. The dark story of Denny (Marc D. Donovan, left) and his partner Joey (Keith J. Conallen, right).

Breaking the blue wall Over a decade later, 'A Steady Rain' remains an instructive cop drama for our time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and also just a damn good story

BY MAX MARIN

W

hile set in the 1990s, Keith Huffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breathless, heartthumping play â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Steady Rainâ&#x20AC;? could have taken place last year. Sure, its location is ďŹ rmly rooted in hardscrabble Chicago, but it might as well be Philadelphia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or any major metro where working-class, predominantly white cops still, in 2018, toil against culture shifts and departmental change.

But the play is only about policing in the way that â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Sopranosâ&#x20AC;? is about the maďŹ a. Even the plotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central peg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a biographical incident involving serial killer Jeffrey Dahmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victims â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a red herring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people ask me what this play is about, I say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loosely based on the Dahmer thing,â&#x20AC;? director Fran Prisco tells me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But what Keith Huff, the author, did was create an entire life around this one little moment.â&#x20AC;?

Prisco leads the newly opened reincarnation of â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Steady Rainâ&#x20AC;? at Independence Studio, a small stage upstairs at the Walnut Street Theatre. And this rendition makes for nail-

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biting-ly good theater thanks to all parties involved.

For starters, its extraordinary script.

Imagine an entire season of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wireâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Southlandâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or any novelesque crime show where notions of public and private justice collide. Imagine all of the storytelling techniques employed by deft-handed screenwriters, from fourthwall ďŹ&#x201A;ashbacks to omniscient narration, and then take away the cameras and the artiďŹ ce. Put two actors on a bare-bones stage to tell the whole damn thing, and the end result is something like this play.

Best friends since childhood, Denny and Joey are Chicago patrolmen who have long dreamed of making rank as detectives. A few hackneyed tropes aside, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re by no means cardboard caricatures. Denny is a brutish cop and struggling family man who believes â&#x20AC;&#x153;reverse racismâ&#x20AC;? has stunted his career. Joey is his difďŹ dent sidekick, toiling in his lonely bachelorhood to ďŹ nd meaning in the world without betrayal. And the play follows them as they retell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and simultaneously reenact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the dark unravelling of their careers, their families and their friendship.

One of the best aspects of this staging at Independence Studio: Audience members can choose to sit on either side of the action.

The stage cuts a thin line between rows of chairs, transforming the space into an alleyway-turnedinterrogation room. And with just two chairs as props, noirish lighting and sparse sound effects (think rain motif), the actors take full advantage of the space to conjure the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many demanding moods.

We watch as Denny and Joey interrupt each other and contradict each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telling of the story. They confess things to the audience that the other doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know. They ďŹ st-ďŹ ght and footchase and drive drunk. And Philly actors Keith Conallen and Marc Donovan provide the stamina and emotional range to keep the room pulsing for an hour and a half without break.

Throughout all this, the whiplash story of â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Steady Rainâ&#x20AC;? deals explicitly and in convincing detail with modern policing.

It addresses racism, police brutality, the war on drugs, afďŹ rmative action â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and ďŹ ttingly, alongside Philly Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cover story this week, internal affairs investigations into ofďŹ cer misconduct.

It presents these realities without editorial point. And I suspect many will leave the show with a grim reminder that not much has changed over the last decade or two, that wayward cops are as dependable as the Chicago rain.

But to give away any more details would be to spoil what this show is really about. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very difďŹ cult play to really get a hold of as both an actor and a director,â&#x20AC;? Prisco says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What are we doing? What are we trying to say? And I just think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the story, I really just want to tell the story.â&#x20AC;?

If not a story all audiences may like, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a full-throated reminder, for both the theatrically indoctrinated and the ďŹ rst-time goer, that two actors can perform remarkable feats with 90 minutes alone together on stage. Q A Steady Rain | Independence Studio on 3 at the Walnut Street Theatre. Now through March 25. $35-$40. walnutstreettheatre.org TWITTER: @MAXMMARIN

COP SPEAK, COURTESY OF A STEADY RAIN This play glows with deeply accented language and plenty of lines that will stick with you long after the show. We chose a few that stuck with us to share with you: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not God. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not even a fucking friend of his.

You can only do what you can do â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ya know?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t run a kid in for being traumatized â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 99 percent of this city is fucking traumatized.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Superhuman. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what they want us to be. Able to tell good from evil in a blink.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gonna be detectives together someday. Starsky and Hutch.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strange, the things you have to lose to gain this much.â&#x20AC;?

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PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY COM

G N I R P S GUIDE

Publishing March 7, 2018

Reaching Over 215,000 Readers!

Featuring Music, Arts, Nightlife and Cultural events!

All the things readers need to know and More!

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all here in our essential guide to the spring arts & culture season in Philadelphia!

Deadline to Reserve Space March 2nd, 2018

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ART around the country interested hoping this card will make in this topic and approached things better,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I me about holding meetings at think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more meaningSSP,â&#x20AC;? said Jenn McTague, co- ful because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made from founding executive director at scratch.â&#x20AC;?

South Philly resident and Second State Press. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This ďŹ t right in line with our mission Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ ance, Noam of creating a space to talk Berg, was incorporating muabout art and building com- sic into the mail art. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I help tutor kids at Philly munity.â&#x20AC;?

February seemed the most Folk Fest each summer and ďŹ tting month to launch the one of the kids plays mandolin and I do as well,â&#x20AC;? he said. initiative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;February is the best â&#x20AC;&#x153;He sent me a letter and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m month for lettering writing replying with a letter and a because it combines Valen- song.â&#x20AC;?

Berg was including a piece tineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and International Correspondence Writing of sheet music for mandolin Month,â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon said. which he wrote a few years â&#x20AC;&#x153;With InCoWriMo, you ago â&#x20AC;&#x153;to give him the chalmake a promise to yourself lenge.â&#x20AC;?

The soto write and send a letter cial gave each day of Berg a the month.â&#x20AC;? chance to A book catch up artist by on correcareer, spondences Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon and holiday brought cards, too. a small T h e clutch ďŹ lled event is with halfBYO for finished supplies, projects to but artists share. can swap â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is or trade a good way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jenn McTague, co-founding executive m a t e r i a l s to keep my and papers. director at Second State Press skills ďŹ&#x201A;owTea â&#x20AC;&#x153;is ing,â&#x20AC;? she offered as said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something good to have a community to drink and enjoy while to do it with to keep yourself the artists are working and honest and send letters out.â&#x20AC;? participants are welcome to Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon spent some of bring other beverages with the social jazzing up a info them,â&#x20AC;? McTague said. card from an event she had For Second State Press, creattended, which she wanted ating a community for artists to share with a friend. to collaborate is key. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mail art for me is like â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal, from an orgakeeping a sketchbook for nizational standpoint, is to other artists,â&#x20AC;? said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon bring artists together to share as she added details to the ideas, discuss art, and potencard. Sisters and West Philly tially collaborate,â&#x20AC;? McTague residents Juwanna Evans and said.

April Rice discovered the Second State Press, 1400 event on Facebook.

N. American St., B103, will â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a writer and I told myhost Mail Art and Letter self this year I would get more Writing Social every second artsy,â&#x20AC;? Evans said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This alSunday, from 3 to 5 p.m. lows me to not focus so much The event is free and open to on writing and have fun with everyone. For more details, it.â&#x20AC;? visit secondstatepress.org, Rice hoped her mail art call 215-232-2110 or email would help make amends. info@secondstatepress.org â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m having a disagreement with my signiďŹ cant other and TWITTER: @STARNEWSPHILLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This [fits] right in line with our mission of creating a space to talk about art and building community.â&#x20AC;?

Image: Melissa Komar

Second State Press in Kensington is offering opportunities for you to view junk mail as an art form.

When mail becomes art How one Kensington-based nonprofit is fusing creative letter writing and artistic collaboration

BY MELISSA KOMAR

I

n this day and age, when communicating with family and friends can boil down to a four-letter acronym to express oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood - â&#x20AC;&#x153;TGIFâ&#x20AC;? (Thank God itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Friday) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to auto-generated phone declines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in a meeting, call you right back,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Second State Press is offering, if not reviving, a more traditional way to converse, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not cutting any corners.

Every second Sunday, the Kensington-based nonproďŹ t communal printmaking workshop will host Mail Art and Letter Writing Social, a free, public event aimed at pressing pause on technology and putting a pen - or whatever

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writing utensil or decorative apparatus you so choose â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at its studio space.

The ďŹ rst social was held on Sunday, Feb. 11, a perfect opportunity to be reďŹ&#x201A;ective and sip some tea due to the dreary weather conditions.

South Philly resident and Second State Press member Adrienne Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon searched for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;letter writingâ&#x20AC;? group without any luck when she moved to Philadelphia a couple years ago.

In December, she approached the director about hosting one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adrienne O'Hanlon approached me with the idea to start a mail art group. She has been connected with artists

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Find more events at philadelphiaweekly.com/calendar Tell us about your upcoming events! Send press releases and information to: events@phillyweekly.com

PAINTING

POLITICS

Philly Bleeds Green

Since Philly bleeds green, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paint green! Celebrate the Super Bowl victory with this special onetime-only BYOB class. | 7-9pm. $35. Painting with a Twist, 9475 Roosevelt Blvd. paintingwithatwist.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 1 THEATER

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Diary of Anne Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

the scene

What to do in & around the city

Philadelphia Flower Show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honey, everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming up roses and daffodils!â&#x20AC;?

Momma Rose from the musical â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gypsyâ&#x20AC;? must have been talking about Philadelphia, speciďŹ cally the annual Philadelphia Flower Show making a return again to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Yep, the Flower Show is back in town.

Witness bountiful displays centered around this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wonders of Waterâ&#x20AC;? and get inside information from the best experts on how horticulture and water interconnect. On March 7, the ďŹ rst-ever Philadelphia Water Summit will have an all-day event with

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 THEATER

Pay What You Can: Toni Morrison's â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Bluest Eyeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Catch the ďŹ nal dress rehearsal of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bluest Eye.â&#x20AC;?

Based off of Toni Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic novel, the story follows a young black girl growing up in the 1940s who wants nothing more than Shirley Templeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes so she can be loved. The show is a powerful adaptation of racism and an era of change. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the performance, the show ofďŹ cially runs from March 1 through April 1. | 8-11pm. Pay what you wish. Arden Theatre, 40 N. 2nd St. ardentheatre.org

GAMES

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Parks & Recâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Quizzo

Get over hump, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;treat yo selfâ&#x20AC;? to a night obsessing over your favorite show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parks & Rec.â&#x20AC;? Answer questions about Leslie Knope and the rest of the quirky

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the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading environmental and freshwater industry experts.

The exhibit will be ďŹ lled with activities from a craft station to make ďŹ&#x201A;ower crowns, succulent plant pots, and more to a live butterďŹ&#x201A;y experience with more than 20 species of native and exotic butterďŹ&#x201A;ies. Relax from the ďŹ&#x201A;ower mania with tea, light sandwiches and petit treats at the Garden Tea. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you just smell those roses?

Drexel University's Co-Op Theatre Company presents one of the most powerful plays of the 20th century about the Holocaust told from a young Jewish girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective. A play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based upon "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" and newly adapted by Wendy Kesselman. | 8pm. $20. The Black Box Theater, 3401 Filbert St. secure.touchnet.com/

COMEDY

MUSIC

A$AP Ferg

Are you a good enough sleuth to tell the difference between a mass produced beer and a locally produced craft beer of the same style? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s put your detective skills to the test in a double-blind taste test. Sample four different pairs of beers in this highly interactive and learning environment for an evening on beer skills and bubbles. | 7-9pm. $20. Alchemist Society, 1100 N. Front St. eventbrite.com/e/macro-vs-micro-smackdown

East Passyunk Restaurant Week

OK, foodies, get excited! Going on through March 9, try meals from 26 of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award-winning restaurants. With pre ďŹ xe lunches and dinners at discounted prices, you will be able to make both your tummy and your wallet happy. | Times vary. Locations vary throughout East Passyunk. $15, $25, $35. eastpassyunkrestaurantweek.com

Get your grub on and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break the bank. Over six days, 15 restaurants will offer pre ďŹ xe dinners. Restaurant week options include global cuisine, comfort food, BYOB and more. | 5pm. $35, but restaurants could vary in price. Locations vary in Chestnut Hill. chestnuthillpa. com/restaurant-week-chestnut-hill/

characters during the themed trivia. But no phoning Li'l Sebastian for answers! | 8-10pm. Free admission. The Grey Lodge Pub, 6235 Frankford Ave. greylodge.com

Macro vs. Micro Smackdown LIVE

FOOD

Chestnut Hill Restaurant Week

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ANDREA CANTOR | @ANDREAJCANTOR

DRINK

Why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we all just get along?

Yale Law School dean and constitutional law scholar Heather Gerken explores how federalism can become an extraordinarily powerful bi-partisan tool and a source for compromise when searching for a workable approach to some of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most contentious policy issues, including policing, health care and immigration, among others. | 6:30pm. Prices vary. National Constitution Center, Independence Mall, 525 Arch St. constitutioncenter.org/calendar

FOOD

March 3-11. Times vary. Prices vary. Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th & Arch streets. theďŹ&#x201A;owershow.com

Get on over to the Fillmore ASAP to hear rapper A$AP Ferg. Lose yourself on the Mad Men Tour. Listen to the musician from ASAP Mob perform solo from his latest album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Still Striving.â&#x20AC;? | 8pm. Prices vary. The Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St. theďŹ llmorephilly.com

How the Right and Left Can Unite Around Federalism

Tom Green

Get your giggles on. Tom Green came onto the scene in the early 2000s with his bizarre antics on MTV's "The Tom Green Show."

He has played hilariously ridiculous roles in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Road Trip,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Angels,â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stealing Harvard.â&#x20AC;?

Since then, the comic has focused more on stand-up and long-form celebrity interviews. Green will perform at the Helium Comedy Club through Saturday. | 8pm. $22. Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St. philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 2 POETRY

Philly Pigeon Poetry Slam Feat: Mahogany L. Browne

Sometimes words do speak louder than actions. Throw your name in the hat for $5, and get the chance to perform your original work in a poetry competition judged by the audience. The night will feature acclaimed poet and author Mahogany

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out the nuts and bolts of the program to battle the opioid epidemic. Come be a part of the conversation. | 1:30pm. Free. Philadelphia Community Access Media, 699 Ranstead St. phillycam.org/content/likeit

SHOPPING

Free Pop-Up Fashion Store

Shop â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;til you drop at the curated Pop-Up Fashion Store with rotating collections from Phillyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best designers and jewelers. Come shop local while getting to know some of this cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerging brands and creators. | 4-8pm.

Free, but RSVP. 5031 Baltimore Ave. eventbrite.com/e/free-pop-up-fashion

DRINK

general admission hours. $46, general admission. $12, designated driver. The Navy Yard, 4747 S. Broad St. phillycraftbeerfest.com/ tickets.html

THEATER

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Twelfth Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.â&#x20AC;? Come see one of Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comedic masterpieces, and a rendition that completely destroys the concept of gender. You will be sure to have a laugh at this production that blends underground punk performance art with modern contemporary theater. | 7pm. $20. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St. eventbrite.com/e/ twelfth-night-tickets-42054581385

SUNDAY, MARCH 4 OSCARS VIEWING

5th Annual Awards Night Party IMAGE: BEER PHOTO BY MICHAEL MISCHLER

Philly Craft Beer Festival

BALLET

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pride and Prejudiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NetherďŹ eld Park is let at last! Come see Jane Austenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as a full-length ballet. Performed by the American Repertory Ballet, the work celebrates this beloved tale of love, manners and marriage in the English gentry, and a broad social class.

The show runs through Saturday. | 8pm. Prices vary. Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St. annenbergcenter.org

Browne. Browne is know for her works â&#x20AC;&#x153;Redbone,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dear Twitter: Love Letters Hashed Out On-line,â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Girl Magic.â&#x20AC;? | 8:30pm. $10 at the door. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St. thephillypigeon.com

THEATER

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sister Actâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

A woman hiding in a convent helps her fellow sisters ďŹ nd their voices as she rediscovers her own. Filled with powerful gospel music, outrageous characters and a truly moving story, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sister Actâ&#x20AC;? will leave audiences with a renewed spirit. | 8pm. $19, adult. $16, senior and youth. Narberth Community Theatre, 6376 City Ave. narberthcommunitytheatre. org

CULTURAL

Philadelphia: Ghana at 61 Independence Ball

Celebrate Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independence. For a cultural and glamorous night, enjoy music and cocktails. Take part in honoring the legacy,

Get ready for those beer bellies! This craft beer festival has all the ďŹ xings with more than 200 beers to sample, VIP sessions, food trucks and more. There will also be a drive for Committee To BeneďŹ t The Children. | 1:30-5pm,

Dress to the nines for the for the brightest night in cinema. Sip bubbly and walk the red carpet as the award show streams live on the biggest screen in Center City. Enjoy light fare, signature cocktails, and special prizes as we see who goes home with the most coveted award in ďŹ lm. Upgrade to VIP for a pre-party reception, beginning at 6pm, featuring ďŹ rstclass food and beverage, priority access to the theater and a luxurious signature VIP gift bag. | 7pm. Prices vary. Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St. princetheater.org/events

rich history and culture of the African nation. | 10pm-2am. Prices vary. Reserve Lounge, 724 Arch St. eventbrite.com/e/philadelphiaghana

THEATER

A Very Broadway Purim

Wait, so you drink like it's St. Patrick's Day, dress up like it's Halloween, and put on an interactive musical? What is this? It's Purim, of course. Every year, A Very Awesome Purim throws a big party featuring an original musical about a drunken king, an evil prime minister and a queen who saves the entire Jewish population. | 8pm. Prices vary. Ruba, 414-416 Green St. veryawesomepurim.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 PUBLIC HEALTH

LIKeIT IS discusses Philly's Safe Injection Sites

Joined by a panel of experts involved in the safe injection site program, LIKeIT IS hashes

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CULTURAL

Family Festival: Holi

Celebrate the colors of springtime with the Indian festival Holi! Experiment with art, experience Indian dance and music, learn about Holi in story time and participate in the Holi tradition of throwing colors with confetti. | 9am-5pm. $19, general admission adult and child. Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic. pleasetouchmuseum.org

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FILM

FITNESS

Monday Evening Run

Keep up with those New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions! Run a ďŹ ve-mile loop to the Delaware River and back through Old City. Pace and distance vary so all levels are welcome. | 7pm.

Free. William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. phillyfr.org

TUESDAY, MARCH 6

Movie Monday: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Robocopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Crime-ďŹ ghting cyborgs, a post-apocalyptic landscape, corruption galore â&#x20AC;&#x201D; what more could you want for a Movie Monday? Dress as one of the characters from the 1987 movie and get a free beer. The ďŹ lm starts at 8pm, but come before 7pm and get a free beer and play classic games. After the movie there will be trivia, prizes and rafďŹ&#x201A;es. Enjoy drink specials and food. | 6:30 doors open. $3. The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. thetroc.com

MUSIC

FOOD OSCARS VIEWING

Representation Matters: cinĂŠSPEAK presents Awards Night

And the Oscar goes toâ&#x20AC;Ś Watch the 90th Academy Awards at an Awards Night party centered on why #RepresentationMatters for us all. Enjoy live streaming of the ceremony, golden bubbly and handcrafted cocktails for donations, pay-as-you-go light bites, quizzo and more. | 7-11pm. Free admission. Martha, 2113 E. York St. facebook.com/events

COMICS

Comics Zine Workshop

Love comics and want to make your own?

Learn techniques to make your graphic story pop. Create a comics-based zine in this three-hour workshop with Dre Grigoropol. | 1-4pm. $35, discounts for members. The Soapbox: Community Print Shop & Zine Library, 1323 S. May St. phillysoapbox.org/ register-for-workshops

THEATER

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ready Steady Yeti Goâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

In the aftermath of a hate crime, Junior High pariah Goon befriends one of the victims, Carly, the only black girl in school.

While the town plans a rally "to destroy racism forever," a youthful romance blossoms and the two must navigate the pitfalls of falling in love while dealing with the town's prying eyes, especially those of Wikipedia Jones, the crime-solving son of the chief of police.

Watch the preview of the show that runs through March 11. | 8-pm. Free. Azuka Theatre, 302 S. Hicks St. azukatheatre.org

THEATER

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Time Rememberedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

by Jean Anouilh

For a night at the theater, come see a preview of French dramatist and playwright Jean Anouilhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Time Remembered.â&#x20AC;? The hilari-

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ous, fairy tale-like play centers on a lovesick prince, his eccentric aunt and the lengths she will go to save him. The show runs through March 4. | 2:30pm. $20, seniors and students. $25, adults. The Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, 825 Walnut St. idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

Southern Foodways Panel Discussion

In the stories of Jacqueline Woodson, cooking traces the roots and routes of families and memories. Join pre-eminent scholars Dr. Jessica Harris and Michael Twitty for a discussion facilitated by local chef and food writer Valerie Erwin. They will explore the food traditions that inspire contemporary African American cuisines. | 6-8pm. Free. Free Library of Philadelphia: Culinary Literacy Center, 1901 Vine St. eventbrite.com/e/southernfoodways-panel

An Evening with The Julian Lage Trio

Relax after a long day of work with a night of jazz. Groove out to the rhythmic sounds of The Julian Lage Trio. | 8pm. $20. Johnny Brendaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 1201 Frankford Ave. johnnybrendas.com

MONDAY, MARCH 5 DANCE

Salsa Mondays

Shake a tail feather for Latin Night. Take a dance lesson with Master Jay, and show off your skills with music by DJ Faraway. | 9pm-2am. Free admission. Vango Lounge & Skybar, 116 S. 18th St. vangoloungeandskybar.com

BALLET

Conversations with Principal Dancer Dayesi Torriente â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Swan Lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Pennsylvania Ballet! Hear from Dayesi Torriente about her preparations for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Swan Lakeâ&#x20AC;? that opens on March 8. Bring questions for a lively and intimate Q&A. Wine and cheese are generously provided by PCI Library. | 6:307:30pm. Free admission. Philadelphia City Institute Free Library, 1905 Locust St. http:// paballet.org

MUSIC

Ella Vos

Just because its on a Tuesday, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you have to stay home! Come out and listen to the emerging artist who hit the ground running with her debut album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Words I Never Said.â&#x20AC;?

Hear her smooth vocals infused with pop beats. | 8pm. $15, general admission. The Foundry, 29 E. Allen St. theďŹ llmorephilly.com

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that lies within each of us. | 6pm. $10. Urban Art Gallery, 262 S. 52nd St. eventbrite.com/e/ pop-up-yoga-art-ďŹ&#x201A;ow-tickets-38586431054

LITERATURE

Sarah McBride â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tomorrow Will Be Differentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

SCIENCE

Night Skies in the Observatory

For an â&#x20AC;&#x153;out of this worldâ&#x20AC;? evening, come for astronomy activities hosted by Franklin Institute Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts. Build your own experience from any combination of planetarium shows, a live presentation on astronomy or space science, hands-on astronomy activities and continuous telescopic observing all evening (weather permitting). | 7pm. $10, non-members. $5 members. The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St. bit.ly/2oZFEg6

GARDENING

Sarah McBride made history in 2016 as the ďŹ rst openly transgender American to address a major party convention. One of the ďŹ rst transgender people to work at the White House, she helped inďŹ&#x201A;uence the Obama administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stance on trans issues, served as an aide to Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, and currently serves as national press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tomorrow Will Be Differentâ&#x20AC;? takes a deep dive into her tale of love, loss and accomplishment as a doorway to a larger discussion of identity and LGBTQ rights. | 7:30-9pm. Free.

Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St. freelibrary.org

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 ART

Free Philadelphia Art Week

Support your local art scene! Featuring art from 40 artists working and residing in Philadelphia, the exhibit runs through Sunday March 11. In an intimate gallery setting, viewers will be able to experience art and meet different artists each night. | 6-9pm.

Free. Olo Solo Gallery, 5031 Baltimore Ave. phillyartshow.com

FILM

Herb Gardening Workshop at Awbury Arboretum

Explore how to successfully propagate and tend to a thriving herb garden with author and organic gardener Emily Murphy. Make paper pots for starting your garden and take a closer look at herbs for cooking, fragrance and pollinators. Leave with herbs in your crafted pots. | 6:30-8pm. $10. Cope House at Awbury Arboretum, 1 Awbury Road. awbury.org

THEATER

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Steady Rainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Friends since kindergarten, Chicago cops Joey and Denny are like brothers, but their relationship is put on the line after responding to a domestic disturbance that takes a turn for the worse. Each manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harrowing version of the truth becomes a ďŹ ght for their own survival. | 7:30pm. Prices vary. Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St. walnutstreettheatre.org

The Women's Film Festival 2018 Preview Party!

OK, movie lovers, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support the women ďŹ lm and entertainment industry. Preview of what's to come in The Women's Film Festival March 16-24. Enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres, drink specials, networking opportunities and a glimpse of the ďŹ lms for 2018! | 6-9pm. Free. Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti, 212 Walnut St. eventbrite.com/e/thewomens-film-festival-2018-preview-partytickets-42886578912?aff=efbeventtix

YOGA

Pop-Up Yoga Art + Flow

The disciplines of art and yoga share much in common: intrinsic vision, an exploration of the creative mind and a deep adoration of the human experience. Explore these themes both on the yoga mats and in the art gallery exhibition. ReďŹ&#x201A;ect upon how movement, breath and mindfulness can spark the creative impulse

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NETWORKING

Educatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Night at the Top

Teachers deserve a treat for their hard work. Enjoy free admission for educators and one additional guest, plus a guided tour of the observation deck. With views this breathtaking, even your students would look up from their iPhones for more than 30 seconds. | 3:30pm. Free.

One Liberty Observation Deck, 1650 Market St. phillyfromthetop.ticketleap.com/educatorsnight2017/

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Tell us about your upcoming events!

Send press releases and information to: events@phillyweekly.com 3+,/$'(/3+,$:((./< &20

SAVAGE LOVE

Quickies rienced and are not worried about STDs from oral sex. Should I be worried? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Concerned Older Man

DAN SAVAGE I recently stumbled on an Instagram account of a young woman whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a â&#x20AC;&#x153;knife playâ&#x20AC;? enthusiast. I consider myself sex-positive, but I must say I was disturbed by the images. I was also shocked that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know this was a thing!

But of course itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a thing cuz everything is a thing, right? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to outlaw it, and everyone has a right to their kinks, I guess, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so wigged out! I guess I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a question here besides wondering what you think about it. Ick! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Understand This Everything is, indeed, a thing, CUT, and intimidating things like knivesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;objects that symbolize power, danger, and controlâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are far likelier to become things (fetishized objects) than non-threatening things like wafďŹ&#x201A;e irons or useless things like moderate Republicans.

As for what I think about knife play, well, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deďŹ nitely not for me. But if someone wants to incorporate knife play into their sex life safely, responsibly, and consensually, and package it in a manner that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t violate Instagramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terms of service, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a problem with it.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a ďŹ rst-time dog owner. I LOVE my dog, but hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the thing: he sleeps in my bed with me, and would probably whine and bark at this point and wake up my roommates if I kicked him out of the room. Is it wrong to masturbate when my dog is on my bed? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always sleeping. Could this damage my pup in some way? â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Conundrums Are Tacky Dogs have been watching humans fuck for 30,000 years. So long as your pup is a passive observer and not (ick) an active participant, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be ďŹ ne and you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to jail.

About three years ago my wife declared an end to sex. (We are in our late sixties.) However, she insists on â&#x20AC;&#x153;taking one for the teamâ&#x20AC;? once a month. She makes it clear she derives no enjoyment from sex, but I cannot refuse to participate without a huge ďŹ ght. I ďŹ nd that I have developed a sexual attraction to other men my age. Every man I encounter in gay bathhouses considers oral sex safe, and no one wants to use a condom. Most of these guys seem very expe-

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You can get all sorts of things from giving and receiving oral sex: gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, etc. My advice: stop having sex with your wife so long as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeking out men in bathhouses. I suspect your wife is only fucking you once a month to keep you from straying (which youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already doing) because she believesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;incorrectlyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting sex at home, COM, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll leave her to go get sex. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obviously not the caseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting sex elsewhere without her knowledge (or her consent and putting her at risk in the process) and you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leaving.

Tell her youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also done with straight sex (the â&#x20AC;&#x153;straightâ&#x20AC;? can be silent), have one last huge ďŹ ght, and then go suck some dick.

Gay and married here. My dad got on Instagram, followed me and some of my friends, and then requested to follow a friend whose account is private. My friend stupidly approved my dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request without realizing it was my dad. There were some R-rated photographs of my husband and me having some pretty kinky (and pretty great) sex with our friend on his account. My dad called me screaming about how he and my late mom were faithful to each other for 42 years and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what marriage means and my husband and I shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have gotten married at all if we were going to be having sex with other people. Just before my mother died she conďŹ ded in me about an affair sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d had and asked me to retrieve and destroy some letters and cards, which I did. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had three screaming ďŹ ghts with my dad about monogamy in the last two weeks. Can I tell him his marriage wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t monogamous? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Son Blows Friend, Dad Blows Gasket No, SBFDBG, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Your mom isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t around to defend herself and, absent proof of the affair, your dad will think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a spiteful (and incredibly) hurtful lie. And even if you had proof, SBFDBG, telling your father about your motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affair would be an act of grotesque cruelty. You have every right to be angryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; your dad is being an assholeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but poisoning his memories of his marriage isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a proportionate response to his assholery. Instead, tell your dad your sex life is none of his business and that you refuse to discuss it with him any further. If he brings it up, hang up. Repeat as necessary.

Your mom wanted to take this to the grave and you promised herâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;on her deathbedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that you would help her do just that. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t betray her. Q Read more at PHILLYWEEKLY.COM

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G N I R P S GUIDE

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Found Boat - #PA1149CY Abandoned boat and trailer at 5818 N 16th St, Philadelphia Pa 19141 Previous PA registration: 1149CY. The boat is a tan and red color, about 12 foot long, trailer is metal grey (no tags, no brand name, no vin #, no manufacturers name) Please contact Gene or Alex at 917-826-4444. If the boat is not removed from 30 days of this post, new ownership will be filed with boat commission.

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917 N Woodbine Ave, Penn Valley 5 Bed/5.1 Bath; 6,000 sq ft New Construction $1,750,000

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5 Bed/2.1 Bath; 4,484 sq ft Stone Colonial $1,295,000

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437 Hidden River Rd, Penn Valley 6 Bed/5.2 Bath; 6,324 sq ft Colonial $1,699,000

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519 Spruce Ln, Villanova 3 Bed, 3 Bath ; 2,750 sq ft Bi-level Ranch $665,000

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229 Gaskill Street, Society Hill 4 Bed/3.2 Bath; 4160 sq ft Townhome Rent for $8500/month

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NEW LISTINGS 2401 Pennsylvania Ave, Unit #7B31, Philadelphia 1 Bed/1 Bath; 1,343 sq ft Condo $315,000

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1901 John F Kennedy #1911, Rittenhouse Sq 552 sq ft Studio $199,000

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3 Bed/3.1 Bath;2,535 sq ft End Row $390,000 CONDO LIVING 20 Conshohocken St Rd, Bala Cynwyd 191 Presidential Blvd #824-825, Bala Cynwyd Unit 410 2 Bed/2 Bath; 1725 sq ft $99,900 2 Bed/2 Bath; 2100 sq ft Unit $425,000 Unit 611 2 Bed/2 Bath; 1735 sq ft $210,000 1750 Oakwood Ter #1A, Penn Valley 11510 Valley Forge #15J, King of Prussia 2 Bed/2 Bath; 1299 sq ft End Unit $259,000 2 Bed/2.1 Bath; 2383 sq ft Condo $399,900 1030 E Lancaster Ave #116, Bryn Mawr 3 Bed/2 Bath; 1125 sq ft Unit $186,000

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704-706-708-710 S. 4TH ST. QUEEN VILLAGE A terriďŹ c investment opportunity in the EXPLODING 4th Street corridor sold as a Commercial Package. 4 Commercial 1st ďŹ&#x201A;oor spaces, frontage 68 feet with apartments above. 704 S. 4th Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lot size 16 x 80, runs through to Leithgow St. with 2 car parking. 1st Floor store front currently rented for $1550 + utilities, approximately 750 sq. ft & full unďŹ nished basement, powder room, yard & two car secured parking.

2nd ďŹ&#x201A;oor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A very nice bi-level, 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit currently rented for $2350 + utilities.

706 S. 4th Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 story runs through to Leithgow St. with 1 car garage parking, possibly 2 with 1 regular and one smaller car. 1st ďŹ&#x201A;oor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OfďŹ ce â&#x20AC;&#x201C; commercial space, open ďŹ&#x201A;oor plan. 2nd ďŹ&#x201A;oor- lovely rehabbed bright and spacious 2 bedroom unit with open ďŹ&#x201A;oor plan, new kitchen, fp (estimated rent $2500 a month + utilities + parking $250 a month). 708 S. 4th Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18 x 54, 2682 sq. ft, 3 story with commercial 1st ďŹ&#x201A;oor, large front room (owner uses as an Art Studio).

2nd ďŹ&#x201A;oor- Great open New York Style Loft, 1 bdrm, high ceilings, full bath, wood ďŹ&#x201A;oors and exposed brick, rent $1650. 3rd ďŹ&#x201A;oor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WOW, open and spacious studio, high ceilings, exposed brick, wood ďŹ&#x201A;oors, great light + a full bath (could be a great design studio/art studio or yoga studio estimated Rent $1650. 710 S. 4th Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16 x 41, 1860 sq. ft, commercial 1st ďŹ&#x201A;oor (currently used by owner as art studio) estimated rent $1600. 2nd & 3rd ďŹ&#x201A;oor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; open and spacious in need of rehab.

$4,300,000

What They Are Saying: Buying and Selling a house is one of the most stressful passages in life.

You expect an agent with a vast knowledge of the market, someone who knows who your buyer is and how to reach them, one with a proven record of success. You expect world class negotiating skills. What you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect is honesty, patience, creativity, kindness and the tenacity to stick with you even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tough sell Kathy & Patrick Conway are all of those things and more. We - Jax & John Lowell h. wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider selling or buying again without them.

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BACK ON THE MARKET OPEN SATURDAY 11 - 1 OPEN SUNDAY 12 - 2 2037 Carpenter Street Stunning, renovated home featuring a chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen with state-of-the-art Whirlpool appliances and quartz counters, hardwood floors, high ceilings with recessed lighting, an electronic skylight, and a rear decked yard with space for gardening. 10 Year tax abatement approved. 3 BR, 2.5 Baths

FITLER SQUARE Beautiful split-level condominium featuring a modern kitchen with marble counters/backsplash, a glass-top stove, and a nice breakfast bar. The open living room/dining room faces south with great sun exposure. The condo offers fantastic city views. 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath

$349,000

$585,000

NEW LISTING WEST PHILADELPHIA Newly renovated twin featuring an open floor plan, beautiful light flooring throughout, light brown kitchen cabinetry, and walls of exposed brick. Enjoy the front porch and the nicely sized backyard. 5 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths

$199,000

OPEN SUNDAY 1 - 3 1813 Spruce Street, Unit 4R Stunning, upgraded bi-level condo offering a modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and dark wooden cabinetry. This unit features beautiful hardwood floors throughout, a roof top deck with amazing views and a one car parking spot! 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

$649,000

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UNDER CONTRACT SOCIETY HILL Tastefully updated, four-story home on a quiet, cobblestone street. This home features hardwood floors and an expansive cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen situated between a cozy living room and dining room.

A sliding glass door leads to a private rear yard, shaded by beautiful trees. 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Baths

$925,000

OLD KENSINGTON Bright corner condo featuring a spacious open floor plan with extra windows, a modern kitchen with lots of cabinets, ceramic tile, stainless steel appliances, and beautiful granite counters. Enjoy the large patio with paver bricks and a wall partition. Convenient and secure gated parking. 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath

$234,900

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+1 1%" # 01"01 +1"/+"1H 1"- &+1, *6 ,Ĺ&#x; "C You deserve the fastest Internet around. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking â&#x20AC;&#x153;get my homework done before you know itâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fast. Or â&#x20AC;&#x153;downloading movies right before a family road tripâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fast. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking â&#x20AC;&#x153;the fastest Internet in America, according to Speedtest.netâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fast.

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X1 Special Offer TV Internet Voice

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with a 2-year term agreement

Free X1 DVR service for 1 year

Download Speeds up to 200 Mbps included

Equipment, taxes and other charges extra, and subject to change. See details below.

Sale ends March 18th

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Offer ends 3/18/18. New residential customers only. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Limited to Starter XF Triple Play with Digital Starter TV, Performance Pro Internet and Xfinity Voice Unlimited services. Early termination fee applies if all Xfinity services (except Xfinity Mobile) are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, taxes and fees, including Broadcast TV fee (up to $8.00/mo.) and Regional Sports Fee (up to $6.75/mo.) extra and subject to change during and after promo. After 12 months, regular rate applies for upgrading from Performance Pro to Blast! Internet and for DVR service. After applicable promo, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular rates apply. Comcastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service charge for upgrading from Performance Pro to Blast! Internet is $18.00/mo. and for DVR service (including HD Technology Fee) is $10.00/mo. (subject to change). May not be combined with other offers. TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. Internet: xFi Fastest ISP based on download speeds measured by over 111 million tests taken by consumers at Speedtest by Ookla. Actual speeds vary. Voice: $29.95 activation fee applies.

If there is a power outage or network issue, calling, including calls to 911, may be unavailable. Xfinity Mobile: Requires post-pay subscription to Xfinity Internet service. New Xfinity Internet customers limited to 2 lines pending activation of Internet service. Equipment, taxes and fees, including regulatory recovery fees, surcharges, and other applicable charges including data extra. NPA212874-0002

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