Philadelphia Free Press - 09-16-20 -Digital Edition

City Safari: Leadership is needed in Philadelphia

homeless camp in Needle Park in Kensington near the McPherson Square Branch of the Free Library of PhiladelBy Thom Nickels phia sometime this fall.” action by the City to remove tion. phia, one would see apolitical Contributing Editor That’s my predication for the Parkway occupiers. This It is one thing to be homethe city, and I’m sticking to it. protest was a red flag and less, quite another to be home- homeless whose only concern is living from day to day. he homeless enThe longer Mayor Kenney points to future turmoil. If less and to be susceptible to Nearly all of the homeless in campment on the waits to initiate the inevitable Mayor Kenney had been prepolitical organizations using Benjamin Franklin closure of the camp, the harder scient, he would have taken you for its own purposes. The Needle Park are addicts. Walk near the site and you won’t Parkway must be cleared or it will be to close it down. The action back in July. Instead, he Parkway homeless are being see a political sign or slogan moved before Election Day. If homeless on Von Colln Field kept postponing the inevitable controlled by revolutionary anywhere. There’s no BLM, the encampment is not moved have already put down roots because he feared pushback political entities that in many before Election Day, camp and feel that Von Colin Field from activists. He feared being ways seek to radically change no Antifa, no hidden masters attempting to use these people organizers will utilize it as is theirs’. Progressive activists called names and being put on or alter the system of governfor specific political ends. ground zero for another round have already marched through the enemies list by the master ment in the United States.

The Parkway homeless of riots in the City of Philadel- Center City protesting any minds of the people’s revoluIf one were to visit the camp is a proxy-homeless site, a kind of Potemkin Village.

Center City Philadelphia's Community Newspaper ‘Real’ homeless people have problems and isSeptember 16, 2020 immediate sues, so much so that most of them are not going to say (when offered assistance), “We are not going to move from the site unless we are promised permanent housing. We refuse to accept temporary housing or any temporary measures.

We want everything or we won’t negotiate.”

‘Real’ homeless people are not slaves to a collective political agenda. Many of them will take help when offered it although there will also be some who prefer life on the streets.

The mayor of Denver, Colorado, is also on record as perceiving a split among the rench Toast Bites by across from the floating Barge homeless populations. Denver Lokal Artisan Foods in the heart of the boardwalk. CBS4 reported that Denver will bring the sugar Hours of operation will be Mayor Michael Hancock said and spice and everything nice Monday to Thursday, 5:00pm that some of the people who to Spruce Street Harbor Park to 9:00pm, Friday and Saturhave camped out around Denby Univest for the summer of day, Noon to 11:00pm, and ver have an agenda that has 2020. Chef, entrepreneur and Sunday 12:00pm to 9:00pm. nothing to do with homelessowner Charisse McGill will For menu and more informaness. become the first-ever Black tion, visit https://www.loka“…Those individuals are makfemale operator to be at Spruce lartisanfoods.com/. Connect ing it difficult, and even dangerX to help those Street Harbor when she opens on social media at @lokalarous, for city workers this coming weekend. On the tisanfoods on Facebook and ...who are homeless. This is very menu, look for her signature Instagram. intentional. Let’s not play games French Toast Bites with unlimFor McGill, the road to with the fact that we know there ited toppings, vegan French Spruce Street Harbor park has is an agenda behind this and they Toast Bites, new French Toast been a long and exciting one want to provoke the city, they Milkshakes, bacon on a stick - with ups and downs espewant to provoke businesses, they and other summer-time treats. cially during the global crisis. want to provoke law enforceFrench Toast Bites will occupy McGill’s story is one of inspiment.”

Page x went on to say the former pod of HipCityVeg Mayor Hancock continued on page 4 Chef, entrepreneur and owner Charisse McGill that moving them X is not as simple as people think and that many ... of the camps are infested with diseases and that not all the campers are homeless, let alone from

By Marc Holmes III dence. It’s now the sidewalks Denver.

Contributing Writer dotted with tables spaced six Provoking law enforcement, @MHolmesIII feet apart where restaurants of course is one of the main once were filled with diners. goals of the Parkway settlehe COVID-19 pandem- Grocery stores limit the numic is having a devastat- ber of customers permitted incontinued on page 4 ing effect on all aspects side at any one time. No more of life in the United States. In are masks only costume wear FRINGE eight months since the virus for Halloween. In some places, This year, the first appeared, the death toll they’re mandatory accessories global pandemhas risen to 194,000 and 6.5 for outdoors. ic has forced the million people have been sickPhiladelphia is not what it cancellation or ened. Unemployment is near- once was. At one time, it was a extended posting and threatening to surpass city teeming with record numponement of levels reached during the great bers of tourists (estimated at 45 Reading Terminal Market entrance at N 12th S/t & Arch St. Photo: Courtesy RTM. many time-honored events... depression. Food insecurity, million in 2018) mingling with Independence Hall, the and other cultural institutions homelessness, and business its resident population of 1.6 Page 8 are just barely starting to refailures mount daily. What we million. Today, the tourists are Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, and other historical open. once thought was normal is almost gone, and the resident POLITICS..................................2-3 One of Philadelphia’s most FUNDRAISER................................5 changing almost daily. population is coping with CO- landmarks no longer have popular attractions, and one Locally, the everyday VID-19 restrictions and mostly queues of tourists waiting for NOTES ON MUSIC..........................7 admission. Museums, theaters, rhythm of life has a slower ca- confined indoors.

CLASSIFIEDS..............................11

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French Toast Bites by Lokal Artisan Foods becomes first-ever Black female operator and chef at Spruce Street Harbor Park

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Will a vaccine save the Philadelphia Reading Terminal Market?

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continued on page 6

2 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 09, 2020

OP-ED: POLITICS PA Greens Charge Democrats with Delaying 2020 Ballot

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ccording to reports from the Associated Press, the PA Democratic Party has already signaled it intends to appeal a decision by Commonwealth Court to the PA Supreme Court. This on-going legal action risks delaying the printing and distribution of mail-in ballots, which are more critical than ever while the state still faces a lethal pandemic that makes typical events and voting systems unsafe.

Any delay to the printing and distribution of ballots narrows the time window for voters to return the ballots in time to be counted.

“The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) calls on the PA Democratic Party to drop its frivolous legal challenge,” demanded GPPA Secretary Beth Scroggin (Chester).

“Democrats should allow the mail-in ballots to be printed and distributed

widely as soon as possible, and instead use their energy and money to join the Green Party in fighting against climate change, poverty, war, and the growing creep of fascism.

The Democratic Party is now reinforcing growing concerns that cuts to the U.S. Postal Service by the current administration may further delay the return of mail-in ballots.”

Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins had been placed on the Pennsylvania ballot alongside the Green Party’s other statewide candidates according to a ruling

by Commonwealth Court Judge J. Andrew Crompton on 9/9. GPPA Co-Chair Alan Smith (Chester) explained, “The Democrats had sued saying our signatures were fake. More than 30 volunteers spent countless hours reviewing the signatures, which were

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ruled valid by the court.

The Democrats sued saying our paperwork was inaccurate. The court ruled that our paperwork was valid except for one minor technicality with an affidavit. For that reason, Angela Walker, the queer, Black woman we nominated for vice president, will not appear on the ballot. The Democrats forced our people to spend thousands of dollars and countless hours in a frivolous lawsuit all to get a queer, working class Black woman -- who works for people, planet, and peace -- removed from the ballot.”

“It is clear that we submitted sufficient ballot signatures to be on the ballot. Angela Walker should be listed on the ballot alongside myself,” said Howie Hawkins.

“Democrats are causing needless delay and disruption, because even as it stands with Angela not on the ballot, our presidential electors can

still vote Angela Walker for Vice Presidential if we win Pennsylvania.”

Without Howie and Angela on the ballot, no one will be talking about moving away from fossil fuels (fracking is a huge problem in PA) to avert climate meltdown. No one will be calling for a 75% reduction in military spending to be reinvested in our communities.

The Democratic Party had initially alleged various “defects” with the Green Party’s petition signatures before volunteer validators confirmed that many of these challenges were erroneous.

For example, some false challenges brought by the Democratic Party include claiming that living people who signed the petition were dead when they could easily be confirmed to still be alive; claiming that some registered voters were not registered at the address they signed, when a quick check of the

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Howie Hawkins, Green Party candidate for president

registered voter database confirmed the address; and claiming that perfectly-legible signatures were “illegible.”

After Green Party volunteers had validated that many of the challenges were in error, the Democratic Party agreed to drop its challenge against the signatures and the down-ballot candidates but continued with legal action against the Green Party presidential and vice-presidential candidates alleging that their paperwork was incorrectly filed.

Garret Wassermann (Pittsburgh), leader of

the GPPA Green Wave Team, said, “The Green Party also calls for the PA General Assembly to end voter suppression by enabling easier ballot access and switching to a ranked choice voting system. Greens in PA must collect hundreds or thousands of signatures to be placed on the ballot for state office, while many democratic nations around the world such as Canada and the UK require only 100 signatures or less to run for national office.”

Tina Olson (Northampton), GPPA organizer continued on page 8

SEPTEMBER 09, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 3

Democratic challenger hopes to unseat moderate lawmaker in that defund view with The WashingPennsylvania’s 1st congressional district ernments their police departments. ton Post, Fitzpatrick said But he’s also earned a reputation as an antiTrump Republican. One of his prior bills would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns. He also voted against a GOPled effort to repeal the ACA and he supports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children.

He was also one of four Republicans to apChristina Finello, Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, and incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian prove a resolution last Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. year passed in the House that condemned Trump

By Christen Smith predict could flip blue in investing in alternative for making comments energy and reinstating The Center Square November and provide against four Democratic Democrats with a stron- environmental regulalawmakers – Rep. Alexger majority in the House tions loosened under .S. Rep. Brian President Donald Trump andria Ocasio-Cortez of of Representatives.

Fitzpatrick, – among a smorgasbord New York, Rep. Ayanna At least, that’s what R-Pa., faces an of other progressive plat- Pressley of Massachuuncertain reelection cam- challenger Finello, the form positions akin with setts, Rep. Ilhan Omar paign in Pennsylvania’s deputy director of the the Democrats’ leftward of Minnesota, and Rep. Bucks County Departfirst congressional disRashida Tlaib of Michilurching base. trict – where voters skew ment of Housing and gan – that were described Fitzpatrick himself younger and bluer since Human Services, hopes as anti-immigrant. supports reforms to Donald Trump narrowly will happen. Her camThe positioning Medicare Part D that cap paign centers around carried the region in worked in 2018, when 2016 – against newcomer strengthening the Afford- prescription drug costs for seniors. A former FBI he won in a contentious able Care Act to shield Christina Finello. campaign against the agent, much of FitzpatIn the four years since people with preexisting rick’s sponsored legisla- well-funded liberal milconditions and reduce his first effort, Fitzpatthe cost of premiums and tion tackles criminal jus- lionaire Scott Wallace. rick’s redrawn district He garnered 51 percent tice reform, emergency prescription drugs. has left some worried She also advocates for preparedness and – most support, carrying the disabout Republicans’ prostrict by fewer than 9,000 recently – a bill that restructuring student pects in southeastern votes. limits federal economic loans, universal firearm Pennsylvania, an area During a 2018 interblock grants to local govbackground checks, that political analysts

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his moderate views – a rarity in Congress these days – leave him isolated much of the time.

“If the majority of members of a party take one view and I take another, I would think that would be something to be applauded, not ‘What’s wrong with you for being a part of that party?’ ” he said. “It’s easy to attack people from the other party.

It’s a lot harder to attack your own, and I do it all the time.”

Fitzpatrick himself supports reforms to Medicare Part D that cap prescription drug costs for seniors. A former FBI agent, much of Fitzpatrick’s sponsored legislation tackles criminal justice reform, emergency preparedness and – most recently – a bill that limits federal economic block grants to local governments that defund their police departments.

But he’s also earned a reputation as an antiTrump Republican. One of his prior bills would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns. He also continued on page 8

Federal judge tosses Gov. Wolf ’s limits on gatherings, & his orders while many of the reish flu outbreak about greatest threats to our closing businesses 100 years ago, but he system of constitutional strictions have since

By Dave Lemery The Center Square

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federal judge on Monday threw out portions of the Wolf administration’s orders that restricted activity during the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the governor had exceeded his authority.

The ruling by Judge William Stickman in the Western District of Pennsylvania court delivers to Gov. Tom Wolf’s political opponents what they had failed to achieve for months in the Legislature as bill after bill to curtail the governor’s power was passed, only to be vetoed.

Specifically at issue were the administration’s orders closing “non-life-sustaining businesses” and restrict-

liberties may arise when the ends are laudable, and the intent is good – especially in a time of emergency.”

Stickman wrote that liberties relinquished in times of crisis may be difficult to restore after the emergency has passed, leaving courts Judge William Stickman in the with the challenge of Western District of Pennsylvania interpreting whether emergency measures ing the size of gatherhave gone too far. ings. In his ruling, He wrote that the limit Stickman said that while on the size of gatherings the administration’s reviolated the right of asstrictions were well intended, they violated the sembly guaranteed by the First Amendment, First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Consti- the stay at home and business closing orders tution. violated the due pro“However, good cess clause of the 14th intentions toward a Amendment, and the laudable end are not alone enough to uphold business closures also violated the equal progovernmental action tection clause of the 14th against a constitutional Amendment. challenge,” he wrote in The judge noted that his ruling. “Indeed, the

been lifted as the state implemented its reopening plan, the Wolf administration had reserved the authority to reimpose them if the COVID-19 crisis showed signs of worsening again.

Among the plaintiffs in the case were several counties, a number of businesses, and individuals, including U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and state Reps. Daryl Metcalfe, Marci Mustello and Tim Bonner. Stickman, in his ruling, excluded the county plaintiffs, saying they were excluded from bringing claims of constitutional violations.

Stickman wrote that the scope and scale of the Wolf administration’s orders was unprecedented in American history. He said the state had cited a similar response to the Span-

insisted that the orders issued at that time were not comparable.

“While, unquestionably, states and local governments restricted certain activities for a limited period of time to mitigate the Spanish Flu, there is no record of any imposition of a population lockdown in response to that disease or any other in our history.”

He had similar concerns about the business closure orders, saying there was no action like it to compare to in the nation’s history.

“Never before has the government exercised such vast and immediate power over every business, business owner, and employee in the Commonwealth,” he wrote. “Never before has the government taken a direct action which

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shuttered so many businesses and sidelined so many employees and rendered their ability to operate, and to work, solely dependent on government discretion.”

Ultimately, Stickman wrote, individual liberty may not be made subordinate to a momentary crisis.

“The Constitution cannot accept the concept of a ‘new normal’ where the basic liberties of the people can be subordinated to open-ended emergency mitigation measures,” he wrote.

“Rather, the Constitution sets certain lines that may not be crossed, even in an emergency. Actions taken by Defendants crossed those lines. It is the duty of the Court to declare those actions unconstitutional.”

4 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 09, 2020

CITY SAFARI

up, will probably never reopen. The economic continued from page 1 damage caused by covid shutdowns has caused Century 21 at 10th and ment.

Market to institute a Intuition tells me that ‘going out of business’ Donald Trump, despite the lightning storms that sale. The Philadelphia his hubris generates, will History Museum at the Atwater Kent, one of the win a second term and city’s major museum atthat major cities across tractions not so long ago, the US—the same ones might as well be boarded that imploded after the George Floyd incident— up in ruin. The muwill once again erupt into seum’s windows, thick with dust and grime, violence. This has nothWalk over to 4th Street ing to do with my personal vote but everything to an historic church like Old Saint Mary’s, to do with what I ‘see’ the burial place of Comtaking place. Post Election Day violence will be modore John Barry, bigger and meaner than and you’ll learn that the pastor there has to the June riots, inflicting keep a special watch on additional hurt on our homeless campers from city which is still strugtaking over the historic gling to recover from covid closures and those graveyard. Chasing out the homeless with their riots. tents and multi story While I don’t wish to knapsacks has become review all of the losses a daily chore. The daily our city has suffered since the advent of covid commuters who used to populate Center City and and civil unrest, mencrowd the restaurants tion should be made at lunch time are now of the Wawa at Broad all working from home, and Walnut Streets that was closed permanently leaving the streets for a few residents and the because rioters in June burnt out its kitchen. The ever- growing numbers of homeless settlers. once popular McDonth Take a walk anywhere alds at 17 and Walnut in Center City and you’ll Streets, still boarded

see signs and symbols of an insidious, slow deterioration.

Helsinki, Finland, has instituted a program of government housing for the homeless, reducing the number of people who used to sleep on that city’s streets. A program called Housing First has created 3,500 new homes.

The Guardian reported that since its launch in 2008, “the number of long-term homeless people in Finland has fallen by more than 35%.

Rough sleeping has been all but eradicated in Helsinki, where only one 50-bed night shelter remains, and where winter temperatures can plunge to -20C.” This program was not created overnight and certainly not as a result of pressure from a political group threatening violence.

Philadelphia has to come up with some solutions but not as the result of threats from activists whose only goal is wide scale disruption and mayhem.

I conclude with a Needle Park story that may be uncomfortable reading.

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Zach, a friend of mine who used to be homeless but who is now safely living in a group home, informed me that Kensington’s Needle Park “residents” (who do not set up tents but sleep in the open on blankets or in sleeping bags) are subject to daily attacks from teen boys around the age of 16. These teens rush through the park in groups of 10 to 50, some of them on dirt bikes, some on regular bikes, and some on foot carrying baseball bats. These groups of teens invade Needle Park during the day or night, attacking the sleeping homeless with bats or kicking them in the head when they are asleep. The teens have also been known to drag people out of the park and into the streets and then pull them along by their arms as their flesh rips open because of the hard surface of the road.

The homeless in Needle Park scream in terror during the attacks, and while many escape unscathed Zach told me that one 30 year old Puerto Rican man named “Tex,” was not so lucky. He was kicked in the head and the assault killed him. Zach himself was kicked in the head and dragged up several streets before he was let go.

Police are nowhere to be found during these attacks, and, of course, the police are not usually found around the Von Colin area, but you might spot an anxious officer or security guard coming down hard on a single homeless guy with a drawing pad offering to do “art” for people.

I witnessed such an incident as I waited in a Century 21 customer line on Market Street. During my wait I observed a very peaceful homeless man sitting on the sidewalk (but not in anybody’s way) alongside the Century 21 line. As he sketched the buildings along Market Street, he was approached by security who told him he had to move.

The short interaction was a farce: this quiet guy had aroused a scolding condemnation from the frowning guard, which made me think of the homeless encampment on the Parkway, the squatters who have

LOKAL ARTISAN continued from page 1

ration and perseverance as she has carefully expanded her business and adapted her model to short and long-term popups, restaurant collaborations, and event/festival catering and vending.

With recent news of the city of Philadelphia cancelling events and festivals through February 2021, McGill’s news of being at Spruce Street Harbor Park couldn’t at a better time as dozens of events in the works have now been crossed off her books. As she has done in the past, she is looking ahead to better days, moving forward and working hard to come out on top on the other side - all with a positive can-do attitude and a smile, or smize if you will.

McGill, 38, is a Temple University alum, who attended the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.

She is one class away from graduating from St. Joseph’s Haub School of Business, with an MBA in Food Marketing. She is the former Director of Special Events at Valley Forge Military Academy. She also is known for being an expert in open-air economics and organized the highly successful Lansdale Farmers’ Market. In 2018, her daughter Madison (now 14 years old) sold lemonade and became her Mom’s biggest fan and investor by helping her launch her new business French Toast Bites at her very first large-scale event, which was Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market at Dilworth Park. After launching, McGill became one of the most recognized and sought-after vendors in the market. With the funds raised there, she invested back into her occupied that ground for months in ways far more dangerous than this single man quietly sketching rooftops.

The scene reminded me that the only way to be “safely homeless” in Philadelphia is if you are connected to a homeless camp controlled by political master minds. The way to be safe is to be inside a penned in area

business and exploded in 2019 with the debut of her retail version of her priority blend of French Toast Spice - “The Only French Toast Seasoning You Will Need.”

While she was securing shelf placement for the spice, she continued to expand throughout 2019 with more events and festivals, her debut at the Bronx Night Market, the launch of a summer-long pop-up at Piazza Pod Park, the launch of a pilot program with ShopRite, her debut at Made in America, and a record-breaking return to Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market.

For 2020, McGill had big plans that included more and larger festivals and events, more shortand long term pop-ups, and exploration of a brick and mortar space.

Then COVID19 hit and those plans fell apart like they did for many in the hospitality business. These plans really came to a devastating end when the Mayor announced this very week that events would be cancelled until February of 2021. That is an additional seven months of income and opportunity - and the joy of cooking lost for McGill.

During the global crisis, McGill helped champion and became the first paid vendor on the Black-owned and operated Black and Mobile delivery service. She partnered with Better Box to share kitchen and cooking facilities to host pop-up sales via delivery and pick-up. She went on to be one of 60 people to win a grant from Black People Eats, she raised 100% of her goal through a community Kiva loan and was awarded a Magic Johnson forgivable loans to minority owned businesses through Johnson’s EquiTrust Life Insurance Company. continued on page 6

decorated with revolutionary slogans.

During the spat between the homeless artist and security, I was tempted to say to the artist, “You know, if you went to the Parkway encampment and aligned yourself with the puppet masters there, you could probably sketch to your heart’s content.”

SEPTEMBER 09, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 5

National Liberty Museum announces the winner of TD Bank Young Heroes Award President’s Honor winner

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ational Liberty Museum is pleased to announce that sixteenyear old Nikita Bharati is the 2020 TD Bank Young Heroes Award President’s Honor winner. This award, which includes a $2,000 scholarship, is chosen from among this year’s 13 other inspiring finalists, ages 18 and younger, who identified an area where liberty was lacking and took action to make positive change in their local schools or communities.

This year’s TD Bank Young Heroes were chosen from among a pool of national nominations from eleven states, including seven young people from the Philadelphia region, and were submitted by friends, teachers and community members who recognized the incredible contributions of these outstanding young citizens. The award recognizes young people who have championed liberty through civic engagement, conflict resolution, diversity promotion, and school or community leadership.

Each of the projects this year sought to help vulnerable and underserved populations, with many focusing on empowering other students in the use of technology and addressing community needs during the Coronavirus pandemic. The Awards were presented at a Virtual Awards Ceremony on Saturday, September 12.

In presenting the President’s Honor Award to Nikita, TD Bank Commercial Market President Tom Shoemaker said, “Selecting this winner is both an honor and a challenge with so many outstanding young people to choose from. But Nikita

stood out to me for her work to make STEM initiatives and education both accessible and enticing to her peers. We look forward to watching her become a global role model herself for other young women in STEM.” Nikita is a senior at Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona. At her school, Nikita would often find herself as the only woman in her computer science class or in her lab’s research group.

Not wanting other girls to be in this unfortunate position, she addressed the issue head-on by founding Girl STEMpowerment, dedicated to empowering girls and offering free STEMbased projects to girls around the world. To date Girl STEMpowerment has impacted over 15,000 girls with 20 global chapters.

Girl STEMpowerment has taught workshops ranging from introducing girls to programming through robotics and Python, to workshops exploring environmental engineering.

The program has also sponsored Girls STEMpowerment’s annual All Girls Math Tournament and has plans for an all Girls’ Biotech Camp and All Girls Hackathon. In response to COVID-19, Nikita has been leading webinars and virtual coding workshops to provide children with educational opportunities amidst school closures.

Nikita further expanded Girl STEMpowerment to include a new program called Food Tech for the Future: Growing Digital Farmers to local middle school girls. In this project, participating girls get to learn about the intersection of sustainability and technology, with year-

round on engineering their own Food Computer, as well as learn to code Raspberry Pi using Python, a main component of the Food Computer’s technology.

“I am very honored to receive this scholarship from TD Bank. With the money from this Award I hope to purchase more STEM workshop materials as well as additional Food Computers for our chapters,” said Nikita.

The TD Bank Young Heroes Award recognizes young people who have championed liberty through civic engagement, conflict resolution, diversity promotion, and school or community leadership. At the Ceremony, each Young Hero was presented with a special medal and certificate to commemorate the occasion. Additionally, a plaque featuring the winners’ stories will be displayed for a year in the Museum’s Young Heroes Exhibit.

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LOKAL ARTISAN

tops their French Toast Bites with fresh seasonal continued from page 4 berries, whipped cream and caramel drizzle.

She also was awarded a On the menu look for grant from the PA 30 Day French Toast Bites and Fund.

Vegan French Toast Bites While this week could at $8 each, French Toast have been devastating Milkshakes for $7 each, for McGill with all the Bacon on a Stick for $5 events and festivals be- as well as other bevering erased for seven ages and treats. months from her books, The full menu and McGill did as she always Spruce Street Harbor does and picked up, Park information for moved forward, put in McGill will be coming to the hard work and reher website by Friday mained positive. Now, at https://www.lokalarthis weekend, she will tisanfoods.com/. debut and make history McGill officially joins at Spruce Street Harbor the existing summer Park - and as she figures line-up for Spruce Street out her next moves for Harbor Park when she fall and 2021, she has her opens her pod at Friday eyes set on those stunat 5:00pm. When you ning waterfront views enter the park, follow the and she can’t wait to so- smell of the French toast cially distance and smize and cinnamon! at the families and patrons this summer as she

READING

Locals are attracted to the vendors offering various continued from page 1 cuts of meat and poultry, produce grown on of the most visited sites, nearby farms, and fresh the Reading Terminal fish. Tourists and locals Market, has met with alike come to indulge in dire straits and faces an the cooked on-site comuncertain future. fort food available from The Reading Terminal Amish and Mennonite Market (Market) has a vendors. Merchants who history in Philadelphia had their beginnings and dating back to 1859 when became fixtures in varitwo existing open-air ous Philadelphia neighmarkets moved indoors borhoods have opened at 12th and Market satellite outlets at ReadStreets. Known as the ing Terminal. Notable Farmers’ Market and the among this group are Franklin Market, they Famous 4th Street Deli, evolved into the current Termini Brothers Bakery, Reading Terminal Marand Martin’s Quality ket. Not only is it a must- Meats and Sausages and see for the millions of Giuntas Meats. visitors to the city, PhilaSome of the Reading delphia residents reguTerminal Market merlarly frequent it. Philadel- chants say they are on the phia residents fortunate precipice of businesses enough to be called to failing or suffering catajury duty, and personnel strophic losses. from the courts in close Moses Smucker, the proximity often take owner of Smuckers at lunch breaks at the Mar- the Market, a food takeket encouraged by some out business, says that merchants’ discounts. when the pandemic first The area surrounding hit, he lost 95 percent of the Market also contains revenue, forcing him to many businesses in high lay off half his employees rise office towers that and forgo his and his have ceased operating wife’s salary. By choice, with employees on-site he has opted not to apply to allow them to work at for any of the loans availhome. able from the federal, The reasons why the state, or city government, Reading Market is a top because he “does not attraction are many and want to take on debt.” varied. Whatever reaAccording to Moses, son brings a person to Frizz control designed for curly hair.

Market management visit the Market, it’s the did allow vendors not Ouidad's anti-frizz products will let eclectic variety of food to pay rent in the early your curls shine no matter the weather. available under one roof stages but now require that makes a lasting and partial rent payments. He find your solution at hairvyce.com/nofrizz memorable impression. believes they need to do more for the vendors.

“The Market needs to find a way to get some of this stuff covered. Not pile it on the vendors because if they put too much pressure on the vendors, there will be more going out of business. There’s already two, and there’s going to be more if they keep pressuring for the rent.

There’s no business there right now.”

The business decline is directly related to steps taken nationwide to control the spread of the virus.

Mr. Smucker believes that the Market should allow patrons to sit and eat their meals indoors rather than limit food OLIVIA MUNN WITH CHANCE AND FRANKIE: ADOPTED 2014 AND 2016. sales to take out only.

They’re a little bit of a lot of things, but they’re all pure love.

Moreover, he says the Market’s attitude towards customers has to change. As he puts it, THESHELTERPETPROJECT.ORG “it’s ridiculous. It’s not customer friendly anymore.”

Office workers from

MY SHELTER PETS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS

the nearby buildings no longer take lunch breaks at the Market. The tourist industry is in collapse world-wide, and Moses believes the Market could and should do more to attract locals to shop there because prices are competitive with supermarkets.

Mr. Smucker notes that the meat vendors appear to be doing okay.

Brian Phillips, coowner of the Famous 4th Street Cookie Company, recalls that it was on March 16th that his business revenue dropped to zero. That was the day the city instituted stay-athome measures. Rather than close completely, his company sought other means to stay afloat.

“We have since pivoted, joined some online platforms, and watched as the business has slowly [re]built. However, we are nowhere near the pre COVID numbers.”

The decline in revenue occasioned staffing changes that remain today. Brian says some employees taking advantage of government benefit programs chose not to return to work. Some stay at home because of public transportation issues; some are unable to work because they have to care for children because their schools are closed, and some choose to home school their children to avoid exposing them to the coronavirus at school.

Brian applauds city officials to allow limited dining service indoors and extend licenses for increased sidewalk service for Philadelphia’s restaurants. These measures are beneficial to the restaurant industry because the potential to attract nighttime patronage increases. Since the Market is a daytime operation, merchants there cannot take advantage of these relaxed rules.

According to Brian, consideration for using one of the streets adjacent to the Market for outdoor lunch dining is currently under active consideration. If this effort is successful, Brian believes this would be a significant contribution towards mitigating the damage Market merchants are suffering because of COVID-19.

He also supports Management giving vendors some relief from rent during the pandemic and

favors additional aid by the federal government through a second round of the CARES Act. Vincent Iovine, an Iovine brother, Produce Market president, has been in business at the Market for thirty years.

Business losses for him because of COVID-19 he estimates to be about fifty percent. His company has also had staffing cuts because of the revenue loss, and he and his brother, Jimmy,work without salary.

Vinnie would like to see more advertising focused on alerting locals that the Market is open for business would be especially helpful and should be done immediately. He does not expect revenue to return to previous levels until office workers resume returning to the area’s offices.

The rent relief provided to Market vendors was helpful, but he is reluctant to call for a repeat.

According to Vinnie, the Market management is in a similar position to that of the vendors. He says they also have ongoing expenses and are no different than vendors regarding obligations to pay.

Vinnie believes there will be other vendors at the Market whose businesses will fail due to COVID-19. “There’s quite a few that’s on the verge of [failing] if something doesn’t change they will not be able to stay here.”

The consensus of merchants at the Reading Terminal Market seems to me they’re in for more rough times. They expect to see more business failures and don’t anticipate recovery will occur quickly. The merchants want Management to increase their efforts at attracting locals to visit and shop at the Market and consider other means to increase foot traffic.

Conor Murphy, recently appointed Reading Terminal Market General Manager faces a daunting task. The Market needs urgent help if not outright rescue.

How serious is the condition of the Reading Terminal Market today?

With no immediate end of the COVID-19 pandemic insight, the outlook is bleak.

Numerous attempts to contact Management to obtain their perspective failed.

SEPTEMBER 09, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 7

Herbie the Love Bug car . Keep Going, in partnership with Gabriel Nathan and Drive Out Suicide, 434 S 52nd, Philadelphia PA - hagopianarts.con

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onderful news from the Rosenbach Museum & Library, still closed to the public but rejoicing in the good news that their elegant old-world garden, shut for more than 20 years, will reopen on Sept. 17. This 1600 square feet green oasis, totally remodelled during this past summer, is now filled with beautiful flowers and native plants selected to connect with works of literature in their collection including such authors as Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll and others. Tues.Sat. at 2008-10 Delancey St. Masks required, social distancing a must. rsvp@ rosenbach.org or at 215732-1600.  Also good to know is that PennMuseum is “Open for World Adventure”. New safety guidelines provide a calm, crowd-free experience and a soothing chance to discover ancient wonders “highlighting our shared humanity”. Among these treasures: the largest Egyptian sphinx in the Western Hemisphere, thousand-year old Maya monuments, and stunning artifacts from Mexico to the Middle East and from Africa to Asia. 3260 South St. www.penn. museum or 215-898-4000.  Our city, so celebrated for its dynamic restaurant scene ranging from the high and mighty to lip-smacking mom and pop venues, boasts numerous annual Restaurant Weeks and now even during the pandemic hungry house-bound quarantiners are eager to get out and about for

both indoor and outdoor dining. Bargains abound: $20. for three-course lunches, $35. for threecourse dinners at many of our city’s most popular spots. Sept. 13 to 25. www.centercityphila.org or 215-599-0776.  The Philly Fringe Festival this year is both virtual and in-person with some 118 different shows in medium and tiny spaces throughout the city. This 24th such annual event will have at least 15 outdoor shows for smaller, masked audiences in social-distancing spaces.

Many of the attractions are free or pay what you wish. Among the virtual events is a home-grown highlight, “Pasion y Arte”, an all-female flamenco dance company offering performance and dance lessons uploaded weekly at fringearts. com/event/sevillanaget-togethers-2020 Other productions will be available on Zoom, YouTube, Vimeo, InstagramLive, Discord and Twitch among others. President and Producing Director Nick Stuccio reminds viewers of the company’s motto: “Come and view with an open mind”.

Through Oct. 4. Further information and a full line-up at fringearts.com or freefringephilly.com or at 215-413-1318.  Philadelphia Corporation for Aging has joined the virtual bandwagon for their 2020 art exhibit celebrating “Arts & Aging” by seasoned artists chosen from 98 submissions. These charming works belie their creators seniority and also honor their endurance. Visible at pcaCares.org/CelebrateArts

and also on sponsors websites: PECO, Aetna, Jevs.  Not only live operatic performances but a premiere never before produced in the USA! Amici Opera presents Donizetti’s “L’Esule di Roma”, sung in Italian by young operatic aspirants with piano on Sept.

20 at 3 p.m. and Sept.

26 at 4 p.m. Redeemer UMC, 1128 Cottman Ave. 215-224-0257. Social distancing, hand sanitizer available, bring your own mask.  A change of pace: Jurassic Quest, an auto journey into the deepest, darkest past, is in town now through Sept.

20, an hour-long animatronic drive-through doozy consisting of some 70 gigantic dinosaurs including Tryannosaurus Rexes, Triceratops and also the unfamiliar and fearsome 50-feet long sharklike megaladon, all doing their fanged work in the parking lot next to the Wells Fargo Center and I-95. A family event for sure and passengers must remain in their cars.

Information at 215-5990776.  A new mural of Herbie the Love Bug car is attracting attention as it is meant to do at 434 S. 52nd St. across from Malcolm X Park. Created by Kala Hagopian and Olivia Losee-Unger who raised $12,000 by way of a crowdfunding campaign, this huge work shows Herbie in front of a tunnel with a light at the end of it with the motto “Keep Going”, inspired by and honoring the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and the Crisis Text Line.  The unrivaled August, Ga. opera and lieder star Jessye Norma, one of the greatest of all operatic sopranos who died in 2019, is now the subject of a documentary, “Jessye Norman at 75: A Celebration” presented

by Black Opera Productions and Brookfield Place and involves such stars as Anna Deveare Smith, Laverne Cox, Grace Bumbry and Dance Theater of Harlem. Live-streamed at blackoperafilm.com.  The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has a new young Italian conductor, Jader Bignamini, whose arrival is being honored by ticketed live-stream concerts of classics and

emphasizing substantial works by such Black composers as Philip Herbert and Joseph Boulogne. Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m dso.org.  Now that cooking at home has become not only a necessity but a new hobby for many, here’s a chance to learn all about eggplants thanks to sisters Danielle Cook a cooking instructor and food writer Adrienne Cook who will provide recipes and instruction with the admonition that the purple skin, pared by some, actually contains high amounts of nasunin , a powerful antioxidant.

Sept. 17 from Noon at USBG.gov/Cooking.  Fans of Italian cinema can enjoy free streaming through September of a healthy list of titles including “Caesar Must Die”, a riff on Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”.

Anytime at filmatique. com.  The Metropolitan Opera’a generous free nightly prEsentations of videos from their current archival catalog begin every evening at 7:30 with a new title available through 6:30 p.m. the next day. The days ahead are Bel Canto Week: Sept. 16,

Donizetti’s “La Fille du Regiment” with Natalie Dessay and Curtis alumnus Juan Diego Florez; Sept. 17, Rossini’s ‘Cenerentola” with Elina Garanca and Curtis’s John Relyea; Sept. 18) Bellini’s “I Puritani” with Anna Netrebko, Academy of Vocal Arts alumnus Valerian Ruminski and John Relyea; Sept. 19: Donizetti’s “L’Ellsir d’Amore”

with Pretty Yende and Matthew Polenzani; 20) Bellini’s “Norma” starring Sondra Rodvanovsky, AVA alumna superstar Joyce DiDonato and Curtis’s Matthew Rose. metopera.org.  Two powerhouse sources for events of all kinds, virtual and in-person are: timesevents@nytimes.com and inquirer.com/thingstodo

You can now get Mary Allegra’s: “Come Into My Kitchen” A book full of her delicious recipes, informative cooking tips, and entertaining stories - by contributing to Curio Theatre’s Mary Allegra Spotlight Fund.

Just go to the website: curiotheatre.org. Learn what innovative things that Curio Theatre is doing. Then in the upper left hand corner, click on the tab: “Spotlight Fund”.

You get a soft bound cover for each $50 donation and a hard bound cover for each $100 donation. For larger donations, you can get multiple copies in any combination that you can send as gifts to your friends and family.

And for your donation Curio Theatre will take care of having them shipped to different addresses for you!

W W W . W I S D U M B P O D C A S T . C O M MUSIC | TECHNOLOGY | PARENTHOOD | CULTURE | TRAVEL | GAMING | BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE | LOS ANGELES | NEW YORK | PHILADELPHIA | SAN ANTONIO | MEN’S HEALTH | PHOTOGRAPHY | VIDEOGRAPHY | LITERATURE | KNOWLEDGE

Two long-time friends and musicians talk about music, life, society, technology and so much more in this podcast aimed at trying to understand why we get dumber as we get wiser.

L I S T E N

O N :

8 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 09, 2020

GREENS

CHALLENGER

in the Lehigh Valley, expressed her dismay, “These outlandish moves by the Democratic Party to suppress the rights of Green Party voters come as a shock and disappointment. This kind of voter suppression is just one of the many reasons that voters end up staying home on Election Day. If we can’t exercise our right to vote for our own candidates, we can’t very well claim to be a fully-realized representative democracy.”

The GPPA is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa. org or email contact@ gpofpa.org.

voted against a GOPled effort to repeal the ACA and he supports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children.

He was also one of four Republicans to approve a resolution last year passed in the House that condemned Trump for making comments against four Democratic lawmakers – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan – that were described as anti-immigrant.

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Philadelphia Fringe Festival: A Cornucopia of the Arts

By Richard Lord Contributing writer

Festival artists who are dedicated to presenting world-class experiences his year, the to patrons in Philadelglobal pandemic phia and around the has forced the globe.” cancellation or extended Realizing the heavy postponement of many financial strain the pantime-honored events demic has already put out of safety concerns. on almost all performing The Boston Marathon, arts companies, Fringe the Summer Olympics, Arts decided to waive the Wimbledon Tennis artist registration fees for tournament, the Cannes the 2020 festival. They Film Festival, the Coach- also elected to provide ella Music Festival, even additional support to (gulp) Munich’s Oktothe participating artists berfest have all fallen and groups to help them victim to the pandemic. present their offerings But the Philadelphia safely and to assist the, Fringe Festival has raised sometimes, problematic a huge fist in defiance of transition to virtual platCovid-19. The 24th anforms. While the schednual Fringe opened this ule currently lists 15 past Thursday and runs in-person but outdoors through October 4. performances, over 80% Christen Smith Fringe Arts President of this year’s roster will Staff Reporter and Producing Director be presented on digital Christen Smith follows Nick Stuccio sounded platforms.

Pennsylvania’s General the battle cry: “We are The preponderance of Assembly for The Center pleased to offer audience digital performances and Square. She is an award- members and artists the presentations actually winning reporter with opportunity to safely gives fans the opportunimore than a decade of enjoy the cutting edge ty to binge on the Fringe. experience covering art that they’ve come to Except for those fifteen state and national policy expect from FringeArts. live shows, you don’t issues for niche publica- Although this year’s Fes- have to concern yourself tions and local newstival may look different, with racing from one we are proud of our 2020 venue to the next. And rooms alike. as many of the pieces are online around the clock during their scheduled run, you can sit at home in front of your screen and take in one show after another, as long as you can keep up.

Theatre being my main love, I thought I would check out some of the theatrical jawns in the opening weekend. For my initial sampling of the Fringe Festival 2020, I decided to go with a sort of theatrical tidbit.

One Rain Full of Grace is a 14-minute offering

by The Highland Lakes Players, a performance troupe based in Austin, Texas. The piece was written and directed by Raymond V. Whelan.

This short gives a quick look at a real incident that happened in Philly back on August 27, 1967. On that day, a game between the Phillies and the Pirates was interrupted by sudden cloudburst. Heavy rains and streaks of lightning replaced the action on the field. A 12-yearold Phillies fan, Diane DeMarco, saw that the American flag was still flapping wildly at the top of the flagpole, getting drenched. Prodded by a

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From One Rain Full of Grace – The Flag is still there.

taunting challenge from her friend Joey, Diane raced across the field and hauled down the flag.

A few days later, she received a note of appreciation from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The presentation opens with a number of extraneous facts about the history of Connie Mack Stadium (née Shibe Park), the Philadelphia A’s and the Phillies. It then goes into a lackluster account of the events – lackluster except for the brief section where Diane vividly describes her quixotic rescue of the Stars and Stripes.

The screen is filled with static images of the park, a flag, US troops in Vietnam, and a rainy sky. Only the voices of the five characters of this story are presented to give real drama to the story. Unfortunately, the two actors tasked with bringing home the drama gave rather stilted readings of the piece. Samantha Levine’s reading was the more stilted of the two, though this may be because Levine is an adult trying to capture the voice and the spirit of a 12-year-old girl.

Stephen Garcia took on three roles: Diane’s friend Joey, a concerned usher at the ballpark, and a reporter who interviewed Diane after the rescue. His reading was undistinguished in any of his three roles.

The other show I caught was a filmed version of a real theatrical performance: 7 Unsolved Sketches by XY Players of Washington, D.C. There was a sense that this performance would have been better experienced from a theatre seat than from a screen, especially as the camera work was not always that assured. But we are living in a pandemic, which most of acknowledge.

The seven shorts pre-

sented here work off of some interesting premises: the Grim Reaper having an argument with a young women over whether it’s really her time to check out; an adult education class on finding love, but with only one student in attendance; a magic act wherein the assistants dupe the magician himself; and a ballet performance where almost everyone is a “duplicata” – a lifelike automaton – or maybe not.

One of the best original ideas propels “A Parallel Universe”, a spin on Hamlet where the central character is a young woman named Discernia who confronts her uncle, the king of Deliria, and plays with the affections of a male Ophelia, here rechristened Unfortunato.

But “A Parallel Universe” is a prime example of the main flaw of the entire program: interesting ideas are brought up but never fulfill the promise of the premise. Too often – well, in every one of the seven pieces actually – the writers relied on played-out Absurdist elements as an excuse for wit or convincing character development.

True, there were many witty lines throughout the program. (The Grim Reaper, fully outfoxed by his intended target, scurried off with the weedy excuse that “the front office is always making these clerical errors”.)

However, far too many of the jokes in the show were simply sophomoric, lame or hollow.

Only one of the seven shorts had anything close to a satisfying conclusion. The overall impression of 7 Unsolved Sketches is that all of the playlets are still two or three rigorous drafts away from being accomcontinued on page 9

SEPTEMBER 09, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 9

COVID-19: Director of 1918 Influenza Exhibit Talks Coronavirus

By Miles Wall Philadelphia Neighborhoods

compare, and what lessons there are to learn from them.

The following interview n late 2019, a few has been edited and conmonths before densed for clarity. the COVID-19 Could you talk a pandemic would shut little bit about how the down much of Philaexhibit came together? delphia, the Mütter We had very successMuseum of the College fully gone after some of Physicians of Philagrant money for a longdelphia opened its new term exhibit called Brolong-term exhibit, Spit ken Bodies, Suffering Spreads Death, examin- Spirits about the mediing another pandemic cal side of the Civil War. that gripped the city a And in thinking about century prior: the 1918 what ought to follow Influenza, or Spanish that, I realized we have Flu. the 100-year anniverRobert Hicks, the sary of the 1918 flu commuseum’s now-former ing up. But also, there’s director and current so much information at William Maul Measey any given moment in Chair for the History the press about some of Medicine at the Uni- disease somewhere versity of Pennsylvania surfacing. Of course, I who originally speardidn’t anticipate we’d headed the exhibition, have coronavirus right could not have known away, but I figured if in December how relthe exhibit were up evant the exhibit would for about five years, become only a few people coming to see months later, even as it would have in their it had to be temporarmind something they’d ily closed to the public seen on the news about under Gov. Wolf’s lock- some disease outbreak down orders. somewhere. And as bad He spoke on the luck would have it, we phone about what it’s opened Spit Spreads like to see a major pan- Death in October and demic firsthand after now here we are! spending years studySo, having done ing one from history, all that work, a few how the pandemics months later you get the biggest pandemic [since 1918]. What sort of thoughts have been going through your continued from page 8 head since then?

So, it’s been a fiveplished works. year project to get to The ensemble cast this thing.

We began folfeatured Geoffrey Brand, lowing a lot of reporting Michael Schwartz, Victoria Sova and Dena Tran- in both journalism and in the scientific periseau. Michael Schwartz was the best of the four. odicals that were progSchwartz used his voice nosticating that there and his face well but is another epidemic was given to awkward coming, and there’s a physical gestures from high likelihood that it’s time to time. The other going to be a respiratory three can still use some work honing their acting virus, possibly a flu or a skills. (Perhaps the show variant of the flu. When simply needed more re- the coronavirus reports started to emerge, it behearsals.) came clear that none of A full Festival brochure us were surprised. Even is available online at fringe- coronavirus itself, there arts.com or at 215-413are scientists who are 1318. Many of the offerings aware of this and have (such as the two in this been aware for years review) come without an entry fee, though they do so- predicting this thing licit donations after you’ve was likely to burst onto the scene in a big way, taken in the presentation.

I

FRINGE

it’s so highly infectious.

There are certainly some comparisons with 1918.

In both cases, there was no vaccine.

In 1918, the pandemic hit Philadelphia relatively hard, eventually killing some 12,000 people. But so far with the Coronavirus pandemic, Philadelphia has done relatively well. Of course, they’re two different diseases.

But what are some human factors that might explain the difference?

Oh, boy. That’s a big question. Well, World War I was going on at the time, so the world political environment was extremely important. Just as disease shapes human populations, human populations shape diseases.

There was no social distancing in 1918.

Although the public officials said that if you felt sick you should stay home, people were not encouraged to stay away from work because, hey, you’ve got to go to work to support the war effort. There wasn’t any national leadership, although people could say that about now, too. President Wilson never once made a public comment about the flu because he didn’t want to distract from the war effort. All eyes were on the war effort.

On the other hand, you did not have the kind of protests then that you have now, to keep things open and to encourage people to congregate in bars again and all that stuff. If that had happened in 1918, the police would have shown up, closed it down, and arrested everybody right away, and there wouldn’t have been any discussion about that.

With the experience of both 1918 and 2020 in mind, is there anything you would hope to see change in how leaders address pandemics?

Well, it’s not going to be a unique

The Mütter Museum, the site of the “Spit Spreads Death” exhibit. Photo: Courtesy of the Mütter Museum

opinion, but we’ve built something since 1918 that’s been kind of ignored. We have early warning systems in place. The Center for Disease Control leaps on top of things and really does an amazing job with getting to grips with what’s going on, getting the best science done. Right now, of course, we’re seeing the CDC largely silent and we’re seeing other federal agencies that might have anything to do with this effectively silenced because it’s a bad news story. And with an election coming up, you know where the political energy is going to go.

I would say that we have to pay attention to scientific prognostications because they’re usually right.

And the science has been saying for years we were going to get another respiratoryillness pandemic. I think the other thing we need is an awareness that we may have to limit our own freedom of movement in significant ways and change some of our habits and patterns of living, maybe for a very long time, when something like this is happening. I think that mindset is something we need to develop, as well as respect for science.

Please email any questions or concerns about this story to: editor@ philadelphianeighbors. com.

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10 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 09, 2020

Science Fiction for September 2020

By Henry L Lazarus

the Wallfish, a ship with a crew that doesn’t ever hen backfit in (think Firefly), she ground, char- and the crew are soon in acters, and hot water. The skin suit plot all merge successbonded to her, whose fully, Fantasy and Science name, she discovers in Fiction soar. dreams, is Soft Blade, suggests a world of ancient technology that might have a weapon to save humanity. From there everything gets more complicated and the Wallfish face not only human authorities, a rebel Jelly group, and corrupted aliens fighting both. What makes the tale work so well is the well-defined background, the nuts and bolts of a universe that feels real. I hope this Christopher Paolini’s wins some awards. venture into science fiction is a gloriously wonderful space opera.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (hard from Tor) tells the tale of exobiologist Kira Navarez. She is part of a team certifying a moon as safe for colonization three centuries from now when humanity hadn’t discovered other alien species, and only found ancient ruins of a previous civilization. Kira literally falls into a hole and discovers the buryNatalie Zina ing place of a nanotech Walschots takes a look symbiote that promptly at being a Hench (hard attaches to her. A human from William Morrow) in warship shows up and a world of Supers. Anna promptly arrests her.

Tromedlov is a data proThen alien humans call cessor. When working for Jellies attack and she Eel, she ends up in the barely leaves the system field and is almost killed in a lifeboat. Months later by Supercollider. Recovshe arrives in another ering from her injuries, star system to discover it she starts figuring the under attack. Rescued by cost of superhero rescues,

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starts a website, and then is hired by the super villain Leviathon to ruin the lives of superheroes through social media.

The techniques she uses, unfortunately, could be used on any celebrity and are truly horrifying in their consequences.

Part office politics, part comic heroics, this is an amazing tale and an author to watch.

Khidr is a coast guard like spaceship with a crew of twenty-five.

Under Fearless (hard from Flame Tree Press) Captain Ellisa Shann it patrols space between Earth and Mars to assist ships in problems. The problems start when a a distress call from the freighter Hercules is suddenly cut off. Then sabotage kills a technician under the 5 G burn to reach the freighter. That’s when everything goes wrong.

The Khidr is soon fighting for its life and the life of its crew because of politics Captain Shann never heard of. Allen Stroud tells a hard sf tale with white knuckle stress that doesn’t let up till the end. I want more!

is an ugly opera singer with a combination of pheromones and magical voice that can enchant an Griffin Barber and audience and make indiKacey Ezell start a fun viduals very suggestive.

Indrajit, a bard who has memorized his people’s epic but can’t read, and Fix, who digs for knowledge, have been hired as secondary protection of the singer, only save her life on the stage In the Palace of Shadow and Joy (trade from Baen).

Multiple attacks follow. There’s a weave of treachery so deep, that Indrajit and Fix can’t go more than a few chapters without facing imposfuture P I series. Human- sible odds. Light fun ity has scattered after with future adventures aiding the Monitors promised. in a galactic war that got Earth destroyed.

On Last Stop Station, Ralston Muck works as a bouncer. He lost his A. I. angel that controlled his modifications when he was framed for war crimes. Siren, a singer at the club, is kidnaped and her Angel separated.

Angel should have died but instead finds her way to Ralston who has a Second Chance Angel (hard from Blackstone Publishing). Together in one On the colony on Eubody they start looking ropa a robot, 812-3, killed for Siren, finding treach- a human and was conery on Last Stop Station. victed of murder. Aiya On another world they Ritsehrer, a lawyer, meets barely survive the dethe bot and decides that struction of their ship, even An Unnatural Life only to discover a major (paper from Tor.com), escorporation doing some- pecially since the human thing illegal. Lots of fun prisoners want to kill the and I’m looking forward bot. This is a dark gray to future adventures. tale with a lot of moral D. J. Butler has a fun ambiguity. Interesting. tale of two rogues on a world with a thousand races of humanity. In the ancient city of Kish, a large policy on the life of Ilsa without Peer. Ilsa

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and students are dying.

Magick works by invoking demons to give superpowers, and the tale is filled with super fights in which our heroes barely survive. Lots of light fun.

Jeff Wheeler left Bingmei on a quest to the Phoenix Shrine where she is supposed to die.

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Emma Bellamy is doing rotations through various police departments in order to become a detective. Then, when assigned to the Supernatural Squad that mediates between London’s werewolves, vampires, and other creatures, she is murdered. She discovers she is Brimstone Bound (ebook) and not quite human when she comes back to life. Then her partner is murdered.

Helen Harper has a nice mystery tale and a promise of future cases. Fun. CAEZIK SF & Fantasy has a collection of new tales And the Last Trump Shall Sound in paper from Harry Turtledove, James Morrow, and Cat Rambo about a future Pence presidency after the Donald finishes his next term. Travis S. Taylor, Timothy Zahn, Michael Z. Williamson, Kacey Ezell, and Josh Hayes have short tales based on Battle Luna (hard from Baen); Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell have collected Noir Fatale (paper from Baen) tales; and Tom Kratman has tales from others set in his Terra Nova (paper from Baen) universe.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (Tor) has won the Hugo award.

Dr. Henry Lazarus is a David Mack tells of retired dentist and the author the hidden Magickal of A Cycle of Gods (Wolfspast. Lee Harvey Osinger Publications) and Unwald’s bullet were naturally Female (Smashmagickally designed to break the wards protect- words).Check out his unified field theory at henrylazarus. ing John Kennedy. The com/utf.html that suggests Shadow Commission fusion generation requires less (hard from Tor) behind energy because only one frethe assassination is also quency is needed rather than a attacking other mages full spectrum. It also explains including Cade and dark matter, the proliferation Anja who have worked of subatomic particles, and the together since World War II. Soon their friends limit of light speed for matter.

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12 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 09, 2020

Home Front as Store Front

and a sign immediately identified the product for sale. Think beer mug

By Anne Cecil for a pub or a pizza for a Community pizza parlor or food for a Contributor restaurant. It is no different today. A sign is often ike many small the first marketing touch businesses durpoint with consumers. ing the pandemic, The earliest form of I have been working to signage was symbolic. find ways to promote Rudimentary symbols my products. I design were used to indicate and hand make custom that an individual had a shoes for women under product or service to exthe name RoxAnneLava. change or sell. By as earTo help my search, I’ve ly as 3000 BC, trade was looked to commercial developing and tradesstorefronts and considmen needed a fixed locaered how I can adapt tion from which to sell. commercial marketing They generally installed methods to my business an identifying symbol, using my residential or insignia to mark their home front. place of business.

A key tool retailers As the Greeks and have is one of the oldest Romans continued to demarketing products ever velop commerce, we see used, the sign. Humans the birth of the modern have used signs since sign. Generally made of Anne Cecil we began providing stone, terracotta, wood, classification, for examproducts and services. leather or metal, specific ple a tavern.

The businesses needed symbols developed into As commerce expandto make their business a visual language that ed after the Dark Ages, visible to their customers identified businesses by

L

the need for “trade” signs increased. By the 17th century, English law required each craftsman or tradesman to exhibit a sign that identified the products and services they provided. Soon enough the utilitarian signs became more elaborate with each business establishing a unique visual to differentiate their business from the pack.

Signs remained visual, as most people still were unable to read. This is the beginning of the logo and dare I say it – Branding.

As outdoor signs became more elaborate and heavy, they became dangerous hanging over the street. Tragic accidents occurred on the crowded urban streets below, necessitating ordinances that were created to limit the size, weight, placement and extension of these signs. AND now we arrive at my conundrum. Sign ordinances exist today and they are very specific in terms of commercial and residential usage.

A commercial sign is not allowed on a residential home, but I am allowed to decorate my home front. I can do window, door and stoop displays and I do. Sadly my window is not easily seen from the street. It is high up and hidden behind a tree. But my steps and door are primary real estate, easily seen from the street.

The digital age has given us a new set of tools, but often the traditional methods are still effective. My plan is to create “signage” within the vocabulary of acceptable residential home decoration. This spring and summer, I’ve been playing with bunting for my step rail, ornaments for my tree, and most recently the wreath.

The wreath you see here is eye-catching, colorful and fun, key elements in getting passersby to stop for a closer look. It is a good size to display a message. In terms of my brand, the elements are sandals, a product I make. Sandals

on the wreath are made from up-cycled materials, a core characteristic of my brand. These particular materials are connected to life in the time of COVID, featuring bubble packs from Amazon and re-usable bags from Fresh Direct deliveries. They are perfect for a wreath that is subject to all sorts of weather. The wreath was designed to be on my step rail and it will be there in the near future, but for now it sits on my door.

As my projects progress, I will include more sophisticated, yet understated promotion of my brand while still keeping to the residential language.

I’m excited to get started. This way of communicating is very me.

Anne Cecil is a shoemaker and designer offering hand made to order shoes, shoe making workshops, private consultations, bridal and special occasion appointments. Contact: roxannelavarox@gmail.com or Visit: www.roxannelava. com