Philadelphia Free Press-April, 01,2020 by Robert Christian

Publisher, Bob Christian, soon to inherit Six Million, Eight Hundred Thouavailable to him. istered area of business. Just sand, British Pounds Sterling resources My late client worked as after his death, I was contacted Steven Walker (Esq) Stone Chambers, 24 Fool’s Lane,Gray’s Pub, London,WC1R 10EF.. Dear Mr. Christian,

reetings to You! This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated

as such. I am Steven Walker, a personal attorney/sole executor to the late Engineer Robert M. Christian, herein after referred to as” my client” I represent the interest of my client killed with his immediate family in a fatal motor accident in East London on November 5, 2002.and I would like to negotiate the terms of investment of

consulting engineer & subcomptroller with Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants Ltd here in the United Kingdom and had left behind a deposit of Six Million Eight Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling only (£6.8million) with a finance company. The funds originated from contract transactions he executed in his reg-

Center City Philadelphia's Community Newspaper

by the finance house to provide his next of kin, because that his deposit agreement contains a residuary clause giving his personal attorney express authority to nominate the beneficiary of his funds. Unknown to the bank, Robert had left no possible trace of any of his close relatives, with me, making all efforts on my

Lucky Duck, Bob Christian

part, to locate his family relatives unfruitful since his death. In addition, from Robert’s own story, he was only adopted April 1, 2020 and his foster parents who he lost in 1976, according to him, had no possible trace of his real family. The funds had remained unclaimed since his death, but I had an made effort in writing several letters to the embassy with intent to locate any of his extended relatives, who would be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate, but all such efforts have been to no avail. More so, I have received official letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely proceeding for confiscation of Newsweek. From Newsweek the his abandoned personal assets trajectory of her life catapulted in line with existing laws, by her into the world of biograthe bank. However, it will inphy. Her first biography on terest you to know that I have Al Capone paved the way for discovered that some directors biographies of Saul Steinberg, of this finance com Carl Jung, the diarist Anais continued on page 2 Nin, Samuel Beckett and Simone De Beauvoir. ‘Parisian Lives’ is the dramatic story of the many years Bair spent talking with and X interviewing Beckett and De Beauvoir. Bair experienced ... considerable obstacles in writing these biographies. Although Samuel Beckett promised Bair his full cooperation—“My word is my bond. I will neither help nor hinder your work.”-- Bair found that

City Safari: The “PENNtrification” of Deirdre Bair By Thom Nickels Contributing Editor

hen biographer Deirdre Bair was introduced at a speaker’s forum at the Central Branch of the Free Library, her last name was mispronounced twice, something that Bair says she’s used to because over the years so many people, even publishers, have gotten both the spelling and pronunciation of her last name wrong, with most calling her “Blair” or giving her a different first name like “Dee Dee.” The author of the just released ‘Parisian Lives, Samuel Beckett, Simone De Beauvoir and Me, Bair, the author of the just was a Penn undergrad who later became a tenured Penn professor. released ‘Parisian Lives, Samuel out wanting to be a reporter Beckett, Simone De Beauvoir and who later became a tenured Penn professor. She started and for a time worked for Me, was a Penn undergrad

WE ARE ONLINE For News Updates and More, Follow Us on:

continued on page 4

Pennsylvania bell company sues governor over coronavirus shutdown By Christen Smith The Center Square

CHRISTENDOM

@PhillyFreePress

Sebastian Barry may -andnot be exactly a household name here in America...

he world’s largest manufacturer of hand bells became the latest company to challenge Pennsylvania’s shut down order for non-life-sustaining businesses, this time arguing that Gov. Tom Wolf’s mandate violates the Fifth Amendment. Schulmerich Bells filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Friday that alleges the order infringes on the amendment’s “takings clause” that prohibits the government from seizing private property for public use. Schulmerich Chairman

Page x

/PhillyFreePress Page 6 THEATER CLOSURES

Schulmerich Bells, the world’s leading hand bell manufacturer, sued the Pennsylvania governor on Friday over his statewide shutdown order for non-life-sustaining businesses. Schulmerich Bells

Jonathan Goldstein said the order denies the company access to its own assets and threatens criminal prosecu-

tion or withholding of disaster aid as punishment. “In so doing, he forced the layoff of our employees

So, at the end of February, I was sitting at my desk trying to work out my schedule...

Page 10 despite their readiness and willingness to work, and de- CRIME/POLITICS...........................3 spite the fact that we are in NOTES ON MUSIC..........................7 the process of fulfilling orders continued on page 6

FUNDRAISER................................8 CLASSIFIEDS..............................11

2 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • APRIL 01, 2020

WALKER

urged to contact you, that I may, with your continued from page 1 consent, present you to the “trustee” bank as my late client’s survivpany are making plans, already to have this fund ing family member so as to enable you put up a to themselves, only to use the excuse that since claim to the bank in that I am unable to find a next capacity as a next of kin of my client. I find this to of kin, to my late client, then the funds should be be possible for the fuller confiscated, meanwhile, reasons that you are of their intention is to have the same nationality and you bear a similar last the funds retrieved for name with my late client themselves. making it a lot easier for I reasoned, very professionally, and resolved you to put up a claim in that capacity. I have to use a legal means to all vital documents that retrieve the abandoned would confer you the funds, and that is, to legal right to lay claim to present the next of kin of my deceased client to the funds, and it would back up your claim. I am the bank. This is legally willing to make these possible and would be done in accordance with documents available to you so that the proceeds the laws. On this note, of this bank account valI decided to search for ued at £6.8million can be a credible person and paid to you before it is finding that you bear a confiscated or declared similar last name, I was

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unserviceable to the bank where this huge amount is lodged. I do sincerely sympathize the death of my client, but I think that it is unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the government of this country or some financial institution. I seek your assistance since I have been unable to locate the relatives for the past three years now and since no one would come for the claim. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name giving you the advantage which also makes the claim most credible. In that stand, the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Then, we talk about percentage. I know there are others with the same surname as my client, but after a little search, my instinct tells me to contact you. I shall assemble all the necessary documents back up your claim. that would be used to I guarantee that this

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will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the completion of this transfer. As I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please get in touch via my alternative email (stevenwchambers3@gmail.com) for better confidentiality and if it’s okay to you send me your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further on this transaction, please do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, Thanks for your understanding.

time. As you must know, the world is in the throes of a pathogenic pandemic. People are dying and there is much suffering all over the place. Even worse, it seems we’ve hardly seen the end it. The economic impact is overwhelming, as the government closes shops whilst turning people out to virtual unemployment lines, at a socially safe distance, of course. Our newspapers have suffered mightily, as well. We have had to switch from print to digital, there-by laying off our distribution team. Since most of advertising clients have been closed, we can no longer afford to stay in print. But we go on, with our growing digital outreach! So, again, thank you, for the Six Million Eight Hundred Thousand BritKind Regards. ish Pounds Sterling. I Barrister shall be very happy to reSteven Walker. ceive it. Please send it to our gofundme account: April 1, 2020 https://www.gofundme. com/f/communitypaPhiladelphia, PA perslive Robert Christian I assure you, we know Editor & Publisher University City Review what to do with these & Philadelphia Free Press funds. Dear Mr. Walker, Esq.

Sincerely,

Bob Christian, Thank you most kindly Editor and Publisher for selecting me to be University City Review the recipient of the magnanimous boon. It could & Philadelphia Free Press not have come at a better

APRIL 01, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 3

Crime Blotter

Review UNIVERSITY

Crime Statistics & Crime Report Updates. If you have any crimes to report, please send them to N.C. at newsdesk@pressreview.net by press time, Monday at noon. Note: this crime report does not cover the entire boundaries for each police district. Instead, it reflects statistics in or near our circulation areas.

The following crimes occurred between Thursday, March 18th to Wednesday, March 26th. 3rd DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 3rd District, please call South Detective Division at 215-686-3013. Reporting 3rd District crimes from South St. to Mifflin St. and Delaware Ave. to Broad St. Arrest: 1300 Reed St. Assault: 800 South St; 1300 S. 8th South St. Theft: 800 South St; 400 South St; 700 S. 13th St; 700 S. Front St; 900 S. 13th St; 1400 E. Passyunk Ave; 500 Wilder St; 1500 S. 4th St; 1700 S. 11th St; 1600 S Columbus Blvd; Mifflin St. & Columbus Blvd; 18 S. Columbus Blvd. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 1800 S. 6th St. 6th DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 6th District, please call 215-6863060. Reporting 6th District crimes from Spring Garden St. to South St. and Front St. to Broad St. Arrest: 700 Race St; 500 9th St. Assault: 200 N. Columbus Blvd; 400 Market St. Robbery: 1000 Filbert St; 400 Market St. Theft: N.12th & Callowhill Sts; N 12th & Vine Sts; 900 Arch St; 1300 Market St; 1200 Market St; 1100 Market St; 1100 Chestnut St; 100 S. 10th St; 1100 Walnut St; S. 6th & Walnut Sts. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 200 N. 3rd St; 200 Locust St. 9th DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 9th District, please call 215-6863090. Reporting 9th District crimes from Fairmount Ave. to Lombard St. and Broad St. to the Schuylkill River. Arrest: 1500 JFK Blvd. Assault: 300 N. 18th St; 1500 Arch St. Burglary: 2400 Pennsylvania Ave; 1800 Green St. Theft: 600 Water Works Dr; 1400 Wallace St; 1500 Green St; 2300 Market St; 1600 Chestnut St; S. 16th St; 1800 Walnut St; 1500 Locust St; 1900 Pine St. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 1600 JFK Blvd; 1600 Market St; 1900 Sansom St. 12th DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 12th District, please call 215-6861320. Reporting 12th District crimes within Southwest Philly bounded by Baltimore at 50th St. to Bartram Dr. at 60th St. Arrest: 2100 S. Alden St. Assault: 5500 Chester Ave; 5700 Chester Ave. Burglary: 700 S. 52nd St; 500 Pentridge St; 5700 Baltimore Ave. Robbery: 900 S. 48th St. Theft: 5700 Malcolm St; 5500 Pen-

Political updates on the State & Local Level The UC Review and Philly Free Press compile political news that affects voters each week on the city and state level to keep readers more abreast of local politics. If there’s an issue you would like included in this column, please email it to newsdesk@pressreview.net by the Monday, noontime deadline!

Op-Ed: Charter Schools, a working system benefiting children is under attack

tridge St; 5400 Warrington Ave; 5200 Woodland Ave. Vandalism: 5700 Baltimore Ave; 1400 S. Vodges St; 5700 Chester Ave. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 1100 S. 58th St; S. 54th St. & Chester Ave. 16th DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 16th District, please call 215686-3160. Reporting 16th District crimes from Girard Ave. to Market St. and from the Schuylkill River to 52nd Street. Arrest: 300 N. 38th St; 3500 W. Girard Ave. Assault: 4100 W. Girard Ave; 1100 N. 41st St; 4200 Otter St; 800 N. 48th St; 4600 Parrish St; 700 N. 43rd St; 3800 Olive St; 5000 Aspen St; 3300 Race St; 100 N. 48th St; 4000 Market St; 39th & Market St. Burglary: 500 N. Paxton St. Robbery: 500 N. Preston St. Theft: 800 Hutton St; 800 N. 42nd St; 3800 Olive St; N. 42nd St. & Lancaster Ave; 4100 Haverford Ave; 4400 Holden St; 4000 Market St. Vandalism: 4400 Holden St. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 900 Belmont Ave; 5100 Parrish St; 5100 Haverford Ave; N. 42nd & Wallace Sts; 4000 Lancaster Ave; 3400 Mt. Vernon St; 400 Busti St. 17th DISTRICT: To report a crime to the 17th Police District, please call 215-686-3170. Reporting 17th District crimes from South St. to Mifflin St. and Broad St. to the Schuylkill River. Arrest: 2500 Washington Ave. Assault: 900 S. 19th St; 1600 Annin St; 2600 Dickinson St; 1500 S. 18th St. Theft: 700 S. Smedley St; 1000 S. 19th St; 1200 S. Bucknell St; 1200 S. 22nd St; 2100 Wharton St; 1500 Wharton St; 2300 Greenwich St; 1600 S. 22nd St; 2200 Moore St. (2 incidents). Vandalism: 1600 S. 20th St; 2200 Cross St. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunken-

ness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 1500 S. 26th St; 2200 Cross St. 18th DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 18th Police District, please call 215-686-3180. Reporting 18th District crimes from Market St. to Woodland Ave. and 30th St. to Cobbs Creek Pkwy. Arrest: 5500 Pine St; 6000 Locust St. Assault: 5600 Market St; 5400 Chancellor St; 5700 Spruce St; 5400 Delancey St; 5600 Christian St; 1200 S. 45th St. Burglary: 5200 Catherine St; 700 S. 52nd St; 5000 Pentridge St; 5700 Baltimore Ave. Robbery: 900 S. 48th St; 3900 Walnut St. Theft: 5700 Walnut St; 5400 Osage Ave; 5500 Pentridge St; 5700 Malcom St; 5400 Warrington St; 5000 Woodland Ave; 5200 Woodland Ave; 6000 Chester Ave. Vandalism: 5600 Chestnut St; 5700 Baltimore Ave. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 100 S. Ruby St; 5200 Sansom St; 5300 Osage Ave. 19th DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 19th Police District, please call 215-686-3190. Reporting 19th District crimes from City Ave. to Market St. and 52nd St. to 77th St. Arrest: 5600 Media St; 1400 N. Alden St; 300 N. 16th St; 100 N. 60th St; 6200 Market St; 5900 Market St. Assault: 1100 N. 63rd St; 6100 W. Oxford Ave; 1200 N. 56th St; 6700 Callowhill St; 200 Horton St; 5900 Race St. Burglary: 5000 Master St. Theft: 1900 N. 63rd St; 7300 City Ave; 700 Marlyn Rd; 1400 N. 56th St; 300 N. 63rd St; 5400 Vine St; 6100 Market St; 60th & Market; 5400 Vine St. Vandalism: N. 56th St. & Girard Ave. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 1400 N. 16th St; 1300 N. 57th St; 5600 W. Girard Ave; 5900 Callowhill St; 100 N. Sickels St; 5200 Arch St. (2 incidents), 6300 Market St; 6200 Market St; 60th & Market Sts.

y son, like many children in Pennsylvania, is a student with special needs – specifically, developmental disorders requiring him to receive individual tutoring. Like the experiences of many others who have found that the public cyber school option works best for their child, my son would easily get distracted by other children in the traditional classroom setting, and frankly, the teacher would seem to lose track of him. Now, he is showing progress and gaining confidence in his work by attending PA Cyber. Even during this coronavirus pandemic with our county under a stayat-home order from Gov. Wolf, we’ve been able to maintain a normal routine because his school is built to provide instruc-

Alicia Santi, Ph.D.

tion remotely. While school districts have been unable to teach their students, my son is attending virtual classes, working on assignments and viewing regular lectures online. We support the governor’s efforts to keep us safe, but when this pandemic ends, we hope he’ll take a fresh look at the benefits our schools provide. Cyber parents need support from our continued on page 9

CITY

218 South 45th Street

218 South 45th Philadelphia, PA Street, 19104 Philadelphia, PA 19104 Tel (215) 222-2846 Tel (215)222-2846 Fax (215) 222-2378 Fax (215)222-2378 Email editor@pressreview.net Email newsdesk@pressreview.net editor@pressreview.net graphics@pressreview.net graphics@pressreview.net Editor & Publisher Editor Publisher Robert& Christian Robert Christian Associate Publisher Assistant Editor Claudia Christian Jack Firneno Bookkeeping Associate Publisher Alexandra Christian Claudia Christian Graphic Designers Bookkeeping Kelly Kusumoto Tina Davis Kasia Gadek Graphic Designers Contributing Writers Kasia BobGadek Behr Kelly Kusumoto Haywood Brewster Marc Holmes III Contributing Writers Richard Lord Dea Contosta Mallin Nicole Thom Bob Nickels Behr David Traub Haywood Brewster Napoleon F. Kingcade Columnists Nathan Lerner JohnMallin Lane Dea Henry Lazarus Thom Nickels Tim Legnani Tim Legnani Paulina Malek Contributing Editor Thom Nickels Columnists Jennifer Jones Correspondent John Lane Nicole Henry Contosta Lazarus Nathaniel Lee Kam Williams Sales Sales Claudia Claudia Christian Christian Tim Legnani Social Media Social Media Kelly Kusumoto Kelly Kusumoto

Philadelphia Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service available to help residents during COVID-19 Pandemic High Demand Across the Country from People Seeking Legal Help Ranging from Wills and Power of Attorney to Employment Rights; Lawyers

215-238-6333 anytime Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. “People are seeking a lawyer for legal assistance ranging from drafting of a will and Available to Discuss power of attorney to Recent Tax Changes and questions about emStimulus Questions ployment rights during o help those in this time of economic need of legal ad- uncertainty and job vice and to navi- losses” said Charles J. gate their rights during Klitsch, Esq., Philadelthe current coronavirus phia Bar Association’s global health crisis, The Director of Public and Philadelphia Bar AssoLegal Services. “We also ciation’s Lawyer Referral are prepared to help our and Information Service residents navigate the (LRIS) is open and avail- new 2019 tax deadlines able to all Philadelphia- announced and related area residents by calling questions, as well as the

recent financial support being approved by Congress.” The Philadelphia Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 215-238-6333, to provide lawyer referrals to area residents. Staff attorneys take calls from the public and refer callers to attorneys in private practice. Lawyer referrals are available any day and time at www.needalawyernow. com There is no fee to request a referral. Once

continued on page 10

4 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • APRIL 01, 2020

CITY SAFARI

her reputation or cause her embarrassment. The continued from page 1 meanness and nastiness she experienced had its among Beckett’s fans parallel in her experiwere groups of back bit- ences at Penn as a full ing people she termed professor, where fellow ‘The Becketteers.” The professors and adminis‘Becketteers,’ or friends trators went public with of the playwright’s who the notion that a profeswere in competition sor in the English Defor his love, stopped at partment (Bair) had no nothing to make sure business writing about a that Bair’s project took a French legend. nosedive. The situation “What makes you got so bad that some think you can write this Becketteers went out of book?” more than one their way to contact Bair of her colleagues asked. claiming to be supportSadly, every stereotype ive of her work, offering linked to the cutthroat information on Beckett competitive world of when their real purpose academia caught Bair in was to trick Bair into say- its snare. Bair’s retelling ing something that they of what she experienced could then reconfigure at Penn is disheartening. so that the end result While I did not attend amounted to a lie, masthe author’s lecture at the querading as truth. Some Free Library, the author’s of these manufactured talk can easily be found lies found their way to on YouTube. Bair did not Beckett but fortunately mention Penn during Beckett had a sixth sense her Free Library talk but about such things, so the what she wrote about ‘Becketteers’ never the university in Parisian quite accomplished their Lives is devastating degoal of destroying Bair’s spite the fact that many credibility. good Penn higher ups During the writing of offered her their unconthe Simone De Beauvoir ditional support biography, Bair was the Some of Bair’s Penn target of competitors digs: who set out to tarnish Being in Paris and

away from Penn had relieved me of that other thorn in my side—snide colleagues, tenure battles, etc. Although Penn’s English Department recommended Bair for tenure, Bair writes: “My few allies among the full professors told me that the official letter recommending me put ‘scholar’ in quotes because my colleagues were not sure what to make of me.” Bair’s first application for tenure was rejected (that later changed) because two full professors wrote damaging letters to be placed in her file. “The full professor in the English Department, a man who enjoyed a reputation in the world of literature, had gone before the dean’s committee in person to argue that ‘she is not a scholar; she is only a biographer.’” “I went through all the motions of getting through the days at Penn, letting all the continuing sarcasm, backbiting, and general bitchiness wash right over me.” Bair has few good things to say about Philadelphia. “We moved to Philadelphia in September 1980, when my husband took a position

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Deirdre Bair

at Penn’s University Museum. It was an unhappy move for me, having to give up my beloved house in Woodbridge, Connecticut, and my unhappiness was accompanied by back spasms that kept me confined to bed and on medical leave that semester…” It’s not at all likely that Bair’s alma mater will be inviting her to lecture on her books in the Irvine Auditorium. Like it or not, Bair just didn’t resonate with the city. Even the weather here gave her a headache. She writes about Philadelphia as being insufferable with humidity in summer and complains about the cramped living spaces she had to tolerate while living here. Her spirits only seemed to pick up when she escaped to Boston or Connecticut for long weekends away. Parisian Lives is quite honest in its exploration of Beckett’s sexuality (Bair states that Beckett was sometimes receptive to sexual advances from men). De Beauvoir’s sexuality also comes under Bair’s microscope. De Beauvoir denied being a lesbian and in fact found the word distasteful although as she would tell Bair, she never completed the sexual act with a woman because she never went “down there,” but stuck to cuddling, kissing and fondling above the waist. That was not lesbianism, she insisted. Bair was not afraid to

ask De Beauvoir tough questions. Regarding the legendary French condemnation of lesbianism, Bair asked if she realized that she was speaking dismissively of lesbians because, despite her status as a feminist icon, she still retained “some of the prejudices of her conservative Catholic upbringing.” Bair recalls her first meeting with De Beauvoir: “I also noticed how she was dressed in what looked like a shabby red bathrobe over a nightdress. How strange, I thought, that she would be dressed this way on the evening of her birthday. This robe became familiar, as she wore it for many of our conversations during the next five years. She also wore a turban, which I unkindly came to call ‘the ubiquitous rag.’” Bair’s patience and meticulousness as a biographer is admirable. Parisian Lives is filled with the hardships and insults she had to endure while working on Beckett and De Beauvoir. Yet despite the many insults she had to endure, Bair was a master at holding her tongue, allowing the insults to whiz by her although hours after they occurred she records how she would fume with rage. In the end, her self-control paid off. In a devastating paragraph about English theatre critic Kenneth Tynan, she recalls how the pompous, full-ofhimself man-diva de-

manded money from her for some information he had on Beckett. The Beauvoir-Sartre relationship also comes under scrutiny, especially De Beauvoir’s “campaign” to get young attractive girls to sleep with the old philosopher despite the fact that he was ill and did not smell good. The girls, under De Beauvoir’s direction, went obediently to Sartre’s bedside where they performed their duty. The video of Bair’s lecture at the Free Library shows a good-natured woman who smiles a lot. At first glance, Bair doesn’t look like the intellectual she is. She has the air of a whimsical popular writer along the lines of a Nora Ephron Eiphorn (“A Wallflower at the Orgy”). Behind the microphone, Bair doesn’t pick her teeth, sneer or throw her hair back in the assertive way that Susan Sontag used to do. She doesn’t interrupt or appear impatient at what some may consider ‘stupid audience questions.’ If anything, she appears to be too nice. But this mask is deceptive. They say that writers who write well are generally not the best of talkers. This is true of Bair although her talk at the Free Library was not deficient in the least. Her appearing too nice is what made so many people, from the Becketteers to Penn, dismiss her as a clay pigeon, an easy mark and as someone who really doesn’t count.

APRIL 01, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 5

PECO expands assistance programs to support all customers during coronavirus pandemic Launches additional programs designed to help customers with temporary or extended hardships, including those impacted by COVID-19 pandemic

connections and waiving new late payment charges through at least May 1, 2020. In addition, PECO will continue to remind customers of existing bill assistance resources and ith customers energy assistance programs to support potentially “We are committed to impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, helping every customer through difficult times, PECO understands and and we know there will is taking steps to help. Effective today, PECO is be many challenges associated with this pansuspending service dis-

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Science Fiction for April 2020

continued on page 7

Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): A federal grant program to help lowincome customers manage their energy costs and ensure service during the heating season. • Matching Energy Assistance Fund (MEAF): A hardship program funded by voluntary contributions of customers and matched dollar for dollar by PECO for up to $1,000 in total assistance for those who qualify. • Low Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP): A program that provides yearround conservation and weatherization assistance for qualified households. • Customer Assistance and Referral Evaluation Services (CARES): A referral and information service designed to assist customers who have special needs or extenuating circum-

stances that prevent the payment of their utility bill. To ensure customers receive the most up-todate information from PECO, they are encouraged to register for “My Account,” an easy, online interactive tool that provides customers with the ability to set alerts and provide important contact information. Sign up at peco.com/myaccount. PECO customers who are not eligible for low- and fixed-income assistance but are having trouble managing their energy costs should also consider taking advantage of PECO’s Gift of Energy program, which allows anyone to make a payment towards a friend or family member’s energy bill. The gift will appear on a future bill as a credit to the recipient’s account. Customers can visit peco.com/help and peco. com/gift to find out more about these programs.

6 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • APRIL 01, 2020

SCHULMERICH continued from page 1

at the beginning of our busiest season,” he said. “Now we are suing on our mutual behalf.” The lawsuit joins a growing pile of federal and state court challenges – so far mostly defeated or withdrawn – that argue the governor’s order goes too far. Wolf, for his part, maintains that the disaster declaration he signed March 6 gives him broad powers – from shuttering state-held liquor stores to mandating sweeping closures of businesses large and small – so long as it’s for the protection of public health. He admits, however, implementation hasn’t been perfect. “What we’re all trying to do is take this hand that we’ve been dealt and play it the best possible way in terms of trying to keep Pennsylvanians safe,” he said. The statewide mandate drove 800,000 residents into unemployment, so far. The state’s jobless claims through March 27 led the nation

– an anticipated side effect of the governor’s “decisive and early” action, his administration said last week. Wolf also extended stay at home orders to 26 counties on Monday, bounding more than half of the state’s population to their residences as the coronavirus pandemic surges. Businesses and schools will remain closed “indefinitely.” “Right now it’s not safe,” Wolf said. “I know this is hard to hear.” The Department of Health reported the largest one-day spike in new cases on Monday with 693 additional residents testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 4,087 with 48 deaths. Christen Smith Staff Reporter Christen Smith follows Pennsylvania’s General Assembly for The Center Square. She is an awardwinning reporter with more than a decade of experience covering state and national policy issues for niche publications and local newsrooms alike

Coronavirus hinders Bay cleanup efforts, seafood industry

Cancellations and postponements of spring stream cleanups are among the many impacts the coronavirus is having on environmental stewardship activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. (Whitney Pipkin)

By the Bay Journal news el coronavirus, barely staff on the radar only a few months ago, is rippling atermen have through the Chesapeake no restaurants Bay region, with impacts felt from Pennsylvania that can buy farm fields to Eastern their catches. Help for farmers who want to in- Shore oyster grounds. stall runoff controls has While some impacts are minor, such as the been sharply curtailed. Streams throughout the postponement of meetregion are missing their ings and cleanup events, annual spring cleaning. others could become sigAnd many students are nificant if the COVID-19 losing their chance to ex- crisis lingers, potentially perience the Chesapeake creating another setback for Bay pollution control Bay firsthand. The impact of the nov- initiatives. While some point to slivers of positive news — air pollution is down — the near-shutdown of business activity is likely to slam state budgets in coming months, and possibly years, at a time when they had hoped to significantly increase spending on the Bay cleanup. “There’s obviously going to be a delay in any new plans and conservation work,” said Lindsay Thompson, executive director of the Maryland Association of Conservation Districts. In a sentiment reflected by many, she added, “Right now, it’s really just [about] trying to keep the wheels rolling and keep everyone safe.” Delays & cancellations Tree plantings, school field trips, citizen oyster restoration activities and the region’s largest litter cleanup event are all beBrochures • Newsletters • Flyers ing postponed or altered as environmental groups struggle with the sweepBusiness Cards • Websites • Facebook Pages ing disruptions. “We’re in uncharted territory,” said Willy Philly Free Press Graphic Design Services Agee, vice president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, as his

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group, as well as the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, have been forced to delay environmental field work. The immobilizing of construction contractors as a nonessential service was affecting many on-the-ground conservation projects while the need to keep volunteers at home is hamstringing others. The 10 Million Tree Partnership in Pennsylvania, which can often draw 50 to 100 volunteers to a planting event, is still undertaking projects this spring — but often with a single person and a shovel. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has been forced to postpone Project Clean Stream, the largest network of stream cleanups in the Bay watershed, to this fall. Likewise, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, which has coordinated spring cleanups throughout the Potomac River watershed for 32 years, has had to postpone or cancel this year’s events. Last year, more than 9,500 volunteers participated in 267 cleanups coordinated by the nonprofit, collecting 346,000 pounds of trash in portions of Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia. Theresa Cullen, Alice Ferguson’s executive director, said she remained hopeful the cleanups could take place later this year. In the meantime, individuals can still help the Bay and their local rivers by picking up trash in their neighborhoods or planting native plants in their gardens, said Marissa Spratley, an Alliance spokeswoman. “We’re encouraging folks to remain positive because this, too, will pass.” Other volunteer efforts are also being hit. CBF’s oyster gardening programs in Virginia and Maryland are expected to be significantly reduced because of the lack of volunteers. Managers of the communitysupported agriculture project on CBF’s Clagett Farm, which provides

fresh produce and meals to food banks and people living in poverty in and around Washington, DC, will have to find a way to distribute food other than through large gatherings. Groups are trying to find creative ways to stimulate environmental involvement during a time of year that is usually bursting with related events and activities, leading up to Earth Day on April 22. This year, hands-on opportunities are more limited. The Alliance is encouraging people to crowdsource and share knowledge on its Chesapeake Network and storm water and native plants websites. The Chesapeake Conservancy is highlighting opportunities to take “virtual tours” of the region’s rivers and other sites around the region. Also eliminated are spring outdoor field trips for students. The Bay Foundation’s Agee said he expects such excursions will be lost for the spring, and perhaps the remainder of the school year, removing a curriculum mainstay for hundreds of teachers and thousands of students in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Although the nonprofit had canceled all programming indefinitely, it is examining ways to continue engaging with the public, such as through digital learning, said spokesman A.J. Metcalf. Cullen, of The Alice Ferguson Foundation, which typically hosts students at the nonprofit’s farm for educational outings in the spring, said some of that programming will be available online. “We’re working on videos that can be useful for parents and teachers teaching about environmental topics,” she said. “There’s always something happening at the farm, even if they can’t visit.” Farmer assistance at rise Of particular concern for Chesapeake restoration is the impact on

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APRIL 01, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 7

ust when we need the arts, culture and entertainment more than ever, those life-enhancing clues to happiness are no longer really with us as they once were. Venues of all shapes and sizes are closed for weeks and months to come: cinemas/museums/ concert halls where music and dance and opera provided joy. Arenas and churches whose sacred interiors welcomed music of all kinds...all shuttered. But thanks to social media, streaming and the many user-friendly apps and stations available to all, the show goes on, in one way or another. Here is a partial list of what local artists, producers, actors, dancers and musicians are offering. These aren’t in any particular order but all are of great appeal to anyone with an interest in the arts, and as you’re reading this on line, no problem locating the various addresses and websites. Theatre Ariel is offering free Facebook and You Tube live stream performances. The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society offers a curated playlist of videos and other streaming opportunities. Shakespeare in Clark Park, in preparation for their August “Pericles”, presents weekly videos teaching juggling, dancing, acting. #athomescp 1807 and Friends invites viewers into the home of founders/string players Nancy Bean and Lloyd Smith every Monday at 7:30 p.m. for live short streaming events. PhillyFunSavers opens the doors for virtual visits to many of our dark museums such as Philadelphia Museum of Art with some 150,000 works of art; Independence Seaport Museum with its on line library dealing with the Spirit of the Sea; the Barnes Foundation’s virtual tour

covers all its visible art including 5 to 15 minute segments with Barnes curators, scholars and educators musing on their favorite works; the Rosenbach of the Free Library not only reveals the depths of its celebrated Museum and Library but also has a portal to the extensive collections of the Free Library itself and its abundant digital collection which includes access to ebooks, audio books, movies, TV, music, 100 data bases and The NY TIMES on line; Penn Museum opens its collection of exhibits, lecture series and archival films. First Person Arts’ content includes performing artists telling stories. Bristol Riverside Theatre’s cast of characters perform in cabaret and variety on You Tube along with virtual classes and activities for homebound kids. Rock to the Future beginning April 6 offers live digital instructions and music, academic support, free on-line learning resources. The Philadelphia Orchestra releases each week past performances of solos, small groups from musicians’ homes, plus on line master classes and discussions, Thursdays at 8 p.m. WRTI, 90.1 FM also broadcasts on Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. recent or archival Philadelphia Orchestra concerts and is also adding extra such concerts periodically. The Academy of Vocal Arts were among so many groups who had to cancel major events, in this case AVA’s 85th Anniversary Gala, a huge fund-raiser set for the Met Philadelphia. Luckily we have a video of important AVA alumni/ world opera stars that can be reached and enjoyed at www.youtube. com/user/AVAOPERA and click on the video “Virtual BrAVA Philadelphia 2020”.

The Bryn Mawr Film Institute has on line discussions on Mondays as well as a website with links and information on registration. Network for New Music extends access to past seasons’ performances on Facebook. Theatre Horizon has a daily facebook series of performing artist/actress Liz Filios helping kids to enjoy music, movement and community, 5 p.m. featuring a rotating talented cast of her artist friends. Piffaro, the Renaissance band, issues free short clips of recordings and videos. BalletX presents free live stream classes for all from the living rooms and kitchens of their performing and teaching staff. The Metropolitan Opera from Lincoln Center in NYC features every night at 7:30 p.m. a different High Definition transmission from their huge 14-year collection featuring the greatest operas, stars, conductors, directors and the mighty Met Opera Chorus. These telecasts are available for 23 hours until 6:30 p.m. the next day at metopera. org. A brief look at the days ahead: April 1, Adams’ “Nixon in China”’ April 2, Verdi’s “Don Carlo”; April 3, Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers”; April 4, Verdi’s “Macbeth”; April 5, Bellini’s “Norma”. If you would like to submit the information about your online performances and presentations to John Lane’s column “Notes on Music and Other Artistic Diversions”, please email him at xjlane@aol.com and it will be published in our digital editions at ucreview.com and philadelphiafreepress.com each Wednesday. If you would like to receive our weekly email blast to either or both of our digital publications, please send your email address to cchristian@ pressreview.net and indicate which publication(s) you would like to receive. – Claudia Christian, Associate Publisher

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can be manipulated with symbols on metal. Sancia Grado, who has an etched tablet in her head, and her friends think they have a way to bring down another one of the Merchant Houses. Unfortunately, someone has brought Crasedes Magnus back to life; a being who has crushed civilization after civilization for thousands of years in an effort to eliminate evil. A thousand years before his tools had rebelled when he tried to modify humanity. His return brings the horror of

Rey) night to the city of Tevanne and only Sancia and her friends have a chance of stopping him. This unique world is not to be missed.

The mining city of Titanshade (paper) is in the far north on an Earth with eight very different types of people. It’s running out of the oil that has replaced the magical manna. In the first police procedural mystery Detective Carter followed the trail of a murderer straight to a point where people had found a well of Manna deep underground. He’s been on paperwork detail until he and his partner Jax, a Mollenkampi get their first case. The murderer Shorefall (hard from Del had taken the teeth of a

Mollenkampi artist new to the city. No one even knew her name. It’s the time of the Titan’s Day (hard from DAW) celebration with an election going on. The city is trying to deal with the gang violence and typical corruption. Carter and Jax pursue the case that no one cares about, while the department tries to deal with his notoriety and keep him from finding the murderer. Dan Stout has a gritty, impossible-to-put-down tale and I look forward to more cases. Eric Lewis borrows the horrors of the 30year war on a peninsula where two potential kings are fighting to rule. Peasants are either in the way and killed, or made an object and crucified. There’s a small group called The Heron Kings (hard from Flame Tree Press) who get good at stealing from both armies to survive. Then they capture a messenger with proof that both sides in this war are being manipulated. The fun is in getting the message to the Queen of one side and the King of the

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8 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • APRIL 01, 2020

Celebrate our Upcoming 32nd Year with us! BAY CLEAN

A FUNDRAISING APPEAL

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efforts to reach out to farmers and support appy New Year them in conservation 2020 from the efforts. All of the states University in the region are relyCity Review in West ing on a massive ramp Philadelphia and the up in efforts to control Philadelphia Free Press farm runoff to meet 2025 in Center City! nutrient reduction goals aimed at clearing the As we enter our 32nd Bay’s murky water and year of publishing free ending its summertime community newspapers, we are reaching oxygen-starved “dead out to you, our readers zone.” and advertisers, to ofBut those efforts rely Photo of first staff fer our many thanks heavily on technical as$15,000, extended for your enduring supsistance providers from In 1998, we celebrated through the end of port and interest. We March 2020, in order to agencies or nonprofit our tenth anniversary are happy that we have with a fundraising party achieve our goals. Algroups working one-onbeen successful in beone with farmers to plan at the Woodlands Cem- though we are not a ing able to deliver free and install various farm etery and we were able non-profit institution, local news, as well as, conservation practices, we have functioned as to raise over $10,000 feature stories and local that helped carry us for- a community resource, such as stream buffers or advertising on a weekly ward at that time. manure storage facilities. giving voice to neighbasis for all of these Most county conborhood interests and Now, 21 years later, years. It has truly been we are entering a period concerns. Please help servation districts and a great feat, along with, dedicated to improving us to preserve your com- Natural Resource Conas we like to say, “a servation Service offices, munity newspapers. our sustainability. We touch of madness.” But, are preparing financially which provide most of above all, it’s been a With appreciation and those services to farmand organizationally for labor of love of which ers, are either closed the future. Our goals are gratitude, we are proud! It is truly to increase our stable of with staff working regratifying to have met Robert Christian, Edi- motely or open with a writers, to increase our and worked with so single staffer to answer print and digital distri- tor and Publisher and many wonderful peoClaudia Christian, Asphones. bution, to stabilize our ple, many of whom are cash flow, and to create sociate Publisher In Maryland, the state now good friends. a Digital 32-year Comwas no longer processAs we go forward, we munity History Public P.S. Look for upcoming applications for new will be looking to you ing information about Archive. We are again conservation infrastrucfor your continued sup- asking for your financial our 32nd year celebrature, such as manure port, not only as cheer tion in March 2020! support. sheds, because officials leaders and readers, but To this end, we began limiting site visits also as donors. have set about to raise to ongoing construction projects and emergencies, said Lindsay Name: Thompson, of the Maryland Association of ConAddress: servation Districts. “If this is lifted in a month or six weeks, maybe it won’t be all Method of contribution: that much of a backlog,”  Check (Please make checks out to either Philadelphia Free Press or University Thompson said. “The City Review, and mail to 218 South 45th Street, Phila., PA 19104. Phone magnitude will be de215.222.2374) termined by how long it  Credit Card goes on.” Name on credit card: In Virginia, farmers seeking technical assisAddress: tance with conservation projects were still able to get it as of late March. Kendall Tyree, executive Credit Card Number: director of the Virginia Association of Soil and Expiration date: Security Code: Water Conservation Districts, said most districts were still doing site visBilling Address: If it is different from your address its “as long as the farmer is comfortable keeping a safe distance.” The slowdown is a concern because Virginia conservation districts have to spend funding for the current fiscal year by June 30. Those expenditures require approval from district boards — but the boards

You can also go to GoFundMe.com and search for “Keeping Community Papers Alive in Philadelphia”.

aren’t meeting because of health concerns, and it is unclear under state law whether they could legally approve those projects through online meetings. “Right now, unless a meeting prevents irrevocable public harm, districts are not able to have electronic meetings,” Tyree said. “We have reached out [to the state Attorney General] to find out if cost-share and conservation projects would fall into that category and have not yet received that opinion.” In Pennsylvania, Christopher Thompson, head of the Lancaster County Conservation District — the county with the most farms in the Bay watershed — said that, as of March 20, no staff would be working in the field with farmers. The timing is especially bad, he noted, because the recent influx of federal grant money to help Chesapeake Bay conservation work has to be spent by the end of September or the money has to be reallocated. While conservation district staff around the region are trying to provide technical assistance to farmers remotely, Mark Dubin, agriculture coordinator with the state-federal Chesapeake Bay Program, cautioned that such efforts have their limits because farmers in rural areas are often hampered by poor internet connections. He operates his own farm on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border in an area where he described service as “minimal.” “There are definitely going to be more challenges here,” he said. “It is inevitably going to cause some delays.” Also, most conservation funders require farmers to share in the cost of the projects. But farmers have been suffering financially for several years from collapsing dairy prices, tariffs and other economic hardships. The coronavirus crisis adds a new layer of financial uncertainty. “If you are trying to survive,” Dubin said, “the last thing that is on the list is going to be implementing some new practice while you’re trying to pay the bills.”

Ann Swanson, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which includes state legislators from across the region, worries that the faltering economy will mean trouble for the future funding of conservation programs. Most conservation improvements come from programs with dedicated funding tied to tax revenue at the state or federal level, she said. “When the going gets rough and cash gets limited, often those dedicated funds get raided,” Swanson said. “So not only are we looking at budget shortfalls but also at potential raids of those dedicated funds. It’s not a pretty picture.” Watermen hit on multiple fronts In the Bay, as is the case all along the coast, the closure of restaurants has hit the fishing industry hard. “It killed the last two weeks of oyster season. There’s been no market,” said Robert T. Brown, Sr., president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association. And it’s not clear the situation will get better with the opening of crab season, which began March 17 in Virginia and begins April 1 in Maryland. With the foreign workers essential for crab meat-processing being forced to stay home, the region’s seafood industry is entering rough waters. To protect its staff from the coronavirus, the State Department announced on March 18 a halt to processing most temporary work visas in its Mexico offices. Mexico is one of the biggest suppliers of labor to the Chesapeake’s crabpicking houses. The industry was already facing a shortage of temporary work visas because employer demand nationwide far outstrips the number that the government releases. On Hooper’s Island, the epicenter of Maryland’s crab-picking operations, six out of the nine processors did not receive visas this year before the virus-induced interruption. For watermen, Brown said, “It’s wait and see, pretty much, how bad it’s going to be — not continued on page 9

APRIL 01, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 9

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how good, how bad.” Air pollution reductions All of the economic and social disruption wrought by the coronavirus could contain a silver lining: a sharp — if temporary — decrease in emissions of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants as people drive less, flights are grounded and the economy slows. NASA and the European Space Agency recorded substantial drops in pollution concentrations over Italy and China as those countries sought to lock down their populations. Such

its course. Meanwhile, some industries have already begun lobbying against climate regulations, arguing that they can’t bear the costs along with the slowdown caused by the pandemic. Concerns over new rules A number of organizations, from conservative think tanks to labor unions to environmental groups, have asked the Trump administration to alter its rule-making process while the president’s national emergency declaration, issued March 13, remains in effect. The groups argue that many stakeholder organizations have been forced to close

business as usual is unacceptable,” said Jason Rano, CBF’s federal executive director. As of late March, the EPA had declined to delay its rule-making, with officials noting that its regulatory website was fully functional and able to receive comments. Changes in & out of homes The large number of people staying home has raised special issues, too. Wastewater treatment plant operators are worried that people confronted with a shortage of toilet paper will begin flushing wipes, paper towels and other materials. Those materials can clog sewer pipes and cause backups or dam-

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Charter schools also have been closed, but district schools that fail children for years are never under the same threat or accountability. No family chooses to take their child out of a school that is working for them. Families choose charter schools because the local traditional public school option has failed their family in education or safety – and in some cases, both. We urge Gov. Wolf and the legislature to consider the educational successes of hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania students who currently attend or previously attended charter, magnet and cyber schools. We also don’t oppose reform, but reform should treat all public schools the same. Traditional schools are permitted to fail our children year after year. Gov. Wolf’s plan to cut funding for charter schools by $280 million and give it to districts ignores districts already get to keep 30% of my tax dollars for doing nothing. Last year, districts kept more than $600 million for doing nothing. This scenario is similar to what’s happening in others states. Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey), director of school choice for the Reason Foundation, said it best: Imagine if you left Walmart to shop at Trader Joe’s. But Walmart

government — not continued opposition. Not only do special interests with deep pockets want to eliminate cybers and slash funding, but now, they’ve made it impossible for families to send their children to the only 14 public schools that are instructing children during this pandemic. Slipped into legislation recently is shocking language: If parents decide to send their children to a cyber school during this pandemic, districts won’t have to send a parent’s tax dollars to that school. Translation: Pennsylvania is punishing the only schools that are working during this pandemic, and this has to stop, if only because there are children like mine out there who need this option. For me, I’m simply sharing what I believe to be my right as a mother, taxpayer and concerned member of my community. Sharing my story is something I can do to ensure that, at the end of the day, I will know I did everything I could to ensure my son continues to receive the quality education he deserves. Pennsylvania charters are held accountable Watermen and oyster farmers are taking an economic hit as the coronavirus closes restaurants across the Chesapeake by parents who make Bay region. (Dave Harp) the choice to send their their doors to prevent age treatment plants. measures were only children to charters. The Maryland Depart- And more importantly, beginning to trickle into exposure to COVID-19, ment of the Environment we can remove them. American life in March, which hinders their ability to develop mean- is conducting a “No but there were already Wipes in the Pipes” camsigns that they might be ingful comments to having an environmen- agencies at a time when paign while others are a number of proposals launching similar public tal effect. YOU STOPPED SMOKING awareness efforts. “Trends aren’t entirely that would impact enIf people become stirclear yet,” said Virginia vironmental regulations NOW START SCREENING crazy after being homeDepartment of Environ- are under review. In a letter to the White bound, they will find mental Quality spokesmany state and national man Greg Bilyeu, “but if House, CBF said interparks and wildlife refugtraffic and commerce fol- ested citizens may lack es open, though visitor low patterns we’ve seen the technology needed to weigh in remotely or centers, bathrooms and elsewhere, we expect may be unable to attend campgrounds are closed. pollution to decrease But some of those more markedly. We have meetings or collaborate with others to comment areas are in danger of started noticing some on proposals, such as being overcrowded: potential difference in areas that typically expe- changes to coal ash regu- The Appalachian Trail lations, which are under Conservancy was urgrience more traffic.” consideration by the U.S. ing people to stay off Levels of nitrogen Environmental Protecthe trail, sections of oxide and fine particution Agency. “Perhaps which were becoming late matter, which are most importantly,” CBF too crowded to practice tied to soot from diesel social distancing. trucks, were down along wrote, “many will be consumed with taking From reports by staff many busy highways, according to DEQ’s air- care of themselves, their writers Jeremy Cox, Ad businesses, families, Crable and Whitney Pipmonitoring sensors. Now there’s a new screening that can communities, and neigh- kin, senior writer Tim Climate scientists catch lung cancer early and could save lives. bors.” Wheeler, and editor Karl caution, though, that if Talk to your doctor or learn more at “For EPA and some Blankenship. This article history is any guide, the was distributed by the Bay emissions will likely re- other agencies to insist Journal News Service. turn once the virus runs on proceeding with

got to keep 30% of your money even when you didn’t buy anything. That’s what happens with a public school system — they financially benefit even when they lose students to charter schools. Now, districts even get to keep money during a pandemic if parents want to send their children to charter schools. These same Pennsylvania school districts also have nearly $5 billion in their Rainy Day funds. As a parent, I’d like to know how many of those districts raised taxes last year because districts blame charter schools for tax increases. When will state lawmakers who advocate for charter funding cuts ask their local districts hard questions? It seems to me these districts can pretty much say anything and it’s accepted as fact. As stewards of our tax dollars, why aren’t more questions being asked about the $600 million? Where did it go? Or the $5 billion in reserves? Districts are hoarding cash and no one ever questions them. It’s enough to make a parent think his or her children don’t matter. The only thing that seems to matter is money. Alicia Santi, Ph.D. resides in Nazareth, Northampton County.

EVA-MARIE QUIT AFTER SMOKING 12,000 PACKS OF CIGARETTES OVER 15 YEARS

APRIL 01, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 9

Emergency food assistance program waives UC Garden Club -Plant Sale 2020 eligibility requirements in Pennsylvania will be pre-order/pre-paid with

curbside pickup only

Bare shelves. Photo: Jim Brown

By Christen Smith The Center Square

he U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to waive eligibility requirements for its emergency food assistance program in Pennsylvania – the “epicenter” of the nation’s skyrocketing jobless claims amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some 835,000 residents have applied for unemployment compensation as of Sunday, according to the Department of Labor and Industry. Gov. Tom Wolf urged the federal government last week to waive eligibility requirements for its

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launching similar public awareness efforts. If people become stircrazy after being homebound, they will find many state and national parks and wildlife refuges open, though visitor centers, bathrooms and campgrounds are closed. But some of those areas are in danger of being overcrowded: The Appalachian Trail Conservancy was urging people to stay off the trail, sections of which were becoming too crowded to practice social distancing. From reports by staff writers Jeremy Cox, Ad Crable and Whitney Pipkin, senior writer Tim Wheeler, and editor Karl Blankenship. This article was distributed by the Bay Journal News Service.

Emergency Food Assistance Program and give the state freedom to operate a Disaster Household Distribution program that would alleviate the strain on local food banks. “Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have applied for unemployment compensation after just two weeks of COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” Wolf said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s acknowledgment of our need to feed Pennsylvania. This waiver lifts a weight off the shoulders of our food banks and families across the commonwealth.” The approval gives the state Department of Agriculture and its partners more leeway to distribute a larger variety of foods to “those most affected by the closure of non-lifesustaining businesses in Pennsylvania.” “The unified, bipartisan support we saw as we pushed for this waiver is proof that we’re truly all in this together,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “We will overcome this trial; and until that day, we will work hand in hand – figuratively, of course – to provide for the Pennsylvanians who are sacrificing so much for the sake of protecting their neighbors.” Wolf ordered the statewide shutdown of nonessential businesses on March 23 under the threat of enforcement action. State police have issued more than 100 warnings to noncompli-

ant businesses in the week since. On Monday, he said the mandate would remain in place indefinitely. Schools would likewise remain closed for the foreseeable future as the federal government extends its social distancing guidelines until April 30. The tightening restrictions on public life will strain the state’s agriculture industry – where many life-sustaining businesses continue operations. Redding urged residents last week to resist panic buying and stockpiling food, especially as mounting unemployment heightens food insecurity. “Quite simply, no Pennsylvanian should ever go hungry. Especially during this disruptive time of COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to provide guidance to the agriculture industry to ensure that healthy food continues to flow to grocery stores and food banks; and guidance for those who volunteer their time at banks to do so safely, protecting their health and the health of those who come for assistance.” Christen Smith Staff Reporter Christen Smith follows Pennsylvania’s General Assembly for The Center Square. She is an awardwinning reporter with more than a decade of experience covering state and national policy issues for niche publications and local newsrooms alike.

he University City Garden Club announces that although nearly all events are canceled this spring including the May Fair, you can still order flowers and vegetables from us right here in University City for planting in your garden! This is probably the 30th year for the spring plant sale and because of the current Corona Virus situation we are not having a live sale but we still want to bring the plants to the community. All the proceeds from the sale will be used to support greening and civic beau-

tification. The 2020 plant sale will be pre-order and prepaid only. We will have a downloadable PDF order form that you can mail or drop off, and NEW THIS YEAR! we will have an on-line store! The fundraiser sale will feature annual flowers for shade and sun locations, herbs, vegetables and plants for gifts, containers and hanging baskets. The pre-order period will run until April 20th. The order form and online store will launch the first week of April - please keep an eye out

for it! Pickup of pre-orders will be Saturday May 2 and it will be touch less and curbside. The pickup location will be on Woodland Terrace near the 40th Street Trolley Portal. The plant selection will be less than our usual wide ranging awesome one but like all good perennials we plan on coming back next year to the Spruce Hill May Fair in Clark Park on Mother’s Day weekend 2021!

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- Lauren Leatherbarrow

Alicia Santi, Ph.D. resides in Nazareth, Northampton County.

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BAR ASSN

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referred, the attorney in private practice has agreed to a 30-minute consultation for a small, set fee of $35. If callers do not need an attorney or cannot afford one, they will be directed to a legal service organization, agency or other resource for assistance. “We are prepared to assist individuals in accessing coronavirus-related assistance. We also have attorneys available in all areas of the law. Therefore, if Philadelphia-area residents need legal assistance for a non-COVID-19 related issue, our suggestion is they contact us so we can offer our help and support,” stated Klitsch. The Philadelphia Bar Association created the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) in 1948 to address the demand for legal services in the boom following World War II. Since then, more than one million people have contacted LRIS for help with their legal problems, and LRIS has grown to become one of the largest public service programs in Philadelphia. LRIS is a community service for all Philadelphia-area residents to utilize. It is a leader and role model for lawyer referral programs across the country. Lawyers who accept referrals through LRIS must meet strict requirements. They must be in good standing with disciplinary authorities, must be insured and must meet experience requirements specific to their areas of practice. These requirements demonstrate LRIS’s commitment to helping the public find qualified and affordable legal help, now more than ever.

other. The full horrors of medieval life and its effects on the peasants are depicted well. Recommended. S. L. Huang returns with a third tale of Cas Russell who can use mathematics for amazing acrobatics. This time the Critical Point (hard from Tor) is about a plastic surgeon who can create faces with absolute beauty and trust, along with faces that cause intense fear, and faces that make their possessors totally forgettable. It doesn’t help that someone is using people with these odd faces to blow building’s up, like Cas’s office. In addition, her private detective friend Arthur, has been kidnaped. Very exciting. Tor has reprinted Peter Watts’s award winning Blindsight in hard cover. Subterranean Press has collected Michael Swanwick’s odd tales of The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus in hardcover. Berkley has Fantastic Hope a collection edited by Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey in paper. Subterranean Press has reprinted Connie Willis’s Jack in hard cover. The Nebula Awards for best novel are: Marque of Caine, Charles E. Gannon (Baen); The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Alix E. Harrow (Redhook; Orbit UK); A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine (Tor); Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey; Jo Fletcher); Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing); and A Song for a New Day, Sarah Pinsker (Berkley) Dr. Henry Lazarus is a retired Dentist and the author of A Cycle of Gods (Wolfsinger Publications) and Unnaturally Female (Smashwords). Check out his unified field theory at henrylazarus.com/utf.html that suggests fusion generation requires less energy because only one frequency is needed rather than a full spectrum. It also explains dark matter, the proliferation of subatomic particles, and the limit of light speed for matter.

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Lights Down in the Philly Theatre Scene

By Richard Lord Contributing writer

o, at the end of February, I was sitting at my desk trying to work out my schedule of theatre visits and reviewing for the upcoming month. March promised to be a busy month, packed with exciting new shows. I saw one dilemma: two shows that I was looking forward to with much anticipation had scheduled their press/opening night performances on the same evening. I was scratching at a strategy, trying to work out how I might cover both of them in the same week. But not two weeks later, the final decision was made for me: following guidelines set down by Governor Wolf along with a basic sense of responsibility, both openings were postponed. Indefinitely. We all know that triumphant mantra of performing arts professionals: the show must go on! It’s actually a defiant battle cry in the face of outrageous fortune, a fist raised high against mishaps, missteps and missing actors. But since early March, the sad refrain has been “the show cannot go on”. Since getting established as the theatre reviewer for this newspaper, I’ve been used to receiving regular e-mail invitations to theatre

openings and advance notices of upcoming productions. For the last few weeks, my mailbox has been getting disheartening spurts of cancellations, openended postponements and “suspensions until further notice”. Oh, that’s another semantic change Covid-19 has generated: “until further notice” has taken on a frightening tone of late. Concern for audiences (which, in Philly, tend to skew in the above-60 range), performers, tech and support people was obviously the main driving factor here. But financial concerns were also almost certainly taken into consideration. If you’re paying a cast and crew, front of house personnel and others, you have to cover all or much of that with ticket sales. But even before the closures, attendance figures were plummeting. The last show I caught just before theatre lights started going out all over Philly was at a renowned downtown theatre whose seating capacity is just south of 300 seats. The night of my visit (a Thursday), there were seven people in the audience, including one befuddled theatre reviewer. I had entered the theatre slightly nervous because community spread had already started out west and there were warnings to that it would soon spread here. In the event,

I had no problem practicing ultra-safe social distancing that evening. The financial repercussions of the lockdown could prove devastating for the local theatre scene. Many of the area’s theatre companies with permanent homes are still paying off those premises or renting them on a long-term basis. These fixed costs will continue during the long darkness, but there will no revenue from ticket sales flowing in. The math is easy … and alarming. Some of these companies, large and small, face the prospect of not surviving the shutdown. But it’s not only theatre companies as institutions that are suffering financially. Actors, set and sound designers, light & sound technicians all work at the glamourous end of the gig economy; if they’re not earning money teaching, they’re dependent on their weekly earnings from every show they do. If there are no shows, there’s no income for these talented folks. Many of them will find different ways to weather the shutdown and return when theatres are allowed to open again. Others may simply decide that acting and the other creative functions of a successful production are just too insecure and leave the profession entirely. But performers are

suffering not only financially. Live theatre is a unique experience, for performers and audiences. When I was directing plays, I used to tell my cast not to step on a laugh when doing a comedy. That meant not to shoot in your line while the audience is still laughing at a funny line or bit just delivered. Stepping on laughs was a message to audiences to behave themselves and restrain the laughter – a poison pill for comedies, especially those performed live. But every audience is different: sometimes, a line might draw a chuckle, while the next night, that same line will just get a smile. But the next audience will respond with full-throated laughs. Often an actor would ask me how to know when an audience was going to laugh at a particular line. My answer: you’ll be able to feel the audience, to feel a laugh coming like the first nudge of a big wave coming in. I then pointed out that this also works with the serious, emotion-laden parts of a play. When the connection between performers and audience is there, those on the stage can feel the audience; the participation of an audience is, in fact, part of the performance. Any actor or director can attest to this fact. When everything works right, a live

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APRIL 01, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 11 403-LEGAL

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LIGHTS DOWN continued from page 10

theatrical performance is a kind of communion rite between those on both sides of the lights. Western theatre began millennia ago as part of a religious festival in Athens. Be it comedy or tragedy, at its best, live theatre still touches the same parts of the human spirit as a religious ceremony. I ask myself what the actors in that show I saw in early March experienced. Could they still feel the seven people scattered throughout the first ten rows of that medium-sized house? Or was their experience more like that of a phantom limb, the sense that there was some important part of their performance missing, existing only as an aching reminder of what it felt like when everything was whole. The world of theatre has been here before. In Shakespeare’s day, the bubonic plague – an even worse scourge than Covid-19 – forced the closures of theatres

several times, with 1603 and 1606 being two of the worst years. It’s reckoned that the Bard managed to write King Lear, Anthony and Cleopatra and Macbeth during the 1606 disruption. Between 1603 and 1616, London’s playhouses went dark 78 months, or 60% of the time, due to the plague. But it kept coming back, year after year. The English Puritans saw the theatre itself as a pernicious plague afflicting mind and soul and ordered a total cessation of all public performances during the eighteen years they exercised power. But at the end of that long dark period, the English theatre came roaring back with a vengeance: Restoration drama is best known for its fierce and raunchy comedies with all manner of sexual antics along with social and political satire. Not surprisingly, political figures and religious leaders of a Puritanical bent were most often the targets of that satire. At some point, live performances will also stage a comeback in Philadelphia. As the Arden Theatre’s press

statement affirms, “We look forward to sharing the brilliant artistry of our artists on our stages with our extraordinary audiences when the time is right. This is unchartered territory for all of us, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.” Gay Carducci, managing director of the popular midsized Curio Theatre company, throws this light on the current situation: “Conversations surrounding our next moves are still happening, but we are prepared to evolve based on changing guidelines from health officials. Curio’s mission is to make live theatre accessible to our neighbors in West Philly, so we will continue to have conversations about how to do that in a way that feels true to who we are while creating art we love, respecting the safety of our artists and community, and supporting each other through this uncertain time.” Next issue: What strategies local theatres are devising to deal with the mandatory shutdowns.

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.

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O N :