Mummers photo spread, page 24
Vo l . 6 4 N O. 1
w w w. s o u t h p h i l l y r ev i ew.c o m
JA N UA RY 6, 2 0 1 1
Evergreen pluck
Community assistance sustained the Christmas spirit for three families with heartbreaking tales. By Joseph Myers R e v i e w s ta f f w r i t e r
S
anta Claus relied on tireless assistance from his many helpers to give downtrodden families from Grays Ferry, Passyunk Square and Newbold a merry Christmas. The clans had experienced recent setbacks that had made a diminished holiday season a frightening possibility. Overcoming the loss of a home, sound health and employment, they rallied with help from four entities to show their indomitable resolve. The Salvation Army and Citizens Bank eased seasonal woes for the Jones famSee HOLIDAY HELPERS page 8
As blunt as can be, this sign let shoppers and passers-by know that they soon will need to look for bargains elsewhere. Kmart enters its final days of operation with deals even greater than those in the store’s heyday.
Bargain stunting
s ta f f p h o t o b y g r e g b e z a n i s
Sports
A Whitman Plaza department store enters its final weekend of operation. By Joseph Myers R e v i e w s ta f f w r i t e r
Sterling Tiffany
A poised point guard commits to handle the rock for a local university. By Joseph Myers................Page 36
T
he final breaths from an old friend will occur Sunday when Kmart, 424 W. Oregon Ave., ends its 30year relationship with discount-hungry consumers. Come 9 p.m., the Whitman Plaza store will close its doors after having endured years of declining sales. It has marked its march to oblivion with massive sales that promise to leave behind only bare walls.
Monday’s early afternoon shoppers coveted batteries, cereal, hygiene products and soup. Ample racks contained an assortment of shirts and makeup, while eight tables held shoes looking for use. Despite yearning for many items, Jill Schoorel purchased only one from the store, whose square footage exceeds 84,000, thus making it a “Big Kmart.” “The deals will be better this weekend, but I could not take a chance,” the resident of the 900 block of Jackson Street said after exiting with The Beatles: Rock Band, a
music video game that cost $83.99 — 40 percent off its original $139.99 tag. Four copies lay on the floor when Schoorel arrived, so she wanted to buy one more Christmas present for her son Thomas before he heads back to college. “I have to confess that I’ll play it, too,” she said before catching SEPTA’s 57 bus to Center City. The Illinois-based corporate office for the former anchor of the 27-store plaza See KMART page 10