Happy Valentine’s Day
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F E B R UA RY 1 0, 2 0 1 1 Photo provided by Greg Shutters
A berth in the rebirth Five area schools will be among the institutions a school district initiative will attempt to improve. By Joseph Myers R e v i e w s ta f f w r i t e r
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new year cannot always cloak old problems. Five troubled area schools learned that Jan. 25, as the School District of Philadelphia included them among 18 facilities in Year II of the Renaissance Schools Initiative. Three comprehensive models will attempt to diminish the numerous woes that the quintet faces. South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St., heads the local selections, See RENAISSANCE page 8
Sports
Ahoy, mates! A conservancy group purchased h d a vessell th thatt h has occupied i d the Delaware River for nearly 15 years.
By Joseph Myers R e v i e w s ta f f w r i t e r
Palumbo jumbo
A big season from a Hawthorne-based boys’ basketball team proved the third time can really be the charm. By Joseph Myers................Page 38
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nstead of continuing to inspire inquiries on its presence, the SS United States soon may sate locals’ desires for a more enviable Delaware River waterfront. Members of the SS United States Conservancy, the lifeline group for the 59-yearold vessel, announced their acquisition of the ship Feb. 1. The revelation occurred at IKEA, 2206 S. Columbus Blvd., and included two opportunities to board the his-
toric 990-foot craft at its Pier 82 location. The conservancy’s Board President Susan Gibbs and her allies will now seek the best possible new identity for the creation of her naval architect and marine engineer grandfather, the late William Francis Gibbs. Purchasing the ship from Norwegian Cruise Line/Genting Hong Kong, who had owned it since 2003, the conservancy amplifies its efforts to develop “dynamic amenities” to preserve the ship’s “heart and soul,” Gibbs said. The $3-million acquisition caps a fran-
tic two-year sale period and initiates a 20-month stretch during which the conservancy will court contributions through a $1 million fundraising campaign. “We will accelerate our efforts to redevelop the nation’s flagship as a multi-purpose waterfront destination with dynamic hotel, retail, educational and museum offerings,” Gibbs said, citing the spirit and ingenuity the ship has embodied throughout its existence, which includes its July See SS UNITED STATES page 10