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WEEK OCTOBER 5, 2016 VOL. 1 NO. 33
PARKS ON TAP One more weekend of Parks on Tap confirmed at Lemon Hill. 4
ALLIED BARTON BEATDOWN Man alleges an ‘AlliedBarton Beatdown’ at Temple Hospital while seeking medical attention. 6
SERIALIZED FICTION Local author Michael Ferrence concludes his serialized fiction column with Part 4 of “When We All Went Away.” 8
ACCU-REGGIE 7-day weather forecast for the region. 3
TERROR BEHIND THE WALLS Fairmount's favorite fright returns for another scary season. 4
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7
HOT OFF THE
PRESS
T
he proposed Temple University football stadium remains a contentious issue city-wide, with Fox Sports, Comcast SportsNet, Yahoo and ESPN all reporting that the board of trustees are stalling on the implementation of its $125 million proposal. The board has failed to submit a specified timeline for the project since it was first announced in February, which remains open-ended in wake of the removal of both President Neil D. Theobald and Provost Hai-Lung Dai due to a $22 million financial aid budget shortfall. Kevin Feeley, spokesperson for the board, asserted a continued steadfast commitment to see the 35,000 seat facility come to fruition. “Frankly, those stories do not meet the facts,” argues Feeley. “The board will continue to gather information, and will make an informed decision when that process is complete.” Feeley did not reveal a scheduled timeframe of the planning process, which includes completion of a $1 million feasibility design and environmental impact study, and a $250,000 parking study. Architecture firms Moody Nolan, AECOM, and Langan will complete the feasibility study. Members of Stadium Stompers, a coalition of student and community activists, believe the board is stalling to avoid what City Council President Darrell Clarke called a “rigorous and respectful community engagement
process.” Meaningful community involvement, according to Clarke, is what will ultimately warrant the legislation necessary for the stadium’s approval. Clarke’s office currently maintains that no such legislation is pending, notwithstanding Temple’s claims to have met with residents on several occasions. “People are unsure,” said State Senator Shirley Kitchen, whose 20th Ward borders the stadium site along Broad Street. “They care about what’s going on with the property, but Temple has not had a formal discussion with the community.” Moody Nolan President and CEO Curtis Moody told The Temple News in April that he would meet with neighbors every other Friday while on walking tours of the community. He also said the feasibility study would take an estimated three to four months and be finished by summer. Temple’s 2016 fall semester began over a month ago. Moody Nolan, AECOM, and Langan chose not to provide comment to Spirit News. The university’s first attempted at an “open forum” on February 1st only allowed students and some journalists due to “limited space.” Later, on Continued on Page 2.
Page 2
Continued from Page 1. February 8th, only six Stadium Stompers gained entrance inside a subsequent board meeting, leaving others to rally outside Sullivan Hall amid a sizable campus police presence. “Temple is not a good neighbor,” stated Jackie Wiggins, a community educator and Stadium Stomper. “I want the board of trustees to reconsider whose pockets are being lined here.” A multi-purpose retail project on North Broad Street is included in the planning. The board says jobs will bring commerce to the neighborhood, but Stadium Stompers argue that neighbors are more concerned about parking, littering and drunk tailgaters. The proposed site, running from Broad to 16th Street and Norris Street to Montgomery Avenue, would situate the stadium across the street from an elementary school, a nursing home, and dozens of family rowhomes. Cornelius Moody, a student Stadium Stomper, argues the multi-million dollar stadium would raise the value of those homes, swapping long-time residents out for an ever-growing student population desiring to live closer to campus. “Property taxes in the neighborhood would spike,” argues Moody, “and it would force a bunch of people to not be able to afford their own home.” Real estate taxes for properties near the site have already increased substantially. A May report by Pew Charitable Trusts claims median home sale prices climbed from $11,250 to $140,000 in 13 years. Policy Map reports median home values have increased from from $61,000 or less in 2000, to $130,501 to $185,700 in 2014, while median household stagnated around $32,821. Wiggins said she and other community elders have a renewed sense of urgency inspired by the successes of a unique relationship developing between Temple students and their neighbors. Stadium Stompers will continue to organize, she said, collaborating with other groups in the city and petitioning supporters to sign letters urging city officials to block the proposal. “The good news is we don’t have to do it alone,” explains Wiggins. “It’s partly because young people are living in the neighborhood, but it’s mainly because they’re learning some things about social justice.” •
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016
Cornelius Moody (center) and Jackie Wiggins (right)./Payne Schroeder
/Patrick Clark
Jackie Wiggins addresses the Stadium Stompers./Payne Schroeder
/Patrick Clark
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016 FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN
accu reggie TWITTER: @ACCUREGGIE • FACEBOOK: ACCU-REGGIE
L
ast week we spent much of our time in the 60s as a seemingly endless storm brought clouds and rain for days. The cooler temperatures brought us our first taste of fall, but we managed to scrape out a couple nice days to close out the seven-day period. This week‘s weather has a bit of uncertainty to it. On the one hand, I know we will get four absolutely beautiful days that will feature temperatures in the 70s or 60s with plenty of sunshine. On the other hand, the exact track and impacts of Hurricane Matthew are uncertain and likely to change. Right now, the hurricane is set to temporarily graze or make landfall in Florida, then ride up the coast to North Carolina at which point it will turn
out to sea and maybe throw a little rain our way in conjunction with a cold front approaching from the west. But you know how these things work — storms do whatever the heck they want and this one will be no different! If it does come further north we could have a 12-18 hour period of heavy rain, high winds and coastal flooding. This is unlikely, but you never say “never” when forecasting a Hurricane. Wednesday is a nice day with temperatures getting to about 70 and lows in the 50s. The cool crisp nights this week remind us fall is here. Thursday and Friday are both beautiful days. Warmer air will make its way into the region. Some places will even get
close to 80 on Friday. Any rain from the cold front and or Hurricane Matthew would arrive late in the day on Saturday. Bank on a shower from the front at least so keep the rain gear handy this day. Sunday is a cooler and breezy day that could also feature rain from the Hurricane in the morning. Either way, the evening looks clear and cool. Some places in the suburbs could get in the 30s. Monday and Tuesday are picture perfect early Fall days. Temperatures are in the 60s by day and 40s by night. It’s officially light jacket season. The weather winner of the week is Friday; the weather loser is Sunday. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016
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WRITTEN BY SPIRIT STAFF
Parks on Tap
A
O N E M O R E W E E K E N D O F PA R K S O N TA P C O N F I R M E D AT L E M O N H I L L
fter such a successful first season of Parks on Tap, Philadelphia Parks and Rec, Fairmount Park Conservancy and FCM Hospitality are delighted to announce a special one weekend extension at Lemon Hill, Friday 5-10PM and Saturday + Sunday 12 to 10PM. Parks on Tap is a mobile beer garden that has made its way through public spaces across the city. For anyone that did not make it to Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park last weekend, or to any Parks on Tap locations yet, here’s your last chance to experience it in 2016. There will also be an encore Oktoberfest celebration all day on Sunday, October 9, featuring German beers and snacks from Mitch Prensky of Global Dish Caterers. And, Cheers, an authentic German Ompah band will perform from 5 to 9PM for a proper send-off of the season. Lemon Hill is a historic mansion with views of both the center city skyline and the Schuylkill River. Lemon Hill mansion was built in 1800 as a summer retreat by Henry Pratt, a prosperous Philadelphia merchant. He named it “Lemon Hill” after the lemon trees in the greenhouse. After Henry Pratt’s death in 1838, Lemon Hill became the first private property acquired to protect the city’s water supply, and the home became the first park land formally acquired by the City for the creation of Fairmount Park. Today, Lemon Hill is open for visitors between April and mid-December, Thursday – Sunday, 10AM – 4PM, no reservation required. •
/Patrick Clark
WRITTEN BY MAX PULCINI
Terror Returns
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T E R R O R B E H I N D T H E WA L L S R E T U R N S F O R A N O T H E R H O R R O F Y I N G H O L I D AY S E A S O N
frightening Fairmount favorite returns for another season of screams, ghosts and ghouls — Terror Behind the Walls is back at Eastern State Penitentiary and is set to run from September 16th through November 5th. Located within the castle-like walls of a real prison, Terror Behind the Wall (TBTW) is among the country’s largest and top-rated haunted houses. TBTW consists of six different attractions within the various cell blocks of the prison. Each attraction features its own theme and scary cast of characters. The attractions are: Lock Down, Machine Shop, Detritus, Infirmary, Quarantine 4D and Breakout. If you’ve done TBTW before, you’re in for a bit of a treat this year… or is it a trick? Lock Down, the haunted house’s first attraction, has been updated and dubbed Lock Down: The Uprising. As visitors enter Cellblock 12, they are confronted with rioting inmates, militarized guards and the ghosts of those who have been slaughtered during the uprising. This year, the monsters are more agile, ruthless, and hungrier than ever. They have no law, no chain of command, no concept of confinement. Your challenge is simple — make it through The Uprising alive. TBTW offers a few levels of interactivity for visitors. Regular visitors can choose to walk through the haunted house without being “tracked” by the monsters. However, those brave souls who choose to pick up a “track device” — which comes in the form of a glow stick necklace — opt in for a more interactive experience. If you choose to mark yourself, then monsters may grab you, hold you back, send you through secret passages, and separate you from your group. For groups who want an even more interactive haunt, the new Hex Challenge is available for the first time. At the beginning of each attraction, visitors enter a secret room. They are dared to step further into the story, become part of the action, take on challenges and join forces with the creepy characters to escape the prison. Looking for a more intimate, yet equally frightening experience? You may be into the After Dark VIP Tour of Eastern State Penitentiary — an hour-long guided flashlight tour of the cellblocks to go along with access to TBTW. TBTW also offers kid-friendly Family Nights, where children ages 7-12 receive half price admission before 7:30PM on Sunday evenings. On these nights, kids can say, “Monster be good,” and they will! We recommend kids ages 7–12 visit on Family Nights, but Terror Behind the Walls may be too intense for younger visitors at any time. Chil-
dren under the age of seven cannot be admitted. Student with valid ID also receive half price admission after 7:30PM on Sunday evenings. This offer is also available exclusively online. If you want to take on TBTW in an entirely different manner than you’re used to, try attending on a REMIX Night. The two final show nights, November 4 and 5, are REMIX: Lights Out. Visitors will experience all six attractions that comprise Terror Behind the Walls, but the show will be in complete darkness. With the light from just a single glowstick leading the way, visitors will be left to find their own way out of the pitch-black, narrow back hallways of the 10acre penitentiary. Tickets are on sale now. If you’re looking for something to ease your fears following TBTW, check out The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell for cocktails and entertainment outside the room where world-famous mob boss Al “Scarface” Capone did time. Hex Challenge, After Dark, and Family Night tickets are available exclusively online. Hex Challenge, After Dark and Speakeasy tickets are also available for an additional fee. Tickets are on sale now at EasternState.org/BuyNow. Buying online is always the cheapest and most convenient way to purchase Terror Behind the Walls (TBTW) tickets. Purchasing online in advance saves time and money and is the only way to guarantee entry to the event. Groups of 20 or more can purchase specially discounted tickets online at EasternState.org/GroupRates with no service fees. For more information, call (215) 309-4900 or email grouptours@easternstate.org. •
/J.R. Blackwell
/Andrew Garn
/J.R. Blackwell
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016
WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK
development news C E L E B R A T I O N O F T H E B I R T H D AY A N D L I F E O F J O H N C O L T R A N E C O N T I N U E S T H I S W E E K
Francisville MJL Properties is constructing a 27-unit apartment building on the currently vacant lot at 1834 - 1836 Vineyard Street in Francisville. There will also be a parking lot on site. MJL Properties took their initial proposal to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) over a year ago. They had planned to construct a mixed-use building with retail space on the ground floor. But they were forced to compromise for the sake of obtaining a variance. There will be no commercial space, but the project is moving forward quickly regardless. North Central Habitat for Humanity is constructing 21 homes on the 2000 block of North 16th Street near Temple University. The project, called Diamond Park, has been broken up into two phases, the first of which is coming along well. Several contracting companies volunteered to frame four of the homes over the course of a weekend in July as part of Habitat for Humanity’s yearly Builders’ Challenge. Last year, Community Ventures erected a 10-unit affordable housing project (now known as Ingersoll Commons) at the intersection of 16th and Master Streets. A large portion of the parcel on which the homes stand is to be converted into a new park. Construction began earlier this year but has since become stagnant. It is unclear why the park has not yet been completed.
16th and Master Streets/Google Maps
1834 - 1836 Vineyard Street/Google Maps
Poplar The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is working in affiliation with HELP USA to reconvert the former Spring Garden School at 843 North 12th Street into a 37-unit affordable housing project for veterans and senior citizens. 12 of the units will be reserved for homeless veterans. Around the corner, at the intersection of 11th and Parrish Streets, a Drexel-run health center has recently expanded its facilities. •
843 North 12th Street/Google Maps
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016
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WRITTEN BY PTAH GABRIE
Drama and Trauma
M A N A L L E G E S A N ‘ A L L I E D B A R T O N B E AT D O W N ’ AT T E M P L E H O S P I TA L W H I L E S E E K I N G M E D I C A L AT T E N T I O N
O
rlando Garcia, a resident of Kensington, was having a rough night. The 52-year old man claims he suffers from severe, chronic migraine headaches that are debilitating and cause vomiting, blindness, fever and extremely high blood pressure. “Sometimes it feels like a heart attack. Sometimes it feels like a brain injury,” Garcia said. Garcia was trying to get some sleep on the night of September 27th, when he began suffering from one of his migraines. According to him, he woke up shortly before 11PM and drove to Temple University Hospital (3401 N Broad St.) to receive treatment. Upon arrival, Garcia, who has government health insurance, was subjected to screening from AlliedBarton security guards before entering the emergency room. AlliedBarton (AB) is the private security force hired by Temple University at their campus and hospital locations. As Garcia waited in the ER, he says his symptoms grew worse. He claims to have told security guards that his condition needed to be taken as a priority. That’s when Garcia says things got a little out of hand. According to Garcia, the security guards told him, “You’re not special. You don’t need special treatment.” According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment Act in 1986. This law makes it illegal for any medicare participating hospital that offers emergency treatment to not do an examination of the patient and take the proper steps to stabilize their condition, regardless of pay. Garcia acknowledges words were exchanged with security following the remark, but claims he made no physical advance toward the three Allied Barton security officers who were stationed in the ER. Of the three security officers, two were male and one was female. Garcia says that the female officer continued to badger him. “The female (security guard) kept running her mouth, she was just irking me. I said she should just mind her business, ain’t nobody talking to you,” Garcia said. “That’s when everything blew a fuse. (One of the male guards) came, he grabbed me and threw me out. According to Garcia, the security staff pushed him up against the wall outside the hospital, “threw” him across the sidewalk and into the street where ambulances were parked. He also alleges that the security guards called the police on him. “The Temple policeman came,” Garcia said. “(The security guards) called the police, then they made a scene like I was the bad guy.” Garcia says that the police did not charge him with anything, they simply asked him to leave the premises. Garcia states that after this occurred, one of the male security guards asked him to come into the hospital to be checked out. Garcia says he would only allow them to record his blood pressure, which he says was 210/100. The average blood pressure for a 50-year old man is more than 120/80 and less than 140/90. According to Garcia, he was asked to sit in the ER waiting area and he remained there for three hours. After not being seen, Garcia says his vision was getting bad, so he
Orlando Garcia shows the injuries he received in his alleged altercation with AlliedBarton Security guards at Temple University Hospital./Ptah Gabrie reluctantly drove to Aria Frankford hospital despite his symptoms. Garcia says he had his blood pressure checked again at Aria Frankford and it was still dangerously high. Garcia says he was immediately treated for his initial condition, but not for the injuries sustained at Temple University Hospital. “(Aria Frankford) was real good, not because they treated me the way I should be treated, because they did what was supposed to be done for a person like me,” Garcia said. Garcia claims he filed assault charges against the security officer at the Broad and Tioga Temple University Police station. According to Garcia, he’s previously suffered from serious back problems and being thrown out of the ER has brought back this pain. He also showed Spirit News a large bruise on his arm that he claims is where the security guard grabbed him. Garcia, who was formerly a security officer supervisor himself, does not believe the guards acted properly.
“The security guards should have some kind of a training from police departments,” Garcia said. “I was a security guard before and I was a supervisor. Sometimes we got little assholes that wanna be policemen and they’re not, they’re only security guards. We had a lot of problems with them.” An article published in May 2016 on Philly.com highlights a recent merger of AlliedBarton, which is based in Conshohocken, and Universal Services of America, based in California. According to the article, the new company, AlliedUniversal, will bring in $4.5 billion in sales and be accountable for 15 percent of the security guard industry. Spirit News read through reviews of AlliedBarton that were posted on the employment website Indeed.com. One older post from a woman in Brooklyn claims that AB took over the security company she was working for. The person was required to go to what she describes as a “stupid” orientation and claims AB wanted to cut the staff from 23 to 20. The person goes on to describe AB as “The worst security company I have ever worked for,” and she also adds, “At least I receive five months of unemployment due to Allied’s screw ups.” Another post from 11 months ago describes another situation where a security guard had been working for a mall with an in-house security detail. When AlliedBarton took over, this person claims the quality of security guards went down. The person writes, “They brought in people who had suspended drivers licences, were smoking marijuana on duty, having sex in the work vehicle and were under investigation for crimes such as burglary.” The person also writes, “They only give a saliva drug test which only will bust you if you smoked marijuana in the last 5 days. They give you the answers to the test during orientation. The test are already dumbed down for the dumbest people so they can hire anyone." According to Garcia, after leaving a voicemail with AlliedBarton, he was contacted by a representative from the company who stated that there would be an investigation. Spirit News also left a message with AlliedBarton, asking for comment on the actions of the security guard in this case. They have yet to respond to our inquiry. We also contacted the Temple Health Services Office of Communications and were referred to communications director Jeremy Walter. He replied via email to us stating, “We are aware of the complaint and an investigation is ongoing.” Spirit News will update this story as it progress. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016
COMMUNITY
calendar N E W S @ S P I R I T N E W S . O R G • 1 4 2 8 E . S U S Q U E H A N N A AV E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6 NETWORKING EVENTS 1st Tuesday of the Month, 6:30-8:30 PM DIG - Philadelphia Commercial Sub Group Diversified Investors Group Meetup for London Grill 2301 Fairmount Avenue For more info, contact Joe Scorese 215-290-5108 jscorese@ firstrust.com September 13-October 14 INSTANT REPLAY COLLECTION Instant RePlay collection of gently used toys/books at Ali's Wagon (2017 Fairmount) to support Smith Playground's Play for All program. RePlay, which organizes collections of gently used toys and donates them to organizations that work with kids and families in need in Philadelphia. We see play as a vital childhood opportunity. Since launching in 2015, Instant RePlay has kept more than 1,000 toys in circulation. For more info visit www.aliswagon.com
open mic night every Tuesday. For more information visit Mugshots Coffeehouse on Facebook. Wednesdays, 5-8PM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS GAMEPLAY Every week there are different games to play in the galleries of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Play with friends or with fellow visitors in friendly competition provided by the Museum. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100 Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30PM MAKE STUFF A drop-in program to craft handmade objects or create art being surrounded by the art of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Activities include sketching, knitting, Lego fun or even creating a puzzle.
For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100 Second Thursdays GBCDC MONTHLY MEETING The Greater Brewerytown CDC holds monthly public meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30. Meetings cover a variety of community news and initiatives, and features new guests each month. Meetings are held at the GBCDC office at 3000 Master Street. Every Saturday from June-September 9AM-12PM BREWERYTOWN GARDEN ORGANIC FARM STAND At 27th and Master Sts., the Brewerytown Garden will host a farm stand selling seasonal organic produce. Past sales have included collard greens, kale, mustard greens, broccoli and more! For more info, visit Brewerytown Garden’s Facebook page.
October 1-November 11 INSTANT REPLAY COLLECTION Instant RePlay collection of gently used toys/books at The Schuylkill Center (8480 Hagy's Mill Road) to support the Children's Crisis Treatment Center.RePlay, which organizes collections of gently used toys and donates them to organizations that work with kids and families in need in Philadelphia. We see play as a vital childhood opportunity. Since launching in 2015, Instant RePlay has kept more than 1,000 toys in circulation. For more infor visit www.schuylkillcenter.org
AFFORDABLE ELECTRIC INC
October 4-29 RUSTLE: MICHELLE OOSTERBAAN & ANDA DUBINSKIS New art on display at Cerulean Arts (1355 Ridge Ave.). Opening Reception: Friday, October 7, 5-8PM. Artists' Talk: Sunday, October 16, 2PM
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Thursday, Oct. 20, 10AM PLANTING DAY The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is planning to do a little planting. They’re going to add 20,000 flower bulbs to the Parkway (and a couple of other locations), partly in celebration of the 2017 Flower Show theme, “Holland.” Locations of the plantings will include Logan Square, the grounds of the Rodin, the Azalea Garden, around PHS offices at 20th and Arch, and on JFK Boulevard. To get that many bulbs in the ground, they’ll need a lot of hands. PHS has some corporate and school volunteers on tap, but would love some help from Parkway partners! Volunteers are needed from 10AM-12PM on October 20. Please direct all volunteers to Betty Greene, at bgreene@pennhort.org. Through October LES CHATS DE GOUTTIERE ART EXHIBITION This art exhibition by Selene Nunez will help Green Street Rescue to continue supporting their awesome job to save more furry lives. 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the organization. The art exhibit will be open during the month of October at Le Cat Cafe (2713 W Girard Ave.). Mondays, 6-8PM TOUR AMBASSADOR STEWARDS TRAINING PROJECT The Strawberry Civic Association is looking for young and young at heart folks to come out to Mander Rec Center (33rd and Diamond St.) to learn Philadelphia history, Fairmount Park history, museum and trail information, etc. Tourism is a lucrative industry…. Be prepared. For more call 215-765-9500 Tuesdays, 7-8:30PM SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT CHILDREN LIVING WITH ADDICTION AND BRAIN DISEASE Learn about substance use and mental health disorders every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Rodeph Shalom (615 N Broad St) Those affected can share experiences and resources as well as how to support their children anonymously. For further information contact Caron at 800-854-6023 or Rabbi Jill Maderer at (215)-627-6747 x216 or rabbimaderer@rodephshalom.org. Tuesdays, 7-9PM OPEN MIC NIGHT Mugshots Coffeehouse (1925 Fairmount Ave.) hosts an
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – October 5, 2016
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WRITTEN BY MICHAEL FERRENCE
serialized fiction “ W H E N W E A L L W E N T AWAY ” PA R T 4
Time was still but we went on anyway. My voice, and only my voice, soared through the air, with each new note, each singular sound turning a packed Independence Mall on its head. We didn’t always play it that way, where everything other than my voice cuts out. Normally, it was all of us, every instrument as loud as possible, but for a show like this, it had to be special. Time was still but we went on when we all went away. And then, just as we had planned… A massive explosion severed Chestnut Street. Black smoke, a rogue wave, disappeared the entire lawn. The Rhinos poured in from every direction. It was impossible to tell us from them and them from us. I leapt from the stage and took off toward the center of the field, and waited there, just like I said I would. Maxwell kept playing the drums as though we were all still there, pounding out a powerful, mid-tempo rock beat atop the deafening feedback we’d left behind. I didn’t expect that from him, though I should have. There’s nothing I can do now, I thought. Police and other first responders rolled in but held their ground. Another explosion, this time a smaller one, blew off part of the stage, silenced Maxwell, and incited absolute pandemonium. Most ran away, some stayed to fight, but with seemingly effortless grace The Rhinos kicked their ass. No more improvised explosives, no more flair, no more pageantry, just a flat-out, lopsided beatdown. Police started moving in, and now all I could hear were all of our footsteps marching together as one. Elizabeth tapped me on the shoulder, smiled, and handed me Charlie. I kissed them both, first her and then him. You good? “Yeah. We’re fine.” All right. Perfect. Let’s go. We gotta move. Hurry. I held Charlie in my right arm and led Elizabeth by the
/Illustration by Luke Cloran
hand back toward the stage. Just wait right here, I said. I gave Charlie another kiss on the cheek and said I’d be back soon, and then she took him. I grabbed the mic, held it up to my mouth, and paused to enjoy the moment. The Rhinos stood a hundred rows deep, cheering.
Elizabeth and Charlie stood front and center. Our iconic banner appeared on the backdrop in all its newfound glory. I raised my hand and waved. Thank you all for coming. The End.•