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WEEK AUGUST 10, 2016 VOL. 1 NO. 26
EYE ON BUSINESS We pay a visit to Brown Street Coffee and Bànhery in Fairmount. 6
"SHOOT HOOPS, NOT GUNS" Moorish Science Temple sponsors a neighborhood basketball tournament to promote peace in the community. 4
DEVELOPMENT NEWS Learn about what is being built in your neighborhood. 8
ACCU-REGGIE 7-day weather forecast for the region. 3
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7
HOT OFF THE
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n a city where kids enroll in “lotteries” in hopes of attending a charter school, Nina Liou thinks every child should attend their neighborhood’s public school. “[Public education] really is a foundational element to our society,” Liou said. “There’s a whole social aspect around all of it that you can’t buy. It’s very experiential. … It’s about tolerance, empathy and acceptance.” Currently, one of Liou’s children attends Bache-Martin Elementary School at 2201 Brown St. in Fairmount. Liou is the treasurer for Friends of Bache-Martin, a 501c3 non-profit corporation committed to furthering the financial assistance offered by the Philadelphia School District through grant-writing and fundraising. The formation of Friends of Bache-Martin was officially announced in July, a day four years in the making. Jerilyn Dressler, president of Friends of Bache-Martin and mother of a kindergartner attending the school in the fall, said the group will be anything but short-lived. “For me, it was all leading up to this point of having my son go to this school,” Dressler said. “Beyond that, creating the Friends group will re-
ally ensure lasting support. We want to create an infrastructure and an organization that will be here beyond our children.” Bache-Martin Elementary School serves about 450 K-8 students a year. The Martin building, constructed in 1936, was the first school in Philadelphia built specifically for teaching physically handicapped students. To build on the school’s inclusive efforts in the past, Liou said Friends of Bache-Martin wants to fund programs benefitting as many students as possible. Many of Friends of Bache-Martin’s goals are curriculum-focused goals, which Dressler attributes to principal Mark Vitvisky, who began working as an educator in Philadelphia in 2007. This upcoming fall marks his third year as principal at Bache-Martin Elementary School. The needs of any Philadelphia school are broad, but improving instruction is Vitvisky’s main focus. “The goal for Bache-Martin is to create the highest-performing neighborhood school,” Vitvisky said. “Without excellent educators and the appropriate tools, our students can’t compete.” Continued on Page 2.
Page 2 Continued from Page 1. Friends of Bache-Martin is currently fundraising for a teaching coach to help educators refine their skills and become more effective. The group also wants to reboot the inventory of the school’s music department and have a structured recess play program. Before the official formation of the group, Friends of Bache-Martin was able to introduce a new science curriculum in classrooms for K-4 students. “We acknowledge that if we are going to be pushing our students more and more in the instructional block and increasing the rigor and demand for them, they have to have an outlet,” Vitvisky said. Aaron Hoke, the itinerant strings teacher at Bache-Martin Elementary School, thinks music is “a subject worth learning within itself” because it teaches kids the value of hard work and is a tangible way to apply critical thinking skills. “Most importantly, music can give a child a chance to excel at something when they may not do that in the classroom necessarily,” Hoke added. The formation of Friends of Bache-Martin, amongst others in Philadelphia, is a reaction to the city’s financial climate, seemingly robbing kids of a chance to receive a well-rounded education in their neighborhood. Jeff Hornstein is the chair of Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition’s Education Committee and spearheads the efforts of Friends of Neighborhood Education, a coalition of about 40 Friends groups working to support each other and change the negative stigma about the city’s neighborhood schools. Hornstein, who has no children, said his work with FONE is vital because schools are fundamental to “neighborhood stability.” “A quality school is going to make real estate more valuable,” Hornstein said. “When a neighborhood is more desirable, more businesses want to move in, more people want to move in, there’s more eyes on the streets, it’s safer. There’s this upward spiral.” With 300 publicly-supported schools in the city and only about 40 of those with a Friends group Hornstein said educators and neighbors are working to improve a “whole host of things” in their community’s classrooms. Hornstein hopes the number of Friends groups in the city increases so every child in Philadelphia can enjoy amenities such as those to be offered at Bache-Martin Elementary School. “To me, public education is the most important thing this country and government does,” he added. “I’m not an education expert. It’s just in it of itself important kids have a quality education.” Despite varying focuses, all Friends groups help increase community engagement. According to bylaws, 40 percent of Friends of Bache-Martin’s board members must be community members without children at the school to ensure the group is aware of the community’s needs. Janice Hunt, one of the two community members curJerilyn Dressler (left) and Nina Liou (right)
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 2016
Bache Martin Elementary/All photos by Grace Shallow
rently on the board of Friends of Bache-Martin, thinks her past experience of raising four children gives her a unique perspective. “I know what good looks like. I know what the end looks like. I know what works,” Hunt said. “If there’s a good school, it becomes a focal point,” Hunt added. “People gather for events and you get to know your neighbors more. It’s the core of establishing city neighborhoods.” The cultural sites in a school’s neighborhood are just as meaningful for the students as its neighbors working to improve their education. Bache-Martin Elementary School’s location allows for community partnerships with places like the Walnut
Street Theatre, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and even Pizzeria Vetri for field trips. “It’s one thing to just be located in the city and be surrounded by the amazing arts and culture, but it’s another thing to have it really integrated,” Dressler said. The majority of Friends groups in the city facilitate elementary schools, impacting students in the developmental and vital beginnings of their educations. Friends of Bache-Martin is working to impact students in a long-standing way, not temporary. “We’re making sure they’re not just learning material but really developing that love of learning that they can take with them throughout the rest of their education,” Dressler said. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 2016 FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN
accu reggie TWITTER: @ACCUREGGIE • FACEBOOK: ACCU-REGGIE
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ast week was absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the 80s and lower 90s. It was mostly dry and sunny with heat building back in the region as the week progressed. The heat will continue for the start of this forecast period, but it will become less hot and humid after the weekend. Overall, it will be typical August weather in Philadelphia The best chances for rain and thunderstorms come on Friday and Saturday, but the weekend does not look like a washout at all. The intense heat and humidity on these days could lead to pop-up storms, especially in the afternoon and evening. Of course, it’s impossible to know ex-
actly where and when storms will occur, so keep the umbrella handy these days just in case they develop over your neighborhood. Sunday does look like the best day of the weekend as it looks to be drier and less humid. Wednesday kicks off the weather period very hot and humid. Temperatures will be in the 90s and we could also see a stray shower. Thursday continues the heat wave as temps jump to the middle 90s. Yuck. I think we have all had enough heat this summer! Friday features temperatures in the middle 90s again, but we also have the threat of thunderstorms from all the
extreme heat and humidity. Saturday should be the last day in the 90s as a front comes through in the afternoon with thunderstorms and showers that push out the latest heat wave. Sunday is warm, temperatures will be in the upper 80s, but dry. Monday and Tuesday continue the nice streak of weather, but the way the heat has been surging over us this summer, get ready for more heat soon! The weather winner of the week is Monday; the weather loser is Friday. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 2016
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WRITTEN BY RUTHANN ALEXANDER
shoot hoops not guns BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT HELD TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY PEACE
“Shoot Hoops, Not Guns” was the slogan for a basketball tournament hosted at the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center, Saturday, with a mission to promote community peace. The tournament was sponsored by the Moorish Science Temple of America, Temple Number 11 in Philadelphia. Grand Sheik Azeem Hopkins-Bey of Temple Number 11 said that the guiding principles of the organization are love, truth, peace, freedom and justice, and this tournament was held in accordance with these values. Six teams played against each other in the three-on-three, half-court tournament. Teams were made up of men and women from the surrounding neighborhoods and included players of all ages. Teams participating were the Mighty Moors, 4 Horsemen, Drayton-Bey Boys, 23rd Street, Reunited and Get ‘Em Girls + Daddy. The air in the gym was hot and stifling and the competition was fierce, but the players still maintained the values of the Moorish Science Temple and respected each other no matter what the outcome. Despite the heat and lack of air conditioning, the crowd was lively and supportive of the teams. Hopkins-Bey viewed the tournament as a reminder to the community of several things. “Not only is it a time to promote exercise, but it’s also bringing awareness of the violence in our city,” he said. “Shoot hoops, not guns is a reminder for them to take the high road.” Hopkins-Bey related the event to a recent incident of violence in Philadelphia in which a young man was shot after a basketball game in West Philadelphia. The teen was killed after a game on July 22, 2016 at 60th and Baltimore Avenue. According to 6abc News, the police believe the shooter was motivated by a dispute that occurred postgame. Hopkins-Bey believes that if more people in the community adopted the values of his organization, it would lead to a reduction in street violence. He also professes that having positive role models that teach youth self-respect and respect for each other is a key element in reducing street violence. Before the game started, he read a chapter and prayer from the book of the Moorish Science Temple to promote peaceful message within all the minds of all teams. Nationality is a core value of the Moorish Science Temple, the organization is based on the belief that African-Americans are descended from the Moors of North-West Africa. The overall message of the Moorish Temple is that of pride in one’s heritage and historical education. Hopkins-Bey emphasized the importance of knowledge of Grand Sheik Azeem Hopkins-Bey reads a chapter and prayer from the book of the Moorish Science Temple.
Six teams competed in the tournament, and people of all ages were welcome.
one’s nationality. Especially, he said, because society tends to refer to a black race and a white race. “But there is only one race, and that is the human race,” he said. Another value of the Moorish Science Temple is knowledge of one’s self and heritage, known as self-knowledge. Stressing self-knowledge is important, he said, because knowing about one’s nationality will lead to respecting the lives of other people. He added that teaching sportsmanship is vital to communities because it can lead to peace after competitive games, no matter which team won and which one did not. “We wanted to bring the community together to teach them about sportsmanship, honor and respect,” he said. Assistant Grand Sheikess Sister Sue Ann Hopkins-Bey expressed how grateful she was about the day being peaceful. “I am thankful to Allah that today was a successful day,” she
said. “It was very peaceful. It’s amazing that you can have an event such as this and the outcome is peaceful.” Shambram Hopkins-Drayton-Bey, a team member of the Drayton-Bey Boys team, discussed what she learned from this tournament. “I learned cohesion of all players. The fact that they took loss in a positive manner is good for the community. They experienced the adults respecting each other.” According to Grand Sheik Hopkins-Bey, the Moorish Science Temple was the first Islamic organization in the United States, and it was founded in 1913. The Moorish Science Temple of America Temple Number 11 is located at 2259 N. Fifth St. and serves communities in North Philadelphia. They are affiliated with the Moorish Science Temple of America based in Washington, D.C. •
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 2016
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This is the winning Team who actually named themselves Team Champions. They are standing beside the Grand Sheik Azeem Hopkins-Bey of The Moorish Science Temple No. 11 in Philadelphia.
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 2016
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WRITTEN BY SEAN KEARNEY
eye on business BROWN STREET COFFEE AND BÀNHERY
Vietnamese cuisine has come into fashion in Philadelphia over the last few years. Pho and banh mi restaurants have been popping up in neighborhoods across the city and the existing ones have been getting much busier. In a way, the sheer amount of banh mi restaurants opening is precisely the reason Brown Street Coffee and Bànhery owner Erik Cha felt the need to open one of his own. “I was just so tired of seeing banh mi and coffee places so commercialized. I just wanted a good bành mi sandwich, nothing special,” Cha said. “I didn’t want, I don’t know, five fish bành mi, you have like filet mignon bành mi, kobe beef bành mi — I mean, I just wanted a traditional, Vietnamese way of getting it done, making it right.” Cha, who grew up in the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Olney, found his way in the restaurant business during his first year at Temple University. Cha began taking jobs in small sushi restaurants before quickly moving into fine dining. “I worked at Rittenhouse Square Hotel, little bit at the Ritz Carlton,” Cha said. It was around this time that Cha started working for Phillipe Chin, who was the youngest chef on record to be inducted into Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, a society of chefs who uphold the traditions and standards of French culinary art. Cha himself was the youngest maître d' in Philadelphia at the age of 20 at the time while he learned under Chin at Phillipe on Locust. While Cha knew food, he wanted to buck the trend of over complicating the traditional Vietnamese sandwich. “I really just felt like everyone was trying to do so much, man,” Cha said. “I just felt like they were losing touch of the foundations of the original recipes.” Cha, in the interest of steering the trend in bành mi creation to its roots, consulted a cook’s opinion he respected very much. “[I went to] my mother-in-law,” Cha said, laughing. “I said to her, ‘hey ma, if you were to turn back the clock 20 years, how were these meats marinated? How’s this supposed to taste?’ She said, ‘well, I’ll show you.’ So the recipes for the meats and marinades, except for the Korean barbecue, are all her ideas.” Cha’s mother-in-law took the process of making a traditional bành mi very seriously, even teaching the methods in which to hand cut the meats used for each sandwich. “Even if you were to turn back to pre-war, pre Vietnam war, Vietnam did not have machines to slice the meats. Even if it was paper thin, it was hand cut. And she basically said, ‘I want you to do the same. Make all your meat hand-cut.’ So in the middle the night, there we would be with two huge meat cleavers just dicing away.” While using tried-and-true traditional recipes for bành mi is of the utmost concern to Cha, recreating the Vietnamese coffee experience is just as important. “Coffee and bành mi always go together. It’s a love affair not many people understand,” Cha said. Vietnam’s economy has long been tethered to its coffee production since the French introduced it in the mid-19th
All photos by Sean Kearney
century. While many might think of Brazil, Ethiopia, and Central America as the biggest producers of coffee, Vietnam’s coffee production was second in the world only to Brazil and exported 1.29 million tons of Robusta coffee beans in 2012. “I would bet about 70 percent of the Robusta beans coffee drinkers [use] come from Vietnam,” Cha said. While Vietnamese iced coffee traditionally uses Vietnamese Robusta, Brown Street Coffee uses Café du Monde, the famous New Orleans coffee maker, for their brews. The chicory root used in some of Café du Monde’s roasts results in a flavor profile very similar to that of Vietnamese Robusta. But when it comes to his espresso and drip coffee, Cha sought out small roasters who had an attention to detail. Cha eventually went with Toby’s Estate, a roaster based out of Brooklyn who he felt shared his passion for coffee. “They just want to talk about coffee,” Cha said. “They want to tell you of their trip to Africa when one of their buyers actually had to climb a mountain to talk to a farmer [who’s
farm is] like a thousand feet above sea level. That’s what it’s supposed to be. I was like, forget everybody else. Sign me up.” You can check out Brown Street Coffee and Bànhery at 2545 Brown Street Monday- Friday, 7AM-6PM, or Saturday-Sunday, 7AM-5PM. “With recipes from my mother-in-law and coffee from Toby’s Estate I thought, ‘this just can’t go wrong!’” Cha said, “I’m blessed. The locals are phenomenal. I just think everyone’s been ready to take us in.” And while Cha’s processes regarding bành mi and coffee are meticulous, it all comes back to a philosophy of simplicity over complication, “When people just come in to get a cup of coffee and people watch—man I love that. I just want to go back to what a coffee shop is supposed to be,” Cha pauses before saying, “well, and you know, with bành mi,” and laughs. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 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 August 10, 10:00-11:00AM DIA *BEAT* IT DROP-IN Are you at risk of getting diabetes, have diabetes, know a loved one or care for someone with diabetes? Come to the Stephen Klein Wellness Center (2144 Cecil B. Moore Ave.) every Wednesday for diabetes diet and lifestyle tips. For further Information call 215-320-6187 August 11, 6:30PM GREATER BREWERYTOWN CDC MEETING The topic of this month’s meeting will be Affordable Housing. Carrie Rathmann, Director of Strategic Partnerships/ Habitat For Humanities will be speaking. Ms. Rathmann’s duties at the Habitat for Humanities include creating partnerships between, government, and Community in an effort to create affordable housing for all, Habitat for Humanities is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Habitat for Humanities works in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders to build affordable housing that fits the community. The houses are sold to qualifying families at no profit and with interest free mortgage. August 12, 2:00-3:00PM PROJECT HOME HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CLASSES Free community event at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center (2144 Cecil B. Moore Ave.) Join Project Home to learn about ways to eat healthier and have a more active lifestyle. Classes meet every Friday. Sign up with the receptionist at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. Saturday, August 13 12:30-3:30PM FAIRMOUNT PARK TOUR Philly Bike Tour Company is teaming up with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society to give you a combination of our Historical Fairmount Park Tour and some background on the PHS and their pop-up garden. We will end at the Viaduct Rail Park, and this $30 tour includes a voucher redeemable for food or drink at the PHS Pop-up Garden! Wednesday, August 17, 10-11AM DIABETES INFO SESSION Free community event at Stephen Klein Wellness Center (2144 Cecil B. Moore Ave.) Are you at risk of getting diabetes, have diabetes, know a loved one or care for someone with diabetes? Come to the Wellness Center every Wednesday for diabetes diet and lifestyle tips. Wednesday, August 17, 6-7PM GAMBA U: MAKING THE MOST OF YELP Michelle Cassidy of Yelp Philadelphia will be at the SOUTH Patio for a GAMBA Happy Hour. The Art Museum Area peers are holding an evening with a free first drink for visitors who want to socialize and learn. Saturday, September 10 FLEA MARKET Philly Flea Markets will host a market in front of the Eastern State Penitentary from 8AM-5PM, with over 100 vendors. Parking is available in the adjacent lot at the NW corner of 22nd and Fairmount. For more information visit philafleamarkets.org 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 Tuesdays 7:00-8:30PM 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 open mic night every Tuesday. For more information visit Mugshots Coffeehouse on Facebook. Wednesdays 5:00-8:00PM 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 Wednesdays at 6PM DHYANA YOGA Practice your poses with Dhyana yoga outdoors in the Museum’s sculpture garden. Class size varies. Weather Dependent and cancelled above 90 degrees. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 10, 2016
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WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK
development news FIND OUT WHAT’S BEING BUILT ON YOUR BLOCK Francisville
1431-1433 Brown St./Max Pulcini
Developers purchased the vacant property at 1431 - 1433 Brown Street in Francisville sometime within the last few months. They have proposed constructing a 10-unit building on the parcel. The project was taken to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) on Wednesday, July 20. Two doors down, a triplex is currently under construction. Yet another project is in the works at the intersection of Brown and 15th Streets. In 2012, an unnamed developer purchased two properties on the 800 block of North 16th Street and one around the corner on Ridge Avenue, all of which have been sitting vacant for years. Three commercial spaces and 10 apartment units will constitute the trio of properties to be built on these parcels. Anticipate more development on Ridge Avenue sometime in the near future. Fairmount Several months ago, the Fairmount Community Development Corporation (CDC) held a meeting in order to establish a feasible plan to redevelop Fairmount Avenue over the course of the next several years. Those in attendance addressed a plethora of issues, including parking, pedestrian safety and the preservation of historic buildings. Kevin Moran, executive director of the CDC, attested to the significance of the project (dubbed the Lighter Quicker Cheaper Plan). Temple University
Ludlow/Yorktown
On Friday, July 22, Polett Walk closed from 13th to Broad Street due to construction related to the Verdant Temple landscape plan. Over the course of the next few weeks, Polett will not be accessible via Broad and 13th Streets, or Beasley and Liacouras Walks. Entrance to Sullivan Hall will be available on Beasley Walk. A temporary ramp will be built at the Broad Street entrance to Mitten Hall. The following will remain open: Founder’s Garden, the Department of Campus Safety Services and the alleyway between Barrack and Wachman Halls. The Snøhetta-designed library and new Student Health and Wellness Center are to be completed supposedly within the next several years. The new, 10-acre sports complex slightly south of Temple University’s main campus is nearing completion. There will be two fields on what was formerly the site of William Penn High School. The southern field will be named after benefactors Greg and Cherifa Howarth. Temple University has joined forces with the Laborers’ District Council Education and Training Apprenticeship Fund to establish several instructional programs. The Department of Campus Safety Services is expanding its jurisdiction to accommodate the new development.
The Philadelphia School Partnership has provided St. Malachy, a Catholic elementary school, a $1 million grant in order to add four classes to the institution and implement an educational online program. St. Malachy will be relocating this September (1012 West Thompson Street). Stephen Janczewski, the school’s principal, anticipates that enrollment will nearly double in five years’ time.
800 N. 16th St./Patrick Clark
Polett Walk closure/Max Pulcini
Brewerytown More than half a dozen homes on the 2900 block of West Flora Street in Brewerytown are due for a makeover. Razing and replacing these structures will most likely disrupt the architectural uniformity of the block. But one must consider all possible factors and what will ultimately be best for the neighborhood. The only architectural anomaly on the block is the Humble Tabernacle of Love at 2923 West Flora Street. The Celestial Tabernacle Holiness Church of God has purchased the one-story stone building at 2800 West Thompson Avenue and the previously vacant edifice next door. The stone structure was at one time home to the Sanctuary Methodist Church. Historical records of these two properties are surprisingly scarce. According to an Instagram post, MMPartners has purchased the property at 2511 West Girard Avenue. Formerly a liquor store, the structure boasts 5,500 square feet of interior space. MMPartners has proposed modernizing the two-story building’s facade and will use an Australian coffee shop as architectural inspiration. Across the street, at 2536 - 2538 West Girard, two new triplexes are under construction. •
800 N. 16th St./Patrick Clark
2511 W Girard Ave./Patrick Clark
New St. Malachy School (1012 W Thompson St./Max Pulcini