The Spirit of Penn's Garden - August 31, 2016

Page 1

COMMUNITY NEWS – FREE PUBLICATION – PICK ONE UP!

H Y PE R LOC A L

D ON E DI F F E R E N T LY

FAIRMOUNT + NORTH CENTRAL + BREWERYTOWN + TEMPLE + STRAWBERRY MANSION FRANCISVILLE + POPLAR + LUDLOW + SPRING GARDEN

THIS

WEEK AUGUST 31, 2016 VOL. 1 NO. 29

PRISONS TODAY Eastern State Penitentiary exhibit informs public on mass incarceration in America. 4

JAMES JONES Q&A Spirit News chats with the Republican candidate for the 2nd Congressional District race. 6

BOXERS' TRAIL 5K Historic Strawberry Mansion trail to hold 5K in September. 8

ACCU-REGGIE 7-day weather forecast for the region. 3

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7

T

he summer has ended, and Temple University classes are back in session. With a new year of class comes a new year of trying out all the different food truck options campus has to offer. Temple’s food truck culture stands as a bastion of the cheap, delicious lunch and the fall semester brings with it the return of several key establishments. While underclassmen stick to the dining halls, the more well seasoned foodies seek out new and interesting cuisines elsewhere. Spirit News took a trip to campus to sample some of Temple’s food truck fare. While there, we found five great food trucks that offer great meals for around $5. Halal Food

HOT OFF THE

PRESS

Seeing how it’s summer, it’s only fair to try Halal Food. They serve shish kabob. The chicken was cooked nicely. The meal came with a heavy portion of yellow rice, a few slices of tomato, onions, a pepper and a white sauce that added color to the dish. To get the full experience of Halal Food, you have to mix everything together. The portions are immense, and the meal comes with a drink. None of the other trucks were able to provide food and drinks for $5, which is why this is one of the first stops you should make if you’re hungry and on Temple’s campus. Unfortunately, it’s cash only.

Burger Tank Second on our list is Burger Tank. They locally source their ingredients and cook everything over a wood-fired grill. If you’re into meat, they have an array of burgers to choose from. One item on their menu that is fair game for everyone is the Portobello Burger for $4.25. It comes with fresh basil, tomato-roasted peppers, red onions, parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. It comes out hot and you can taste the cheese that sticks to the lightly toasted, seeded bun. The onions are sautéed and the tomato complements the sandwich with a hint of juicy perfection. It also comes with peppers that have a charred texture, adding to the wood-fired flavor of the Portobello mushroom. Burger Tank did a great job on this one. They also take Visa, MasterCard and Discover, which makes buying lunch easier if you’re not walking around with cash in your pocket. The Creperie Walking around campus, the number one answer when asking students where to eat is The Creperie. The truck offers an enormous list of crepes to choose from. Sweet dessert crepes start at $5, but their savory crepes Continued on Page 2.


The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 2016

Page 2 Continued from Page 1. start at $5.50. They have everything from gyro to vegetable to buffalo chicken crepes. They also offer the Enzo’s Avocado with fresh avocado, cheese and a Greek Sauce (tzatziki and salsa), with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli and spinach. These flavors come together evenly throughout the crepe. Each new bite is equally as tasteful as the last. It holds together nicely as well.

Burger Tank Portobello Mushroom Burger /All photos by Michael Antonio Castaneda

Mexican Grill Stand Another lovely food truck on campus is the Mexican Grill Stand. They were the most modern truck on campus. The truck was cash only, but they’ve adapted to accommodate to different types of payment. They allow their customers to use an app called Habitat Student Marketplace. This app is available in the App Store and Google Play. It can display the venue’s menu and food can be ordered from the app to be picked up or delivered. It also gives the customer the opportunity to pay through the app, so no cash is involved. The Mexican Grill Stand has a simple menu, which is also nice when ordering from a food truck. If you’re looking for something quick and cheap, you can't beat their single tacos for $2. It’s authentic and might be better than Mexican Post on Liacouras Walk. I ordered a Chicken Taco. The cheese, the tomatoes, the chicken, the sour cream — everything went together very well. Some of the ingredients were falling out of the taco, but that’s inevitable and they know it, so they provide you a fork. It also comes with a green hot sauce that pairs with the taco perfectly.

Halal Food Chicken Platter

The Sexy Green Truck Another great option is The Sexy Green Truck. Their menu is huge. It’s almost a bit scary and somewhat intimidating. But if you have to keep yourself at around $5 picking a meal, it’s easy. Go for the spinach pita sandwich. It comes with fresh spinach, tomato, onion, garlic, olive, feta and pesto for $4.75. The spinach is wadded up into the pita bread like a stack of twenty dollar bills. It’s thick and the feta cheese complements the sandwich, giving the subtle flavors of the pita and spinach a vibrant zap. The olives hop along the sandwich, adding more weight to the pesto and leaving more luscious flavors in your mouth. Now that the semester is back up and running, you can check out all of these trucks, and so many more. If you're in the area, these five trucks have amazing options, and for around $5 that is something the students, faculty and staff at Temple can be satisfied with. •

No one understands small business like small business. We may be getting a bigger staff and more readers, but we’re still just like you. Work together with Spirit News to help grow your business and inform your neighbors. ads@spiritnews.org 215.423.6246

Spinach pita from the Sexy Green Truck

Mexican Grill Stand Chicken Taco

Creperie at Temple Enzo Avocado Crepe


Page 3

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 2016 FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN

accu reggie TWITTER: @ACCUREGGIE • FACEBOOK: ACCU-REGGIE

L

ast week started off perfect until the 90s came back and continued for much of the week. It’s a tired weather story this summer — hot, humid, run your A/C, drink plenty of water, sweat, rinse, repeat. But this forecast period, I’m here to offer some good news: get ready for a great weather week. The forecast period starts off warm, so anyone who likes the hot and humid weather, Wednesday is your day! For the rest of us who like it 80 and sunny, every day (except Thursday) will be that way! It’s weather heaven this week. We stay dry AGAIN this week. At some point, maybe in the fall, we are going to pay for all this dry weather with

non-stop rain. Until that happens, enjoy the sunshine! Oh, and keep an eye on the tropics again this week as a hurricane may form in the Atlantic and try to move toward the Southeast US or up the Gulf of Mexico. Wednesday is the last hot day of the latest heat wave. Kiss the 90s goodbye after this day. Thursday is a cloudy day as rain and thunderstorms move through in the late morning and early afternoon. The weather will be much nicer (and cooler) behind the front Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all perfect days to just enjoy life. We’ve put up with a lot of weather this year —

from a crippling blizzard in January to stifling heat in August. Go outside and enjoy the weather perfection that is this weekend! Monday is continued nice to start the week but we need to pay attention to the tropics for possible hurricane development. We could eventually get the rain from anything that forms in the ocean. It starts to get warmer on Tuesday. The weather winner of the week is the weekend; the weather loser is Thursday. •

Is there something going on a that’s a little funky in your neighborhood that you want us look into? Have something juicy you want to leak? Know of something fun or interesting going on that you think we should know about? We rely on sources like you for news that effects our neighborhoods. No tip is a bad tip. Drop us a line at news@spiritnews.org.

1428 East Susquehanna Avenue Philadelphia, PENNSYLVANIA 19125 TELEPHONE: 215.423.6246 EDITORAL INQUIRIES: NEWS@SPIRITNEWS.ORG ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: ADS@SPIRITNEWS.ORG OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY–FRIDAY, 9AM–5PM MATTHEW ALBASI

MAX PULCINI

PUBLISHER

EDITOR & PUBLISHER

THOMAS HOWLEY

THOMAS weir

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ADVERTISING

Jack Grauer

mark brakeman

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

CINDY STANSBURY

SPENCER HOMAN

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

DAN O'NEIL

GRACE SHALLOW

FILM CRITIC

CONTRIBUTOR

ANDREW DEFFLEY

SEAN KEARNEY

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

SHANE ENGLISH

PATRICK CLARK

EDITORIAL INTERN

whitney johnson

EDITORIAL INTERN

THOMAS BECK

EDITORIAL INTERN

EDITORIAL INTERN

MADISON HALL

JORDYN CORDNER

EDITORIAL INTERN

EDITORIAL INTERN

No reproduction or use of the material herein may be made without permission. The Spirit of Penn’s Garden Newspaper will assume no obligation (other than cancellation of charges for the actual space occupied) for accidental errors in advertisements, but will be glad to furnish a signed letter to the buying public.


The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 2016

Page 4

WRITTEN BY WHITNEY JOHNSON

Prisons Today

F

EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY SHOWING HARD FACTS ON MASS INCARCERATION

or the last 30 years, incarceration rates in America have skyrocketed; our country’s current prison population has reached more than 2.2 million. This is what the Eastern State Penitentiary's (ESP) newest exhibit, "Prisons Today: Questions in the Age of Mass Incarceration", aims to teach those visiting the museum. This installation was first opened to the public in May and has received positive reviews for the way it informs museumgoers about the American prison system. The exhibit has been in the works for three years and is scheduled to remain open for the next three. ESP’s mission has always been to tell the stories of the penitentiary itself, but also to inform visitors on how the global prison system has become what it is today. Sean Kelley, ESP’s Director of Interpretation, told Spirit News that the museum began looking into examining contemporary prison issues in 2010. “Anyone who studies the prison system, whether Republican or Democrat, they all agree that this is not right,” said Kelley, who is also the administrator of the exhibit. Their exhibit features visuals that show how out of control the prison system has gotten in America. One of the first things patrons see as they enter the prison courtyard is a 16-foot tall bar graph that weighs around 3,500 pounds. Aptly called the Big Graph, the giant structure was installed in 2013 and is adorned with information that describes the amount of people incarcerated in the world and how the racial composition of prisons has changed from 1970 to today. The tallest part of the graph lists various countries in the world and where they rank in terms of incarceration rates per 100,000 citizens. On the very end of the graph is the United States — we incarcerate more people than any other country in the world. Of every 100,000 people in the U.S., 700 are in prison. The second-highest incarceration rate is Rwanda, where 527 people are incarcerated per 100,000. The graph shows how incarceration rates have grown steadily since the 1990s, reaching its peak in 2010. There is still open space on the graph and Kelley says the graph will be updated through 2030. Passing through another doorway, patrons enter the "Prisons Today" exhibit. Upon entering the installation viewers are presented with another large graph showing incarceration data from 1970 and 2015. An interesting point the graph makes is that violent crime rates have been incredibly consistent during the timespan in which prison population massively increased in America. A video portion of the exhibit begins with a representation of how mass incarceration began. It outlines how politicians began introducing the Three-Strikes Law to various areas in an attempt to curb crime. It also sheds some light on where these policies went wrong and how people in positions of power plan to change the issue that has been created. To the left of the entrance is an interactive part of the exhibit: as soon as you look into the room there is a giant sign that asks, “Have you ever broken the law?” Below the question is a set of possible ways visitors may have broken the law, including underage drinking, drug use, insurance fraud, etc. If you answer no, you are advised to take a right. If you answer yes, you are advised to take a left. Watching the people enter the exhibit, it was uncommon to find people that have never broken the law. Nobody’s perfect. To the left is a section about the different ways people po-

/All photos by Whitney Johnson lice and deal with criminals all over the world. Then there also is a small computer for people to vote on how they feel criminals should be dealt with after reading each one. The test can also be taken online as well. If you continue along this side, you can find a wall of confessions. Each confession has a little red dot above it and in the middle of the wall there are two options — “People in Prison” and “Visitors to ESP.” When you click on the button next to “People in Prison”, confessions that came from a real incarcerated person are lit and vice versa. If you chose to turn right following the “Have you ever broke the law?” question, you learn more about the price of going to prison. One chilling fact was that the average college student spends $16,000 on tuition each year, but it costs an annual average of $42,000 to keep a single prisoner incarcerated. At the end of this portion of the exhibit is a section that explains various actions that are helping change the prison system in America, outlining the policies of four states that have significantly improved their incarceration rates. “California has reduced the restrictions on parole rather than trying to find ways to make people trip up on their parole,” Kelley said. This helps keep prisoners out of prison after their sentences have been served. Other states like New Jersey, New York and Texas have also taken extreme measures in making their prison system better for their economies and families by making cheaper alternatives or reducing the number of harsh laws. “All four states have lowered their violent crime,” Kelley said. “It doesn’t seem like something anyone can argue

with. We think those states are clearly making progress.” Continuing past these displays is an interactive section called Early Experiences Matter, which attempts to give visitors a better understanding of the factors that lead to incarceration. It’s important for kids of different backgrounds to take these quizzes and share the results with friends. It can help someone who might be unaware of such issues and makes it clear that there are many factors that lead to incarceration like someone’s neighborhood, education, race, etc. “Once juveniles find themselves in prison, it’s hard to break that cycle,” Kelley said. “It’s hard for them to bounce back from that.” Across the way is a documentary film created by Gabriela Bulisova entitled "Six Voices" that covers real-life families that in some way are affected by today’s prison system. It can be viewed here. The installment is still under construction, as it is in its preliminary stages. After some studies and interviews on the visitors of this installment, the staff will be making various changes to the exhibit to make it more appealing for people. “We want to see how people move through the space,” Kelley said. “Stopwatches will be used to see how long people view certain sections.” In the fall they will make more adjustments. There is room to expand the exhibit. As of now, Prisons Today seems to be doing a great job of catching people’s attention and helping them acknowledge the reality of mass incarceration. •


Page 5

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 2016

WRITTEN BY DAN O’NEIL

Movies at the Pearl S H O R T R E V I E W S O F M O V I E S P L AY I N G S O M E W H E R E O T H E R T H A N T H E P E A R L

EDITOR’S NOTE:

RIP PEARL THEATER 4EVER IN OUR HEARTS....

The Pearl Closing Over the weekend, The Pearl Theatre at Avenue North closed after 10 years of business at the intersection of Broad and Oxford. Philly.com reports that Avenue North developer Bart Blatstein plans on replacing it with a “high-end” movie-theater from AMC Theatres. “It is a testimony for the support of this theater and how great the community around it is,” Blatstein said of the new AMC Theater on Monday. AMC will convert the Pearl into it’s own location. Details on the amenities that AMC will bring to the new theater have not been released yet. Customers of the Pearl were notified of it’s closing via a message on it’s large sign that normally listed movie times and an automated message on the theater’s phone line. Despite not being able to view these movies at the Pearl, we hope you enjoy our reviews of films you can check out elsewhere in the meantime. War Dogs The biggest strength of “War Dogs” is in how it's ridiculous story — as crazy and as hectic as it may sometimes get — is also 100 percent true. Okay, maybe not every detail is right to the actual story, but here’s the gist: Two guys in their twenties, David (Miles Teller) and Efraim (Jonah Hill), are getting away with selling arms to government agencies and making millions of dollars, with little to no repercussions for their actions. This sounds too wild to believe, but somehow, it’s all true. Director Todd Phillips (“the Hangover” trilogy) knows how to tell this kind of wacky story and make it as exciting and fun as it sounds on-paper. On film, the story of “War Dogs” still works; there’s not a lot of deep and heavy-thinking underneath all of the arms wheeling and dealing, but what the movie lacks in substance, it more than makes up for in entertainment. With the summer winding down, it’s nice to get a blockbuster that’s not only for the adults, but to have it be as entertaining as most of the other blockbusters this past summer were supposed to be. Unfortunately, “War Dogs” may not be the highest note to go out on, but it’s something that makes me forget some of the stinkers from these past few months.

Follow THE SPIRIT online

Sausage Party An R-rated animated flick? With the voices of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Michael Cera, and, believe it or not, Edward Norton? Well, yes, believe it or not, this movie does exist and this movie also happens to be called “Sausage Party.” In it, a hot dog named Frank (voiced by Rogen), dreams of being taken out of the grocery store and taken to the “promised land,” where he will finally be united with his girlfriend, a bun named Brenda (voiced by Wiig). However, little does Frank, nor the rest of the grocery items know that the “promised land” isn’t all that it’s made out to be, and throughout the whole hour-and-a-half, we sit and watch as Frank, as well as many other food-items contemplate just what is awaiting for them out of the grocery store. The movie deals with a lot of questions about the afterlife, religion and race, but honestly, is more concerned with telling raunchy jokes. Which is fine, because despite it not being nearly as hilarious or fun as it may sound, what it still does right is that it delivers the laughs and gets you hooked into this weird world that, quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind going back to. •

FOR ADDITIONAL MULTIMEDIA CONTENT AND IN-DEPTH LOCAL COVERAGE

f WWW.SPIRITNEWS.ORG

SPIRIT DISTRIBUTION NOTICE As much as we wish we could print Spirit News MORE often, we are human beings (surprising, right?) and need a little vacation time off to reenergize and recharge ourselves. In order to do so, Spirit News will be closed on Labor Day week and will not print a new issue on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. We will still be updating our social media and checking our emails over course of our break. Feel free to call our office (215-423-6246) or email us at info@spiritnews.org with any questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer!


The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 2016

Page 6

WRITTEN BY PTAH GABRIE

James Jones Q&A

W E S I T D O W N F O R A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H T H E R E P U B L I C A N C A N D I D AT E F O R T H E 2 N D C O N G R E S S I O N A L D I S T R I C T R A C E

P

hiladelphia and many other major cities across the United States are governed by political systems structured to make sure only candidates of one party are likely to win. In this city’s past mayoral election, and many of the previous election years, barely a peep was heard from Jim Kenney’s Republican challenger Melissa Murray Bailey. At times, during Bailey’s few television appearances, she appeared to us as unenthusiastic, and when Philly Mag asked her why she hadn’t voted in three of the past six elections, the then Republican mayoral candidate told reporters, “Like a lot of people, I didn’t vote because I didn’t think my vote mattered.” Bailey was defeated by Mayor Kenney in a landslide. This has been the case with candidates up and down tickets throughout the city. There are enclaves of Republican voters throughout the city. However, only Democrats seem to have a chance at winning. Philadelphia is, and has been for well over a hundred years, a city dominated by a one-party system. It hasn’t been limited to Democrats. In the early 20th century, Philadelphia was controlled by a political machine resembling New York City’s infamously corrupt Tammany Hall. According to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), Republican William Scott Vare was the political boss of Philadelphia in the early 1900s. According to HSP, the Vare family maintained control of elections through ward leaders and favorable treatment to political friends. The stranglehold on elections ensured only certain Republican candidates, who were in bed with the administration, had a shot at holding office. Vare was also accused of rampant voter fraud, and after winning a U.S. Senate seat in 1926, the senate refused to seat him due to allegations of corruption. At the core, the same problem that plagued voters who sought real change in Philadelphia back then is the same problem we are faced with today. Only this time around, it’s the Democrats who have control. While their power is based more on their solidly democratic electorate, a one-party system does not benefit the voters. Unfortunately, Republican candidates for most offices outside of certain enclaves and City Council are not taken seriously. The belief is that politicians will be less likely to initiate change if they know they can just cruise through the primary and win the general in a landslide. The race to fill disgraced former congressman Chaka Fattah’s 2nd Congressional District seat is no different. You have Dwight Evans, a Democrat and career politician, who is likely to win the election. Spirit News repeatedly attempted to reach out to Evans for comment, but he continues to evade us. We will continue to reach out to him. Evan’s challengers include T. Milton Street, who spoke to Spirit News right after announcing his candidacy on June 9, 2016, and Republican challenger James Jones. Jones is local businessman who has worked for HR and consulting companies for many years. He served in Vietnam, and was also honorably discharged from the Navy as a 60 percent disabled veteran. Jones believes his HR experience will help him deal with people in his district, and has worked in the past with Congressman Patrick Murphy to develop electronic ID systems for people seeking employment. Jones is a vocal advocate for cancer research and ending gun violence in Philadelphia. According to Jones, Evans isn’t just avoiding Spirit News. Jones has repeatedly invited Evans to a public debate, which Evans has refused to date. “I asked for 12 debates,” Jones said. “He won’t even return my phone calls, my text messages, my emails.” You have to ask yourself, why would a candidate not want to debate someone who according to most polls will probably lose? Perhaps it’s just arrogance, but Jones was more than willing to discuss why he thinks he’s better suited for the job than Street or Evans. Spirit News: It seems like you’ve been around the whole country. How did you arrive in Philadelphia? James Jones: I was in the Navy, and I lived in Atlanta before I came here...I went to law school there. I’ve been here for 20 plus years. It was the result of a job, a large company. I’ve been involved with community activities out in Bucks County. I’ve been in North Philly, South Philly, Northwest, Southwest... I used to go to church in West Philly. Now I go up in the Northeast. Spirit News: Do you have any planned debates with Evans? James Jones: Well, I’m trying to get him to commit to 12. Six in an area that I’d like to debate in and six in an area of

his choice. He is kind of reluctant because he’s of course in an all Democratic area so he should feel very comfortable, but that is not the case. He’s trying to keep a low profile. [Evans is] under an FBI probe right now, and I think what’s happened is that he doesn’t want the rest of the voters to know about that.

James Jones

Spirit News: Why do you think Dwight Evans won’t debate you? James Jones: I think he’s a chicken. I really think he’s a coward. He’s afraid of me and what I will tell the people of the district, because the people of the district have a right to know what his reputation has been as an appropriations chairman. They need to know what his character is now, and whether they want the same kind of bully guy to represent them this time in Congress. I think they want someone who will go in there and work with Congress, work across party lines.

G.I. bill for a number of reasons. I used it to pay for my education...to buy a home, for training. If Donald Trump wants to work at improving VA care, James Jones will be his best partner. I think veterans should have so much more benefits than what they are actually getting. I would hold Donald Trump or any person accountable to ensure that we never break ranks on benefits for veterans

Spirit News: Why do you think you can beat Dwight Evans?

Spirit News: How does it feel to be a Republican running in a one-party system?

James Jones: I think I can beat Dwight because I have experience in business. I have experience in developing relationships. I ran for Congress in 2010. I also believe that I have the ability to coalesce around a problem, and right now I think we have major problems in Philadelphia. Pre-K, we have high rates of unemployment, we have crime and we do not have a property strategy. I’m a solution provider. I know how to develop a strategy...and how to create jobs, and how to raise money for issues for the school system. I’ve been around a lot of people who are not happy with the political structure that’s going on. I think I got a good feel for that during the course of the primaries. The people in the district want me here, and they’re very open to that because they’re tired of the same old people, going through the same old motions, getting the same old results. I want to break that cycle. Spirit News: Some of the poorest sections of the city are in your district. What will you do to bring jobs back to these neighborhoods? James Jones: We’ve lost companies like Cardone Manufacturing...1300 jobs are gonna go to Mexico. We’re losing QVC. 220 jobs gonna go to Mexico. We need people to understand what the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) is all about. They don’t understand what NAFTA did for us. We need to have a fair trade system where we can inspire companies from outside of the city of Philadelphia to come back to the city. Then we can have people properly trained, specifically targeting for that job. We have a lot of universities willing to work with us to develop programs to help train individuals for talent pools specifically for that job. That’s why I believe I can make a bigger difference and get the federal government and the local government out of people’s business...allow the people to start to work. The federal government doesn’t create jobs. The federal government creates [patronage-type jobs]. That’s not what we want. Those patronage jobs are only going to come to a select group of people. We’re going to break that. It’s not working for us. Spirit News: A lot of people in the 2nd District had their property taxes rise due to the recent changes in property tax assessment. How will you work to lower property taxes in your district? James Jones: I think that I can help to lower taxes by the earned income tax credit. I think we can inspire people to utilize that as an incentive to create jobs, and to be able to identify the issue of gentrification. When you have million-dollar homes coming into a neighborhood that was a certain size, it makes a big difference when you do the assessment. I think we need to be smart to address those issues. Yes, we need to have community improvements, but we need to have tax incentives so that people want to stay in those communities and they don’t feel like they’re being chased out. Spirit News: Donald Trump made a statement that he was opposed to the G.I. Bill. In your bio it says you benefited greatly from this program. How does this make you feel? James Jones: I’m not really sure about what he’s really been opposed to in terms of veteran’s benefits. I can say that what I have enjoyed about being a veteran...I retired from the Navy a 60 percent disabled veteran. I’ve used the

James Jones: I would never be able to run for Congress as a Democrat in this city. The reason I couldn't is because I am such a low person in the eyes of some of the powers that be or the special interest groups that I have to run as a Republican. I am a longtime Republican. I have a compassion for Pre-K, a commitment to job creation and creating economic opportunity. I’m speaking a language that they said, I’ve never heard a Republican talk that way before. It’s impressive to me that I get a chance to talk to a brand new audience of people who’ve actually never heard a Republican. All they’ve ever heard were Democrats. I believe we should feel good about what we can accomplish. The poverty rate is 28.6 percent in the 2nd District. It’s called deep poverty. The 2nd District is considered one of the poorest districts in the United States, and that’s nothing to feel good about. I believe that people really want to do their very best, and not rely on the system. Spirit News: How will you ensure that your office is protected from corruption? James Jones: I’m not excited very easily about sitting in dinners with lobbyists, or sitting in the presence of kings and queens because I’ve sat with them before as a business consultant. I’m not that impressed to allow that type of influence to sway my conscience. I’m a Christian, and I believe in holding strong to my Christian values of being honest, with integrity and maintaining a certain character all the time. I believe in treating everyone fair. We are one nation. We are American. I will keep a system in place of checks and balances to ensure that we never lose sight as to why we’re in this office. Spirit News: T. Milton Street told us that neither you nor Evans has a plan to stop the violence in the city. Can you elaborate on how you will address violence in Philadelphia? James Jones: I think right now in terms of getting (Street’s) plan to work, requires some significant investment from somebody somewhere. Of course, as we look at budgets, everybody's budgets are crunched real tight. My plan is this. The crime in the 2nd Congressional District is overwhelming because there’s 50 percent unemployment within the black community. It’s gonna take a heavy lift to get people back to work again, and to bring companies to come into the 2nd Congressional District. I believe I can work with larger companies to help bring back good jobs. If I can bring that company into the district, there has to be certain guarantees that people from that zip code will be working. I believe private industry will help by hiring people from the community. Spirit News: So to be clear, Street says stop the violence, then the jobs will come. You are saying the opposite, that we need to bring jobs here first, then the violence will stop. That shows a fundamental difference in both your approaches to ending violent crime? James Jones: It does. It’s unfortunate that we’ve had a sitting congressman that has allowed the district to work its way into the condition that it is. Any man or woman...if there’s an opportunity for them to work, they’re not going to go out and sell drugs. In fact I know they won’t. That is a stereotype that people don’t want to work, and I don’t like that tainted attitude that goes along with it. •


Page 7

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 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 Friday, September 2, 5-8PM ART EXHIBITION On September 15, 2006, Cerulean Arts first opened its doors with an inaugural exhibition celebrating the 10th reunion of PAFA's MFA Class of 1996. Twelve of the fifteen graduating artists plus their Director of Graduate Programs participated in that first exhibition. We are so excited that this September, as Cerulean Arts marks its 10-year anniversary, we will present the 20th Reunion Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts MFA Class of 1996. Tuesday, September 6 6-7PM RACE AND INCARCERATION IN AN 1850’S PRISON MEMOIR English and American Studies professor from Yale University, Caleb Smith is coming to Eastern State Penitentiary to continue their Searchlight Series. Smith recently discovered the earliest documentation of an African American writer who was incarcerated in New York Auburn State Prison. Smith will be discussing the prisoner’s, Austin Reed, memoir. Saturday, September 10 FLEA MARKET Philly Flea Markets will host a market in front of the Eastern State Penitentiary 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 Wednesday, September 21 6:00-7:30PM GAMBA U: SECURITY BEST PRACTICES FOR A SAFER CORRIDOR Join Art Museum Area businesses for a discussion on security best practices to prevent loss while helping make the entire corridor safer. Security experts will be on hand to discuss products/solutions as well as incentives and programs offered by the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. 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 RSVP by September 21 to Marie Philbin at 215-684-7349 or ormarie.philbin@philamuseum.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

AFFORDABLE ELECTRIC INC LOWEST PRICES! “We Do It All” POLICE, FIRE & SENIOR DISCOUNTS

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL FAST EMERGENCY SERVICE 100 AMP • Breakers Lighting • Outlets • Fuse Repair • Ceiling Fans Switches • Dryer Lines Doorbell Repairs

10% OFF WITH THIS AD

215-722-5993 State License #PA068325 City of Philadelphia Electrical License #17027 We will BEAT ALL ESTIMATES!


The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 31, 2016

Page 8

WRITTEN BY WHITNEY JOHNSON

Boxers’ Trail 5K HISTORIC RUNNING TRAIL TO HOLD 5K SEPTEMBER 10TH

F

or the fifth year in a row, Strawberry Mansion Day is beginning with the Boxers’ Trail 5K run/walk on Saturday, September 10th. The trail has been around for decades and this 5K is a way of celebrating healthy living and the quality space that is located in East Fairmount Park. According to Fairmount Park Conservancy, it is named Boxers’ Trail because renowned pugilist Joe Frazier at one time would frequent the trail. Muhammad Ali knew this information and used it to find Frazier when he wanted to challenge him to a boxing match. Philly’s Parks and Recreation spokesperson, Alain Joinville, told Flying Kite Media that the park space is not used as often as it once was. That is why the Parks and Rec department, Fairmount Park Conservancy and Strawberry Mansion CDC came together to create the 5K and utilize the space for proper use. Though the space is used by boxers and athletes today, anyone is welcome to use the trail on any given day — no matter what physical shape they are in. During the 5K, people who decide to simply walk the entire route are welcome to do so. The idea of the event is to encourage physical activity and bring in people to appreciate the piece of land. Check-in for the event starts at 8:30AM the day of the 5K at Mander Playground (2140 N 33rd St.) and the timed race will begin at 9:30AM. Top female and male finishers as well as children will receive medals. Anyone interested can register by phone at 215-9889334. You can also register online at https://secure.marathonguide.com/register/BoxerTrail5K/ and if you order online before September 2, the prices are $20 for runners and $15 for walkers. After that date, the prices will rise by $5 dollars for each option. The event is free for Strawberry Mansion residents but you must register by phone or go to Mander Playground or Strawberry Mansion NAC (2829 West Diamond St.). •

Mander Playground


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.