The Spirit of the Riverwards - July 6, 2016 by The Spirit

H Y PERLOC AL

DON E DI F F E R E N T LY

FISHTOWN + KENSINGTON + NORTHERN LIBERTIES + PORT RICHMOND + BRIDESBURG

THIS

WEEK JULY 6, 2016 VOL. 13 NO. 25

KENSINGTON GARDENS KCFC and Nodding Head Brewery to unveil new beer garden on July 16 8

KNOW YOUR HISTORY The Riverwards and King George’s War 9

OUR LADY OF PORT RICHMOND OLPR receives pre-K expansion grant from The Philadelphia School Partnership 8

ACCU-REGGIE Seven day forecast for the Riverwards.

onday, April 9, 2012 is a date many people awake during the early morning hours in Kensington will remember. I was beginning my day at 3AM about a mile away from the vacant Thomas W. Buck Hosiery building, which at one point encompassed an entire city block at York and Jasper Streets, just off Kensington Avenue. Two things were odd to me that day as I descended my stairs, rubbed my eyes, and realized that I had to drive to Hoboken and work up there for a few days. The first thing I noticed was that the rat that had been terrorizing my kitchen was dead, finally falling victim to a well-placed trap. The

second thing I noticed was outside my house: I could hear an apocalyptic amount of sirens coming from every direction of the city, getting louder and louder as they approached a blazing fire nearby. Living this close to Kensington makes you less aware of police sirens and the occasional low flying chopper spotlighting the streets below. This clamor, however, was so loud and something I wasn’t used to hearing. By then it was nearly 4AM and I was late, so out the door I went. It wasn’t until later that I learned what had happened. Continued on Page 10.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Local events, meetings and more. 12-13

I HOT OFF THE

PRESS

f you could tell the world what is in your heart, what would you say? Would you even have the guts? That’s the idea behind a daring new body of artwork playing out on the streets of Philadelphia. Goth Hearts is a “culmination of feelings pulled from diaries, notes, sketchbooks, scribbles, memories, and every day feels,” according to Amber Lynn (aka Amberella), the Fishtown artist behind the project. The Goth Hearts are a series of wheatpaste hearts reminiscent of the colorful hard candies exchanged in classrooms and offices each year on Valentine’s Day. As the name suggests, however, these hearts aren’t always so sweet. While some bear messages of unbridled love and hope (“STAY,” “UR ALL I NEED,” TRUST ME,”) others are tinged with dark reminders that love doesn’t always work the way that we want (“UR LOSING ME,” “WITHOUT

YOU,” “FOOL.”) All of these competing messages and the feelings they evoke are equally important to Amber Lynn. She sees this project as a form of catharsis, both for herself and for others. “Feelings — all types — are so important. It means you are alive and present,” she declares in her artist statement. She expanded on that notion in a recent interview with Spirit News. “I’ve pulled from the rawest emotions, from those fleeting moments when you want to scream, ‘You’re losing me!’ But you don’t. Or maybe you did and you can still taste that moment. Or a time when you felt so desperate or in love to say, ‘Trust me! You’re all I need. Stay.’ All of these are things we think in very emotionally driven moments, but we rarely Continued on Page 5.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016

THE

local lens BY THOM NICKELS

I’m standing on Aramingo Avenue waiting for a bus when a guy passing on a bicycle skids to a stop in front of me. The stranger takes off his helmet and introduces himself: his name is Anthony Campuzano, a Pew Fellow artist with work in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and PAFA. He also tells me that he grew up in my grandfather’s house at 40 W. Albemarle Street in Lansdowne. I do a double take and check to see if I’ve been struck by lightning. My grandfather, Frank V. Nickels was a Philadelphia architect of some note (his papers are archived at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia). He designed the house at 40 W. Albermarle Street sometime in the early 1920s and sold the mansion to the Campuzano family shortly before his death in 1985. The mansion was a place I visited many times as a child. I can still recall its Old World charm: the museum style oil paintings, wall tapestries, hand carved Chinese furniture, a Steinway piano, shelves of books and an immense bust of Dante Alighieri on the high living room fireplace. Anthony tells me he’s been trying to track me down because he wants me to contribute to an exhibit at the 20*20 House art gallery in Landsdowne titled “Beyond Cold Polished Stones.” The exhbibt features the work of artists who have ties to Lansdowne. I agree to send him photos of my grandmother in the living room of the old house as well an original poem and some items related to my grandfather’s architectural practice. At the exhibit’s opening reception, I learn that one of the legends of 20th Century America visited my grandfather sometime in 1936 or ’37. The occasion was the negotiation of land rights for the proposed building of Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia. Because my grandfather was hired by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to design Nazareth, he was asked to try to get an agreement of sale from the owner of the land. Without land rights, the hospital could not be built. The owner of the land was the 6’4” tall Hollywood playboy and movie producer, Howard Hughes, who had made a name for himself in 1928 when his comedy, “Two Arabian Knights,” won an Oscar. Hughes had also co-directed the 1930 film, “Hell’s Angels,” a film about WWI combat pilots starring Jean Harlow. Hughes’ inherited family wealth enabled him to buy all the combat planes used in the film. A natural daredevil and pilot himself, Hughes took part in the filmed combat dog fights in which 3 pilots died. As Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor, the handsome Hughes had affairs with Katherine Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth and many others. In later years he had the habit of collecting beautiful women with movie star aspirations. It was his habit to put them up in apartments or small houses while paying their rent and daily expenses. Initially Hughes may have shown a romantic interest in these women but over time this interest would wane. Hughes was content to call them once a month as he continued to send them checks, sometimes for years. He was also attracted to male stars like Cary Grant and Randolph Scott but this part of his life was kept

secret, given the tenor of the times. In 1939, two years after his meeting with my grandfather, he flew around the world and was honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City. Let’s go back to 1937 when Hughes piloted his own plane to New York and then to Philadelphia’s Northeast Airport where my grandparents stood waiting for him on the tarmac. My grandmother, Pauline Clavey Nickels, a former opera singer from Wilmington, was probably wearing one of her big hats, and no doubt Frank was dressed in his herringbone best. When Hughes arrived, pleasantries were exchanged, and then the group went off to a meeting near the grounds of the proposed hospital. What was said then can only be imagined. No doubt Frank and Pauline were a little star struck, especially when Hughes accepted Frank’s offer to go back to 40 West so that he could have a look at his proposed hospital design. I wonder if the group had lunch on the way to the mansion. Did Pauline ask about Rita Hayworth, or did Hughes inquire about the stern bust of Dante on Frank’s mantelpiece? Did Hughes let it slip that in two years he planned an around the world solo? What I do know is that both Howard Hughes and Frank Nickels were eccentrics (although grandfather was not mad), so I’m sure there was an instant bond. Frank, one of four brothers and a sister, was born in 1891 to William Bartholomew and Dorothy G. Nickels of Roxborough. As a young man he was already setting his own style: he had a penchant for getting his shirts dry cleaned and then carrying them on hangers on various local trolleys. In 1914, he graduated from Drexel with a diploma in architecture and after that he established architectural offices in Center City at 15 S. 21st Street, 225 S. Sydenham Street and later in the Land Title Building. His concentration was industrial and commercial projects, as well as schools and churches for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and in the Reading area. Several years ago I had an opportunity to tour two of his buildings, 1521 Spruce Street and the Frances Plaza Apartments at 19th and Lombard Streets. For many years Frank partnered with architect C.J. Mitchell, whose papers are also archived at the Athenaeum. Frank split with Mitchell when the latter challenged him in a bid to design a school for Saint Philomena School in Lansdowne. Somebody who knew my grandfather told me that he never spoke to CJ again. Frank and Pauline Nickels raised three children, Frank, Thomas C (my father), and Joan in the Albemarle mansion. Frank’s bonsai garden behind the mansion was so famous that local Cub Scout Packs would organize tours of the space. Both Hughes and Nickels were basically shy men with loner tendencies. My grandfather was not a joiner. As far as I know he never was a member of the Philadelphia AIA or the “must do” T Square Club, unlike CJ Mitchell who was a member of both. Both men had a difficult time controlling their tempers. At eight years of age while staying overnight at the man-

THOM NICKELS IS A PHILADELPHIA BASED AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, POET, FILM CRITIC & FEATURE WRITER FOR SPIRIT NEWS.

sion I was kissing my grandparents goodnight when grandfather suddenly pulled me close because he smelled something on my neck. That ‘something’ was grandmother’s talcum powder that I’d dusted myself with after my evening bath. Grandfather sat me down in a high backed medieval looking chair and proceeded to scold me for being “a sissy.” I didn’t know what a sissy was; I just knew that I liked talcum powder. I had never seen grandfather angry before. The event was so traumatic I was never able to rekindle an interest in talcum powder after that. When grandfather and Hughes met at 40 West, it’s possible that they reviewed the Nazareth plans in the dining room at the long table for 16 situated under a chandelier. Grandfather’s drafting room was on the second floor overlooking the bonsai garden and carriage house, so perhaps he and Hughes retired there as Pauline played a few bars of Chopin on the Steinway downstairs. “Frank, I like your plans for Nazareth, I really do,” I can imagine Hughes saying. “The design is modern with a touch of art deco and I like the way the building meets the sky. There’s something about your design that reminds me of aviation. I’ll tell you what, Frank. I’m going to give the Archdiocese of Philadelphia this land for free. You can tell them that down at the Chancery…Now I’m going to fly off to one of my kept women on the west coast.” The truth is, Hughes admired the hospital plans so much he gifted the land to the Archdiocese at zero cost. Perhaps they sealed the deal with a drink, a toast of port or a round of straight up Manhattans whipped up by Pauline at the cocktail bar. Grandfather must have told this story at Sunday dinner parties or at Thanksgiving and Christmas years after Hughes had become a recluse, living as a hermit on top of the Desert Inn Hotel Casino in Las Vegas or jetting around the world to hole up in other darkened hotel rooms with his ten inch long fingernails, and long gray hair and beard resembling the monks on Mt. Athos. What is amazing to me, however, is that not long after Hughes’ visit to 40 West he opened the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. But before that, in 1935, he designed the H1 Silver Bullet, the world’s fastest racing airplane noted for its sleek modern look. As I checked out images of the H1, I couldn’t help but think how the plane eerily reminded me of Nazareth Hospital. How can a plane remind anyone of a hospital? Well, I can only conclude by saying that the plane had a sleek modern look that conjured up the “feeling” of art deco. •

The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 WRITTEN BY SHANE ENGLISH

JeremyPowers US CYCLOCROSS CHAMPION WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM FANS AT TRANSPORT CYCLES

urrent U.S. Cyclocross champion, Jeremy Powers, will answer questions from fans at Firth and Wilson Transport Cycles on Friday, July 8. The event, at 1105 Frankford Ave, costs $10 and all proceeds will benefit Cadence Youth Cycling, a program of The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. The Q&A is presented with support from Lagunitas Brewing Company. From 7-9 PM, Powers will answer questions about his experiences as a professional cyclist, his motivations and how he stays focused on his goals. Come and ask the current champion how manages the stress of competition and the tools and techniques he uses to maintain his success. Powers, the top-ranked American Cyclocross rider, has been a competitive cyclist since his teenage years, winning his first major race, the Junior Mountain Bike World Cup in Napa Valley, in 2000. Initially drawn to Cyclocross as a way to keep competing and cycling between mountain bike season, Powers enjoyed the short, high-intensity races of Cyclocross. Powers spent the mid-2000s focused on road racing until he joined the Cyclocrossworld. com team in 2007. Since turning pro in 2004, Powers has strived to be an ambassador for Cyclocross and cycling in general wherever he goes. Next season, Powers will focus exclusively on Cyclocross with his team, Aspire Racing, racing primarily in Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Cup events. This Q&A follows a day-long clinic where Powers will discuss the fundamentals of cyclocross and the techniques

that have helped him succeed in the demanding sport. The clinic is also for the benefit of Cadence Youth Cycling and The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Cadence Youth Cycling organizes teams of young cyclists throughout Philadelphia in order to “life skills, such as teamwork, perseverance, and goal setting,” according to their website. Last year, Cadence fielded eight teams from Strawberry Mansion High School, Benjamin Franklin High School and more Philadelphia schools. Cadence Youth Cycling is helping to present Jeremy Powers at Firth and Wilson Transport Cycles. Proceeds will go to support Cadence Youth Cycling’s teams. •

Photo by Sandis Helvigs via Creative Commons License (https://stocksnap.io/photo/8UPTIAHRPD)

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL KLUSEK

sexy sadie

SEXY SADIE BRINGS THE SOUND OF THE BEATLES TO PORT RICHMOND

exy Sadie, Philly's premier Beatles tribute band, performed at Powers Park in Port Richmond on Friday, July 1st. The band is a "celebration of the music, NOT an imitation" of The Beatles — No costumes, wigs, etc... Just great music. Sexy Sadie is Bruce Bergenfeld (lead guitar, vocals), Dennis Czerw (drums), Bob Deissroth (electric, acoustic Guitar, vocals) and Al Melone (bass, piano, vocals). •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 S E V E N D AY F O R E C A S T F O R T H E R I V E R WA R D S

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

ere comes stifling the summer heat! Last week was warm, but not hot. 80s dominated the temperature scene making for great summer weather. All of that is about to change in a big way. Temperatures will be in the 90s almost all of this week. We may even come close to 100 on Thursday! Don’t even bother trying to do much of anything outside. It will feel like you’re living in a Floridian swamp land, like you’ve just walked outside and into a bowl of soup! You get the point: It’s going to be very hot and very humid this week. The biggest rain event this week is on Friday with a weak cold front that will come through in the evening. Expect

heavy rain and thunderstorms to crash through the area Friday afternoon. There is also a slight chance of showers Thursday from the massive amount of heat and humidity that will be in the atmosphere. Otherwise, the week looks mostly dry. We start the forecast period hot and steamy! Wednesday will feature some of the hottest weather we’ve had all summer. The heat and humidity will feel awful! Thursday is a repeat of Wednesday except it could be even hotter. A stray shower or thunderstorm may pop up in areas due to the heat. Friday starts very warm as temperatures jump into the

90s before heavy thunderstorms come through in the afternoon and especially the evening hours. Saturday and Sunday are very warm and sunny, temperatures will be in the 90s, but the humidity will start to decrease on Sunday. It will be warm at night and absolutely beautiful for fun around town or going to a ball game. Temperatures will finally retreat into the 80s on Monday before rebounding back into the 90s Tuesday. Sunshine will be plentiful both days as we go back to “normal” Summer weather. The weather winner of the week is the Sunday; the weather loser is Thursday (too hot!). •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 Continued from Page 1. say them to the person they are meant for,” she explained. This idea of feeling and living being inextricably linked is deeply personal for Amber Lynn. In 2015 after years of multi-system health issues, chronic pain, and endless doctor visits, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder that can make everyday life extraordinarily painful. Before her diagnosis, she struggled with the inability to pinpoint the cause of her ailments, often at the expense of her art. “I wasn't focused on my artwork, but rather on getting a diagnosis. I was devastated not to be producing artwork,” she admitted. Relieved and encouraged that the source of her pain, though incurable, had finally been identified, she was determined to get back in touch with her creative self. She launched the Goth Hearts project soon after, aiming to share her feelings and elicit them from others. “In the street, I’m providing this happenstance for people where everything may stop for a split second while their heart and mind process what was just read and then felt. I don’t think it’s something you can plan for, just like feelings. They happen. I’m just pulling the trigger,” she said. The hearts have caught the attention of many users on social media, where Amber Lynn is developing something of a cult following. Her work is regularly featured on StreetsDept.com, photographer Conrad Benner’s popular blog that chronicles and celebrates art on the streets of Philadelphia. “It’s really special to have someone kind of cataloging this all. I feel really lucky to know [Conrad] and get coverage from him,” she said. Countless individuals and businesses have reached out to Amber Lynn on Instagram, looking to partner with her in some way. Some simply send her an address with an invitation to paste a heart on their building. Others have asked to team up with Amber Lynn in a more tangible manner. Lindsay Condefer, owner of Street Tails Animal Rescue in Northern Liberties, asked Amber Lynn to create a custom heart for her business. She already had a heart with the message “RESCUE ME” in her portfolio, so the partnership felt like a natural fit. In addition to Street Tails, Amber Lynn has also partnered with Northern Liberties’ One Shot Café (“ONE SHOT”) and the Divine Lorraine Ho-

tel (“UR DIVINE”). With so many requests pouring in, Amber Lynn is careful that the message behind Goth Hearts isn’t lost or watered down. “I do have reservations about who and how my artwork is used for sure,” she reflected. “I have to feel good about what the business stands for and how they operate. It absolutely matters.” She said she always asks herself the same question when considering a partnership: “Will this benefit both of us and the community?” In the year since her diagnosis, things have started to fall into place for Amber Lynn. By her own estimates, she’s wheatpasted more than 100 hearts throughout Philadelphia. In addition to her street art and work with local businesses, she recently launched a new website where she sells limited edition prints and has plans to merchandise the Goth Hearts in the near future. “Things are moving forward in all types of different ways and I’m just going with it and trying to be selective with the opportunities presented to me,” she said. In April, exactly one year to the date of her diagnosis, Amber Lynn received news that brought tears of joy to her eyes. Rad Girls, a Philly-based group that recognizes women for achievement, innovation, and inspiration, named

her their Artist of the Year. “I remember just bawling, overcome with emotion when I opened that email. I felt myself saying, “You did it, even with this body. You worked your ass off to feed your creative self again [despite] this illness and someone happened to notice along the way,” she recalled. As new Goth Hearts continue to pop up on buildings and surfaces throughout the Riverwards and beyond, one thing is for sure: more people will soon be taking notice of Amberella. You can see more of Amberella’s work on Instagram at amberellaxo or at www.amberellaxo.com. •

Amber Lynn aka Amberella./Photos by Megan Matuzak

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 W R I T T E N B Y T H O M A S B E C K , P H O T O S B Y PAT R I C K C L A R K

Development News FIND OUT WHAT’S BEING BUILT ON YOUR BLOCK

Fishtown On Tuesday, June 21, members of the Fishtown community voted 71 - 68 in favor of constructing a 50-foot-high mixed-use building at 1405 Frankford Avenue. The site encompasses a portion of a community garden as well as several garages operated by Penn Treaty Metals. The plan will be presented to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) sometime within the next few months. Last year, developers purchased a chunk of property at the intersection of Frankford and Montgomery Avenues. An unnamed buyer purchased the old church building on the parcel after members of the community expressed their concern with regard to its preservation. Four duplexes are being constructed next to the old church building. Three of the upper units, priced at approximately $350,000 each, are currently under negotiation. Four of the lower units are still available at approximately $300,000 each. Bright Common Architecture and Design is renovating a former public bathhouse at 1241 North Front Street. PlayArts, an educational institution, will be setting up shop here, offering classes for young children as well as cognitive-development training for babies. It is located under the Market-Frankford Line several doors down from the Front Street Cafe.

cant parcel into a parking lot as an accessory use to a yetto-be-built hotel at 1224 - 1240 Frankford Avenue. Said owners obtained variances for both the parking lot and the hotel on the same day. The hotel will include more than 120 rooms, several restaurants, office space, an event area and a rooftop pool. A design proposal for a mixed-use building at 2621 - 2667 Frankford Avenue has been released. The Civic Design Review meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 5. The East Kensington Neighborhood Association voted 61 - 33 in favor of the project in April. Woods Brothers Building Materials previously owned the currently vacant lot. The city has received federal funding dedicated to improving the conditions of American Street between Girard and Indiana Avenues. Pan American Academy Charter School will host a public open house on Wednesday, July 20 to discuss the upcoming project. The Philadelphia Streets and Water Departments will implement plans in order to improve the conditions of American Street. A second open house will take place on Tuesday, July 26 at the Crane Arts Center at 1400 North American Street. •

1320-1348 N. Front St.

4th and Green Streets.

1405 Frankford Ave.

Northern Liberties In Northern Liberties, just south of Cambridge Street between 4th and Orianna, developers are converting an old carpet-binding factory into a 32-unit residential building. The structure has been sitting vacant for many years. Developers proposed a somewhat similar plan in 2014, but nothing ever came to fruition. The current project presumably requires nine parking spaces on the parcel. Two stories have been added to one of the buildings at the intersection of 2nd and Green Streets. The posted permits indicate that two new apartment units will constitute the addition. The architectural details have yet to be ascertained. Yards Brewery is relocating next year. It will be moving from 901 North Delaware Avenue to the intersection of 5th and Spring Garden Streets. Tom Kehoe, the president and co-founder of Yards Brewery, hopes to lease 75,000 square feet of space in order to increase his business’s annual output. The new brewery will presumably open late next year.

1241 N. Front Street

Destination Maternity building, 5th and Spring Garden.

Kensington Construction has recently begun at 1320 - 1348 North Front Street. The property owners are converting the va-

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 W O R D S A N D P H O T O S B Y PAT R I C K C L A R K

our lady of port richmond O L P R R E C E I V E S P R E - K E X PA N S I O N G R A N T F R O M T H E P H I L A D E L P H I A S C H O O L PA R T N E R S H I P

he Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP) presented a $60,000 grant to Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School on Wednesday, June 29. The grant will go toward the expansion of the school’s pre-K education program, classroom renovations, and additional academic programs aiming to increase the school’s total enrollment by 40 students. The presentation of the check was preceded by speakers including Sister Mary Ripp, the principal of Our Lady of Port Richmond. “This check benefits the students and their learning environment,” Sister Ripp said. “It’s always about the students and creating that really quality learning environment. And that’s what this will help us do.” Our Lady of Port Richmond currently serves 406 students in pre-K through 8th grade. Of those students, 65 percent are economically disadvantaged and 62 percent receive financial aid. Thanks to grants like this one, OLPR is able to accommodate these students that require assistance. Since 2011, the Philadelphia School Partnership has invested over $53 million into schools in Philadelphia. Sister Mary was followed by Bobby Henon, 6th District Councilman. He spoke about the importance of early education in Philadelphia. “More children who have early education and a great start in school will grow up to be contributing adults in the city of Philadelphia,” Henon said. “These additional 40 seats are an incredible step in the right direction. Clearly showing that Philadelphians care about their kids and giving them the best possible start in life.” The event continued with Michelle Ganley, a local parent, speaking. Ganley’s daughter will be joining OLPR’s pre-K program in the fall and expressed her excited about the program and what PSP’s grant means for its development. “It’s refreshing to walk into a classroom on a tour and see happy faces on the teachers and the students,” Ganley said. “I couldn’t be more excited about this grant given to our school by Philadelphia School Partnerships and I’m so happy that my child will be starting in the Pre-K program this September.” • WRITTEN BY SHANE ENGLISH

Kensington Gardens

K C F C A N D N O D D I N G H E A D B R E W E RY T O U N V E I L N E W B E E R G A R D E N O N J U LY 1 6

ensington Gardens, a new beer garden sponsored by Kensington Community Food Co-op (KCFC), is set to host its opening event on July 16, from 5-10PM. Nodding Head Brewery will pour beer and Phoebe’s BBQ and Lil Pop Shop will sell food to the hungry attendees 2666-72 Coral Street. The beer garden will be open August 13, September 10, and October 15 and 22. Each night of the pop-up garden will feature local food trucks, beer and a chance to learn more about the KCFC and its members. “Our landlords are connected to Nodding Head Brewery who have the offsite catering licence that we’re using,” said Oren Eisenberg, a KCFC member in charge of the group’s marketing efforts. “The landlord and Nodding Head came to the board and said we’re offering you the legal means to have this type of event if you want to put it on. All of the proceeds will benefit the co-op.” According to Eisenberg, KCFC is financing at least the first of the five pop-up gardens. “We are kicking money into it as an initial investment,” Eisenberg said. “We’re talking to some sponsors to potentially cover some of the cost and maybe do themed beer gardens later in the cycle.” Spirit News reached out to Holly Logan, President of KCFC, for the specific amount invested. "We don't have all of our receipts tallied yet," said Logan. "Most of the funds going to building up the pop-ups are part of the overall co-op improvements and cite beautification and maintenance that we need to do anyway." Eager to avoid the licensing issues that closed Heffe’s beer garden, KCFC is making sure to properly file their zoning permits, Eisenberg said. As of June 29, the permits for Kensington Garden were still being filed. Kensington Gardens, said Eisenberg, will be more than just a beer garden. In addition to beer and a series of food trucks, the garden will feature games and activities for children. The proposed layout, Eisenberg said, will give visitors

plenty of room to relax with their friends and neighbors. “It’s meant for people of all ages: kids are welcome, dogs are welcome,” Eisenberg said. “You have to be 21 to drink, but that’s part of this being community fun as well. It’s not just an adult thing, it’s not just a millennial thing.” On July 16, Phoebe’s BBQ and Lil Pop Shop will pull their trucks into the parking lot and serve food to the guests. The entrance to the garden is on Coral Street. Under the welcoming banner, guests will be ID’d and receive their wristbands. Directly in front of the entrance will be the keg truck and beer servers. Facing the beer tent from the Coral Street entrance, the food trucks will be parked to the left. Between the food trucks on the left and the KCFC market on the far right, chairs and tables made from reclaimed materials will be scattered to give people the chance to mingle. 2666-72 Coral Street./Patrick Clark

Eisenberg said that artists from the Art Department were helping to design the layout of the garden. Though the beer garden’s opening night is in ten days, Eisenberg provided few details. Despite the dearth of details, Eisenberg was totally confident that the garden will be completed on time. “We’re planning on building this in the next week. There will be fencing up to make it feel more enclosed,” Eisenberg said. KCFC’s goal is to transform the parking lot into a much more inviting space that encourages old and new members of the community to come together, Eisenberg said. “It’s about being bigger than the co-op, bigger than this grocery store but it’s through believing in the same types of ideals of community that the co-op represents.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 WRITTEN BY SPENCER HOMAN

know your history! T H E R I V E RWA R D S A N D K I N G G E O R G E ’ S WA R

he local neighborhoods of Philadelphia are often forgotten in American history, along with the leaders of the area. However, this region played a substantial role in many national and international events, like William Cramp’s shipbuilding for the military or William Ball housing George Washington during the Revolution. Before the United States was an official nation, Kensington would be involved in an international conflict taking place on colonial American soil. In 1704, Anthony Palmer spent 500 Barbados pounds for 582 acres of land in Pennsylvania. In addition to being a landowner, merchant, and trader, Palmer was also the founder of Kensington, which appeared to be his biggest passion. Even though Palmer was involved in local politics, he did not choose to spend much of his time in that realm. Ironically, Palmer displayed incredible leadership and diplomacy in Pennsylvania politics, despite being disinterested in law and government, all at a very significant time in the history of our country. Anthony Palmer served on the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania for several decades, but he did not have a good track record of attending meetings. About a year after Palmer sold his Hope Farm (later became Port Richmond) to William Ball in 1729, Palmer received a summons from the Council due to his lack of presence in the group; it had been almost three years since Palmer showed up to a Council meeting. Palmer became the President of the Provincial Council in 1747 after the former president retired. Because Palmer had been the longest serving member of the Council, he was selected as the new president, despite his inactivity. In June of the same year, Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor George Thomas traveled home to England to care for his personal health. Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor was also replaced by Palmer. A man who cared very little about politics had become President of the Provincial Council and the acting Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in the first half of 1747. At the same time that Palmer took on these responsibilities, England and France were in the height of a war, much of which took place in North America. Europe was ruled by a group of powerful leaders for hundreds of years that would only marry other powerful leaders in order to maintain control. This group was called the House of Habsburgs, and in 1740, the last male in the Austrian branch of Habsburgs died. Charles VI was the Holy Roman Emperor, archduke of Austria, and the King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. Wars all across Europe broke out, and conflicts in colonies of these European powers arose as well. These conflicts include the War of Jenkins’s Ear, two Silesian Wars, and King George’s War (in the North American continent). During the duration of King George’s War (1744-1748), colonists in North America were fighting against each other, and sometimes they were aided by their mother countries. However, most support came from Native Americans who were aligned either with the British colonists or the French colonists. Native Americans played a far more substantial role in colonial affairs than people today might consider. However, people of the time period, such as Anthony Palmer, believed that Native Americans were “capable of doing or preventing the greatest of mischief.”

The chaos of constant feuds in the colonies, such as King Philip’s War, Queen Anne’s War, and recurring violence among Natives made the matter of defense quite difficult. There were no large-scale defense systems for the colonies, just small local militias for local areas. With the pressing dangers from King George’s War, the newly appointed Lieutenant Governor and Provincial Council President Anthony Palmer had three matters to attend to: ending the piracy taking place in the Delaware Valley, fortifying the city, and convincing the Indians of the Six Nations to stay out of the war (or aide the English instead of the French). Being a pirate in North America did not come with as much danger as it would if you were a pirate in Europe. Since there was a lack of organized military, police, and defense in general, pirates bombarded the Mississippi, islands off the coast of the mainland, and the Delaware Valley. In addition to stealing ships and loot, pirates often destroyed property that they came across, such as the small villages in the Delaware Valley inhabited by Quakers. Opposing violence at all costs, the Quakers decided to remain in vulnerable situations rather than spend money organizing a defense system. Anthony Palmer, acting on behalf of Pennsylvania, “wrote to the administrators of Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, and New York about the visiting Ohio Indians.” It was the first time that the Ohio Indians visited Philadelphia. Anthony Palmer was integral in pacifying the Native Americans in the region, as well as calming tensions in western Pennsylvania, by sending Indian negotiator Conrad Weiser there to secure the situation. Palmer, Weiser, and Massachusetts governor Shirley were “successful in raising 400 pounds and eventually a larger gift to keep the Indians out of the war.” Luckily for Anthony Palmer, Benjamin Franklin agreed with his ideas about defending the city of Philadelphia. Franklin published a pamphlet called “Plain Truth or Serious Considerations on the Present State of the City of Philadelphia and Province of Pennsylvania.” The well-respected Ben Franklin gained support for the cause and citizens approved of fortifying the city. Philadelphia lacked artillery necessary for keeping pi-

rates away or battling against foreign armies. Palmer and Franklin both knew that Philadelphia needed a cannon. In order to illustrate the seriousness of his intentions, “Palmer sent two councilors to New York,” which was unheard of for the time period when most leaders would simply send letters. Palmer did, in fact, send letters to the governors of Massachusetts and Virginia in hopes that he could secure some artillery. Since Palmer was a trader in the islands, he also sent a letter to the governor of Jamaica for assistance. Ben Franklin gave speeches and “organized a lottery to raise 3,000 pounds [to] buy [artillery] from Governor Clinton of New York, but he declined,” most likely because he was victim to “gruesome raids along the New England-New York borders by both conflicting parties [England and France] and their Indian allies.” Since money did not convince the governor, Franklin’s next plan was to get him drunk and “convivial” to sway his opinion. After several unsuccessful attempts at convincing a drunken governor, Franklin raised even more money to buy a New York cannon for Philadelphia. So Anthony Palmer, the founder of Kensington, had a brief stint at the head of politics and it came at a pivotal time in the history of the English-French rivalry. Pirates were absent from the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia was ready for an invasion that would never come, and the Indians of the Six Nations stayed peaceful to the Philadelphians. Beyond this point in time, we know that European wars taking place in North America would continue. France and England had many differences in boundaries of Nova Scotia, northern New England, and control of the Ohio Valley. Conflicts in North America will arise again around 1754 with The French and Indian War and again around 1759 with the Cherokee War. The next battles colonists will fight are against Great Britain beginning in the 1760s. Information from the article comes from Kenneth Milano’s biography of Anthony Palmer and history of Kensington that can be found on Kennethwmilano.com. Additional information comes from Americanhistory.about.com, Britannica. com, Encyclopedia.com, Ohiohistorycentral.org, Palmettohistory.org, Philadelphia-reflections.com, and Publicbookshelf.com. •

View of the English landing on the island of Cape Breton to attack the fortress of Louisbourg. 1745. (By F Stephen via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository)

Page 10 Continued from Page 1. According to NBC10, the five-alarm fire broke out around 3:30AM at 1817 York Street in the enormous building that had been vacant for many years. According to philly.com, an 81 unit apartment building had at one point been proposed for the site, but never came to fruition. So the building remained empty, becoming a hazardous eyesore that attracted vagrants, drug users and, apparently, enormous fires. Tragically, Lt. Robert P. Neary and firefighter Daniel Sweeney were killed fighting the fire. Neary, a 37 year veteran of the PFD, had recently began filing papers to retire in the next four years. According to philly.com, the owners of the building that caught fire were, at the time, Michael, Nahman and Yechiel Lichtenstein, Brooklyn-based property holders who owned 34 properties throughout Philadelphia. The article portrays the owners as neglectful and quotes then-L&I Commissioner Fran Burns saying, "I don't understand, when you have a zoning permit for an 81-unit development, how you don't understand your responsibility to have a secure property." The lot was cleared of debris and most of the remnants from the fire are long gone. Spirit News was able to find an image dating from August 2014 of the site: There is no trash, no bricks and no tires. The grass is green and it looks like it’s ready for some neighborhood kids to get together and play some baseball there. Unfortunately, the land where two firefighters gave their lives to protect has since fallen back into dissay. It isn’t being protected by anyone and has become a haven for scofflaws and vagrants. Back in February, Spirit News was contacted by a tipster who claimed there was a high level of illegal dumping occurring at the lot bounded by York Street, Boston Street, Jasper Street and behind the stores that face Kensington Ave. He believed recent water department activity led to some debris being dumped at the lot. Shortly after receiving this tip, we sent reporters out to see the lot for ourselves and investigate. We found the once-grass covered lot was filled with large piles of bricks, concrete and dirt. It appeared someone had taken all the furnishings and items of an entire house and dumped them right along the Boston Street side of the lot. Tires and trash bags were piled up along York Street and wet mattresses were left to rot away in the elements. Paths were carved through the massive piles of bathroom tiles and drywall and led you on the sloppiest muddy path to a concealed area where evidence of a campfire was present. This lot is actually part of a much larger area comprised of several other abandoned lots in various stages of redevelopment. This section of Kensington is known locally as “The Mega Lot” and it’s commonly known to residents and dumpers as a place where they most likely won’t be caught dumping garbage illegally. While this particular portion of the “Mega Lot” seems to have been deemed the lot to dump heavy debris, the surrounding lots were covered in trash and litter. Evidence of makeshift campsites and sleeping areas led us to believe that at least one person had been living in one of the nearby lots. We returned again a couple weeks later only to find the

The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 situation had not changed: The debris was still piled high. As we exited the El at the York-Dauphin Station, a man was pushing a shopping cart with multiple car tires in it. The man began to throw the tires into the lot along York Street, despite making eye contact with our reporter who was pointing his camera right at him. The dumper was unfazed, as he turned around and walked back toward Kensington Ave. Comly Auctioneers and Appraisers is located along Boston Street, adjacent to the lot. According to Helen Minnucci, manager of Comly, there were problems with the Thomas W. Buck Hosiery building before the fire. “Before it even caught fire, us along with tons of neighbors complained about [the building] because there was no windows,” Minnucci said. “We watched people go in and out of the building all day and night long.” According to Minnucci, Comly was forced to vacate their building for nearly three years following the fire and only returned in the past year. Minnucci believes the vacant lot is a blight on the neighborhood. “People just go to the bathroom over there,” she said. “We have to sit at our desk, see people pulling down their pants and going to the bathroom over there. It’s just horrible.” Minnucci claims she contacted 311 in August 2015, but in an emailed response was told that the city doesn’t clean up construction debris and there was nothing they could do. Minnucci says the response also stated a “high level” meeting between 7th District Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, L&I and the Streets Department was scheduled where they would figure out how to amend the problem. According to Minnucci, she hadn’t seen any progress yet. “We’ve contacted everybody and still nothing is done,” Minnucci said. Meanwhile the dumping continues and the dumpers seem to be fearless. “At the same time everyday, this red pick up truck would pull up… they must take their license plate off, there’s no writing, and they are constantly dumping,” Minnucci said. “I think it’s just a mix of a lot of people — just, like, little contractors in the area and bigger sites.” All photos by Ptah Gabrie

Minnucci blames the property owner for the fire and their ongoing failure to secure the property. “Two firefighters were killed because of his neglect and now look at what we have to look at,” Minnucci said. Spirit News recently caught up with Brita Wisler, the sister of Lt. Neary, at a tribute for her brother following the Mayfair 5K. We told her that the lot had once again fallen into disarray. “I think L&I needs to step it up again,” Wisler said. “It was one of those things where there was a lot that was neglected there. That neighborhood has a lot of potential.” According to documents obtained by Spirit News, the lot is owned by York Street Property Development. That company is registered to Walder & Zaslow, PC, a law firm whose office is in the Oxford Valley Mall. We were unable to reach the owners for comment. On June 23, Spirit News spoke with Councilwoman Quiñones-Sánchez by phone. She described the current situation with the owners of the lot. “It’s been a little bit complicated,” Quiñones-Sánchez said. The councilwoman confirmed that there was activity in the area by city agencies resulting in debris being left on the lot where the two firefighters died. “At one point the Water Department and PGW were doing some work nearby around the street, so there was some dirt that was placed on the lot at one point,” Quiñones-Sánchez said. The councilwoman did say that the practice of city agencies using lots like this was uncommon, but she confirmed that debris from recent street work had been “placed” there. Quiñones-Sánchez also said she believed it had had been cleaned up. “Our understanding when we contacted the utilities was that once they finished the work, whatever was theirs would be removed,” Quiñones-Sánchez said. According to Quiñones-Sánchez, the Streets Department has come by on a weekly basis to clean up the household Continued on Page 11.

The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 Continued from Page 10. trash that accumulates at the lot, but claims the construction debris is costly to remove. “We have a lot of small contractor dumping. We’re spending a couple thousand dollars a month just to keep on top of it,” she said. “This whole issue of small contractor dumping situation is a problem in lots of parts of my district,” Quiñones-Sánchez said. “Just last week we were tracking one particular dumping site and ended up confiscating the truck of a Philly contractor that was dumping.” According to the councilwoman, one of the biggest problems is that penalties for illegal dumping are not high enough — it’s essentially cheaper to take the chance and dump illegally. She wants to increase funding to CLIP, which actively cleans the household debris from the lot. She also wants to increase the amount of cameras in the area to track people coming from outside Kensington to dump. “Most of the dumping is from folks outside of the area,” Quiñones-Sánchez The councilwoman, who according to the City of Philadelphia’s Open Data website makes an annual salary of $129,373, claims the city can’t afford to take the responsibility to put up a temporary fence. “It’s a cost issue. With that huge lot like that, [a fence] will be quite expensive on a monthly basis,” Quiñones-Sánchez said. She also points out that a temporary metal fence would most likely be a target for thieves in the area. She says the minimal penalties give little recourse the city can take to punish negligent landowners in her district. “We spend quite a bit of money as a city tracking all these bad actors,” she said, “and it becomes very expensive because some of the stuff gets reimbursed and some of the stuff doesn’t.” Quiñones-Sánchez also says that penalties and fines on the owner of the York Street lot are impeding progress at the lot. “In that particular case, you have a property that already has significant amounts of liens already placed on it. Every project proposal that’s been viewed in that place… one of the reasons the number doesn’t work is the person who owns the site still wants to make money” Quiñones-Sánchez said. “It’s not like he’s willing to walk away and say this was a bad investment, let me recoup some of it, no, he still wants to make money.” The councilwoman also blames the previous administration for not empowering the city to go after negligent property owners. “The previous administration was very reluctant around looking at forcing folks to have a bond

where we could go do some work and get reimbursed,” Quiñones-Sánchez. “Unless we have a lien authority based on the value of the property, it’s really hard for us to compel a bad actor to do the right thing.” Spirit News visited the lot one more time on June 26. It appeared that some progress was being made: Most of the trash was cleared since our last visit and the rubble and construction debris were piled into one massive hill of bricks and concrete still covering two-thirds of the lot Spirit News spoke with Dan Comly of Comly Auctioneers and Appraisers, who told us that he had in fact spoken to a representative from the lot’s owner. That representative told Comly the lot was going to be leased to a construction company and that cleaning and securing the lot was their

Page 11 priority. However, according to Comly, the process has been slow and the lack of a fence is allowing people to access the lot. Even if the lot was secured, piles of black trash bags still litter the sidewalk outside the lot and a man slept soundly on the sidewalk along Boston Street. A makeshift memorial remains with two placards bearing the fallen firefighters names. It’s a solemn reminder that two men didn’t give their lives so that careless contractors and city agencies could use this ground as a dumping site. It will most likely continue until the lot and surrounding area are secured. Spirit News will follow any updates on this story. Bob Stewart and Max Pulcini contributed to this report. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 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

m eet ing s Tuesday July 12, 7PM FNA ZONING MEETING The FNA Zoning Committee will hold a meeting to hear two proposals on July 12 at 7PM at the Fishtown Rec Center. The first proposal is for a lot line relocation and a single family home at 1029 Earl St. The second proposals for the a sit-down restaurant and outdoor rear seating area at 1007 Frankford Ave. If attending the meeting, please bring proof of residence or business ownership in order to vote. Monday July 18, 6:30-8:30 PM EKNA MEETING The East Kensington Neighbors Association will host its monthly meeting at Circle of Hope. On the agenda for July are committee updates (including zoning and development) as well as meeting time for individual committees. Wednesday July 20, 6PM EKNA CRIME AND SAFTEY MEETING EKNA’s Crime, Safety and Infrastructure committee will hold its monthly meeting at Liberty Choice. Sunday July 17 (and 24 and 31), 12 PM WILDLIFE MEETING Join Arcadia Commons at the Kern Street Park to learn about the animals that live all around us. Meet some of local animals that call our neighborhood home. Free capes and patches for the first 20 children. Friday July 8, 6PM FAITHFUL LAURENTIANS MEETING Please join the Faithful Laurentians at Unsung Heroes Art Gallery for their meeting to discuss the future of St. Laurentius Church. Wednesday July 20, 4-8PM AMERICAN STREET FUNDING MEETING The City of Philadelphia has received federal funding to improve American Street between Girard and Indiana Avenues. Learn about the project and offer your input at an open house event held at Pan American Academy.

events June 26-July 2 PERFORMING ARTS CAMP A summer camp for children entering grades 2-8 at the Summerfield Siloam United Methodist Church. Kids will learn acting, music, movement, and other skills in the retelling of timeless Bible stories. Normally $145, now only $25. Full scholarships available. Lunch included. For more info, call 215-634-1372 June 27-September 1 WINDOW BOX AND PLANTER CONTEST Once again the FNA is holding a window box and planter contest to reward the best flower boxes helping to keep the neighborhood green and beautiful. The contest entry deadline is September 1st. Submit entries to beautification@fishtown.org, or to FNA’s Facebook or Instagram page with the tag #FNAFlowerBox. Be sure to include a photograph and the address. June 28-August 4 SUMMER PROGRAMS AT BEACON (2364 E. CUMBERLAND STREET BETWEEN MEMPHIS AND CEDAR) Join us at Beacon this summer from 6/28-8/4 in the yard for two fun programs: Open Yard on Tuesdays from 122pm (games, reading, fort-making & more) and Garden Hour on Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm (urban gardening education). Both programs are free, drop-in, non-religious, and open to all (children under 5 must be accompanied by an adult). The church is located at 2364 E. Cumberland St. For more info , email info@thewordatbeacon.org or call 215 423 6216. Wednesday July 6, 20, 27 10:30AM LITTLE LEARNERS PLAY DAY Read, talk, write, play, and sing at Fishtown library’s open play hour! Recommended for ages 0-5. Note: This event is on the 3rd floor and the elevator is out-of-service.

Sunday, July 10th, 2-4PM ARTIST RECEPTION: STEPHEN MILLNER Join us for a reception celebrating the work of reCreate Featured Artist of July Stephen Millner! Stephen Millner uses a wide variety of reclaimed and salvaged materials in his assemblage works, including items found at The Resource Exchange. Stephen also often donates art materials to the re, which contributes to our mission of supporting a cycle of reuse within the Philadelphia arts community. At The Resource Exchange (1701 N. 2nd St.) More information here: http://www.theresourceexchange. org/create/recreate-artists/stephen-millner-july-2016/ facebook page for the reception: https://www.facebook.com/ events/1029122340505339/ Saturday, July 16th, 2-4PM MIXED MEDIA AND RECLAIMED MATERIALS WORKSHOP WITH STEPHEN MILLNER Meet re Create Featured Artist Stephen Millner and learn about how he creates his intricate and thought provoking assemblage pieces…then create one of your own! Join us at The Resource Exchange for a workshop focused in creating mixed media and collage works with salvaged materials. Beginners can learn how to organize and start a collage while experienced artists can learn how to take advantage of the properties of various found media. All participants will create one or more mixed-media works. At The Resource Exchange (1701 N. 2nd St.) More information and RSVP details: http://www.theresourceexchange.org/workshops/mixed-media-and-reclaimed-materials-with-stephen-millner/ Sunday July 10, 17, 6PM FAMILY THEATER SERIES AT PENN TREATY PARK Bring blankets and chairs for a fun night of children’s theater in Penn Treaty Park. The Walking Fish Theater Series will read and act out popular children’s stories like the adventures of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad on Sunday July 10 at 6PM. The theater series features professional actors sharing their love of the arts and encouraging kids to add sound effects and even act on stage. Wednesday, July 13 5-7:30PM A WELCOME PICNIC ADAIRE FAMILIES At Penn Treaty Park, Join Friends of Adaire for a potluck picnic in a fun, relaxed setting and meet other families and friends about to join the Adaire community this Fall. Bring any toys you want; we'll bring some. Same with food: Bring any food you want, we'll bring some too! Rain date TBD. Facebook invite here: https://www.facebook.com/ events/798426860291552/ Please RSVP (and include food allergies) to Kate Hughes & Denis Devine at friendsofadaire@gmail.com July 15-17 THE 18TH ANNUAL MARGARET MCCOOK SPORTS TOURNAMENT" Anyone interested in registering a soccer, basketball, softball or foot hockey team, please let us know on Facebook by leaving your name, sport, team name and email address and we’ll send out the registration. For more info call: Joe at 267-767-9123 or Mark at 215-9199373. Wednesday, July 20th, 5:30-7:30PM PLAY-DOUGH AND PIZZA PLAY DATE! At the Fishtown Rec, join Friends of Adaire as we host our first play date for preschoolers/kids entering kindergarten in 2017 and 2018. We’ll have time for art and food, and hopefully some outdoor fun! We'll bring play-dough and toys, but feel free to bring your favorite play-dough toys to share! Please RSVP (and include food allergies) to Kate Hughes & Denis Devine at friendsofadaire@gmail.com Wednesday, July 20 AMERICAN LEGION POST #152 CASINO TRIP Trip to Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Tickets are $26, you get $25 back. Bus leaves from Post #152 (3524 Thompson Street) at 11:30AM. We will leave Resorts at 7PM, be back in the neighborhood by 8:30PM. For more info, call Walt at 215-426-1056 Fishtown Library Events GLITTER TATTOOS FOR TEENS/TWEENS ON TUESDAY JULY 14TH AT 2PM Scott Prior’s Snake Party! Tuesday, July 19th at 2PM Philadelphia Federal Credit Union Presents: Understand-

ing Credit Tuesday, July 26th at 6PM Face Painting with Miss Stacy at Fishtown Free Library Come get your face painted by Miss Stacy! Recommended for ages 3-12. Supplies limited; first come, first served. Thursday July 7, 2-4PM Thursdays POWERS PARKS FARMER’S MARKET Come attend the Farmers’ Market on Thursdays from 3-7PM at Powers Park (Ann & Almond Streets). Fresh food available from local farms and kitchens. More information (vendors, etc.) is available on the Powers Park Conservancy Facebook page. 2016 CAMPBELL SQUARE EVENTS While every effort will be made to reschedule events cancelled by bad weather, we cannot guarantee that alternate dates will be scheduled. Please call John at 267-886-8799 or Susan at 215-426-3766 on event dates for possible cancellations, or check us out on facebook at Friends of Campbell Square. July 13th, Weds., 7-9PM CHARLIE GRACIE BAND July 27th, Weds. Dusk-FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT (tentative) Interested in volunteering? We want YOU! For example, help with scheduled gardening and maintenance at Campbell Square on Wednesday nights, 6:30-7:30PM, Spring/Summer park events and all year round! July 14-August 27 LOCAL COLOR: CUT PAPER COLLAGES This solo exhibition of artist Joseph Opshinksy’s work, will be on display at the Hall in Crane Arts. Receptions will be held on July 14 and August 11 from 6-9PM.

children LEPRECHAUNS SIGN UPS Leprechauns Sports Association is now accepting registration for Football and Cheerleading. This is open to boys ages 5-14 and girls age 6-14. The clubhouse will be opened Wednesday nights from 6-8 pm and Saturday mornings 10 am-12 pm. For more information call 215-423-6309 TIGERS SIGN-UPS Sign up now for the Port Richmond Tigers upcoming t-ball, softball, and baseball seasons at the Tiger's clubhouse (Chatham & Ann) Mondays through Fridays from 6:30-7:30PM. Softball and baseball are travel leagues. A copy of the child's birth certificate, a wallet sized picture, and a small deposit are required for registration. Roster room is limited so sign up now. For more information call Tom Mack at 215-275-8838. NOLIBS SUMMER CAMP The NoLibs Rec Summer Camp is the perfect place to send your children to camp in Philadelphia. Our wonderful camp staff ensures that the camp environment is both safe and fun. We do activities, such as music, art, swimming, reading, and activities & games in the gym and playground, on site. We also go on weekly trips. Buses transport the children to bigger trips, and we also go on walking trips to the Rodriguez Library, Everybody Hits (batting cages), North Bowl, and Liberty Lands. The camp is for kids ages 6-12. For more information and to register, visit NoLibsRec.org. Wednesday PRESCHOOL STORYTIME AT RICHMOND LIBRARY This program is intended for children ages 1-4 and their caregiver. Siblings are always welcome. Daycares should call for separate appointments. Richmond Branch of the Free Library, 2987 Almond Street. For further information call 215-685-9992. CIONE SIGNUPS Summer Camp for Cione Playground is now full. We are no longer taking applications. Arts and Crafts for Kids – Meetings for 5-12 years old. Arts and crafts have no cost and takes place every Wednesday from 6-7PM. Zumba – Adult classes are on Fridays from 7:30-8:30PM, and the cost is $5 per class. Chess Club – For beginner to advanced players of all ages. Meetings take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:308PM.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016

seniors Sundays SUNDAY BINGO St. Anne Church will host bingo on Sundays in the Social Hall, Memphis and Tucker streets. Doors open at 4PM; bingo starts at 6PM. Cost is $12. Call 215-739-4590 for more details. LUTHERAN SETTLEMENT HOME EVENTS Lutheran Settlement House Senior Center, 1340 Frankford Ave. Computer Classes: Level 1: Tuesdays from 9-10AM and Thursdays from 12-2PM. Level 2 Classes take place on Mondays from 1-3PM and Thursdays 2-4PM. Dancercise with Rita, Mondays at 9AM and Tai Chi with Milt on Wednesdays at 12:30PM. For further information call 215-426-8610. Fridays ART WORKSHOP FOR SENIORS St. Anne’s Senior Center, 2607 E. Cumberland St., is offering an art workshop for people age 50 and older. “Clay Creations” will meet weekly on Fridays, from 12:30-2 PM Participants will learn about the art of hand building to create pots and other clay forms. Those interested should register in advance. For more details call 215-426-9799. SENIOR EXERCISE CLASSES Exercise classes for people 50 and older will be offered at St. Anne’s Senior Center, 2607 E. Cumberland St. Class schedule will be Enhance Fitness on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 AM, Chair Yoga on Tuesdays at 9:30AM, Tai Chi on Wednesdays at 10AM, and Line Dancing on the first and third Friday of every month. For more information call 215-426-9799.

faith Wednesdays FIRST PRESBYTERIAN BIBLE STUDY GROUP A Bible study group meets at First Presbyterian Church, 418 E. Girard Ave at 7PM . Come and bring a friend for informative, exciting and lively open discussions. As always, everyone is welcome. Thursdays ST. ANNE WEEKLY NOVENA St. Anne weekly Novena Thursday evening service, 7:30PM Church of Saint Anne, Memphis St. and Lehigh Ave. Tuesdays PRAYER MINISTRY First Emmanuel Prayer Partners Church, 711 W. Girard Ave. Prayer Ministry is looking for Prayer Partners. Everyone is Welcome to come pray with us. For further information call 215-456-9974.

sign ups Thursday, June 30th FISHTOWN AC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE The Fishtown Athletic Club Alumni Association offers $1250 in scholarships for members of the Fishtown Athletic Club or for students living in the 19125 zip code. Please visit facalumni.com for more information or stop by Spirit News for a copy of the application. BRIDESBURG REC CENTER (4625 RICHMOND ST) Zumba – Classes are Mondays and Thursdays from 7-8PM, and the cost is $4. Beach Photos - Beach photos by <rs. Gooden will be taken in early June. Save the Gas! Beach photos will be taken at the Rec in an air conditioned room. Bridesburg Nursery School - Boys and Girls ages 2-4 as of September 1, 2016. 2’s Mon. and Thurs., 3’s Thurs. and Fri., 4’s Mon. and Wed. Food Pantry - Please donate nonperishable food and clothing for needy in the neighborhood. Drop off donations at the Rec weekdays from 9AM-9PM. Scrapbooking – Scrapbooking group meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9:30PM. The cost is $5 per class and everything will be supplied except a book and photos. For more information call Miss Jackie at 215-685-1247. PORTSIDE ARTS Summer Arts Pass at Portside Arts Center Purchase you children, teen or adult Summer Art Pass and get access to multiple classes and workshops throughout the summer of 2016! www.portsideartscenter.org/summer-arts-pass For more info call (215) 427-1514 or http://www.portsideartscenter.org/ FREE ENGLISH & CITIZENSHIP CLASSES Can you or someone you know benefit from English as a Second Language (ESL) or Test for Citizenship Classes? The Richmond Library at 2987 Almond St. presents free English and citizenship classes. Tuesday and Thursdays from 6-7:30PM at the Richmond Library. For more information, call the Library at 215-685-9992. WALKING CLUB The Playgrounds and Rec Centers in Parks and Recreation District 2 are starting a Walking Club. Exercise as you wait at your child’s program. There is no cost to sign up, and the first 100 participants get a free t-shirt. Stop in and sign up at the Bridesburg Rec Center at 4601 Richmond St. For more information and to register, call the Center at 215-685-1247.

Is there something going on that’s a little funky in your neighborhood? Anything you want us to 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.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 COMMUNITY

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – July 6, 2016 WRITTEN BY SHANE ENGLISH

riverwards produce

R I V E R WA R D S P R O D U C E O P E N H O U S E N E X T F R I D AY ( A N D T H E R E W I L L B E C O C K T A I L S ! )

iverwards Produce is set to open their storefront at 1822 Tulip Street with an open house featuring craft cocktails made with locally sourced produce and liquor, on July 8, from 2-7 PM. The store will be open for regular business on July 9 and 10 from 7 AM-3 PM. The store, on Tulip Street between E. Berks and E. Wilt Streets, is run from a repurposed garage with stable style doors. This is the first physical location for Riverwards Produce, a company that previously only distributed produce to quality-conscious restaurants throughout the Riverwards. At the open house, guests will get the chance to meet Vincent Finazzo and Chris Stock, the men behind Riverwards Produce. Leading up to the opening, Finazzo and Stock were hard at work preparing the space for its public opening. Except for the sign out front, created by Lizzy McErlean, Finazzo and Stock are handling the renovations. On Friday, Saint Benjamin Brewing Company will pour

beer and W.P. Palmer Distilling Company will serve cocktails featuring fruits and herbs from Riverwards Produce. High Point Coffee will pour some cold brew for people who choose not to imbibe. W.P. Palmer’s Liberty Gin will be featured in a refreshing citrusy cocktail, said Walter Palmer from the Manayunk Distillery. Since Riverwards Produce buys its stock at the last possible minute, the recipe has not been finalized. Finazzo and Stock hope to position the store as the simple and straightforward alternative to the typical sprawl of grocery chains. Riverwards Produce will continue to locally source as much of its produce as possible. For fruits and veggies that cannot grow in the region, Finazzo said he still intends to keep prices low. “We want to be an old fashioned produce stand,” said Finazzo. "We didn’t want to be on Frankford or Girard where people fly by,” said Stock. “We wanted to be in the neighborhood where people would stop.”

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In addition to opening to the public on weekends, Riverwards Produce will take wholesale orders from everyday folks, allowing canners to stock up and for people planning large events to save money off the retail price. Of Riverwards Produce’s stock, Finazzo said: “It’s going to evolve and change like the seasons.” •

Mable Mae, Riverwards Produce’s mascot, oversees the renovation of the garage.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2, 2016