The Spirit of the Riverwards - August 17, 2016 by The Spirit

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WEEK AUGUST 17, 2016 VOL. 13 NO. 31

CAT-A-STROPHE An interview with Yoel Wulfhart, local playwright of “Cat-A-Strophe.” 6

DEVELOPMENT NEWS Find out what’s being built on your block. 9

KCAPA MOSAIC Mural Arts Education Summer classes teach students work-ready skills. 10

FISHTOWN AC Fishtown AC Alumni held their annual softball game at Hetzell's. 16

HYDRATION STATION School District COO unveils new hydration stations at H.A. Brown. 11

n my honest opinion, the moment Fishtown jumped the shark in terms of gentrification occurred when the Fishtown Tavern, formerly a beer and shot bar with a trough under the counter, reopened as a chic gastropub. There’s nothing wrong with the new Fishtown Tavern. I like them quite a bit. However, the irony is not lost on the fact that the once gritty Irish dive bar, which served up bottled beer and a dose of that old-school Fishtown attitude, is now making tacos and pouring Moscow mules. The owners kept the name, but for anyone who remembers Fishtown before the neighborhood’s demographic shift, they’ll remember the drinking cul-

ture was much different. We’ve lost bars like the old FIshtown Tavern, but at least one gem has remained a solid neighborhood watering hole for the past 30 years. Les and Doreen’s Happy Tap (LND’s) at 1301 East Susquehanna Ave. and owner Doreen Thompson have watched the neighborhood change around them. In spite of several other neighborhood bars being bought out and revamped, Thompson is keeping alive one of the oldest institutions affiliated with Irish working-class neighborhoods — the Irish pub. Continued on Page 5.

ACCU-REGGIE Seven day forecast for the Riverwards. 3

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

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recently had the displeasure of eating at Wahlburgers, located at 1033 North 2nd Street at Schmidt’s Commons. The Boston-based burger chain is owned by Paul Wahlberg in partnership with his more famous brothers Mark and Donnie. I’ll get right to it: Wahlburgers was disappointing. Admitting that it wasn’t my favorite place or that I hardly enjoyed the burger breaks my heart. I’m a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg’s movies. I’m known to drunkenly quote him from the hit comedy “The Other Guys”, shouting “I’m a peacock, you gotta let me fly!” As a fan, I was really looking forward to enjoying my dining experience here but, unfortunately, I did not.

Let’s start with the good. There were many astonishing elements to the atmosphere that created a friendly vibe within the restaurant. Upon walking in, staff members were holding the door for us and smiling. Each employee kindly greeted us and did their best to accommodate our needs. The restaurant is rather large and can hold quite a few people. It has indoor and outdoor seating. I enjoyed some of the little details, such as the logo (which is a W) being turned upside-down to create an M letter for the men’s bathroom. I also enjoyed the decorative fixture on the ceilContinued on Page 4.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 THE

local lens

hey come to the neighborhood in droves. Sometimes they come as couples and occasionally they have a dog in tow. They set up camp in the strangest places: in front of convenience stores, pizza shops, Dunkin Donuts and dollar stores. They canvass traffic at stoplights with large cardboard signs. Talk to them and you’ll find they have slightly different stories. Some come from good homes, like Anthony X who grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs where he played the guitar and sang so well that his music can still be seen on YouTube. Anthony studied film production in Los Angeles and produced a number of short films before his life crashed. His life crashed because of heroin. Anthony left Los Angeles for Philly where he met a beautiful girl who had a knack for making a quick buck under the El. Couples bonded by heroin addiction rarely celebrate 5th or 10th anniversaries. Heroin is a jealous mistress; it wants no other lover. Anthony and his girl soon planned a road trip to Texas where they dreamt of a Bohemian existence with Austin’s music community. The road trip began with a bang. They posted Facebook photos of themselves eating tacos on Greyhound, and then Texas photos showing them bathing in a creek. Anthony’s girlfriend then met a man with a lot of money and Anthony was history. Devastated, the former film student disappeared into that overcrowded nightmare known as the state of California. Most but not all of the homeless are addicted to drugs. Some homeless people are just down on their luck and rebound quickly when offered a job and a place to live. Some of the homeless are road trippers who travel from city to city. Like the legendary American hobos of the 1940s, 50s and 60s, they ride the rails and sleep in boxcars, following a rustic tradition that has its roots in American literature. The poet Carl Sandburg and the novelist James Michener, for instance, both lived as train hobos for a while. Generally, road tripper types have no intention of settling in Philly. Consider the case of Garth, 25, a native of Vermont, who came to Philly with his guitar because there was trouble at home. Garth is a light party-drug type (no heroin), but his lifestyle has made him homeless. Maybe it’s his long hair, but Garth says that cops will ask him to leave popular panhandling spots while ignoring born-and-bred Philly homeless who panhandle for drug money. He complains that everyone he meets assumes that he’s on heroin. He also doesn’t like it that people seem to not like him because he’s not “from around here.” Recently I introduced myself to two homeless guys after telling them that I was writing a book on the homeless problem. The two men, Chris and Ron, said they usually hang out in lower Kensington by the Somerset El stop where they panhandle for drug money. Chris, 28, has a beard reminiscent of Francis of Assisi’s. He looked quite at home perched on top of a metal recycle bin as he told me that he had just come from a hospital where he tried to get himself committed. As if to prove his story, he showed me the hospital johnny under his shirt. He tried to commit himself, he says, because he’s tired of life on the streets. Chris said he has been on the streets for three years, although he says he showers and keeps himself clean when he visits friends or finds a hospitable spot to wash up. Chris’s friend, Ron, who has been on the streets for a year, grew up in the Northeast. Chris said he misses his family “something awful” though he’s careful to add that his family problems have nothing to do with his drug addiction. Ron won’t even talk about his family. His eyes told me that it’s just too painful to go there. Both Ron and Chris love the idea of getting clean. This comes into play when a guy their own age walks by and hears them talking, then offers Chris a job as a dish-

BY THOM NICKELS

washer for $10 an hour at a local Fishtown eatery. Chris asks how he can apply. “Online,” the manager says. “It’s easy.” But it’s not easy. How is Chris going to get access to a computer unless he goes to a city library? Gone are the days when you could just walk into a place and fill out an application. He would also have to get clean before he starts work. One of the disadvantages of being homeless is that you are always losing or getting your state ID stolen. “Well, maybe I’ll see you,” the manager says, “Remember, $10 an hour!” Chris and Ron continue to talk about making $10 an hour long after the manager leaves. Chris says he would save his money and find a “nice place to live” but Ron doesn’t say much. Perhaps Ron sees that housing in today’s world is just too expensive for people with low-income jobs. We are joined by a homeless man with a black eye (he just had a fight with his girlfriend) who’s pushing around a set of golf clubs. The scene is becoming as bizarre as an independent foreign movie. The man trying to sell golf clubs obviously stole them. At least that’s what Chris thinks. “Who golfs in Port Richmond?” he says. “Nobody here wants golf clubs!” Chris is right, of course. Port Richmond and Fishtown have nothing in common with Haverford or Bryn Mawr. Besides which, the clubs look like really cheap golf clubs. “This might work if they turned Cione Park into a golfing range," Ron scoffs. The man with the clubs dusts off all the knobby tops like they are Lions Club trophies. He looks around the parking lot for potential buyers but there are only a few people headed to their cars drinking Big Gulps and 10 Puerto Rican kids popping wheelies on their bikes. The golf guy reluctantly shoulders the clubs and leaves, but no sooner does this happen than he’s replaced by a pretty woman with braided hair in green camouflage pants and a corded vest that must have once been on the racks at Nordstrom. She has a striking profile and, together with Chris—after a hot shower and a pedicure—they could make a living as Calvin Klein models. The girl sits down by the front door with her change cup as another homeless person comes up from the rear. I ask Chris if this is some kind of homeless convention and if he knows any of these people. He shakes his head no. The newcomer carries a triple-tiered knapsack straight out of the Apollo Moon Landing. It’s a wonder he can move under its weight. There isn’t enough time to get his story, but I introduce myself anyway and tell him that I am gathering stories. The whole world seems to have gone Mad Max. Suddenly there are more homeless people at this convenience store than there are customers, but I’m glad the police aren’t chasing them away. Still, I can empathize with the police: if 100 homeless people came here, would that be good for business? I think not. Life gets stranger when another homeless man approaches and asks if anybody has a cigarette. He’s a tall guy with a scar on his right arm and, lighting up after finding a butt on the ground, tells Chris and Ron (the girl won’t join us) his story. He says he’s the only person to ever survive jumping off the Ben Franklin Bridge.

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

Ambrose Bierce couldn’t invent stories like this, but what I’m telling you is true. He lifts his shirt up and shows everyone the scar on his stomach from the operations he’s had since he jumped. Everyone wants to know how he survived the long drop to the water. He says he lost consciousness immediately after jumping and “woke up” underwater with his shoes planted in the mud on the bottom of the river. Somehow he managed to free himself and swim up to the surface where he saw a patrol boat. Luckily, the people on the patrol boat saw him jump, so they were ready. He says all the nurses and the doctors at the hospital call him the Bionic Man whenever he goes in for checkups. Surviving two or three years as a homeless person in the city is an endurance test of the highest order. But if there’s anything “good” about being homeless, it’s this: if ever there’s a world calamity, it will be the homeless who will lead the way, because they’ve had so much practice surviving on the streets. They will become survival mentors for the rest of us, showing us how to pitch a cardboard tent in an alley, how to make a bed out of newspapers, how to brush your teeth with your index finger, or how to select “safe” dumpster food from the nasty stuff. They will be the masters of the new age. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 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

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his past week took a turn for the worst heat of the summer! Temperatures hung around the middle and upper 90s most of the week as we sweated under the scorching sun. It was just downright nasty heat that makes you irritable and hibernate in A/C. This week will not be as warm, thankfully, but the overall pattern is still ripe for above-average warmth. We won’t hit 98 degrees this week, but the 90-92 degree range is still attainable for a good chunk of the week. A legitimate front comes through on Sunday evening, which will finally bring significant relief from all the heat and humidity. See ya later, excessive heat — no one’s gonna miss you!

The other story has been the dryness: We currently are running about 20 percent of normal rainfall for the month. We have weak shower chances on Wednesday and Friday evenings, but nothing to make a serious dent in our lack of rain. The Sunday front is our best chance at a good rainfall this week. Wednesday kicks off the weather period hot and humid, but not extreme. Temperatures will be around 90 and we could also see a shower in the evening hours. Thursday stays warm but we may actually fall short of 90 for the first time in a while! The heat and humidity surge back on Friday as we get back to the lower 90s. We could see a heat-induced thun-

derstorm in the evening too! Saturday is warm and humid with plenty of sunshine! Go out and enjoy it! Sunday starts off very warm with sunshine. Temperatures begin to climb in advance of a strong cold front that will move through in the evening with thunderstorms. Most places should see a storm and with gusty winds and downpours. This looks to occur after 6PM. A new air mass settles in for Monday and Tuesday as the humidity eases and temperatures retreat back into the 80s. Ah yes, it will feel oh so good! The weather winner of the week is Monday; the weather loser is Sunday. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016

Continued from Page 1. ing. It was a large metal structure with the titles of movies Wahlberg has starred in cut into it. The entire restaurant feels like it’s going for a West Coast In-N-Out Burger mixed with a T.G.I.F. It’s a “put the drinks in plastic to-go cup and serve the burgers in a plastic basket” sort of place. For me, growing up out West, it had a nostalgic feel. There is an industrial style décor, as well. The overall atmosphere and staff were phenomenal. Now onto the food. I ordered the Triple Decker Burger, which is three 3 oz. burgers, lettuce, tomato, onion, “government” cheese, Paul’s signature Wahl sauce and housemade pickles. When it came to the table I was practically drooling. It looks fantastic in the picture, doesn’t it? The bun was noticeably soggy and upon taking my first bite, it broke off leaving a portion of the burger naked. This shouldn’t happen ever, yet alone in the first few bites. For a $10 burger, the meat seemed low quality, like it was distributed from the same place that Sonic’s gets their ingredients from. If this came from a food truck, I could understand why you might get away with something like this. Food trucks only have limited resources. Some food trucks still get it right, like Spot Gourmet Burgers, Steak and Pork, who does a fantastic job with their resources and provides their guests with gourmet burgers. But at a brick-and-mortar restaurant like Wahlburger’s, this burger was unacceptable. There is a reason why you’ll find more mom-and-pop shops in Philadelphia rather than chain restaurants. This feels like one of the latter. It hits the spot if you’re going to have a large group of people and you need to eat something quick and reliable, but if you’re looking for a burger that will “wow” you, you’re better off eating at any number of other restaurants in the area. •

/All photos by Michael Castaneda

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 Continued from Page 1. Thompson has spent most of her life working and socializing at LND’s or “Kelly’s Happy Tap” as it was known for 20 years prior to Thompson buying it. Thompson worked in the kitchen with her mom during high school before becoming a bartender there. She met many lifelong friends, as well as her husband Les, at the bar. Thompson remembers the kitchen being super busy on the weekends. “It was crazy back then. It was all neighborhood people. Working-class people, truck drivers, gas men,” Thompson said. “We were real busy in the kitchen. There was three of us on Fridays that worked. One did the fryer, one did the grill and one did the bain-marie, which was the hoagies and prep work.” Much of the staff at LND’s has also been working at the bar for decades and Thompson sees her older staff as an advantage to her and her customers. “They’re better with the customers. There’s no BS, no problems,” Thompson said. According to Thompson, when the owners of Kelly’s Happy Tap decided it was time to sell the bar, her husband Les made them an offer. It just happened that the Thompsons were looking to purchase a business of their own. According to Thompson, both parties met at Perri’s Pizza to discuss the details and on March 4, 1986, Les and Doreen became owners of The Happy Tap. Thompson says that the former owners had strong ties to the community and that is something she has tried to maintain herself, even though the neighborhood is changing. “It’s been a bar for well over a hundred years, but the last 50 years, everybody knew Kelly, [he] was involved in the community, which I try to be too.” Thompson has put together many trips for her customers and has many fond memories from adventures in South Beach and Key West. According to Thompson, her most memorable trip was to Hawaii. “There was, like, 75 people that went. Couples, single women, single men, everybody,” Thompson said. Many remember LND’s as one of the neighborhood’s smoking bars. But when Pennsylvania banned smoking in bars, Thompson thumbed her nose at the city on this

Page 5 /Patrick Clark

issue. “I love this city, but I hate dealing with them in any manner at all,” Thompson said. “Of course, me being me, I let everybody smoke anyway, so I got fined repeatedly.” Thompson even put out a bucket to collect money for the ongoing fines, which went up each time she was cited. Finally, the State Police paid her a visit. “I was all the way up to, like, $300, but then the state came in,” Thompson said. “It’s over and done with and I think everybody’s used to it now.” Looking back on the past 30 years as a business owner, Thompson speaks fondly of her late husband. “Les was a wonderful person. Everybody loved him. He helped any

Doreen Thompson/Ptah Gabrie

/Patrick Clark

way he could,” Thompson said. “He loved to party, he loved to be with the people.” According to Thompson, as many of her long-time customers grow older, a new crowd of people has begun to take their place. Thompson thinks this is a good thing.”A lot of our people passed away, or are just older and don’t come out as much. Now the new people are coming in here…[they’re] very great.” Thompson hopes to keep The Happy Tap the way it is for another 30 years. I’m hoping that I can stay for as long as I can,” Thompson said. “I think a lot of people like to gather here and have a good time.” • /Patrick Clark

/Patrick Clark

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 WRITTEN BY THOM NICKELS

Cat-A-Strophe

A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H Y O E L W U L F H A R T, L O C A L P L AY W R I G H T O F “ C A T- A - S T R O P H E ”

’m sitting with playwright Samuel Beckett in a townhouse in Fishtown. I have a lot of questions, the first being how anybody can call himself Samuel Beckett when the “real” Samuel Beckett died in 1989. In any event, the Samuel Beckett sitting in front of me is really Yoel Wulfhart. Wulfhart has Beckett’s wiry frame and penetrating eyes, so in a way he’s a lot like the author of Waiting for Godot, Endgame, Krapp’s Last Tape and Happy Days. But who is Yoel Wulfhart, and why is he so important? Let’s just say that Wulfhart has written what promises to be the most epic play of the 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. The play, Cat-a-strophe, has a catchy enough title (no, it’s not a sequel to the musical Cats), but is in fact Wulfhart’s own version of the real Samuel Beckett play of the same name. The original Catastrophe is one of Beckett’s shorter plays and one of his rare political plays. It’s so short, in fact, that it’s doubtful whether any of the big theater companies downtown — the Wilma and the Philadelphia Theater Company--would ever stage it. Wulfhart’s play is much longer than Beckett’s. It comes close to clocking in at three hours (with an intermission or two, of course). The play’s length jives with Wulfhart’s view of himself as a verbose (this does not mean empty phraseology) version of the Irish Beckett who specialized in short, simple sentences, the opposite of Proustian meanderings. The Fringe Festival is a massive festival of farcical satires, of crazy choreography and art pieces of both high and dubious quality. Some Fringe presentations exist only to outavant-garde the avant-garde. As Susan Sontag once said, “Not all works of art which successfully perform a moral function greatly satisfy as art.” Wulfhart describes Cat-a-strophe as “what would happen if Samuel Beckett, Dario Fo and Hannoch Levin co-wrote a sitcom.” If that sounds like a zany mix of Seinfeld and Albert Camus, you might be on to something. In person, Wulfhart is certainly a mix of the comedic and high seriousness, as evidenced by the trick he played on me when I went to shake his hand: buried in the palm of his right hand was a squeak-squeak mechanism, perhaps a bathtub mouse that downplayed the seriousness of the handshake. As for Cat-a-strophe, Wulfhart says that while the work has plenty of ha-ha lines, he’s reluctant to call it a conventionally funny play. He says that the play is only funny on the surface, which can be deceptive because the “stuff” or the “message” under the surface are the truths about ourselves we may not want to face. Cat-a-strophe, he insists, forces us to face them. In the theater, one of the best ways to get anyone to pay attention is through humor. Advertising barbs for the play, for instance, include such warnings as: “Side effects [from watching this] may include squirming in your seat, tears of laughter and a pressing need to go to the bathroom.” To some, this may sound like torture (especially the bathroom part), although bodily sensations like this can happen while watching bad productions. I’ve had this reaction myself at theaters all over town, especially at those canned laughter-like productions where audiences laugh three seconds into a play even when nothing overtly funny is happening. Cat-a-strophe, however, is anything but manufactured pulp. Wulfhart’s wiry, Irish Beckett frame comes into play while watching him pour me a glass of ice water. He’s a tall, very suntanned guy who really needs an entire sofa on which to stretch his limbs while discussing his life and work. He believes that when people talk to one another they usually avoid saying “real things” that could be construed as offensive. Will Cat-a-strophe be a hit? “Who knows?” he says, tapping into the honesty of forbidden thoughts. “It could be a bad play.” He mentions that there are more than 25 literary references in the work. “It’s about the human experience. As children we all have great hopes, but then many of those hopes do not come to fruition. It’s a farcical play, not funny but sad, but only funny on top. It’s a play about repetition, about how we repeat something over and over again, hoping for something different.” Cat-a-strophe makes use of sexual references and terminology. The five actors, for instance, will greet audiences with a variety of dildos, but don’t be fooled by these pornographic sausages. Deeper existentialist meanings abound, even when one character makes a reference to getting it up. The sexual references in Cat-a-strophe amount to a Kool Whip coating to get you to pay attention. Wulfhart says his play will “put a mirror in front of your face and may make you reevaluate your life.” That’s a large promise, but what about his life? He tells me that Cat-a-strophe is his first play and the first production of his new company, Fail Better Productions at The Papermill, a multi-disciplinary artist community at 2825 Ormes Street. Wulfhart says he’s always been a writer and has at least 100 “amusing and funny” short stories completed as well a second play, The Last Lunch, about 12 people sitting around a table. He mentions that The Last Lunch it is a lot like The Last Supper, only in this case the characters include a midwife and an undertaker. Born and raised in Israel, he’s been in the States for 30 years, first arriving in Los Angeles where he studied theater, although he says he found it difficult to make a living there. He says his dream has always been to write and produce his own plays in his own theater with his own theater company. That dream has materialized. Fail Better Productions is housed in a building that he owns with others, thanks to his involvement in real estate. Wulfhart is also the driving force behind the company that distributes Spirit News as well as a host of other publications like the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is also a seasoned world traveler. He spent 11 years traveling the globe, with eight years traveling to every part of Africa.

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He says he expects some people to be put off by the language in Cat-a-strophe and he’s prepared for “walkouts”, but assures me that he’s not put off by this. He keeps telling me how the cast can’t get through rehearsals without the entire production crew falling to the ground in peels of laughter. After promising to send me the play so I can see how funny it is (he does), he lets me listen to a clip of original music that was composed for Cat-a-strophe. “Ah,” I tell him, “this is really good.” “The composer [Nik Greerken] is a genius,” Wulfhart adds. When the interview is over I read parts of Cat-a-strophe and fixate on some lines that tie in with Wulfhart’s belief that people tend to keep repeating failed patterns but wish for something different to happen. The character, Beaver, for instance says: All I want is a ring, RING, you hear, someone to hold me, cherish me, revere me (pause) maybe with the next guy (pause) and then I want children and a dog and a house in the suburbs and lay in the sun, and then retirement with grandchildren, and an 80th birthday party, and lay in the sun, and great grandchildren, a holiday in Venice, and an 110th birthday party and great grand grandchildren, and a bowl of milk, and an 130th birthday party….” Poor Beaver then says: Every time I progress I go backwards….. but maybe with the next guy , maybe with the next guy my dreams will come true, a ring, a house in the suburbs, two cute little children running about, sun in the back yard, an additional dog, and then my husband will arrive home from work, I will have dinner ready… While reading these lines in the online script that Wulfhart sent me, and even while writing them just now, I somehow kept hearing the squeak-squeak of the playwright’s little Beckett-Hannoch Levin palm mechanism, or… the little mouse of truth. • Cat-a-strophe Written by: Yoel Wulfhart Directed by: Shenandoah Thompson Starring: Josh Kirwin, Samantha Solar, Taiwo Sokan, Doug Cashell and William McHattie Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 5pm Peppermill Theater 2825 Ormes Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134 Free on Thursdays. Otherwise $15.00

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016

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The Spirit of the Riverwards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 17, 2016

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!

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK

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3rd and Cecil B. Moore/Patrick Clark

610 Belgrade St./Patrick Clark

Developers have established the foundation of a building at 2086 East Cumberland Street. The framework should be going up soon, though it is uncertain what is to become of the structure. Two years ago, developers also purchased the property next door. There are several other vacant lots nearby on East Cumberland and Amber Streets. Ergo, anticipate more development in the area soon. Fin Development LLC purchased six parcels at the intersection of 3rd Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue over the course of the last several years. They proposed constructing six duplexes, a single-family home and a five-unit apartment building on the site. They presented their plan to the South Kensington Community Partners (SKCP) last year. The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) approved the proposal in December, though it has since been slightly altered. There will now be seven single-family homes in addition to the apartment building (no duplexes). Fishtown

718-728 W Girard Ave/Patrick Clark

2086 E Cumberland St./Patrick Clark

Last year, an unnamed developer purchased the property at 610 Belgrade Street for $155,000. The newly refurbished home is architecturally unique and largely dissimilar from the other properties on the block. Northern Liberties The large, unsightly building at 718 - 728 West Girard Avenue will soon be torn down. There is much debate surrounding its history. Some believe it functioned previously as the Astor Theatre, though records indicate that that venue was demolished almost 30 years ago. No one yet knows what is to become of the property. • Somers Team Spirit Half Page Ad 2 copy.pdf

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 WRITTEN BY MAX PULCINI

"First Impressions" STUDENTS, MURAL ARTS TEAM UP TO CREATE NEW MOSAIC AT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL

he last time I took an art class was in middle school. Our final project was pottery. I worked hard at it for a few classes, designing, molding, spinning, and hardening my clay creation. Once the project was finished and the grade had been counted, I had a nice takeaway to remind me of the time and effort I put into creating that clay pot — a memorable keepsake. (For the record, that little pot is still at my parents’ house, currently serving as a pencil holder.) That’s a sweet memory, for sure. But imagine if that final art project involved designing and creating a large mosaic that was to remain in one of the neighborhood’s public school for years to come. Sounds like a tougher project than pottery, but it really isn’t. It’s a pretty easy assignment if you consider the previous project you took on was painting an enormous mural in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art during a heat wave. A 36-square-foot mosaic? No problem. While it might be a very trying time for the Philadelphia School District and those who attend its schools, a group of students made this all a reality during their Mural Arts Education summer class. After helping Mural Arts all-star and local art teacher Brad Carney paint a huge, colorful mural at the Eakins Oval earlier in the summer, students used a wall atop a stairwell at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School (KCAPA) as their canvas, creating a mosaic emblematic of the school’s core values and focus on art. The Mural Arts Education summer class runs every summer. It is a Philadelphia Youth work-ready program, meaning the objective of the program is to teach students work experience through mural education. Students are expected to work four hours every day for six weeks. This year’s crop of 16 students exceeded those standard expectations. The first project on the summer agenda was painting a giant 33,000-square-foot mural at the Eakins Oval at the foot of the Art Museum. The mural was named "Rhythm and Hues" and was designed by Carney. After finishing The Oval, Carney and his students reconvened the following week and asked themselves, “What’s next?” The group brainstormed a few ideas and went through a few iterations of a mural design before settling on a concept to execute. “We decided to do something that would represent the school,” Camille Erskine, one of the students, said. “Before we drew anything, we got the idea for this [mosaic] by walking around the school and talking about how the school was made, the growth of the school, the people here and the classes. We decided to jumble all of that up to make some very different, difficult drawings. We kept simplifying it, and simplifying it, until we got this.”

The mosaic features many elements. A snare drum and drumsticks represent the school, its drumline and art-focused classes. Three child-like figures are superimposed in front of the drum, which students from the group modeled for the design. Carney took a photo of the posed students, threw it in Photoshop, and an early design was born. After tweaking the idea a little bit and trying a few different designs, a final design was settled on. “It took a long time to find our voice,” Carney said. “[The mosaic] is a response to what students do here. And most of the students are not from here, only Kyree Haynes is, so we had to keep asking him and the teachers here: ‘What are you all about? What do you guys do?’ It’s a gift from other students to represent students.” Haynes, 18, graduated from KCAPA a few months ago. As the only KCAPA student in the group, his perspective was greatly valued in putting the piece together. He had worked with Carney during the school year and was happy to be part of the Mural Arts Education summer class. “This mosaic is actually on the same level as working on The Oval,” Haynes said. “This is still something that nobody has ever done before [at my school]. People have told me that this [mosaic] will be my legacy here. It feels really good to hear that.” Haynes had never painted before this summer and credits Carney with teaching him the skills he learned over the course of the program. “Brad is a really good teacher,” Haynes said. “He’s thoughtful with his skills. I learned almost everything I know about murals from him. I learned how to paint, create mosaic tile… everything from Brad.” Haynes will be attending college in the fall at the Hussian School of Art, and plans on pursuing graphic design. With Carney providing the technical know-how and Haynes providing the context, students began completing the mosaic on a 36-square-foot wall — a huge change from the behemoth, 33,000-square-foot outdoor mural they made at The Oval. The mosaic is titled "First Impressions: The Art In Me." “None of us knew how to do mosaic tile, so we followed Brad’s lead,” Jaleel Jones, another student, said. “We’d break a few tiles to make the inside of the bodies, we made flower petals for the inside of the drum. We used white tile and black tile in the bodies to create the music notes, microphone and camera inside the figures. We used mirrors to reflect the students passing by the hallway in school each day. After making the mosaic on a table, we took it up here and started sticking it to the wall using a special type of glue.” Anyone who’s done backsplash tiles for a house knows that this process sounds very similar. Carney brought this up, reinforcing the idea that this program provides workready experience for enrolled students.

Mural Arts Education Summer Class students, as well as instrcutors Brad Carney and Jamie Grigsby, pose in front of the mosaic they created. Students: Camille Erskine, Jada Gibson, Ailisha Goodwin-Dancy, Khyree Haynes, Julio Hector-Santos, Jaleel Jones, Zamir Levy, Britney Lewis, Stacia Lightfoot, Marcus McNear, Briana Padilla, Tyrik Ransom, Shakira Santos, Tyler Sheppard, Sumayyah Moseley/Max Pulcini

“[At the Oval], the kids were just painting with rollers, running around,” Carney said. “It was the biggest macro you can do. But when we sat down at a table with tiny, fingernail-sized pieces of tile, students learned that it isn’t size that matters; it’s how you plan out the process.” As the the mural was being unveiled, a large group of students from another summer program approached the staircase. “Stairs!” Carney said to his group huddled by their work. “‘Stairs' is code for 'kids are coming.’ When we were making this mural we had a student stationed by the stairs just to let us know when people were coming. It’s like the guy at a construction site holding the stop sign, directing traffic. Everyone is important at a job. Even if you aren’t working on the mural, you’re working.” Students got involved with the Mural Arts Education summer class by signing up through the Philadelphia Youth Network. Additionally, students who had worked with Mural Arts Artrepreneur program were eligible to enroll. Jamie Grigsby, 25, is currently Carney’s assistant teacher. A decade ago, she was one of the students enrolled in the Mural Arts Education summer class. For Grigsby, it’s special to be teaching now, as she sees a bit of herself in the kids she works with today. “It’s crazy, really. Seeing them grow up, it’s life-changing,” Grigsby said. “I definitely enjoy this and giving back to Mural Arts any time it’s possible, especially since I was a student not too long ago.” Grigsby went on to attend Hussian for graphic design, just like Haynes is planning to do. She stands as proof that inner-city kids can achieve their dreams and career goals — even in the arts — if they try for it. “Since many of these students are trying to achieve something in art, I’m trying to teach them in advance so that way they’ll have the right type of experience and understanding when their time comes.” Grigsby’s message to kids in the neighborhood? “Don’t be shy. Be creative and open to new experiences.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 BY SPENCER HOMAN

Hydration Stations

S C H O O L D I S T R I C T U N V E I L S N E W WAT E R H Y D R AT I O N S Y S T E M AT H . A . B R O W N S C H O O L

n August 15, 2016, the School District of Philadelphia announced 43 schools would be equipped with hydration stations at the start of this school year. This decision was made because of a district initiative to have better sustainability, less waste and better energy efficiency throughout their schools. Each school is gaining a minimum of three hydration stations, which is part of an investment of about $1 million. In a press release, Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite stated that he wants “safe, accessible and appealing water” for all of his students. Fran Burns, the Chief Operating Officer of the District, introduced the new hydration stations that will be a new addition to the city’s schools this year. She was on site at H. A. Brown Academics Plus School (1946 East Sergeant Street) in Kensington to show off the new stations. “The water in our school is safe, but we really want children to hydrate throughout the day,” Burns said. She added that hydration “encourages learning” and will positively impact the employees and students as a whole. The new hydration stations are more than just regular water fountains. In addition to having the traditional stream of water that we are accustomed to, there is also an area to fill a water bottle. A counter on each station displays the number of bottles that have been refilled at that particular station. There may be some programs in place in which donors can provide students with reusable bottles, but that is determined by the principals throughout the district. The money for this program, which is part of the GreenFutures program is, according to Burns, “centrally funded through the school district.” Each individual hydration station cost $700, which was described as “a steep discount.” The cost of the fountains adds up to about $2,500 per school, including the cost of labor. The goals of the GreenFutures program include increasing waste diversion by 10 percent and decreasing energy consump-

tion by 20 percent. This will be implemented over the course of five years, focusing on five schools at a time. The new hydration stations will be installed in every school with a deadline of May, but 10 schools will have them for the first day of school. That accounts for 30 new water units that students will see in September. This announcement to install new hydration stations comes after the School District announced they launched a water-quality retesting project designed to test for lead concentration in drinking water outlets in a sample of 40 schools in Philadelphia. The set standard that the district allows for lead levels in water is 20 parts per billion. The Center for Disease Control and Environmental Protection Agency recommend that children and pregnant women should avoid drinking water exceeding 15 parts per billion. Of all the schools in the district, a little more than 45 percent of the water fountains have recently been tested for lead levels. Of the fountains tested, four individual water outlets tested higher than the district was comfortable with, so they were “immediately taken out of service.” The fountains exceeding the maximum lead levels are in schools that are not allowed to be stated yet. However, there will be consistent transparency in the lead levels at each school when the new school year begins. According to Burns, this has been the practice since “10 years ago [when they said they] had a safe water-drinking program.” The rest of the fountains will be tested before the start of the upcoming school year. The majority of the fountains that were tested had lead level of less than 1 part per billion, which is extremely safe to drink. Lead in Kensington has been a problem in the neighborhood’s history, so it is promising to see the School District of Philadelphia focus on protecting the students and faculty of the district. Numerous Lead companies existed in the city, and specifically this area, since the 1800s. These companies included Philadelphia Lead Works on Huntington, Western White Lead Company on Hancock, and

The Portside Arts Center Sharks (8-12 year olds) created futuristic fire fighting sculptures using found and recycled materials. Students also made local fire fighters a big "Thank You" board, which was hung up in the firehouse.

Standard White Lead, Color and Putty Works on Thompson, as well as others. Lead was used in many industries, but most commonly in paints and plumbing. Lead was also used to hold stained glass together. In one of the stranger incidents in the history of baking-related crime, two bakers in Kensington, George M. Palmer and Frederick Schmid, were found guilty of using lead chromate in their baked goods to turn their products yellow. Apparently, there was a high demand for yellow bakery items in the 1800s that drove these men to sell food that poisoned the neighborhood. The GreenFutures initiative is a step in the right direction in the goal of ridding the community of lead that has been intertwined with its history for many generations. Many people may remember Alison Young’s article for USA Today in October 2015 called “More Evidence Children Harmed by Lead near Philadelphia ‘Ghost Factory.’” Even though the use of lead has been banned in many public settings for some time, it is still an issue that is affecting the community. •

Fran Burns, COO of Philaelphia School District, operates the new hydration station./ Spencer Homan

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 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

meet ing s NKCDC OPEN OFFICE HOURS NKCDC is hosting open office hours in the 19134 zip code at two locations. They will be at the Firm Hope Baptist Church on Tulip and Auburn Streets every second Wednesday of the month from 4-7PM. They will assist you with signing up for benefits like SNAP, connecting to housing counselors for any housing needs, rent and property tax rebates, food referrals, health insurance and safety or quality of life issues in your community. For further information contact Tess at tdonie@NKCDC.org or 215-427-0350 x 139. AL-ANON AT HOLY NAME CHURCH HALL Meetings are held every Monday night from 7-8PM at Holy Name Church Hall at 701 Gaul Street. Anything shared at a meeting stays there and everyone is welcome to attend. Al-Anon meetings are free, anonymous and confidential. NETWORKING MEETINGS Philadelphia Mastermind Group – Every Friday, 8-9:30AM, B2B Networking at Front Street Café (1253 N Front St.) HAPCO/DIG/GPAR – 2nd Thursday of the Month, 12:001:30PM. Lunch & Learn, real estate meetup at the Greater Philadelphia Association of realtors (341 North Delaware Avenue, Suite 200) DIG/HAPCO – 3rd Wednesday of the Month, 6:30-8:30PM. Philly Riverwards Sub-Group, Diversified Investors Groups meet up at Front Street Café (1253 N Front St.) For more information contact Joe Scorese 215-290-5108 or jscorese@firstrust.com. Wednesday, August 17 FNA MONTHLY MEETING Join the conversation around beautification events, neighborhood news, safety, and zoning at the monthly membership meeting at Fishtown Rec Center (1202 E Montgomery Ave). Monday, September 19 from 6:30-9:30PM EKNA MEMBERSHIP MEETING Join the East Kensington Neighbors Association at Philadelphia Brewing Co (2440 Frankford Ave) and contribute to your community.

events

Thursday, August 18 HAPPY HOUR AT PENN TREATY PARK Join the Friends of Penn Treaty Park and Parks on Tap for the only event of its kind in the area. Parks on Tap is hosting beer gardens in parks throughout Philadelphia. They have selected Penn Treaty Park as one of their sites this year. The event will run from August 18-21. August 18th night will feature a Happy Hour fundraiser for 3 neighborhood groups - Friends of Penn Treaty Park, FNA & FACT. Come out and have a drink in our waterfront treasure.

Thursday, August 18 from 3-10PM BEER GARDEN & TAILGATE Philly Beer Week will take over the taps at the Evil Genius Brew Garden (1727 North Front Street) for an outdoor party and Eagles tailgate. Keep those parched vocal chords crisp because we’ll have the Eagles preseason game on the big screen, along with $1 tacos from Sancho Pistola's. For more information, visit phillybeerweek.org.

August 18 - 21, Hours vary by day PARKS ON TAP The next stop for this beer on wheels is in Fishtown at Penn Treaty Park (1341 North Delaware Avenue). Enjoy a beer on Thursday, August 18, 5-10PM, Friday/Saturday 1-11PM and Sunday 12-10PM

August 19-20 PHILADELPHIA PODCAST FEST Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse (2678 Frankford Ave) is proud to participate in this year's Philly Pod Fest. For a list of participating podcasters and more details, visit phillypodfest.com.

August 19-21 EVIL GENIUS BEER GARDEN Join Evil Genius Beer Company and Home Brewed Events

as we host the third weekend of pop-up events at the new brewery opening soon in Philly. The Evil Genius Brew Garden is family and dog friendly. For details about specific events each day, visit the brewery's Facebook page. August 19-28 NIGHT OUT RESTAURANT WEEK The Third Annual Night Out Restaurant Week begins this Friday at more than 20 Northern Liberties and Fishtown restaurants. Restaurant Week diners will be able to score multi-course meals for $20-$35 per person. After dinner, Restaurant Week attendees are invited to bring their receipt to SugarHouse Casino to receive a $25 Match Play coupon. For more information and a list of participating restaurants, visit nightoutrestaurantweek.com. Saturday, August 20 TOTALLY 80S NIGHT Celebrate 30 years since the renovation and expansion of Penn Treaty Park with an 80s concert. Also, we will have Parks On Tap pouring drinks from 1-10pm. For more information, visit the Friends of Penn Treaty Park's website. Tuesday, August 23 from 4:30-5:30PM INTERESTING INSECTS Head, thorax, abdomen. Those creepy crawlies are really huge heroes? Insects and arachnids are the unsung heroes of our habitats, without them, not much would be possible. Come, be brave, be bold; explore (hands-on if you dare); but as always we will of course be as fun and crazy as ever, singing, dancing, and getting artsy with arachnids and insects. The event will take place at Penn Treaty Park and is hosted by By My Side Nature Heroes. Text @e2kfa to 81010 for text updates. Tuesday, August 23 from 7-10PM IMPROV UNDER THE EL Help us celebrate by coming out for a stacked night of improv comedy and cupcakes. Check out performances by: Dames de Chat, Robobro, Fowl Play, Toothbrush Money, Windows 98: Improv, and Ryan Rebel Presents. The shows take place at Mascher Space, 155 Cecil B Moore Ave. Wednesday, August 24 PAPER DOLLS Philadelphia artist Jessica Libor is throwing a free exhibit-party on Aug. 24 at WeWork Northern Liberties. A collection titled "Paper Dolls," created through collage and watercolor, will be on display. The exhibition takes place at WeWork (1010 N Hancock St.) from 6-9PM. Thursday, August 25 DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE NIGHT Tall Short People will be performing The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in its glorious entirety. 4 Lads Insane will bring their eclectic sound and interpret songs from throughout Bowie's career. The event will take place at Ortlieb’s (847 N 3rd St.) at 8PM. For more information and for tickets, visit ortliebslounge. ticketfly.com. Thursday, August 25, 8PM CAT-A-STROPHE AT THE PAPERMILL THEATER (2825 ORMES ST.) Cat-A-Strophe is coming to Philadelphia August 25: A new play written by playwright Yoel Wulfhart will premier at the Paper Mill Theater. Cat-A-Strophe is what would happen if Samuel Beckett, Dario Fo and Hannoch Levin cowrote a sitcom. Tickets are $15. For more information, contact the Papermill Theater at thepapermilltheater@gmail.com. Saturday, August 27 from 10AM-12PM LEARN TO RIDE A BIKE Would you like to teach your child how to ride their bike, or have the help of someone else to do that for you? Or maybe just improve their skills? Or become more confident in maneuvering their bike? Well we're here to help you. Come on out to the Hackett Schoolyard on All parents must stay with their children during instruction and bring their child's own bike, helmet, and any other appropriate safety gear. Bottled water and light refreshments will be provided.

Saturday, August 27 from 11AM-4PM EL FLEA MARKET Come out to Fishtown's only monthly outdoor flea market right under the El at Fishtown Bikes and Beans (1321 N. Front Street). Join a community of awesome artists, entrepreneurs, foodies, musicians, performers, crafters, makers, and people looking to just get rid of stuff. Interested in vending? Email 215elflea@gmail.com. Sunday, August 28 BROOKLYN BREWERY TOUR Explore Philly’s hip Northern Liberties and Fishtown neighborhoods with a pop-up shop called the The Trailhead. By checking in there you will receive coupons for the various restaurants, bars, galleries and stores throughout the neighborhood. Brooklyn Brew and Timberland are joining together to show you the beauty of these neighborhoods and their special collaboration. Tickets can be purchased at brooklynbrewerymash.com. Monday, August 29 from 5-7PM MARTHA MONDAYS Come meet Brad, owner and winemaker at Pinnacle Ridge Winery. Located in Kutztown, PA, right in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch county in the hills of the Appalachian mountains, Pinnacle Ridge is a small family winery making wines using traditional methods and minimum intervention, focusing on allowing the grapes and the land to express themselves through the wines. Delicious, complex wines grown and produced less than 100 miles from here. The tasting features 1/2 a selection of his wines, and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. The tasting takes place at Martha, 2113 E. York St). Friday, September 2 from 7-10PM LIQUID ART Come check out the Liquid Art of Dan Kiselev at the finest glass art shop in Fishtown. There'll be a live demonstration around 9PM, along with beer and BBQ throughout the evening. The exhibition takes place at Head Games, 5 W. Girard Ave. Wednesday, September 7 from 9-11PM NORTHERN COMEDIES Same great comedy. Same great drinks. Same great food. Same great fun. Don't miss the September Northern Comedies. It is always the first Wednesday of the month. The show takes place at Bardot Cafe, 447 Poplar St. Saturday, September 10 from 4-7PM BLACKSTONE COMICS LAUNCH Fishtown Philly based indie comic book company , Blackstone Comics , will be celebrating its launch with free comics and swag . The event will be sponsored by the brewery, 2SP, and will feature a tap take over of beers of their choosing. The launch will take place at Interstate Drafthouse, 1235 Palmer St. Saturday, September 10, 8AM FLEA MARKET Flea Market at the Bridesburg Rec Center (4600 Richmond St.). Spaces $15/2 for 25 For more information call 267-738-5414 Saturday, September 10 PENNY PARTY AT BETHESDA METHODIST CHURCH (2820 E. VENANGO ST.) Doors open 11:30AM, starts at noon. Cost $5, includes 25 tickets, tea, coffee and dessert. 2 packs of tickets $9, 3 packs of tickets $12. Hoagies, hot dogs, soda, water for sale. Saturday and Sunday September 10-11 COMMUNITY GARDEN DAYS AT GREENSGROW Join local gardeners at 2501 East Cumberland St. to learn more about community gardening and managing a nursery. Come out and meet other local gardeners.Come out this fall weekend to get goods for your community garden. Community Gardeners will receive 10% off of purchases made for their community garden. Your garden must be preregistered to receive the discount at the time of purchase. Discount applies to nursery items only–produce and other food items are not included. For more information, visit greensgrow.org. June 27-September 1 2016 EVA RUBIN MEMORIAL WINDOW BOX AND PLANTER CONTEST

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 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. Saturday, September 10 from 8:30AM-4PM THIRTYSOMETHING DAY RETREAT Thirtysomethings have crucial spiritual steps to take that are often overlooked. This retreat gives them a chance to consider those steps among supportive fellow travelers in faith. Rod White and friends will facilitate. Coffee/beverages supplied. Begin with potluck brunch snacks. Lunch in neighborhood (or bring it). If you are a thirtysomething sign up with bethany@circleofhope.net. Space may be limited. The Circle of Hope is located at 2007 Frankford Ave. September 30-October 2 SEAN MURPHY FIELD OF DREAMS The Sean Murphy Fall Classic will be played on Friday, Sep. 30 - Sun., Oct 2. All Games will be played at Shissler Rec (Berks and Blair Sts.) in Fishtown. Opening ceremonies will start at 6PM on Sep. 30. We will be unveiling a mural of Sean to start the festivities. The weekend will include the following activities: Baseball tourney, food vendors, kids activities, concessions, live music, golf ball drop with a chance to win $10,000, Beef and Beer, raffled items. All proceeds will be used to renovate our neighborhood fields and provide a scholarship to local kids. For more info, or if you want to make a donation, please contact Billy Gorey (215-901-2017 or goldenbeargarage@ gmail.com) or Dave Doc (267-312-5869 or djdave05doc@ aol.com) 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. Aug. 17th, Weds., 7-9PM BIG HOUSE BAND Sept.9th, Friday, 7-9PM DOO WOP NIGHT (tentative) Sept. 18th, Sunday, 8AM-l:30PM FALL FLEA MARKET Oct. 7th, Friday, 7-9PM "ELVIS" TRIBUTE NIGHT 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!

sign ups RESURRECTION BOWLING LEAGUE Resurrection Bowling League is looking for male and female bowlers, individuals and teams. The league bowls on Tuesday nights at 8:30 PM at Thunderbird Alley on Holme Ave. League play begins Tuesday, September 6, 2016. Anyone interested in bowling, please call Joe Gessner 215725-3556 or Kathy Pearce 215-802-6912. BRIDESBURG REC CENTER (4625 RICHMOND ST) Zumba – Classes are Mondays and Thursdays from 7-8PM, and the cost is $4. Pre-school — 3-year-olds. Thursday and Friday, noon2:40PM Pre K — 4-year-olds, age as of September 1, 2016. 8:5011:30AM or noon-2:40PM Monday and Wednesday. 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. Ladies Bowling League — Tuesday mornings at 9AM @ Erie Lanes. Interested? Come an join us any Tuesday. For more information call Miss Jackie at 215-685-1247.

CIONE SIGNUPS Cione Tot Rec Program — We are now accepting applications for the 2016/2017 school year. The program runs Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9AM until 12 noon. Children need to be 3 1/2 years to start the program. For more information ,call 215 685 9950 to leave a message and your call will be returned. 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. TOT SOCCER SIGNUPS Sign up now for Tigers Tot Soccer. Girls and boys ages 3 ½ to 6. The season will begin soon, so sign up now at the Tigers’ clubhouse (2423 E. Ann St.) Also, t-ball pictures are in, please pick them up! For more info, call Tom Mack (215-275-8838) 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.

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.. The clubhouse is located at 2973 Gaul Street 19134. For more information call 215-423-6309 Check out our website http:// leprechaunsysa.wix.com/leps#!blog/chi3, or find us on facebook.https://www.facebook.com/Leprechauns-Sports-Association-347773417784/ SIXERS NEIGHBORHOOD BASKETBALL LEAGUE Hancock Rec has more openings for players in their SNBL league held at Moffett Elementary School. For more information please contact Coach Larry @215-685-9877, or come to Moffet to register on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-6PM. Wednesdays 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.

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 215685-1247.

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.

Email, call or drop off your calendar event to The Spirit. news@spiritnews.org 215-423-6246 1428 E. Susquehanna Avenue

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.

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. 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. Wednesdays, 9-11AM LUTHERAN SETTLEMENT HOME COMPUTER CLASSES Computer classes all levels.

Camilla is a young female pocket pitty. The volunteers here at ACCT have said that not only is Camilla adorable, but she's also well-behaved and extremely smart. Camilla was brought in as a stray. She's understandably a little bit shy right now, but she can be VERY affectionate once she gets to know you! Come on over to ACCT and ask to meet Camilla today ... she's a ready-made best friend for someone looking for a sweet and extra-cute little dog! Camilla is located at ACCT, 111 W Hunting Park Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19140. If you have any questions, please call (267)-385-3800 and ask for the Lifesaving Department, or email lifesaving@acctphilly.org. If you already have a dog, please bring him along to meet Camilla. If you rent, please bring written permission from your landlord that you are allowed to have a dog. Animal ID: A32194283

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016 COMMUNITY

CLASSIFIEDS A D 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

Advertise With Us! By placing an advertisement with the Spirit News, you connect with the residents of Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Port Richmond, and Kensington.

AD S @S PIRITN E WS . ORG

THE FINE P RINT:

1 4 2 8 E . S US QUE H AN N A AV E

We reserve the right to edit, refuse or classify any advertisement. Advertising is a privilege which must be protected against misuse. All classified advertisements subject to pre-payment. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to check the advertisements each time it is published. No responsibility is assumed by the newspaper for errors. Errors will be rectified by reinsertion in the following issue only.

215.423.6246 The deadline is Friday at 5pm for display ads, and Monday at 12pm for classifieds. All advertisements must be paid for in advance.

HOME SERVICES A DVA NCED

ELECTRIC REPAIRS

& I NSTA L L ATIONS

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I NSUR E D

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2 1 5 -92 7-1 100 PARENTS

FOSTER PARENTS

FAIR HOUSING

JOBS Driver for 15 Passenger Van Needed 1.5-2 hours Monday thru Friday Driver needs Child Abuse Clearance, Criminal Background Check, and References. $20 per hr. Portside Arts Center 215-427-1514 portsideartscenter@ gmail.com Visual Art Teacher Needed Portside's After School Arts Program 4 hours Monday thru Friday to apply please visit portsideartscenter. org $15 per hr.

JUNK CARS

Drivers: Great Hometime. $1,250 + per week + Monthly Bonuses. Excellent Benefits. Newer Trucks. No Touch. CDL – A 1 yr. exp. 855-842-8498

YOU HAVE A NICE SET OF WHEELS BUT CAN’T FIND A PLACE TO PARK THEM.

FOR RENT 25xx Frankford Ave Large furnished efficiency. Shared Bath. Kitchenette. $515 215-941-3000

Landlords must allow you to make reasonable accommodations to ensure full use of your apartment. Telling you that you can’t install grab bars and ramps is against the law. You can fight back. If you suspect unfair housing practices, contact HUD or your local Fair Housing Center. Everyone deserves a fair chance.

FAIR HOUSING IS THE LAW!

610-604-4411 - FJCSP.COM

Up to $1,100 cash for cars or trucks with bad engines or transmissions. $550 CASH for any complete junk car or truck with or without title. Call 215-669-1000

Good, Loving homes needed for children of all ages.

PLEASE CALL 215-203-8733 or 1-877-NFI4KID or visit nfi4kids.org

Back to School Collections Spirit News is accepting donations for back-to-school supplies. We are accepting all school materials, such as bookbags, pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, paper, tape, markers, chart paper, bulletin board supplies, and anything else you can think of. We’re collecting through August into early September. Supplies will be donated to local school in need.

The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 17, 2016

Page 15

Help Jerry’s Kids! After 45 years, Walter Pomroy is still devoted to helping Jerry’s Kids and it’s time for him to hit the sidewalk once again. Pomroy, also known as Fishtown’s Good Samaritan, will hold his annual campaign to raise funds for the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. He’ll be on the sidewalk at 314 E. Belgrade St. from August 12 to September 5th. Stop by to make a donation and support a worthy cause. If helping kids is not enough to rouse you into action, Pomroy will also be selling hot dogs and soda cans for $1.50.

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

The Spirit of the Riverwards – March 2, 2016 WRITTEN BY MAX PULCINI

FISHTOWN AC GAME

F I S H T O W N A C A L U M N I R E T U R N T O H E T Z E L L’ S F O R A N N U A L A L U M N I G A M E

n Saturday, August 13, under the blazing sun and oppressive heat, current and former Fishtown AC ball players came to Hetzell’s Field to play in the 15th annual Fishtown AC Alumni Awards and Game. According to the Fishtown AC (FAC) website, the local sports club was chartered in 1964 by Jack Moore to promote youth development through sports activities. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors with officers elected on an annual basis. FAC currently sponsors indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball and baseball/softball teams. The game was originally started as a hardball game between ex-players, but evolved into a family-friendly, community-based softball game. At the event, alumni get together to play a little softball and award neighborhood kids with scholarships. Each year, scholarship money is produced through fundraising efforts, merchandise sales and donations from local businesses. FAC gives out six $1,250 scholarships each year. Applications are received and reviewed by anonymous judges. Once they go to the judges, six award winners are selected. Since 1995, 109 scholarships totaling more than $125,000 have been granted by the Fishtown AC Alumni Association since they began granting scholarships. Dennis Reid, Director of Fishtown AC Alumni, introduced the winners. “I want to thank all the participants who sent in scholarship applications, all the people who were involved in the process,” Reid said. “We’re fortunate to give out six scholarships again this year.” The following children were given scholarships: Emily DeOrio, St. Hubert's Arthur Dolan, Roman Catholic Olivia McKnight, St. Laurentius Matthew O’Brien, Roman Catholic Joshua Phillips, Roman Catholic Rylie Tobin, Little Flower Following the award ceremony, Reid introduced Ray Murphy to throw out the first pitch. Murphy’s son, Sean, suddenly and tragically passed away in April. “Sean was an aspiring pitcher,” Reid said. “We think he would have likely joined the Oakland A’s organization in the majors this year, so we’re really saddened by that.” But the memory of Sean Murphy lives on. The Sean Murphy Fall Classic will be played on Friday, September 30 - Sunday, October 2. This baseball tournament will be played at Shissler Rec (Berks and Blair Streets) in Fishtown. Opening ceremonies will start at 6PM on September 30. During the event, a mural of Sean will be unveiled. Additionally, the weekend-long event will include the following activities: baseball tournament, food vendors, kids’ activities, concessions, live music, golf-ball drop with a chance to win $10,000, Beef and Beer and raffled items. All proceeds will be used to renovate Shissler Field and provide additional scholarship money to local kids. Men, women and children of all ages took part in this year’s game. How are the team rosters set? If you walk over to the table and pick up a blue shirt, you’re on the blue team; if you pick up a gray shirt, you’re on the gray team. After five innings, players, coaches, family and alumni enjoyed a picnic. • Hetzell's Field

Fishtown AC Scholarship Award Winners/All photos by Max Pulcini

Dennis Reid

Ray Murphy throws out the first pitch.