The Spirit of the Riverwards - August 31, 2016

H Y PERLOC AL

DON E DI F F E R E N T LY

FISHTOWN + KENSINGTON + NORTHERN LIBERTIES + PORT RICHMOND + BRIDESBURG

THIS

WEEK AUGUST 31, 2016 VOL. 13 NO. 33

KNOW YOUR HISTORY St. Michael's Church and the Nativist Riots of 1844.

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A TASTE OF SOUTH KENSINGTON How a community of immigrants has become defined by its food.

12

THE MEADOWS Philly Block Project team builds small pop-up park in an unused lot on North American Street.

8

THEM THAT DO Local block captain portraits and profiles by award-winning photographer Lori Waselchuk.

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ART-A-MATIC FOR ALL Philly Block Project and Philly Photo Arts Center bring free arts workshops to the neighborhood.

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5TH STREET TRAFFIC Northern Liberties residents and civic associations react to new speed cushions in Northern Liberties.

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HOT OFF THE

PRESS

Arts Project Reveals a Creative

SOUTH KENSINGTON Dear community members, neighbors, and readers, This issue of The Spirit of the Riverwards is the result of a partnership with the Philly Block Project, a year-long, socially-engaged arts project that has produced a photographic narrative of South Kensington’s past and present. The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC) and a team of artists led by the internationally-acclaimed Hank Willis Thomas, have worked with the residents of South Kensington to create exhibitions, a photographic archive, arts workshops, a carnival and a pop-up park. All of the Philly Block Project programs are free.

The Philly Block Project culminates this fall with the opening of The Block exhibition and The Meadows Arts Park September 8, 2016 from 6-8PM.

The Block and The Meadows Arts Park are an indoor/outdoor immersive experience using photographs taken by Hank Willis Thomas, Wyatt Gallery, Lisa Fairstein, Hiroyuki Ito, Will Steacy and the residents of South Kensington.

Together with Spirit News' team of reporters, editors and designers, we have put together an issue featuring a collection of images and stories from South Kensington. Each story shows the diversity and the history of a neighborhood spanning generations. Using images from The Block exhibition and the Archive, as well as stories from block captains, local business owners, and other residents, we've immortalized South Kensington in yet another medium — print. •

The BLOCK exhibition is an installation of hundreds of photographs taken by Hank Willis Thomas, Wyatt Gallery, Lisa Fairstein, Hiroyuki Ito, Will Steacy, displayed floor to ceiling in the PPAC Gallery.

Hank Willis Thomas and Wyatt Gallery designed collages, represented above, to reflect the idea that a neighborhood is a ‘collage’ of stories.

St. Jakobus Lutheran Church opened in the late 1800s to serve the German immigrant community that thrived in the neighborhood. It has since changed denominations several times as the community demographics changed. The last church to hold services in this building was La Iglesia de Santiago, serving the Catholic, Spanish speaking residents of the neighborhood. The building is now an artist studio owned by Ellen Quingzhao-Schicktanz. Photograph by Hank Willis Thomas + Wyatt Gallery. 2016.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016

THE PPAC HAS SERVED SOUTH KENSINGTON SINCE 2009 AS A COMMUNITY ART HUB FOR BOTH PRACTICING ARTISTS AND INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN ALL ASPECTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY. WE DO THIS BY PROVIDING: A line up of Education Programs led by award-winning photographers, featuring classes for all skill levels, after school and summer programs for teens, and workshops for families to learn photography together.

Free access to Photographic Exhibitions in the PPAC gallery, showing work by notable artists across the region and the globe.

Access to an Artist Lab that boasts digital workspaces and printers for our neighbors to produce high quality prints and scans.

And, ongoing programming and public events that use art to both educate and empower the community.

Whether you’re new to photography, have been taking pictures for years, or just like to see art, the doors to PPAC are open to you.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WWW.PHILAPHOTOARTS.ORG OR CALL 215-232-5678. @PHILAPHOTOARTS @PHILA_PHOTOARTS PHILAPHOTOARTS

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY MEGAN MATUZAK

Art-A-Matic For All

I

P H I L LY B L O C K P R O J E C T B R I N G S F R E E W O R K S H O P S T O S O U T H K E N S I N G T O N

n early August, amateur and professional photographers came to The Resource Exchange (1701 N. 2nd St.) for a free class on pinhole photography. The workshop was part of Art-A-Matic, a series of workshops sponsored by the Philly Block Project and taught by South Kensington artists.

Throughout the seven-part series, participants learn screen printing, jewelry-making and photography. The workshops, held on the first Saturday of each month, began in May, and there is still time to sign up for the remaining two Art-A-Matic classes this fall.

“We wanted to make sure to include photography in some of the classes,” Lori Waselchuk, Philly Block Project Coordinator, said. “But as we met the creative people in our neighborhood, we wanted to support their work through the workshops.”

Alexandra Orgera, a seasoned photographer and teacher, felt like pinhole photography was the perfect project for an Art-A-Matic workshop because it doesn’t require a lot of materials. The teachers of these workshops, like Orgera, came from all walks of the art spectrum and in effect brought different pieces of South Kensington with them.

Pinhole photography is a simple process: You grab a box that can be sealed, put a piece of film in the back, poke a hole in it and cover the hole. The film is exposed when the hole is uncovered and covered back up after a period of time, usually 5-10 minutes.

“You don't have to get the greatest DSLR with all of the most advanced lenses," Orgera said, explaining the appeal of pinhole photography. "It doesn't require a lot of technical knowledge, although you can get technical with it if you want.”

With beads of sweat decorating their foreheads, the participants of the workshop left The Resource Exchange and walked up and down the block to scout out their photos.

The youngest participant, Grant Kane, a young student, took a sharp pictures of a nearby fence from ground level. Each participant became excited when they could see their image develop in the makeshift darkroom created in The Resource Exchange's bathroom.

“The final judgement comes when you see your images.

I think the amazement of seeing an image come from something you built and put a piece of paper into is where the magic happens,” Orgera said.

For Waselchuk, the Art-A-Matic workshops are a multi-generational approach to put visual art in the center of 19122 resident’s lives and see value in the art they already created.

“We would like to continue Art-A-Matic. We will try to make that happen," Waselchuk said. "We want to learn what our neighbors are interested in, as well as present some new opportunities for them."

The next Art-A-Matic workshop is “Live-Action Silkscreen Printing” on October 1st at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. This workshop will actually connect with another aspect of the Philly Blocks Art Project: the South Kensington Community Photo Archive. It will be another opportunity to unite the neighborhood in art and shared experiences, which is the goal Philly Block Project strives to meet.

“It's really about creating opportunities for newcomers and current residents to interact and understand more about each other,” Waselchuk said. “We are using art to do that.” •

Top photo, moving clockwise: Grant Kane holds his first pinhole photograph. Alex Orgera made a camera from an old 35mm film cannister. Photos made by Art-A-Matic participants. A pinhole camera made from a cracker tin. Alex Orgera, left, explains exposure to Audren Jakab.

Photos by Megan Matuzak.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016

The South Kensington

COMMUNITY ARCHIVE

T

he Philly Block Project Archive is comprised of past and present photographs sourced from historical archives and from the individuals who call South Kensington home, uniting the residents to each other and to their shared story. The Philly Block Project Archive team, led by noted photographer and visual storyteller Lori Waselchuk, includes the project’s curator, Kalia Brooks, artist and educator Tim Gibbon, historian Alysson Biermaier and photographer Andre Bradley.

Brooks’ task was to select images for the exhibition Archive Collective: South Kensington 19122 (which closed last week at the PPAC Gallery). “What is the identity of a neighborhood?” Brooks asked in the exhibition.”We asked residents to provide us with pictures that reflected their relationship to the neighborhood.”

In six months of outreach and engagement, the Archive team has collected more than 2,800 personal and historic photos that chronicle the evolution of the community: immigration, an industrial boom, abandonment, and a surge of small business and art spaces today.

“Ours is a process of identification through accumulation,” writes Brooks. “The archive is made up of a collection of documents that can represent South Kensington in its history and present. It does not claim to be a definitive survey, but rather a portrayal of an organism as it continues to evolve over time.”

Despite the closing of the the Archive Collective exhibition, PPAC Executive Director Sarah Stolfa hopes that the Archive team can continue collecting photos and stories from the neighborhood. “We feel like we have only scratched the surface of the amount of material we know exists in the neighborhood.” said Stolfa.

Stolfa explains that the archive began as a way to create a unique exhibition for the Philly Block Project. But it has become a bigger project than they anticipates. “We feel we owe it to the neighborhood to include the diversity of the residents as well as help complete the picture of a neighborhood that has always and continues to experience drastic change.” • Photo from top, moving clockwise: 1) Sarah Gearhart photographed friends sitting on her stoop. 2015. 2) An early selfie by Gilberto Gonzales in his basement with friends in the 1980s. 3) A cellphone photo of Fada Ahmad as she kisses her mother’s, Wardah Ibrahim, hand during a visit to Mukhmas, Palestine, Fada’s birth home. 2015. 4) Ezra Liu, Sarah Kate Burgess and Jacque Liu took a family selfie near their home. 2014. 5) Photo of the Al-Aqsa Soccer team after winning 2nd place in a tournament in New Jersey. 1995.

Photo below: This photo of Jose Serano was taken by Maria Pabon and submitted by their daughter, Marilyn Cruz. Cruz said, “He used to go pajariando [going door to door], singing rancheros in the neighborhood with his guitar.”

The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016

Roi Greene submitted this photo of his mother, Donna Marie Greene, modeling for John Robert Powers in 1970.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 W R I T T E N B Y L O R I WA S E L C H U K , P H I L LY B L O C K P R O J E C T, C O O R D I N AT O R

The Meadows A C O M M U N I T Y PA R K O N B O R R O W E D L A N D

W

hile business owners, city planners, developers and residents wrestle with the complex challenges facing the desolate and deindustrialized North American Street, the Philly Block Project team has built a small pop-up park — an oasis — cut out from an unused lot on the east side of American, between N. Master and N. Jefferson Streets.

The Philly Block Project is a year-long, socially-engaged collaboration that provides a visual narrative of South Kensington’s past and present through photographs.

While the project consists of photo exhibitions, we have also created programs, like this garden, to meet and create with more of our neighbors.

“Our plans for the Philly Block Project always included an outdoor installation on American Street,” said Sarah Stolfa, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC). “The difficult part was finding someone who would allow us to use their land for a few months.”

After months of research, unfruitful conversations and unanswered calls, Stolfa found her solution across the street from the PPAC, when Mark Rabinowitz of Rabinowitz Glass agreed to lease the land through November.

The lot was an uninviting space. Ambitious vegetative growth, six-foot-tall, pushed against the concrete barriers that lined a weed-infested sidewalk. The back of the lot was just as imposing. It was home to thick, scruffy shrubs and the remains of a broken wall topped with barbed wire.

With land, however, the creative team could plan.

Stolfa invited Tim Kerner of Terra Studio and his Temple architecture students into the project. They designed a park with a shady picnic area, a stage and an outdoor photography exhibition. The architectural rendering left a thick border of the weeds untouched.

Kerner presented their design to South Kensington residents at one of our monthly community meeting.

“After the meeting, I realized that an essential aspect of the park would be to create a sense of connection between American Street and the surrounding neighborhood,” Kerner said. “That is the idea behind the curving path through the wildflowers and weeds that leads back to N. Philip Street.”

The residents also shared stories about their tenuous relationship with the 80-foot wide industrial road that cuts through the center of their neighborhood and by the meeting’s conclusion decided to name the new park “The Meadows.”

The Philly Block Project is a collaboration with South Kensington residents, and the residents have come out to help build the park. Today “The Meadows” is nearly finished. 15 tons of donated wood chips smother the weeds.

Picnic tables and benches made from scrap building materials stand under tarps. A stage juts out from the broken wall. And color flashes of magenta, cyan and yellow brighten the gray landscape.

The Philly Block Project’s lead artist Hank Willis Thomas will exhibit photographs on flags in The Meadows.

“The idea behind the flags is to celebrate the neighborhood and monumentalize the everyday,” said Thomas.

“The Meadows” will host an opening celebration on September 8, from 6PM – 8PM, the same night as the opening of “The Block” exhibition at the PPAC. Beginning September 14th, the Philly Block Project will host a series of arts programs called, “Wednesday Nights

in The Meadows.” Free events, from cabarets to concerts, film screenings to dance lessons, will take the stage in the pop up park, each Wednesday through November 30th, from 6PM – 7:30PM. For more information, contact lori@ philaphotoarts.org. •

Photos below: PPAC neighbors and Philly Block Project collaborators, Christopher Agosto, in front, and Hakan Ibisi helped spread the 15 tons of mulch brought to The Meadows. Erike De Veyra and her daughter Ena brought double-decker help to the painting party during one of the community workdays. The architectural rendering for The Meadows was created by Terra Studios. Photos

by Lori Waselchuk

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 B Y L O R I WA S E L C H U K

Them That Do

A

ALBERTO SERRANO AND SARITA BROADNAX, 1800 N. 4TH STREET

sk Alberto Serrano about being a block captain and he immediately begins to praise his newest neighbor, Sarita Broadnax. Sarita moved to the block four months ago after a fire destroyed her family’s former home on N. 6th Street.

Alberto has been living here for 38 years, a witness to a changing neighborhood. He watched the iconic Stetson factory clock tower burn to the ground in 1980.

When drugs dealers invaded and threatened his neighborhood, he organized a town watch. Eventually, he says, “we got them out of the neighborhood.”

The 1800 block of N. 4th Street has only eight occupied homes on the west side of the street. Windowless warehouses and chain-linked fences surround the sparsely populated block. Large abandoned lots are misused as dumping grounds. After serving as the block captain for ten years, you can tell that Alberto, who has been on disability since surviving a helicopter crash as a soldier, finds the physical tasks of being a block captain more difficult. At one time, he was a dedicated volunteer for the Philadelphia Food Bank and organized parties for children. Now he becomes short of breath walking the length of his street.

The arrival of Sarita, who has lived in South Kensington her entire adult life, raised seven kids here, and volunteered as a block captain for each of the Philadelphia Housing Authority homes in which she has lived, has unlocked something. A seed perhaps.

Already they are expecting a donation of six trees from South Kensington Community Partners that they will plant on their treeless street in September. In her first month on the block, Sarita identified two large empty lots just south of their row of homes that needed to be cleaned. She, with her children and grandchildren (she has 30) as well has her neighbors, collected dozens of bags of trash and organic material during the citywide cleanup in April. Sarita was able to use one of the cleaned lots to be a distribution point for Philadelphia’s summer meal program, where she fed 25 kids each weekday, then organized football games and arts activities in the lot after lunch.

Alberto calls Sarita his co-captain, but Sarita is still the block captain of the 1500 block of N. 6th Street. Not surprisingly, her old neighbors want her to move back. But Sarita thinks she will stay on N. 4th Street, much to the delight of Alberto Serrano.

For more photos, stories and videos about Philadelphia block captains, go to themthatdo.org • Sarita Broadnax and Alberto Serrano stand at the corner of their Tot Lot.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN THE MEADOWS 6:00pm-7:30pm

SEPTEMBER 8

The Philly Block Project’s Pop-Up Arts Park on the 1400 block of N. American St. will open

Opening Celebration for The Block exhibition, featuring La Familia Rojas

September 8th with music to celebrate the

14 Salsa Dance Lessons

community-built space. The Philly Block Project

21 Daniel de Jesus in Concert

will host Wednesday Nights In The Meadows, an array of weekly arts and community programming from 6pm - 7:30pm beginning August 14th.

Bring blankets and garden chairs!

28 Youth Talent Show and Open Mic

OCTOBER 5

Major support for Philly Block Project has been provided

by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from Penn Treaty Special Services District, The John S. and James L Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Pig Iron School & Friends Cabaret (PG13)

12 “20G” Film Screening, & Conversation w/ Director, Gilberto Gonzalez 19 “Rise of the Tigers” Screening & Talk w/ Directors Max Pulcini and Matthew Albisi 26 Bring-Your-Own-Knife Pumpkin Carving Party

NOVEMBER 2

The Dirty Soap Blues Band Accoustic Party

9

“Waste” Experimental Film Screening & Augmented Reality Walk Video by Termite Collective

16 Night Photography Class w/ Lori Waselchuk 23 Community Service Project 30 The Meadows Closing Party For more info contact Lori at (267) 820-8246; email: lori@philaphotoarts.org Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter: @PhillyBlock www.philaphotoarts.org/events/ philly-block-project

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 THE

local lens

W

hen Pope Francis canonizes Mother Teresa on Sunday, September 4, one man will be smiling more than most in the sea of people in Saint Peter’s Square.

His name is Michael Collopy, one of the preeminent portrait photographers of our time. Collopy was Mother Teresa’s personal friend and official photographer for fifteen years. His 224 page book of photographs, “Works of Love are Works of Peace” (Ignatius Press), contains more than 180 fine art quality tri-tone images, along with writings by Mother Teresa. One of Collopy’s images of Mother Teresa has been chosen as the Catholic Church’s official portrait of the new saint. Collopy’s photograph was the basis for a painted portrait of the nun that will be unveiled to the world on September 4th.

Collopy was mostly self-taught, but did study under Ansel Adams and Richard Avedon in workshop settings. He currently resides in San Francisco with his wife, Alma, and their two sons. He has photographed a lot of famous people, including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, The Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, but he says that no subject affected him as much as Mother Teresa. As a personal friend of the saint’s, he also spent a lot of time driving her around Calcutta to her various appointments.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of something she said,” he told me by phone from his home.

“She was very mystical. She could ‘read’ you in a way. She had these deep penetrating eyes and she often gave me spiritual advice that was straight on.”

Collopy wanted me to know that Mother Teresa “had the ability to see goodness in each person without judgment.”

The most extreme example of this is the love that she and her Missionaries of Charity sisters showed to gay men dying of AIDS in the Bay Area in the 1980s and 1990s. Collopy’s book contains a number of startling images from the sisters’ Gift of Love San Francisco AIDS Hospice. These black and white images are images of AIDS patients close to death. Some of the men are photographed as they lay dying. In one striking photograph we see hospice patient “David” surrounded by sisters and staff as if cocooned in a loving circle. As Collopy wrote: “His name was David. Like the other men whose photographs appear in this section, when David found out about this book project, he wanted to be involved. So we were there at a most intimate and profound time — his death.”

One image shows David in repose on a small cot, a white sheet up to his neck near an open window with white curtains and a white statue of Our Lady of Fatima looking over the scene.

“I got to know all of these guys quite well,” Collopy said.

“Mother was one of the first to really have a home for men suffering from AIDS. I met so many men there who were rejected by their families because of who they were, so many beautiful people that I got to know.” Collopy adds that David told him that while living in the streets he didn’t feel like he had family or friends, but that in the hospice he was surrounded by friends.

“Mother had complete trust and confidence that the men in the AIDS hospice were all going to heaven. How intimately God loves each one of us. Mother also made it a point never to judge anyone, and she once told Michael, ‘Oh no, I never judge anybody because it doesn’t allow me to love them.’”

“Not having this judgment,” Collopy added, “allowed her to love the individuals she cared for. Mother had the ability to see goodness in each person, without judgment.

There was a lot of love and laughter in those hospices.”

How did Mother Teresa become Mother Teresa?

She was born in Albania as Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu. She had an older brother and a sister, Aga. Her mother, an Orthodox Christian, was very religious while her father was very active politically in the local City Council, a position that probably led to his death, or so Collopy believes, as he may have been poisoned. The family was well to do.

BY THOM NICKELS

By age 18, the future Mother Teresa was already leading a devout religious life and reading books on India because she had a desire to work there. She wanted to devote her life to the poor as a nun and the only way to do that was to join the Catholic Sisters of Loreto (there were no Orthodox missionary nuns in India at that time).

Collopy said that Mother Teresa received the call to work with the very poor during a train ride to Darjeeling in 1946. “At that time she had a kind of interior locution, a vision of Jesus and Mary. She was suddenly looking out over a sea of dark faces of the poor and in the foreground was Jesus on the cross,” he said. After entering the convent, she became a geography teacher and the principal of a girl’s school in Calcutta.

Collopy told me that Mother never liked to talk about herself and never accepted any kind of praise. When she started her work in Calcutta, she was on her own. It wasn’t until British writer Malcolm Muggeridge discovered her work in 1969, leading to a BBC report on her work that resulted in worldwide attention.

Deceased writer Christopher Hitchens, author of a book on Mother Teresa, “The Missionary Position,” says the BBC report was the beginning of “the Mother Teresa media myth.” Hitchens called Mother Teresa an “ally of the status quo,” because of her readiness to meet infamous world dictators to further her work. Other critics of Mother jumped on the bandwagon, including journalists who insisted that her Missionaries of Charity homes for the dying in Calcutta and elsewhere were understaffed, provided bad medical care, were too crowded and had insufficient pain killers and food. Mother’s Missionaries of Charity were also accused with gross financial mismanagement. Krithika Varagur of the Huffington Post went out on a limb when she wrote: “…Mother Teresa’s imminent sainthood is freshly infuriating. We make god in our image and we see holiness in those who resemble us. In this, Mother Teresa’s image is a relic of white, Western supremacy.”

And then there were those who criticized Mother Teresa’s looks as well as her stance against abortion. These were the same critics who were taken aback when she was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Freedom.

Collopy says that when he and Christopher Hitchens were in Berkeley at the same time, somebody tried to get them together for lunch. “I had a conversation with him on the phone, and he was very nice, very articulate, but his criticism of Mother certainly wasn’t accurate based on my 15 years with her.”

The aged nun, after all, lived in a simple room without any amenities, wore broken sandals that were five years old and refused to use the telephone longer than a few minutes because poor people in India had no access to phones.

“I never met anybody who was that selfless. Her life was a life of selfless service. She did not desire publicity or fame. In fact, she had a deal with God that for every photo taken of her a soul was released from purgatory. You know, when you consider the life of Jesus — he did not hang out with the best of characters—a far more difficult pain for him to accept other than the physical pain he experienced was the pain of rejection from the apostles at the Garden of Gethsemane. This really corresponds to the poverty of sorrow that Mother saw in the West. It was the poverty of being unloved and uncared for that made the poverty in the United States much more difficult to care for. But she was called to attend to that.”

Collopy tells me of the time he was driving Mother to one of her appointments when they came upon a group of electricians working on electrical wires. The scene moved Mother to say, “You have to be the empty wire and allow God to be the current that runs through it.”

I ask about the photographs of Mother’s feet and hands.

The images of Mother’s feet are shocking to look at because they do not resemble feet but, as Collopy says, “tree

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

roots.”

“Yes, the sisters used to encourage me to photograph Mother’s feet. She never used to wear sandals in her house in Calcutta, because the poor didn’t have sandals.

She had an extra toe under her right foot. That must have been very painful. But her feet looked like tree roots.

There were notches on her ankles from the way that she prayed, the prostrations and so forth…”

He says there are many times when he feels Mother’s presence. In one instance a good friend of Alma’s announced that she had breast cancer. Because the woman was very distraught, Collopy immediately drove to her home to give her a small medal of Our Lady that Mother used to hand out to people. Mother would kiss these medals individually then distribute them to pilgrims and the sick. Sometimes she would leave them on the property of buildings that were for sale that she wanted to buy.

According to Collopy, “99.9 percent of the time after she would get that house.”

After delivering the medal to his wife’s friend, Collopy tells me that the very next day the more than grateful woman drove to the Collopy home to make an announcement. She said that when she received the medal on the previous day, she saw Mother Teresa standing in the room. Shortly after this, her breast cancer vanished completely.

Collopy reminds me of something that Mother once said: “I can do much more for you in heaven than I can on earth.”

The San Francisco photojournalist is currently working on a new book, “Courage,” portraits of people he feels have exhibited courage in their field of work, including Nobel Prize Laureates, civil rights heroes, and of course the Dalai Lama, who once rubbed Collopy’s shoulder because he said he needed the healing presence of Mother Teresa’s love. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 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

L

ast week started off perfect until the 90s came back and continued for much of the week. It’s a tired weather story this summer — hot, humid, run your A/C, drink plenty of water, sweat, rinse, repeat. But this forecast period, I’m here to offer some good news: get ready for a great weather week.

The forecast period starts off warm, so anyone who likes the hot and humid weather, Wednesday is your day! For the rest of us who like it 80 and sunny, every day (except Thursday) will be that way! It’s weather heaven this week.

We stay dry AGAIN this week. At some point, maybe in the fall, we are going to pay for all this dry weather with

non-stop rain. Until that happens, enjoy the sunshine! Oh, and keep an eye on the tropics again this week as a hurricane may form in the Atlantic and try to move toward the Southeast US or up the Gulf of Mexico.

Wednesday is the last hot day of the latest heat wave. Kiss the 90s goodbye after this day.

Thursday is a cloudy day as rain and thunderstorms move through in the late morning and early afternoon.

The weather will be much nicer (and cooler) behind the front Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all perfect days to just enjoy life. We’ve put up with a lot of weather this year —

from a crippling blizzard in January to stifling heat in August. Go outside and enjoy the weather perfection that is this weekend!

Monday is continued nice to start the week but we need to pay attention to the tropics for possible hurricane development. We could eventually get the rain from anything that forms in the ocean. It starts to get warmer on Tuesday.

The weather winner of the week is the weekend; the weather loser is Thursday. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY PTAH GABRIE

Local Eats

C

HOW A COMMUNITY OF IMMIGRANTS HAS BECOME DEFINED BY IT’S FOOD

ountless tales about the American Dream have started and ended within the industrial and post-industrial buildings of South Kensington. During the 19th century, European immigrants filed into the neighborhood’s rowhouses and took jobs in Kensington’s mills and factories. In the early 20th century, America’s “Great Migration” saw thousands of African-Americans move to northern cities and take residence in North Philadelphia, with immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America following shortly after. Today, it’s immigrants from the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and the Middle East who are once again stirring the melting pot in South Kensington.

It could be tastefully argued that the best equalizer when breaking down cultural barriers is food. Religion may top the list as the leading social binding agent, but we are all human and we all must eat. Cultures are based around cooking techniques and ingredients, so wherever there’s a blossoming immigrant community, there’s usually a brick-and-mortar culinary representation of that ethnicity not far away.

This article celebrates the cultural and culinary diversity of South Kensington and examines how each ethnic food lends to the unique character of the community. We’ll do so by highlighting some of the best eateries that the neighborhood has to offer and speaking with the people behind the counter who serve residents day-in, day-out.

The European and American Sausage Company

Restaurante y Lechonera Principe

“It’s weird,” Veowiczyk said. “We’re in America and Americans don’t eat fat back, but we have huge orders all across America because Russian culture is huge. North Carolina, California, New York.”

European and American Sausage Company also offers a Russian version of kielbasa. “We have a very famous smoked Polish [sausage]; Americans know it by kielbasa,” Veowiczyk said. “We have a really good one that’s sold all across the United States.”

Veowiczyk believes food diversity is important to South Kensington and makes the community more interesting.

“It’s important because if you eat the same stuff every day you get bored of it,” he said. “It’s not exciting.”

“It gives everyone a taste of where they’re from, so it’s more so in learning about the heritage and knowing why there is jerk chicken. We’re all different and we all have a story. People definitely connect through food.”

Moore is an American of Jamaican descent and is bringing the authentic taste of Jamaica to South Kensington.

“A lot of our spices do come directly sourced from Jamaica,” Moore said. Everything is made daily to ensure the quality and authenticity of their food. “It’s definitely made with love and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree,” she added.

Reggae Reggae Vibes’ menu features traditional items like slow-cooked Montego Bay Ox Tail Soup. The oxtails are marinated with Jamaican herbs and spices and served in a stew of vegetables. The oxtails are so tender that the meat and little globs of fat melt in your mouth as they fall right off the bone.

If you stop by Reggae Reggae Vibes on a Friday or Saturday you can order the Irie Curried Goat, the restaurant's take on the classic Jamaican dish. They use their house blend of herbs and spices before slow roasting the goat meat to ensure maximum tenderness.

According to Moore, the restaurant’s most popular item is a jerk chicken cheesesteak. Their take on the Philly classic is doused with curry and dressed the way you want it on a long roll. You might find an imposter curried chicken cheesesteak at certain neighborhood food trucks, but Reggae Reggae Vibes is serving the real deal and you don’t have to wait till the weekend to order it.

The European and American Sausage Company (1242 North American St.) One of the most notorious incidents in South Kensington’s history occurred in 1844 when St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church (1437 North 2nd St.) was set on fire during a riot led by Irish Protestants angry at their Catholic neighbors. But these Nativist Riots did not stop thousands of Catholic immigrants from moving into the neighborhood to work in factories and strive for a better life.

While most of the working-class Irish immigrants have long since moved out of South Kensington, a new shop on American Street is catering to new European immigrants interested in the taste of the Old World.

The European and American Sausage Company is a family-owned business that provides the smoked meats and Russian specialties that you would find in a Moscow deli.

The smell of meat being smoked is impossible to miss as you approach the lonely building. Don’t be fooled by the plain exterior: once you walk through the door, the smell of smoky meat intensifies and fills your nose.

According to David Veowiczyk, the store’s product manager, they’ve been here for 20 years and their most popular product is a Russian specialty called “fat back.” Veowiczyk describes the delicacy as pork belly fat that is salt cured until it achieves a buttery consistency. It’s essentially bacon without the meat and it can be eaten raw or melted down in a pan with just about anything.

Veowiczyk says most Americans don’t know what fat back is, but Russian communities from all over the United States are ordering the stuff from his company.

Reggae Reggae Vibe (517 West Girard Ave.) Philadelphia saw an influx of African Americans in the early 20th century. These former slaves and descendants of former slaves sought to escape the oppressive Jim Crow society of the South. Major northern cities like Philadelphia and Detroit saw African American populations rise tremendously during this time.

According to PhiladelphiaEncyclopedia.org, the African American population of Philadelphia went from 63,000 in 1900 to 134,000 in 1920. Kensington was one of the enclaves where these new Philadelphians settled. They brought with them the cooking styles they learned in the South.

What is generally considered “soul food” is actually derived from food made by slaves using less desirable cuts of meat. These throwaway cuts of meat and vegetables turn into something magical when cooked with the right amount of knowledge, care and love. Things like oxtail and collard greens are soul-food staples you can find in Southern and Caribbean style cuisine.

Reggae Reggae Vibes is a relatively new restaurant in South Kensington. They’ve been serving up vibrant Jamaican cuisine at their brightly colored restaurant for two years and have some very authentic dishes that represent traditional African and Caribbean menus.

Denise Moore, manager of Reggae Reggae Vibes, believes food diversity is a good thing for South Kensington.

“Food diversity is important because there is definitely a lot of ethnicity especially in this community,” Moore said.

Owner Santiago Principe and his wife Margarita have been running Restaurante y Lechonera Principe since June 1996. /All photos by Ptah Gabrie

Restaurante y Lechonera Principe (235 Cecil B. Moore Ave.) Puerto Ricans have been part of American society for hundreds of years and, according to a document published by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia has always had well established ties with the island.

Between 1950 and 1970, Philadelphia saw its Puerto Rican population rise to 60,000 residents. According to the 2000 Census, there were about 91,527 Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia, many of which lived in the areas of Kensington and North Philadelphia.

Of all livestock commonly eaten by humans, there is one animal that is directly tied to Puerto Rican food culture: the pig. Pork is an essential staple of many Puerto Rican Continued on Page 13.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 Continued from Page 12. dishes. Often times, a whole hog is roasted over coals until the skin is cooked to a crispy brown and the meat is juicy and filled with the taste of smoke. You don’t usually need directions to find places like this — once you’re close enough your nose will guide you in. Restaurante y Lechonera Principe is one of those places.

If you are looking for tacos and burritos, this is not the place. Instead, this restaurant specializes in roast pork, chicken, rice and beans and fritters. Owner Santiago Principe and his wife Margarita have been running the eatery since June 1996. Over the past 20 years, they’ve kept the culinary style they learned from their family back in Puerto Rico alive in South Kensington.

“I started when I was a kid with my father and my mom in Puerto Rico,” Principe said in a thick Puerto Rican accent. “We used to prepare the pork for a neighbor during the Christmas season. When they would have a party we would clean the pork and roast it for them.”

The Principes make everything fresh daily, so that means getting a hog cooking in the early South Kensington hours. If you’re nearby, you may catch a whiff of their barbecue. “We cook every day, fresh food,” Margarita said.

“The hardest part is waking up at 4AM everyday,” Santiago added.

The diversity of the neighborhood is not lost on the couple. The few times during the week I’ve popped in for a box of barbecue chicken, rice and beans, it’s been relatively quiet. Santiago says he has a diverse clientele which is evident on Sundays at his tables. “I have customers: Chinese, Puerto Rican, Italian, white, black,” Principe said. “Everybody for me, the same. On Sundays, people from different families sit down here to relax. They talk, they establish relationships. That’s cool. I like it.”

were in Northeast and West Philadelphia, but stores like Jerusalem Market and Liberty Choice Market cater to the blossoming Islamic and Middle Eastern community in South Kensington.

A few months ago, the word “Talia’s” appeared on a storefront along Girard Avenue, just west of the El. The business remained closed until a few weeks ago when owner Adel Ahmed opened Talia’s Restaurant and Mediterranean Grill. His store is itself a melting pot of many types of Mediterranean cuisine.

Ahmed is achieving the American Dream of owning his own business after years of working for other people.

“I decided to start something small on my own, rather than work for somebody else,” Ahmed said. “I ended up looking around for a place. I did some research, and found this up-and-coming area. People like new things… customers are very smart, people are very smart.”

Ahmed has been in the restaurant business for decades.

“I’m a chef,” Ahmed said. “I used to work at one of the top restaurants in Manhattan and I worked for a four-star restaurant in North Jersey.” He points out pictures on the wall of a younger version of himself posing in separate instances with O.J. Simpson, Jamie Lee Curtis and former Vice President Dan Quayle’s wife, Marilyn.

Ahmed is of Greek and Egyptian descent, so he wanted his restaurant to reflect as many Mediterranean styles of cooking as possible. Items like panini, couscous, tabouli, shawarma and gyro round out the full experience, but the

featured item is Talia’s Bagels.

Talia’s bagels are imported from Ahmed’s cousin’s bagel shop A & S Bagels in Bensalem, Bucks County, where the shop has been a staple for 30 years. The bagel is boiled in water, in contrast to other bagel shops in the neighborhood. “The bagels we have here are different,” Ahmed said. “The bagel is hand rolled every day. When you use the machine, you compress the bagel and make it thick and heavy. This kind of bagels is very fluffy.”

Ahmed fixed me up a plain bagel with jalapeno cream cheese. It was just as fluffy in every chewy bite as I had expected. The cream cheese is super savory and a little spicy too. If hot peppers aren’t your thing, there’s nine other cream cheese flavors (including lox, cinnamon raisin walnut and horseradish cheddar) all available to spread on 14 kinds of bagels. Cream cheese can also be purchased by the pound.

Ahmed is only one example of the American Dream continuing in South Kensington. Even as the city and its demographics continue to change, it is likely that this neighborhood will remain an immigrant community — the same way it’s been for hundreds of years. Each new ethnic group that calls the neighborhood home is just a new ingredient in the South Kensington melting pot. As long as the community remains open to all people seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, there will be restaurants ready to enlighten Americans and remind those immigrants of the best parts of the countries they’ve left behind. •

Talia’s Restaurant and Mediterranean Grill (122 West Girard Ave.) The ongoing wars in the Middle East have led to thousands of immigrants and refugees to relocate to the United States. Once again, major cities are seeing their immigrant populations rise as ongoing war threatens the lives of millions of ordinary people trying to the flee terrors of their homeland.

An article published on philly.com near the end of 2012 says the Arab population in Philadelphia is 8,874. According to the article, the concentrations of Arab immigrants

Talia’s Restaurant and Mediterranean Grill along W. Girard Ave.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY SPENCER HOMAN

know your history

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S T. M I C H A E L ' S C H U R C H A N D T H E N AT I V I S T R I O T S O F 1 8 4 4

mmigration has always been part of American history. In Philadelphia, William Penn was begging German immigrants to come to the continent on his newly acquired land as far back as late 17th century.

But even though the public sentiment toward immigration was positive in North America for many years, things began changing in the 1800s.

By 1887, the American Protective Agency was founded to keep specific immigrants out of the country. The Agency had a particular issue with Catholics, and they were not alone in trying to keep the country Protestant. Until the 1930s, the Catholic Church’s presence in the United States was considered a missionary movement. To this day, there has only been one Catholic President of the United States: John F. Kennedy.

In Kensington, anti-Catholic motivations were apparent as early as the 1830s, with the climax of that situatio resulting in the mid 1840s. Citizens of the United States who opposed immigration were sometimes called “nativists.” Nativists wanted to keep the population as similar as possible culturally, religiously, and ancestrally.

Ironically, nativism got its name from “Native Americans” even though it was not referring to Native Americans. Rather, it was referring to people who descended from the “Native Colonists.” Immigrants were increasing every year for several decades in the 1800s. It was not until the Great Depression that immigration decreased in this country. Still, over ten million people came to the country in that time period anyway.

According to PhiladelphiaEncyclepedia.com, Hugh Clark, a Catholic school director, suggested suspended Bible reading until the school board could devise a policy acceptable to Catholics and Protestants alike. This suggestion was not taken well by nativists as thousands of them gathered at Independence Square to protest the idea. On May 3, 1844 they rallied in Kensington, but according to records, “were chased away.”

A few days later, on May 6th, nativist protesters gathered in Kensington in the form of a violent rally. A 19-year-old nativist named George Shiffler was killed by a gunshot wound. The sheriff called the Pennsylvania Militia for help, but they were unsucessful. On May 8th, protesters started fires, burning down churches, houses and anything else they could.

Included in the structures that were burnt was the house of Hugh Clark, the man who wanted to suspend bible reading for a time being. By May 10th, a coalition of police and multiple city’s militias ended the violence with the help of citizen posses. This halt in the violence was not soon enough to save “several private dwellings… a Catholic seminary, and two Catholic churches…”

One of the churches that were burned down was St. Michael’s Catholic Church at 2nd and Master Streets, which was founded in 1831. According to Philaplace.org, the bloody summer of 1844 resulted in at least 20 dead and more than 100 injured.

Information found in Villanova’s library suggests that the tension in Kensington and the surrounding areas was not because of a suggestion to suspend bible reading in schools, but rather it was habits from the old country [that] had survived the move to America. Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics had disputes in their native land, so why would anything change in their new country?

An earlier attempt to destroy [St. Michael’s] which began after a false rumor spread that the church was armed, was unsuccessful due to the militia’s presence on the scene.

Unfortunately, the church could not be protected indefinitely. St. Michael’s was able to successfully sue the city of Philadelphia for failing to protect them from the angry mobs. They used the money they received from the suit to rebuild the church, which would prove to take longer than hoped.

On hsp.org, you can read “City of Unbrotherly Love: Violence in Nineteenth-Century Philadelphia,” that summarizes why violence took place in the city in this time period.

Reasons for the violence included the growing pains of a rapidly expanding and industrializing city…an increasing influx of “strangers” and tremendous overcrowding and unsanitary conditions creat[ing] concern and frustration.

Today, there certainly are not as many fires being set by angry mobs, and there is not as much violent hatred between members of different sects of the same religion in this country. However, in other ways, it would appear that we have never changed from the example we see set in 1844. Perhaps the reasons behind our violence are different. Perhaps the people we direct our hatred toward are different. But when you look at the 24-hour news cycle, you witness unspeakable acts being committed by people

throughout the world on a day-to-day basis.

Saint Michael’s is an astonishing building, and it is a great piece of architecture in the neighborhood. From now on, when you look at that church, realize that it was rebuilt after angry protestors burnt it to the ground. Remember that the conflict was started over differences in opinion, unwillingness to change, and inability to get along with one another. Hopefully, there will be less acts of chaos, like the 1844 nativist riots, for future historians to write about that took place in our lifetime. •

(Top) Major General Patterson and the First City Troop of Cavalry passing up Chestnut Street, on the morning of the 12th. By John B. Perry 1844. From the Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Books and Pamphlets Collection. (Center) Looking north from Master and American Streets, shows the firing of the Nanny Goat Market, the Hibernia Hose Company, and some homes next to the hose company. 1844. By John B. Perry. From the Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Books and Pamphlets Collection. (Bottom) Sensational print showing the death of the 18-year old Nativist, the first person killed in the Nativist Riots at Kensington on May 6, 1844. Death of George Shifler in Kensington. By John L. Magee. Library Company

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY JIM MCGOVERN

our fathers

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O B S E R VAT I O N S F R O M A M U S L I M F U N E R A L

he coffin was plain wood and painted white. After family members took out the deceased and placed him into the grave, scores of men passed back first the lid and then the coffin until one or two of the mourners carried them and placed them in the back of the hearse.

For this Muslim funeral, the first I’ve ever attended, there must have been over 500 men there. I suspect there was a huge contingent of women there also, but they were segregated in a different locale for most of the day. Kind, warm, caring and friendly, his daughter Adab is a good friend of mine. She mirrors her dad and embodies a lot of his endearing qualities.

Prayers were offered up at the Al Aqsa mosque before the burial and after, but not at the gravesite. The 100-person (at least) receiving line made for a long day in the hot son.

I find it difficult to do the ‘sit on your heels’ part of the Muslim Salat prayers, so I usually do not join in, but after the burial and back at the mosque, I gave it a try. Lowering my head to the sacred rug, I got a bit choked up offering up the only prayer appropriate for where I am in my life these days: “God, please help me.”

A prayer on a rug, a kneel in a church, a meditation on a bench, a memory of a time when life seemed so simple and pure. Where and when did it go so dreadfully wrong?

The gentleman who drove me up to the burial chose his Muslim faith over Christianity, because of the answers the Muslim has over the Christian. He was not too satisfied with my ‘it’s a mystery’ reply to some of his queries.

My new friend had some interesting information about the burial ritual. The deceased is wrapped in a white cloth to match how he was presented to his mother when he was born. They have the funeral so quickly because the deceased needs to be placed in the ground before two angels come and carry his soul off to heaven.

On August 19, 2016, Mahmoud Ibrahim passed on. He

was laid to rest two days later. On August 22, 1988, 28 years ago, my father passed on. He died on a Tuesday and was buried on that Friday. He too was a kind, warm and devout man who genuinely loved God and was genuinely loved by his friends and family. The world (the dunya to the Muslim), however, was somewhat difficult for him. He struggled to make ends meet. He was crushed and confused by the proud and profane who ran our world. Alzheimer's did him in at age 75. I don’t even like to think of how many times I’ve summoned his graces to finally get my life moving in a more positive and consistent manner, only to drift back to the same old ways. Perhaps a bit of

Muslim graces will join in to guide me on my way. Death can certainly make strange bedfellows. My being recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s adds an element of desperation to my need of change.

And so as this day, August 22, 2016, draws to a close, may the God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed please help me on my way.

Jim McGovern is a local writer whose stories and op-eds have been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer and other local publications. He can be reached at ‘12stepsforall.com’ or at batesius33@gmail.com. His latest book Inclusion can be purchased through Amazon.com. •

Al Aqsa Islamic Society/Patrick Clark

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Page 16

The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY JOHN HENRY SCOTT

5th Street Traffic

RESIDENTS AND CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS REACT TO NEW SPEED CUSHIONS IN NORTHERN LIBERTIES

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or years, North 5th Street, from Spring Garden to up past Lehigh, has been hostile territory to anyone outside of the relative safety of a motor vehicle. Two lanes and long stretches without traffic lights have turned this residential corridor, full of families and their children, into Philadelphia’s answer to the Autobahn. Four-way, full-stop intersections along this stretch, such as those at Poplar and Brown streets are even more dangerous than the straightaway. Due to the second lane, cars come to staggered stops and vehicles tend to roll through the intersections alongside cars which have already completed their full stop.

Residents in Northern Liberties, which hosts the section of North 5th between Spring Garden and Girard, have been engaged in a longstanding to struggle to make this corridor safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Recently, the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association (NLNA), through negotiations with the Streets Department and City Council President Darrell Clarke, received approval for two speed cushions to be installed on N. 5th Street.

They were put in on August 12th.

“They’re on a trial basis right now. But there has been an immediate change,” said Matt Ruben, President of the NLNA. “Traffic is undoubtedly slower.”

Speed cushions differ from speed bumps in that they can be crossed at a higher rate of speed, 25 miles per hour for cushions versus around 5 for bumps. They are wider with a more shallow slope and contain gaps in which emergency vehicles, which have wider axles, can pass through without slowing down.

But speed cushions, while effective in certain ways, are far from a solution to the problem on N. 5th Street. In fact, they have opened up a few problems of their own. One of the cushions is placed in an area in which the shoulder of street is a designated “No Parking” area. This means there is a gap between the cushion and the curb, wide enough for cars to pass through. Some cars have been swerving around the cushion and into the shoulder, endangering the lives of the cyclists and pedestrians who use the shoulder to keep their distance from the menacing traffic.

“We’ve gotten complaints,” said Randy LoBasso, Communications Manager for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. “Within two days of the speed cushions being installed, someone put a video up on the Bicycle Coalition website of cars swerving around the bumps.”

Ruben is aware of this problem and has proposed several solutions such as allowing parking, extending the cushion, or installing a barrier in that section of the shoulder.

He believes that the speed cushions should not be faulted for the dangerous driving and that the gap is simply an error that must be corrected in order to have the cushions functioning at their full potential.

Sara Hirschler is a resident of the neighborhood around this stretch of N. 5th Sreet. She says she was initially hopeful when she saw that the speed cushions had been installed.

“I had avoided [biking and walking on] 5th Street because I felt unsafe,” she said.

Since the installation of the cushions, Hirschler has come back to riding on N. 5th Street, but feels the solution is only halfway there. “People seem a little more cautious but then they speed up after crossing the cushion, as if making up for lost time,” she said. Hirschler has also encountered the problem with cars swerving around the cushion into the “No Parking” zone.

What Hirschler, LoBasso, and Ruben all seem to agree on are the benefits of installing a protected bike lane on N. 5th Street, a proposal which has been approved but has not, as of yet, been granted a time frame. The newly refurbished 5th Street tunnel, which spans between Race and Callowhill Streets features a bike lane separated from car traffic by a series of bollards. Ideally, this lane could be extended up past Spring Garden (where the current lane terminates) and as far north as funding will permit.

LoBasso reminds us that the speeding problem doesn’t end at Girard but continues up to Allegheny and beyond.

5th Street remains two lanes all the way up into Franklinville, where it intersects with Rising Sun Avenue.

“I find it mind boggling that the 5th Street bike lane just straight up ends after Spring Garden,” Hirschler said.

LoBasso has also suggested that timing the lights differently may help slow down the flow of traffic. On Pine and Spruce Streets (streets which both contain bike lanes), lights are timed so cars traveling at a fixed rate of 20 miles

per hour will hit all green lights. “Anything that slows down car traffic increases bicycle safety he said.”

While it seems that the speed cushions are helping the 5th Street situation, there is clearly much more work to be done. Ruben says there has been a new stop sign approved for the intersection of 5th and George Streets but does not yet know when it will be installed. Information on the proposed bike lane will be provided as events warrant. • New speed cushions on N. 5th Street. /Max Pulcini

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY THOM NICKELS

theater review " C AT- A - S T R O P H E "

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lbert Camus once said, “Although the absurd teaches us nothing, it is an ultimate form of progress.”

Progressive absurdity was certainly evident in Yoel Wulfhart’s “Cat-a-strophe” at Kensington’s Papermill Theater (2825 Ormes St.), just a stone’s throw away from the Somerset stop on the Market-Frankford El line. The action begins when five actors, three men and two women introduce themselves while working out in a gym.

The sense of the absurd grows as we hear their condensed bios and learn what they want for themselves when it comes to love. What do these characters want?

Klutzki (Doug Cashell) wants to lose belly fat and his dough-boy look although he can’t seem to do that. The exercises he regularly engages in at the gym seem to build fat rather than get rid of it. The absurdist gym works in reverse and he’s close to throwing in the towel. Peckerstein (Josh Kirwin) on the other hand, doesn’t have to exercise because he has a lean and mean body that inspires envious quips like, “You’re as thin as a rail. Are you sure you’re not sick?” Klutzki is the consummate nerd by the way: he’s loud, clumsy and overreacts to everything. Meanwhile the silver-tongued Peckerstein (with his bed hair and James Dean pout) doesn’t have to do much to be praised and admired.

In the gym scene, Pussika (aptly played Samantha Solar) is jumping rope to work off some excess ass blubber, all to no avail of course. Pussika wants to be perfectly beautiful like Beaver (Taiwo Sokan) the play’s buxom sexpot. All Beaver has to do is to show some cleavage and wiggle her hips and the men come running like desperate praying mantises eager to have their heads bitten off.

It is into this cruel, farcical world that these five characters have been thrown into against their will. Even CAPPuccino (William McHattie), the café manager who serves each of the absurdist characters coffee, orange juice and croissants, tries to make the most of his absurd existence. CAPPuccino is the play’s go-between, a unifying force that enables him to move among the dramatic ups and downs of the other characters. At first CAPPuccino appears aloof and detached from the mania all around him but in time he too falls into the absurdist obsession that locks all of the men in its grip: the love of carpets.

Carpets in all their diverse and universal splendor: shag, minimalist, Oriental, even the long, narrow blonde types, doormats and remnants. In “Cat-a-strophe”, the men bond best when the hot topic is carpets: what do carpets want, how to please a carpet, how many carpets can you do at once? The not so secret reference here refers to women, of course. Indeed, a lot of ACT I is one gigantic Manuka Honey Drop homage to carpets. So much so that a third wave feminist in the audience might be inspired to douse the actors with vats of potato salad, but that would be only another absurdist act, wouldn’t it?

Klutzki is one of those verbose guys who exasperate everybody he comes into contact with. He’s always having some kind of emotional melt down. Cashell is a good actor who has the Klutzki personality down pat. He makes you believe that he is Klutzki.

What’s predictable here is that the sexiest characters, Beaver and Peckerstein, hook up and become a couple while Klutzki, who’s about as sexy as a No. 2 pencil, pulls his hair out. He wants Beaver; he wants a top drawer carpet despite his lousy pencil status.

Sokan, as Beaver, is a natural, especially when she says she has an ass “like the Khyber Pass.” In “Cat-a-strophe”, people are reduced to their value as sexual meat. A sexologist (or humanist) might call this sexual objectification. The Khyber Pass remark, for instance, sends all the men on stage, including the heretofore relatively staid CAPPuccino, into paroxysms reminiscent of a teenage circle jerk. CAPPuccino, out of character, belts out a Sondheim like tune about what else — Pussy! Have these men lost their minds? Of course they have, and that’s what’s funny about this play.

And what about all those dildos that everybody is carrying, shaking, throttling or fixing to their belt buckles? I haven’t seen so many dildos since I was forced (through economic necessity) to work in an adult bookstore in the late 1970s. You’ll have to come and see the various dildo dances yourself. At that time you will probably also note what happens when Beaver and Peckerstein fall in love. This is when the cosmic dildo enters the proverbial taco (again, you’ll have to see the play). It’s when insatiable meets insatiable, when enough is never enough until you’ve had enough and you are sick of it, as in when Beaver, the inexhaustible erotic “receiver,” overdoes it in her demands that Peckerstein satisfy her 24/7. All petered out, boy toy Peckerstein finally decides that he wants to live in a world without women while Beaver comes to the conclusion that she can replace Peckerstein with a dildo.

While all this is going on, the overbearing Klutzki asks why he can’t have what Peckerstein has. The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. Even the lonely Pussika can’t seem to find a man, no matter what. She may not be perfect (that fat ass) but her

needs are simple: a man to cuddle with and take her out for a romantic dinner occasionally. Pussika envies Beaver’s charms and the way that Beaver can flit from man to man in a kind of Pac Man eating frenzy.

While Act I has some brilliant moments, Act II explodes with many brilliant moments.

It’s here that “Cat-a-stroph”e really shines. There are flashes of Federico Fellini in the masterful wedding scene where CAPPuccino, dressed as a Dominican priest, marries the two couples in a double ring ceremony. (As you might have guessed, Pussika eventually meets Klutzki and the two hit it off.). McHattie as CAPPuccino is one of the best features of the play. The wedding scene, for instance, is as good as anything I’ve seen at The Wilma. Where Act II really shows its strength is when Peckerstein describes why his relationship with Beaver has lost its moorings. This is extraordinary stuff, thanks to director Kevin Fennell and Wulfhart’s script.

“Cat-a-strophe” really needs to be seen twice in order to catch the richly layered and nuanced language. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 WRITTEN BY WHITNEY JOHNSON

Kensington Soccer REGISTER NOW FOR KENSINGTON SOCCER CLUB'S FALL SEASON, OR HELP VOLUNTEER!

K

ensington Soccer Club (KSC) has been around for 6 years and built their volunteer based organization around helping low-income families in Philadelphia communities. They are about to start their fall intramural program and are looking for kids from ages 3-19 to come out and join the teams.

It is an unfortunate truth that many sport programs in our schools can cost a pretty penny, preventing some families from allowing their children to participate. Without sports or extracurricular activities, children are missing out on a sense of belonging, developing team skills or, in some cases, physical activity.

There are copious amounts of benefits that come from physical activity and KSC wants that to be accessible regardless of a family’s financial situation. KSC initiates many programs year round for anyone and everyone. They really push for a bi-lingual atmosphere so that everyone feels welcome and included.

The fall intramural program will consist of two groups: a competitive team and a Saturdays-only group. The competitive team will be for kids who want to be as involved in soccer as they can with the KSC. The requirements include at least two practices during the week and availability on Saturdays to participate in games as well as other fun soccer events scheduled throughout the day.

For the Saturday-only kids, they are more than welcome to join in on the festivities that happen every Saturday from September through November. It is perfect for kids who still want to be a part of the program and learn about soccer, but are unable to commit to the busier schedule.

The coaches and staff are volunteers from surrounding neighborhoods or college students that want to lend a hand. If someone wants to coach and has never done so before, there is training held before the intramural season starts and KSC will make sure volunteers are placed with experienced coaches to begin. There are many coaches placed in each group of children, which is broken down by age and gender.

The volunteer opportunities do not stop with coaches, you can find more ways to help out the KSC here. If you are not interested in volunteering hands-on, it is still possible to donate or sponsor their various programs.

For more info, call or text (267) 850-1332. •

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Page 20

The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016

COMMUNITY

CALENDAR N E W S @ S P I R I T N E W S . O R G • 1 4 2 8 E . S U S Q U E H A N N A AV E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6

meet ing s

events

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.

June 27-September 1 2016 EVA RUBIN MEMORIAL 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.

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.

September 7, 7PM PROPAC MEETING Meeting at Columbia Social Club (3521-29 Almond Street Philadelphia, PA 19134) 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.

Tuesday, September 20, 7PM FNA ZONING MEETING 1600-18 E. Berks St – St Laurentius Church Proposal for combining 7 lots into 2 lots. All existing uses in the rectory and school remain, and the church is to be converted into (23) residential dwelling units.

This meeting will take place at the Holy Name Church, 701 Gaul St. All residents and business owners in Fishtown are eligible to vote. Please bring proof of residence or business ownership in the form of a driver’s license or a photo id and a lease, utility bill, or recent piece of mail addressed to your home or business.

Tuesday, September 27, 7:30PM ORCA GENERAL MEETING General Olde Richmond Civic Association Meeting at Cione Playground (Lehigh and Aramingo).

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.

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, Sept. 7, or Monday, Sept. 12 from 7 – 8PM GIRL SCOUT REGISTRATION NIGHTS At Glavin Playground (2600 E Westmoreland St). Please stop by for information about troop and how to register.

The age level troop meetings will start week of Sept. 19 as follows: Brownies – 1st – 3rd Grade – 6:45 – 8:00 – Monday Nights; Daisies – K – 1st Grade – 6:05 – 7:00 – Tuesday Nights; Older girls – 6th – 12th Grade - 7:00 – 8-00 – Tuesday nights; Juniors – 4th – 6th Grade – 6:45 – 8:00 – Wednesday nights.

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. Thursday, September 8 from 6-7:30PM ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES This workshop will provide tips for making powerful connections: Understanding how persons with dementia communicate using attitude, tone, facial expressions and body language and learn to decode verbal and behavioral messages and connect in new ways. The event will take place at Lutheran Settlement (1240 Frankford Ave.) Register by September 1st by calling 800-272-3900 or emailing sharon.jarnette@alz.org Saturday, September 10, 5-10PM KENSINGTON GARDENS Join us for the third of five KCFC pop-up beer garden events bringing together Philly’s vibrant River Wards community, hosted by KCFC. Come for local beer pours, tasty food trucks, and the kind of fun you’ll only find in Kensington. All-ages to enter, must be 21+ to drink. Kids are welcome! 2670 Coral St. Proceeds benefit Kensington Community Food Co-op, a member-owned grocery store coming soon For more info visit: www.KGPhilly.com

stop by and help this great group of girls, earn their way to Disney World next summer.

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.

Thursday, Sept. 15 from 7:00 – 8:00PM GLAVIN PLAYGROUND PROGRAM’S REGISTRATION NIGHT At Glavin Playground (2600 E Westmoreland St.) $20.00 non-refundable fee due night of registration. Tumbling instruction for ages 4 and older; dance instruction for ages 3 years and older; hip-hop dance ages 8 and older.

Program fees $30.00 per month. Information about TaeKwon-Do instruction also available.

Friday, September 16 5:30-8:30PM Champagne in the Park Annual event at Penn Treaty Park. Come out for this year’s fun.

Saturday, Sept. 17. 9AM-2PM GLAVIN FLEA MARKET At Glavin Playground (2600 E Westmoreland St.). No res-

Saturday, September 10, 10AM-2PM GIRL SCOUT CAR WASH At Frank Glavin Playground (2600 E Westmoreland St.) Outside clean only, Car – 7.00; SUV’s – 10.00, larger vehicles if can access to clean – 15.00. Refreshments will be sold, as will the popular MegZ fragrant candles. Please

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!

Page 21

The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 2016 ervations needed, set up on a first come basis. $10.00 donation for rental space collected day of event. Rental space consists of width of two cement blocks. No Food Vendor’s please.

Sunday September 18th, 2-4PM ARTIST RECEPTION - DANIEL CAPPELLO Join The Resource Exchange (1701 N. 2nd St.) in welcoming reCreate Featured Artist of September Daniel Cappello: a visual artist and designer based in Philadelphia influenced by the geometry of Islamic art and architecture and its attempt to capture grace without representation.

Daniel's work will be hanging in our gallery from September 2nd - September 28th.

Tuesday, September 20 at 6:30PM POP’S PARK ANNOUNCEMENT The announcement will feature Councilman Mark Squilla, the Parks and Rec design team, and PWD as they present their plans for a brand new and hugely improved park.

Please bring questions and thoughtful comments as this is our opportunity to represent our hopes for the future of Pop's Park.

Saturday September 24th 11AM-2PM TRANSFERRING DIGITAL IMAGES ONTO RECLAIMED MATERIAL WITH DANIEL CAPPELLO reCreate Featured Artist Daniel Cappello will discuss the process by which he creates his dynamic prints using a simple inkjet transfer technique at The Resource Exchange (1701 N. 2nd St.). This method allows images to be applied directly to reclaimed wood or fabric while allowing the grain or pattern to show through. Workshop participants will transfer their own preselected images or photographs. The Resource Exchange and Daniel Cappello will provide a selection of prepared reclaimed surfaces for participants to use. Additional supplies can be purchased from our warehouse full of reclaimed and salvaged arts materials during the workshop. Workshop Cost: $10 per person.

Space is limited, so call 267.997.0060 or email us at info@ theresourceexchange.org to rsvp.

Thursday, September 29 7-8PM FRIENDS OF H.A. BROWN MEETING Five Sister’s Ice Cream is hosting the next Friend’s of H.A. Brown Meeting. Join H.A. Brown’s families and friends as they talk about ways to improve and support their K-8 school.

September 30-October 2 SEAN MURPHY FIELD OF DREAMS The Sean Murphy Fall Classic will be played on Friday, Sep. 20 - 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.

Sept.9th, Friday, 7-9PM DOO WOP NIGHT (tentative) Sept. 18th, Sunday, 8AM-l:30PM FALL FLEA MARKET

obituary ANNA FACENDA-PLITT (Kirchner) January 1, 1933 - August 17, 2016 Loving mother of Carolann Facenda (William Graber) and Sandra Facenda-Stewart (the late George Stewart). Biggie Gram of Shannon Lesher (Jeff), Joseph Stewart (Bridget): great grandmom of Miranda Lesher, Julia, Rachel, and Meghan Stewart. Survived by her brother Edward Kirchner.

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!

FISHTOWN LIBRARY EVENTS Tuesdays, starting Sept 6th: Super Storytime: Join Miss Dana after school for stories and crafts! Tuesdays @ 4:00pm. For ages 3 ½ and up Tuesdays, starting Sept 13th : Toddler Storytime: Join Miss Dana for stories, songs, and silliness! Tuesdays @ 10:30am. For ages 0-3 ½ Wednesday, Sept 14th and 28th : PAWS Read to a Dog: Sit with our therapy dog, Miracle, and read him a story!

Wednesday, Sept 14th and 28th @ 4-5pm. All ages.

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.

in, please pick them up!

For more info, call Tom Mack (215-275-8838) 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 Tumbling and Dance Registration will take place in September no date has been set yet. Please call after Labor Day to find out when registration will occur.

Arts & Crafts will resume in the fall. Ages 5 to 12. No cost.

Call after Labor Day to find out when it resumes.

Tot Rec Registration: Please call Tot Rec number at 215685-9950. Leave your name and phone number and teacher will get back to you.

Any questions please Cione at 215-685-9880.

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.

trips 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. Wednesday, September 21 AMERICAN LEGION POST 152 CASINO TRIP American Legion Post 152 (3524 Thompson St.) is hosting another trip to Resorts Casino on September 21st.

Trip costs $26, get $25 back. Bus leaves from the Post at 11:30AM, leave casion at 7PM, back in the neighborhood by 8:30PM. For more info call 215-426-1056, ask for Walt.

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.

REGISTER NOW FOR PORTSIDE'S AFTER SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAM School pick-up, homework help, and a fun visual arts curriculum that provides a well rounded and educational after school experience for children pre-k through 5th grade.

Call 215-427-1514 or visit www.PortsideArtsCenter.org/after-school-arts for more info.

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

Marie Ulmer Turns 99 Years

by Roman Blazic Marie will celebrate her 99th birthday on August 31.

Marie is Kensington's most notable artist. Her house and home was on Howard St just around the corner from Berks St, in which, she resided mostly all her life. It was only a few years ago that she needed to move into a senior citizen assisted living home.

She, at age 97, finally had to give up driving. Marie was a strong independent women who had many friends who would assist her upon her request. Friends who also promoted her art work in art galleries and in the press, most notable, theartblog.

Marie was a fixture during the hay days of Kensington/ Fishtown's First Friday Art on The Avenue. She was known as that "charming little old lady" who visited all the galleries.

I am requesting that the people of Philadelphia, Greater Kensington and the artist near and far to send Marie a birthday greetings to make this and mark this as a special occasion for a great artist.

P.S. Marie loves receiving letters too. Chances are she'll write back to you.

Send to: Marie Ulmer (United States of America) Brittany Pointe Estates 1001 Valley Forge Road Lansdale PA 19446 Room 202-B Seaside Heights Building

Page 22

The Spirit of the Riverwards – August 31, 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.

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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.

JOBS

FOR RENT

Drivers: Great Hometime. $1,250 + per week + Monthly Bonuses. Excellent Benefits. Newer Trucks. No Touch. CDL – A 1 yr. exp. 855-8428498

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Kitchenette. $515 215-941-3000

REAL ESTATE SALES: new or experienced; free training program.

Call Mike Dunphy at 215-840-8399

FAIR HOUSING

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

FOR SALE Prime Fishtown Location 728 Sq.Ft Land Asking Price: $269,000 Total Rehab Convert into 3 apartments Call Kevin 610-550-9363

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 JUNK CARS 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 31, 2016

Page 23

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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A message from Sgt. Massi of the 26th Police District: On behalf of Friends of Penn Treaty School, I'm forwarding this message in an effort to raise funds and collect school supplies for the staff & students at Penn Treaty School located at 600 E. Thompson St. This is a large and unique school that has a diversified student base from not only Fishtown, but throughout the entire 26th District.

Giving students and staff the proper equipment leads to a better education. Students that stay active in school are less likely to commit crimes or become a nuisance to the community. Lacking school supplies should not be a factor in a child's education. I'm asking all members of the community and stakeholders to contribute their excess supplies or fund new supplies for this school.

Contact Brooke Hoffman at bhoffman@friendsofpenntreaty.org in reference to collection boxes.

The Spirit of the Riverwards – March 2, 2016

South Kensington Kids Ride & Play FREE!

ARTS CARNIVAL

Pick up your tickets at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (cnr American and Master) Tues - Sat, 10-6.

A CE LEBR ATION OF ARTS IN SOUTH K ENSINGTON

SEPTEMBER 10TH, 11:00AM – 7:00PM 1400 BLOCK OF N. AMERICAN STREET

MAKE ART! Help paint a mural or a BIG paper maché sculpture!

Screen-print your own posters and flags!

Expose photograms! Build things with hand-made paper bricks! Enjoy creative time with South Kensington’s most talented visual artists!

PHILLY BLOCK PROJECT STAGE MASTER OF CEREMONIES MARILYN

RODRIGUEZ

Host of the Ahora Si! Radio Talk Show on La Mega 105.7FM-WEMG

11:00AM FUEGO NUEVO MESO-AMERICAN

3:00PM NORTH LAWRENCE MIDNIGHT SINGERS

The Carnival opens with pre-Columbian dances that celebrate ancient Meso-American culture.

12:00PM HAFEZ KOTAIN & MOFFET DRUMMERS Kotain, a reknown percussionist, plays Arab and Latin rhythms with the children of Moffet Elementary School.

1:00PM

MAD BEATZ MUSIC

Rooted in classic southern rock, with a hint of doo-wop, and a dash of roots.

4:00PM HEATHER SHAYNE BLAKESLEE & SWEETBRIAR ROSE A band of rootsy, thorny, rose-hipped gypsies.

5:00PM UDINI LAVOZ

A coalition of Philadelphia public school students and alumni who possess superhuman rhythmic capabilities.

2:00PM BOMBEROS DE LA CALLE

Panamanian artist who fuses hip-hop, pop and reggaeton.

6:00PM ILL FATED NATIVES

Masters of Puerto Rican bomba and plena music and dance.

Major support for Philly Block Project has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from Penn Treaty Special Services District, The John S. and James L Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Singers of bluesy tales of societal freedom and the jazzy paradigm of inner city love.