The Spirit of the Riverwards - September 14, 2016 by The Spirit

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WEEK SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 VOL. 13 NO. 34

URBAN BIRDING Mourning Doves — Subtle Beauties. 4

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Local kids play tabletop games at Kensington Library every Tuesday afternoon. 8

YARDS BREWING CO. New brewery and tasting room at former Destination Maternity building requires variance. 6

W.P. GALICZYNSKI The Riverwards’ own Norman Rockwell. 11

eenie Dugan wants to talk about the elephant in the room, the pink elephant more specifically. It has to be addressed. Ignoring it will not make it go away. What is this pink elephant? It’s the drug epidemic that is taking too many lives, weakening our communities, and leaving holes in an entire generation. It’s the family member we mourn much too soon or the friend we speak about in hushed tones. It’s the syringe we step over on our way to the grocery store or the young couple on the El, once full of hopes and dreams, now desperate for their next fix.

“If it continues, God only knows what it’s going to look like for the next generation,” Dugan said in a recent interview with Spirit News. The numbers are staggering. According to a June report from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, nearly 700 deaths were reported from drug overdoses in the city in 2015. That is more than double the number of deaths from homicide over the same period. The report notes that there has been a sharp increase in heroin-related deaths since 2011 Continued on Page 5.

ACCU-REGGIE Seven day forecast for the Riverwards. 3

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

HOT OFF THE

PRESS

few months ago, Olde Richmond resident Chris Sherman noticed some graffiti on his block. He reported it to 311 and was surprised to find the offending tag gone within a couple of days. He reported another piece and witnessed a similar, speedy result. “I decided to take advantage of this effective city agency,” he said. “I reached out to Don [Gould] and Dan [Martino] of ORCA (The Olde Richmond Civic Association) and got a message out on their Facebook page

encouraging other people to use 311 to report graffiti.” The Facebook campaign, hosted on the ORCA page, goes by the name UnTag ORCA. Community members are encouraged to report graffiti in the neighborhood or simply post a photo of the graffiti to the group page and someone will file the 311 report for them. Most of the graffiti in Olde Richmond is done on community properContinued on Page 9.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 THE

local lens

he reviews are in and they do not look good for Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. Williams is under investigation because he failed to declare $160,000 in gifts and freebies. A number of murder cases presided over by Williams’ office have also been found to be faulty. Daily News columnist Will Bunch has called for the DA’s resignation while oldtime columnists like Stu Bykofsky have hinted that Williams may be on his way out. Then there’s the case of Msgr. William Lynn. William’s office charged Lynn in 2011 with hiding or not doing enough to apprehend abusive priests under his charge despite the fact that William’s predecessor, the ‘no-nonsense’ Lynne Abraham believed that the law that Williams was applying to Msgr. Lynn was not valid. Msgr. Lynn, after all, never had any direct contact with children, but Williams got it into his head that Lynn was a “supervisor of children” and that he “endangered the welfare of children.” That’s guilt by fifty degrees of separation. Msgr. was the first member of the Catholic hierarchy to be found guilty in a court of law for 'endangering' children.” Newsweek did a cover story this year on the Seth Williams/ Msgr. Lynn fiasco. Entitled “Catholic Guilt? The Lying Scheming Altar Boy Behind a Lurid Rape Case,” the story eviscerated the claims of former altar boy Daniel Gallagher. Those accusations put three priests and one lay teacher in prison. Msgr. Lynn was one of those three priests. Williams’ orchestrated witch hunt resulted in Lynn’s conviction in 2012. That conviction was overturned by a ruling from a lower state court that declared that Lynn was “wrongly convicted.” Still, the Williams factory wouldn’t give up and soon Lynn found himself back in court. This time, he found himself facing Judge Teresa Sarmina, who presided at his original trial before the lower state court ruling. Sarmina ordered Lynn back to prison. Even Lynn’s family refused to attend Sarmina’s hearing because they saw this decision coming. Lynn’s family said in a statement: "We, the family of Msgr. Lynn, chose to forgo the proceedings… We could also not bear the erroneous ramblings of the prosecutor once more… Msgr. is secure in the love and support from family and so many others so our physical presence was unnecessary.” Will the DA not be happy until Msgr. Lynn dies in prison the same way that the Reverend Charles Engelhardt, 67, a Philadelphia priest serving the second of his 12-year sentence because of Gallagher’s 2009 accusations, did? The story of Father Engelhardt is a sad one. Like Lynn, he had the full support of his family. The Engelhardt family was quite adamant that an innocent man had been persecuted. While there have been many real instances of clergy sex abuse scandals and rightful convictions, Fr. Engelhardt’s case is cloudy at best. The unwavering finger pointers who believe any accusation of molestation just because the accused wears a Roman collar, always put raw emotion above truth. “Arrest all priests,” “Give every priest the chair,” “The Catholic Church needs to be destroyed,” are just some of the common sentiments expressed in the comments section at Philly.com. At the time of Fr. Engelhardt’s death, the Pennsylvania Superior Court was hearing arguments in favor of a new trial for him based on charges that the original trial was riddled with “prosecutorial misconduct.” According to Ralph Cipriano in an article entitled “When Prosecutors Cheat,” Fr. Engelhardt’s original trial was filled with so many errors, misrepresentations and lies that the entire dog and pony show had to be redone. When presiding Judge Anne E. Lazarus agreed to hear arguments for a new trial, new information surfaced that had been kept secret or off the record during the first trial. Let’s look at Daniel Gallagher, the former altar boy turned drug user, who accused Fr. Engelhardt.

BY THOM NICKELS

Gallagher was named as “Billy Doe” in the initial hearings. He claimed that he was molested or raped by his sixth-grade homeroom teacher. Because of this alleged abuse he became sick and missed a lot of school. Prosecutors at the trial stated that he missed 3 ½ days of school, but, as Cipriano points out, Doe’s report card shows perfect attendance. According to Cipriano, when “Doe” first launched his civil suit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, he was on record as telling his drug counselors that he did not have a history of sexual or physical abuse. He then reversed this earlier statement and produced a litany of accusations. This is what “Billy Doe” claims happened to him:

to assuage public outrage over the number of real abuse cases popping up all over the city. “Gallagher was a drug addict who'd been in and out of 28 different hospitals, clinics and drug rehabs, and had been arrested six times, including one bust for possession with intent to distribute 56 bags of heroin.” Capriano wrote in a post on his Big Trial blog titled “The [Real] Corruption of Seth Williams.” Although Fr. Engelhardt is dead, his reputation and vindication rests with the accuser who started it all. But for now, as Cipriano has reported, Gallagher is living in Florida with his new wife, who’s expecting the couple’s first child. •

1) He was abused at six years old by a friend 2) He was abused at seven years old by a teacher 3) He was abused at eight years old by an unknown man 4) He was abused at nine years old by another unknown man 5) He was abused again at nine years old by a 14-year-old family friend The story doesn’t end there, it only keeps growing. Gallagher told Seth Williams that he was molested or raped at 10 years of age by Fr. Engelhardt and another priest, Fr. Edward V. Avery. He claimed this despite reports that the two priests never hung out together. Cipriano reports that Gallagher claimed on the witness stand when he testified that Fr. Engelhardt carried a black bag filled with pornographic magazines. Gallagher also claimed that Fr. Engelhardt told him just before he molested him that he was now ready “to become a man.” The alleged victim dropped another molester name into the hat, his homeroom teacher, Mr. Shero, who he says began abusing him when he turned 11. And then Gallagher was interviewed by Judy Cruz-Ransom, an Archdiocesan Victims Unit social worker. Cipriano reports that Cruz-Ransom recalls Gallagher as “faking tears” and then telling her a long story about how he was raped for hours; how he was punched and knocked unconscious and even tied up with sacred altar sashes, and then strangled with a seat belt. Gallagher didn’t say where the seat belt was from… a Nissan? Volvo? — but he conveniently forgot to mention getting strangled and all his other violent claims when he gave an official report to the police. Why were these claims just coming up now? In describing yet another prosecutorial blunder, Cipriano asks us to take a look at prosecution witness Leo Omar Hernandez, who stated at the trial that he was Billy’s “best guy friend” when they were both sophomores at a Christian high school. The prosecution presented Hernandez as a model witness, an angelic guy who walked the straight and narrow. Hernandez’s honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force and his life as a hardworking family man was also played to the hilt. When Hernandez took the stand, he did admit that Gallagher had told him that at age 16 he was abused by a teacher and two priests. While the jury heard that Hernandez dropped Gallagher as a friend because he was getting too involved in drugs, they did not hear that he worked part-time in all-male exotic dance clubs in Philly and that he had filed a civil case against his doctor whom he says abused him sexually and got him hooked on opiates. The jury did not hear that he once overdosed in Las Vegas and that he had been in a relationship with his doctor who periodically injected him with synthetic heroin and other drugs. But Hernandez’s secret testimony was never released to the jury, so this added up to another prosecutorial mistake. Seth Williams, who was against a new trial for Fr. Engelhardt, was unhappy and angry when the process for a new trial began. I think he figured he needed a sacrificial lamb

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the editor of Spirit News:

As a millennial, my opinion rarely counts. I am wrongly labeled as entitled and oblivious. I’m voting in this election to ensure that Donald Trump does not become president, for the environment’s sake. What happened in Flint, Michigan is indicative of selfish, market-driven policies that Donald Trump loves. Trump wants to continue the disastrous policies of “Drill, Baby, Drill” that have contributed to pollution and man-made disasters. He is more concerned about whether he can hairspray his comb-over than whether our ozone layer continues to thin, just like his hair. Who is the real millennial, here? Like a lover scorned, Trump is obsessed with tying any issue to China, once tweeting “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.” If I were to post xenophobic beliefs on Twitter, I would be fired. Donald Trump must not be elected. Stephen Norris, 26 years old Philadelphia, PA

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016

e have had enough! We are absolutely, positively done with it! The monster summer heat that has relentlessly tormented us this season has just paid what should be its last visit. Yes, it will get hot again, but not THAT hot. This week we begin the descent to fall. Temperatures will be in the 50s and even 40s (in the suburbs) at night on Thursday and Friday evening. The summer muggies start off the week on Wednesday before giving way to the refreshing breezes of late Summer and early fall.. We stay mostly dry AGAIN this week; we only have the slight chance for a shower on late Wednesday and some

light rain is likely on Sunday. Either way, none of these chances are large enough to put a dent in the dryness we have been experiencing. I’ve got the feeling it’s going to start dumping on us soon. Wednesday kicks off our forecast with heat and humidity briefly spiking into the region. It won’t be like the oppressive heat we’ve had, but still pretty warm. A front comes through late at night with a shower chance. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are absolutely perfect weather days. Temperatures do not leave the 70s on Thursday and it will feel “cold” on Friday morning since our bodies are not used to the 50s yet. Friday is perfect,

but clouds move in late on Saturday setting us up for rain on Sunday. Sunday will start off rainy. It won’t be a washout, but be prepared for a couple hours of light rain. On Monday and Tuesday we switch back to gorgeous weather with plenty of sunshine and low humidity as temperatures settle nicely in the lower 80s. The weather winner of the week is the Friday; the weather loser is Sunday. Accu-Reggie is also in the App Store! Download the official Accu-Reggie iPhone App today! •

FINANTA

We are experiencing a increase in several thefts and burglaries with some unique patterns. Trash cans: please paint your address inside & outside of the can so that if we stop someone carrying it, we can return the can to you. Planters: please paint your address on the bottom side. Bikes: inscribe a name/ number somewhere on your bike. Record your serial # and take a photo of your bike. Do not leave metal items outside & unsecured - these are easily sold for scrap metal Invest in dawn/dusk lights to illuminate your driveways / rear yards. - most crimes are occurring in poorly lit areas. Report all crimes no matter how small. Call 911 first. Many residents are video taping the crimes & posting them on social media, but never calling 911. This prevents us from apprehending any criminals.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 WRITTEN BY GIANNA FARRELL

Urban Birding MOURNING DOVES — SUBTLE BEAUTIES

re you feeling lonely? Has the change in seasons gotten you down? Are you already dreading a cold winter? Here’s a suggestion. Go birding. Or rather, don’t “go” anywhere. Put a feeder up in your backyard and watch those little dinosaurs go to town. I promise you, that you will get so caught up in the day-to-day life of the birds in your backyard that you will find yourself within a couple of weeks buying binoculars and guidebooks, scolding squirrels, and looking forward to visits from your favorite feathered friends. Each month, I am going to feature a common urban bird. Birds that you can spot in local parks, your backyards, and nesting in buildings. Birds are everywhere; they are fascinating creatures and many of them thrive in urban environments. If you are thinking, “Oh great, a column about sparrows and pigeons," well then, you aren’t paying attention. Many birds make their homes in the city. I have a pair of cardinals that nest in a neighbor’s mulberry tree. They visit my feeder regularly. I first noticed them this past winter when there was just a male and female, a bonded pair. This spring they had a clutch and now their babies have fledged. I see the little guys and gals at my feeder, awkward and gray already with their tell-tale crests. Their mother keeps a strict eye on them. If you live in Fishtown maybe you have noticed the red-tailed hawks that feed on the pigeons in Palmer Park? In the spring, red-winged blackbirds can be heard everywhere, singing their harsh song. Don’t forget about the persistent hammering of woodpeckers at Palmer Cemetery. My favorites are the mourning doves — called mourning doves because of that ubiquitous, sad song that unmated males sing at sunrise and sunset — it truly does sound mournful and there is no mistaking it. I’ve heard many people call them dumb, but they are no dummies. People often confuse gentleness with stupidity, but there is a strength in being gentle that we seem to have forgotten about in our uber-ironic milieu. Because the mourning doves are gentle and slow to startle, they are easily hunted. In fact, in some parts of the country they are hunted en masse. The slaughtering of a centuries-old symbol of peace in droves makes my stomach churn. Surely this tells you something about the state of things. Don’t call my mourning doves stupid (when you bird, you find yourself becoming a little possessive of your birds). Mourning doves have adapted to life in the city, the country, even the desert. They are the most common bird in North America; prolific breeders laying up to six broods a year with each brood consisting of two eggs. Their babies grow at an alarming rate and mourning doves are good parents. They rarely leave their babies alone in the nest and they are an anomaly in the bird world. They produce something called “crop milk." Only doves, pigeons and, of all things, flamingos and some species of penguins produce crop milk. Both female and male doves produce crop milk and like human milk it is a highly nutritious secretion. Birds being birds, though, don’t have mammary glands so this is produced in their crop. A crop is a specialized part of the esophagus that has evolved to store extra food. Doves use it to actually MAKE food: baby food. Look for doves everywhere in the Riverwards. They are

Mourning Doves of the Riverwards. /Photos by Gianna Farrell

usually on the ground because that is where they feed. They frequent vacant lots, parks, and backyards. If you have a bird feeder you will notice they love to clean up after other birds. They are graceful, subtle birds, not flashy at all, but beautiful and curvy with a slight sheen to their feathers. Their eyes are lined with a beautiful skyblue color. Males usually have a favorite perch where they survey the area around them and make their mournful coo—Cooo-OOOOh-oooh-ooooh-ooooh. If you hear that sound, you may mistake it for an owl, but I suggest you look upwards to the telephone wires where one is sure to be perched and cooing his little heart out. When they take to the sky their wings make a loud whistle and once they are in flight they are remarkably fast fliers, graceful and speedy, like their pigeon cousins. If you are lucky enough to see mourning doves in the nest, surely, you will fall in love with their little squabs. There are always two and they are funny-looking, fuzzy beasts. Guidebooks usually point out that their nests are “messy affairs” or even according to an old edition of “Audobon’s The Birds of America”, “poor apologies for a nest”, but they are good parents, lovingly feeding their squabs milk, so who cares if they aren’t good housekeepers? They have other things to do. If you’ve ever glimpsed a mourning dove illuminated in the golden hour, high on his perch, cooing, then you know why these subtle beauties are my favorites. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 Continued from Page 1. with opioids like fentanyl also claiming hundreds of lives. But more pressing than the numbers are the human lives attached to each of them, right here in our community. According to the same Department of Public Health report, there were 45 overdose deaths in the Riverwards during 2015, tying it for the highest rate in the city. Those were 45 human lives: neighbors, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and friends. Those lives are the reason Dugan decided she had to do something. Inspired by the successful St. LaRUNtius 5K, she had the idea to organize a grassroots run through the very streets where people are being affected. It didn’t make sense to Dugan that most awareness events are held outside of the city when so many people are suffering right in her own neighborhood. “There’s such a problem with the heroin epidemic and the opiate epidemic happening in our neighborhood and we’re going to different areas of the state or even Jersey,” she said. “People are coming here and they’re dying. And families are suffering in silence because of the stigma that is attached. So it just kind of came to me. We need to do this for addiction: actually run the streets of our neighborhood, try to pull the community together, try to figure something out to change this around.” After reaching out to an organizer of the St. LaRUNtius 5K for advice, she started the process of planning her own run, something she admittedly had little experience doing in the past. Though she has participated in previous 5Ks and helped to organize teams, this is the biggest event she has tackled to date. She turned to family and neighbors for help, including lifelong friend Kathy Taylor. Taylor told me that she jumped at the opportunity to participate. “We share the same passion for people in recovery in general. And [Reenie Duagn] has this idea to do this race and she phoned me and I said, 'Yes! Great idea! Do it!'” Taylor said. The two friends formed a planning committee along with Dugan’s brother Sean, his wife Sylvia, and friend Brian White. Together they brainstormed a name for their project. According to their Facebook page, they settled on “Pink Elephant” because it’s “something that would draw attention to this project, something that had real meaning behind what we were trying to accomplish. The Pink Elephant in the room, the obvious that is occurring, but no one seems to want to talk about.” Dugan reiterated that theme of bringing this issue out into the open and ridding it of its stigma several times

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Pink Elephant logo designed by Tim Miller, Creative Design Agency. Photo by Kathy Taylor. (Left to right): Kathy Taylor, Reenie Dugan, and Sylvia Dugan.

over the course of our conversation. “This doesn’t need to be a secret. There’s help out there. There’s support out there, not only for the addicts but for their families as well,” she said. Taylor also made a point to reassure people that this is nothing to hide. “It’s OK to talk about. We didn’t pick this addiction… It doesn’t have to be embarrassing,” she said. Their hope is that on race day all of those affected by the epidemic — addicts, recovering addicts, family and friends of someone who has passed — will see that support firsthand right in their own community. “Hopefully this will be some kind of way for people to heal, who are in pain. Whether they lost someone, whether they have someone struggling, whether they’re struggling themselves — the whole thing is just to help others,” Dugan said. “Everybody gets affected. What we’re saying is that if we can shed some light on that darkness in somebody’s life, that’s our goal here – to bring people out and let them know it’s OK and they don’t have to suffer and they don’t have to live in guilt and shame,” Taylor agreed. Taylor also talked about the importance of keeping those that we lost front and center in our minds and giving them proper representation on race day.

“There will be a memory table at Cione Field. There will be a picture of a person who has died as a result of their addiction and a brief paragraph about the person. There will also be a photo at each mile marker…That’s to give people [a reminder]: as you’re running, this is who we’re running for. This is who we lost,” Taylor said. Dugan said she’s been surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reaction from individuals and businesses in the area. The event’s Facebook page has been a constant stream of support. Donations, big and small, continue to pour in on a weekly basis. “I didn’t expect it to be this big. Initially I was like, maybe around 50 people will get a route together and run, maybe 100 tops. Now it’s at 250,” she said, noting that we are still far from race day. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll have 300 people running and walking in this. It’s amazing, the outreach from the community,” Dugan said. The Pink Elephant 5K is scheduled for Saturday, October 1 at 10:00 AM. Race day registration will be available, but participants are encouraged to register ahead of time online at www.racemenu.com/pink. For more information on the ongoing drug epidemic, please visit www.phila.gov/ health/Commissioner/chart.html. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 WRITTEN BY RUTHANN ALEXANDER

Yards Brewing Co.

N E W B R E W E RY A N D TA S T I N G R O O M AT F O R M E R D E S T I N AT I O N M AT E R N I T Y B U I L D I N G R E Q U I R E S VA R I A N C E

ards Brewing Co. plans to build a brewery and tasting room in a portion of the former Destination Maternity building on Spring Garden Street. The Spring Garden location will be the fifth site since Yards’ founding in 1994. During the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association (NLNA) zoning meeting last Monday, Yards Brewing Company presented its plans to build a brewery with a tasting room in a portion of the empty building on the 500 block of Spring Garden Street. However, the project is facing a zoning obstacle from the City. According to the Philadelphia zoning law, the site’s required use is CMX-3, or commercial mixed use. This means that the building cannot be used for industrial purposes, which is what Yards Brewing Co. needs for the brewery to function. In other words, Yards will not be able to use the site for manufacturing unless they are able to obtain a variance from the City’s Zoning Board that would specifically restrict the manufacturing activity to a brewery. So, Yards hired zoning lawyer Peter Kelsen to represent them on their September 14th zoning board hearing with the city. Kelsen said the empty 225,000 sq. foot building lends itself not only to Yards’ use, but other tenants that will fill the building. Aside from this obstacle, Yards has major plans for the northeast corner of the former Destination Maternity location. The brewery will occupy 85,000 square feet of the building. It will feature a packaging hall, a larger brewhouse with enhanced odor-reducing technology, waste elimination systems, a loading dock, a parking lot, street parking security cameras and alarms. A pub with an event space will also be found within the brewery. The packaging lines will be contained within the plant, and will not cause sound issues outside the premises or in adjacent areas. The Spring Garden location will have a larger brew house enhanced to emit fewer aromas from the stack. In all of 22 years, Yards claims to have never received an odor-related complaint, and its previous locations have been closer to residential housing. The truck traffic will most likely be heaviest Monday through Friday, possibly from 8AM to 4PM. However, the zoning committee proposed a provision for an earlier time. Architect Jeff Goldstein is spearheading the design of the brewery. Goldstein said the previous occupants of the building, Destination Maternity, made more deliveries and pickups per day than the brewery will make. The parking lot to the south of the building will have 312 spaces. Yards has been granted exclusive access to 55 parking spots with an additional 15 spaces that are available after 7PM and on the weekend. Street parking with no restrictions will also be available around the building. Yards anticipates a majority of its employees will ride their bikes to work or commute via public transportation. Because of this, Yards was recently named the Clean Air Council Commuter of the Year for local businesses. Yards is a 24-hour facility for production except on some weekends, so the building will be equipped with video camera outside and inside. Keycards will be required to enter all non-retail areas, and the building will be alarmed. During the presentation, Goldstein offered historic trivia about the neighborhood of Spring Garden, specifically that Yards Brewing Co. will not be the first brewery to have

All photos by Kaitlyn Moore. a home in the area if given permission from the city to be there. According to Goldstein, the former Betz Brewery used to be located in the neighborhood, but it has long since closed. “If we think about what a brewery is today, breweries are not only manufacturing facilities, but also a draw for visitors, for tours, for taste events,” Goldstein said. “We think the best spaces are the ones where visitors are in the midst of the equipment and the processes that make the beer.” In spite of reassurances from Yards founders Tom Kehoe and Trevor Prichett that the new brewery would not cause all the noise and chaos that may come from typical bars, some neighbors voiced their concerns over noise during the meeting. One resident was worried that the dishes and eating utensils would make too much clinking and clanging during tasting events at the facility, because the event space is outside. Another was worried that the outdoor beer grain silos would not be wind resistant; the owners assured her they would take every precaution to bolt them down. “They won’t flop over in the wind,” Goldstein said. “The foundation to hold tanks will be pretty even.” Marguerite, another concerned citizen, opined that the brewery might be too industrial as opposed to residential-friendly for the area. Marguerite lives across the street from the former Desti-

nation Maternity building and was also concerned about the fact that Yards is seeking a change in zoning for the site. “I was very happy when the area got re-zoned. I bought my unit because I knew that the rezoning was going to happen,” she said. “Even though these people seem very upfront, what they’re asking for is a change in zoning for five to six [streets], from Spring Garden to Willow.” Kelsen addressed her concern by responding that the rezoning is not for the entire building, but only for 80,000 square feet of it. Yards is seeking a variance, not a rezoning, he explained. Contrary to the concerns of these residents, Goldstein assured them that a brewery in that location will contribute to the pedestrian experience and revitalization of Spring Garden. “Yards wants to use the Northeast corner to bring a street presence and engage in the experience of Spring Garden Street and serve as a beacon for manufacturing in Philadelphia,” Goldstein said. •

The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 WRITTEN BY PTAH GABRIE

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Friday Night Feast

RESIDENTS FILL NORTH AMERICAN STREET FOR NEIGHBORHOOD FEAST

family-style meal is an easy way to break down barriers and bring people together. Discussions of life always happen while food is passed around and drinks are filled. Last Friday, several organizations including Philadelphia LISC, Spiral Q and The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center organized an outdoor family-style meal for residents of South Kensington. Local organizations, such as South Kensington Community Partners, Resource Exchange, Second State Press, and many more, also sponsored the event. Residents received an invitation at their home and were required to register for the feast. Around 300 people were able to enjoy food provided by neighborhood restaurants from the neighborhood, including Restaurants Lechonera Principe, El Greco-Roman Pizza, Helm, Street Side, Que Chula Es Puebla and more. The street was closed for the feast and residents were seated at long white tables. The crowd was extremely diverse in age and ethnicity. Everyone who spoke with Spirit News during the event was glad to see something like this bringing the community together. “With all the things going on in the world… People get to sit down, have a good meal, get to chat and get to meet different people,” Fran Barry, a US Army veteran and South Kensington resident, said. “I believe everyone should share with others. This is a good thing.” We also spoke to Peggy Laramee of South Kensington. “I think eating around the table is a very family, especially extended family across generations, activity,” Laramee said. She sees the feast as a means of strengthening and creating bonds within the community. “I think getting involved beyond your household gives you a sense of strength and involvement with what’s going on, and then you don’t fear it so much,” Laramee said. •

All photos by Ptah Gabrie.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 WRITTEN BY RUTHANN ALEXANDER

Dungeons & Dragons LOCAL KIDS LEARN TABLETOP GAMING AND STORYTELLING SKILLS AT KENSINGTON LIBRARY

im Horras sits at a child-sized table covered with a hand-drawn dungeon map and character sheets, teaching a boy how to be a thief… but not the kind that robs stores. As the children’s librarian at the Kensington Library (104 Dauphin St.), Horras hosts Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) games every Tuesday afternoon for a group of children. The map spread across the table serves as a representation of the dungeon in which the players navigate in their quest, also known as a campaign. Horras describes the game as a “collective storytelling effort” where kids create characters set in a fantasy realm similar to that of Lord of the Rings where heroes (or anti heroes) quest for adventure and the acquisition of treasure. Figurines resembling cloak-and-dagger thieves, battle-hardened warriors, wise wizards and monsters are placed on the map, and children roll a set of dice to determine which abilities they can use while battling monsters and moving throughout the dungeon. Depending on the sum of the numbers on the dice, the players will either succeed or fail in their action. These figurines mark progress on the board, Horras said. Behind each door could be a trap, treasure or goblins. Players do not know until they make their move to enter a door or go in another direction. The world of D&D is random, and Horras is the Game Master, or GM. While he does not have a character, his role is to narrate the story for the players, tell them which monsters or treasure are behind which doors and to determine who moves next. As the GM, Horras brings props such as “gold coins” and small “potion” bottles for players to use for restoring their characters’ stats. Horras says that one of the benefits D&D has for children is teaching math skills. The children must calculate the odds of their characters’ survival by adding the numbers on the dice after they roll. Horras encourages them to do that math themselves, with some help from him. Additionally, D&D teaches reading and problem solving skills, he said. “Through these games, I have seen improvements in math and reading through rote practice,” Horras said. According to an article on gaming blog www.gnomestew. com, role-playing games have many more benefits for children playing them, including fostering creativity, developing a social network and teaching etiquette. As a role-playing game, D&D requires the use of imagination for players to get the most out of the game. For instance, players all start out with a certain amount of imaginary currency to buy items such as armor, weapons, magic scrolls, spells and potions for their characters. Horras’ campaign was just one example of how the random world of D&D works and how the players navigate it. During the adventure, Horras notes that the players were in The Dungeon of Elemental Evil, where the party of adventurers encountered two paths, one of which was covered in a trail of blood. Enthusiastically, the young players follow the trail of blood. At the end of the trail they discover a lethally wounded adventurer bleeding out. Before dying, the adventurer warns players of danger lurking in the door ahead. Horras narrates that the party moved ahead to discover a zombified ape and a reanimated skeleton. Characters attack in turns, which require another dice roll is required to complete the action. The child role-playing as a thief now has to choose between sprinting ahead or using his bow to attack from a distance. Deciding to sprint, he hopes to score a high enough dexterity roll. The dice show 20, which gives the player enough dexterity to sprint past the enemies. Then, a little teamwork was put on display when the player who was the wizard decides to cast a shield spell to protect his party from hostile enemies.

The party of adventurers faced off against more enemies as the story advanced. A skeleton, werewolf and orc attacked the players. They had to use their creativity and teamwork to defeat the enemies./All photos by Ruthann Alexander.

The dungeon became cluttered with potion bottles, die, pencils and props as the battle became more chaotic.

D&D need not be completely free of humor, either. At one point, a play hid in a closet containing nothing but a crate of apples. When an enemy approached, the player chose to throw the crate of apples at the attacker instead of using his weapons. “Seeing the kids come up with creative solutions, especially comical ones, like the kid who wanted to throw apples at the bad guys, is probably the most rewarding thing about playing D&D with them,” Horras said. “I also just enjoy sharing with them something I really love and seeing them enjoy it, too.” •

Players move their characters into position after rolling the set of die to determine the effectiveness of their attacks. In this setup, a warrior, thief and wizard are fighting a zombified ape.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 Continued from Page 1. ty such as stop signs and utility poles. One day, Sherman went out and walked around for about three hours reporting all of the graffiti he could find to 311. About 60 of the recent 311 requests made by Sherman and other Olde Richmond residents have since been resolved. Dan Martino, founder of ORCA’s Town Watch program praises Sherman’s efforts in that they further the Town Watch’s goal of bringing the community together. “As far as I’m concerned, all the credit [for this campaign] should go to him,” Martino said. Martino started the Town Watch with the goal of bringing the neighborhood together amidst the recent influx of new residents. He sees it as a way of bringing old and new neighbors together, getting a dialogue going. Martino believes fostering a sense of community in a changing neighborhood is a big step toward improving public safety. “We want to get people looking out for each other,” he said. “If you have elderly neighbors, if your neighbors have hardships, check up on them once in awhile. Make sure they’ve got what they need.” Recently ORCA and the Town Watch have been working on a fundraising campaign to get security cameras to as many of their residents as possible. Enough money for about 40 cameras has been raised and two dozen of these are already active. In addition to graffiti, Olde Richmond is plagued by car burglaries and petty theft, fallout from the opiate epidemic that’s rampant here and in the surrounding neighborhoods. Cameras give residents an extra set of eyes on the street and can also act as a deterrent to potential thieves. “Already, we’ve seen a drastic reduction in petty crime,” Martino said. Captain George Kappe of the 26th Police District calls ORCA and the work they do “fabulous.” “I applaud Chris Sherman’s efforts,” Kappe said. “Some of this graffiti has been around for a long time. Not only does this give the impression that graffiti is acceptable, it contributes to the feeling that no one is caring about the neighborhood.” Kappe recommends the 311 app because users can provide more and more detailed record of information. Sherman and Martino second this recommendation. To download the program, search ‘311 Philly’ in your app store. If graffiti is seen in progress, please report “I wouldSomers ask folks overuse Kappe said. Team to Spirit Half this Page app,” Ad 2 copy.pdf 1 “Be 5/2/16 lance 8:13 cameras. AM that extra set of eyes and ears and check those surveil- it to the police.”

Map of tickets from the 311 website. Starting 7/30/2016 - Total UnTagORCA requests to 311 - 143; Total UnTagORCA requests Closed - 136. Some requests for different graffiti markings at the same address were closed and summarized into a single request, and there were a couple duplicates created by the system.

More information about ORCA and the UnTag program can be found on their Facebook page. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 PHOTOS BY MICHAEL KLUSEK

weekend photos

P H O T O S F R O M S A T U R D AY ' S P H I L LY B L O C K A R T S C A R N I VA L O N N . A M E R I C A N S T R E E T

(Left to Right): Thomas Smith, owner and operator of Grubaholics Food Truck; Max Pulcini, Spirit News Editor; and Brain Walker, local musican.

The Meadows

Homeownership is important. We’re here to help homebuyers navigate the mortgage process and make buying a home affordable, even if you have little money for a downpayment, little or “less-than-perfect” credit history or have had a recent job change. And, for a limited time, M&T is providing loan subsidies to homebuyers that can exceed $10,000 in downpayment, closing cost and interest rate assistance in certain areas. To find out how M&T can help make homebuying easy and affordable, call 1-888-253-0993 or visit mtb.com/mortgage.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK

W.P. Galiczynski T H E R I V E RWA R D S ’ O W N N O R M A N R O C K W E L L

illiam Galiczynski is a soft-spoken, unassuming contractor from the Riverwards with a light, quirky sense of humor and exceptional artistic talent. William Paul “W.P.” Galiczynski was raised near 4th Street and Girard Avenue, attended St. Michael’s and graduated from Northeast Catholic High School. He studied forestry at Penn State University. As a child, he spent much of his time painting and immersing himself in the world of art. He often took the trolley downtown to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum. “I was always infatuated with Norman Rockwell,” Galiczynski said. Galiczynski has worked as an independent contractor for almost 40 years. He owns Paul’s Cement Work at 2014 E. Stella St. Though cement (metaphorically) runs in his blood, Galiczynski is anxious to retire and pursue his true passion: painting. After graduating from high school, Galiczynski did not earnestly pursue painting for 35 years. He picked up his brushes again a year and a half ago and has since produced about 40 new pieces. He has yet to sell any of his work, but money is not Galiczynski’s end goal. “I want to wind up in the Met in New York or the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” he said. “That’s what I’m into. That’s my goal. And I think it’s going to work.” Galiczynski is currently working on a collection of pieces entitled Urban Series. Each is a slightly altered reproduction of a scene he’s encountered throughout his day-today life in Philadelphia. The pieces are reminiscent of the light, comical works of Galiczynski’s artistic idol, Rockwell. “I consider myself a newer version of Norman Rockwell,” Galiczynski said. Each Urban Series piece is 22 by 28 inches and reflects a particular aspect of our city. Galiczynski often incorporates family members, friends, products and other personally meaningful details into each of his paintings. In his latest, unfinished piece, Urban Happy Meal, he plans to superimpose the green door in his cement shop into the painting’s background. Galiczynski is one of seven children. His brother Steve and sister Susan are also artists. Their mother was a portrait painter as well. Galiczynski and his wife, Vicki, have four children of their own: Paul, Brian, Andrew and Samantha. Paul is also artistically inclined.

Though Galiczynski is not in it for the money, he is confident that the public will want to buy his work. He plans to take his wife on a trip as soon as his first “big” painting sells. Galiczynski encourages aspiring artists to pursue their dreams if that is what they truly want to do.

“Painters paint,” he said simply. “Always.” Galiczynski’s work was recently featured in the Manayunk Arts Festival. Visit his official website at wpgaliczynskiart. com. •

William Paul “W.P.” Galiczynski/Photos by Thomas Beck

The Fishtown Neighbors Association is very proud to host the 9th Annual RiverCity Festival on Saturday, October 8th, 2016, from 12-6PM in Penn Treaty Park. This FREE festival reinforces friendships in our community, promotes exciting local businesses, and showcases what makes Fishtown stand out as a neighborhood with a tremendous history and vibrancy. We will kick off the day with a 5K fun run. This run will begin and end at Penn Treaty Park winding through the streets of Fishtown. Once the runners return from their scenic run, they will be able to enjoy the music all afternoon on our mainstage while enjoying a post-run beverage in the hospitality tent. Run registration includes tech t-shirts, beverage tickets and goodie bags for all. WXPN Welcomes Creepoid along with local favorites Amanda X, Creem Circus, Ben Arnold, Deb Callahan and the return of TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb to the RiverCity Fest rounding out the live music lineup on the Eagle One Credit Union Mainstage. Local vendors and businesses are in full support of the festival, displaying a wide array of arts and crafts. The RCF is excited to bring back the hospitality Beer Garden provided by the Philadelphia Brewing Company, Second Story Brewing, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, and Philly Homebrew with Evil Genius Brewing. St. Benjamin’s Brewing will be pouring their special RiverCity Ale! Also returning is our Pet Tent. Visit representatives from the PSPCA, ACCT Philly and many more organizations and local businesses dedicated to helping out our furry friends. The whole family will be able to participate in our free family fun area with games and contests presented by the Penn Treaty Special Services Distrit. The family fun area also includes an inflatable rock wall, moon bounce, inflatable obstacle course, field games, magic shows, and more! Visit www. rivercityfestival.org and https://facebook.com/rcfestival for more information on how to participate as a vendor, volunteer, and for a schedule of events for this special day.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016

COMMUNITY

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meet ing s NKCDC OPEN OFFICE HOURS NKCDC is hosting open office hours in the 19134 zip code at two locations. They will be at the Firm Hope Baptist Church on Tulip and Auburn Streets every second Wednesday of the month from 4-7PM. They will assist you with signing up for benefits like SNAP, connecting to housing counselors for any housing needs, rent and property tax rebates, food referrals, health insurance and safety or quality of life issues in your community. For further information contact Tess at tdonie@NKCDC.org or 215-427-0350 x 139. AL-ANON AT HOLY NAME CHURCH HALL Meetings are held every Monday night from 7-8PM at Holy Name Church Hall at 701 Gaul Street. Anything shared at a meeting stays there and everyone is welcome to attend. Al-Anon meetings are free, anonymous and confidential. 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.

events Thursday, August 25-September 25 CAT-A-STROPHE AT THE PAPERMILL THEATER Cat-A-Strophe is coming to Philadelphia August 25: A new play written by playwright Yoel Wulfhart will premier at the Paper Mill Theater. Cat-A-Strophe is what would happen if Samuel Beckett, Dario Fo and Hannoch Levin cowrote a sitcom. Tickets are $15. For more information, contact the Papermill Theater at thepapermilltheater@gmail.com. Thursday, September 15 from 7-8PM 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. Tickets are $25. For more information and to buy tickets, visit info@penntreatypark.org. Friday, September 16 from 7-11PM DRINK BEER, SAVE CATS Love cats? Love fall? Love drinking outside? Love food trucks? Us too! Join City Kitties for our 2016 Drink Beer Save Cats fundraiser on Friday September 16th, 7pm – 11pm at Yard’s Brewing Co. (901 N. Delaware Ave, Philadelphia). A ticket gets you all the Yards Beer you care to enjoy and raffle tickets for our gift basket raffle. For more information visit citykitties.org September 16-22 SAUSAGE FEST AT STANDARD TAP Sausage Fest returns to Standard Tap for our annual celebration of cylindrical meat! During that magical week, the menu will showcase sausage in all of it's glory. We'll be serving up all sorts of small plates from scotch eggs to bratwurst to chorizo. This year we're handing out Sausage Fest punch cards. Each Sausage Fest item ordered fills a space on the card. Once all ten spaces on the card are filled, you can trade it for a Standard Tap Sausagefest Tee Shirt! We'll be pouring all manner of local festbier and German style drafts to complement your sausage feast! Saturday, September 17, 12-10PM PHLOKTOBERFEST Frankford Hall and Fette Sau are teaming up again this year to throw their annual all-day block party on Frankford Avenue.. Enjoy a day of German festivities, including food, beer, and games under our HUGE tent on Frankford Avenue. You can look forward to music from the Ja Ja Ja's, some of our favorite DJ's, and a drumline to kick off the festivities. Once again, the GTV Amrausch dancers will be here to dance the afternoon away. German fare and plenty of beer will be available throughout the day, as well as miniature golf and activities for the whole family. Saturday, September 17, 9AM-2PM GLAVIN FLEA MARKET At Glavin Playground (2600 E Westmoreland St.). No reservations 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.

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, 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. Friday, September 23, 7-10PM SALSA NIGHT Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with a night of Salsa dancing under the stars in the Piazza! Siempre Salsa Philly and Philadelphia Dance Foundation are back for an evening of Latin Music and Salsa dancing. There will be a FREE salsa lesson starting at 7pm by Ex. Director of PDF,Jackie Fisher, with dancing beginning at 7:30pm. Sponsored in part by Royal Bank of American and Al Dia News Media. No cover, all ages, just come ready to dance! Saturday September 24, 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. He’ll explore basic design principles of color, composition, and balance, and how these can be used to create your own stunning art object. 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, 5:15-7PM ADAIRE OPEN HOUSE Friends of Adaire are hosting a family-friendly open house and school tour on Thursday, Sept. 29, from 5:157PM. Fun child care available for participating parents. Tour the school, learn about Friends of Adaire's work including our upcoming schoolyard project, and hear from Principal Anna Jenkins! Enter on Thompson near Earl Street, doors open at 5:15, FoA chat at 5:30, tour starts at 6. RSVP necessary only for parents who need childcare, to friendsofadaire@gmail.com.

September 18, 11:30AM OLD BRICK IS "TAKING IT TO THE STREETS" Kensington "Old Brick" UMC is celebrating "Back To Church Sunday" by taking its Worship Service of Fellowship and Communion outside, to the Richmond Street side of the Church, on September 18 at 11:30 AM. "Old Brick" has been doing God's Work in the Fishtown community for 211 years. All are welcome. "Old Brick" is located at Richmond and Marlborough Streets.

Thursday, September 29 from 6-9PM MOVIE NIGHT The story of a nobody who saved everybody. Come to The Piazza at Schmidt’s Commons for The Lego Movie! Emmet Brickowski a normal, everyday normal minifigure goes on a adventure with the master builders Wyldstyle, Benny, Unikitty, and even Batman. The master builders have to defeat the evil Lord/ President Business from Kragling (gluing) the world of Lego. BYOC (Bring your own chair/blanket), food & drink available for purchase.

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

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.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 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) Sunday, October 2 from 2-6PM MADE ON AMERICAN STREET: A BARBECUE AND HOMEBREW COMPETITION Cooks will be slinging slow-smoked ribs and chicken, but that's not all. Each team is bringing their own side to perfectly pair with their savory interpretation. We are wrapping each portion of meat and side up in a neat package for you available at each cook's station. Barbecue ain’t all we’ll have cooking for you—the Philly Homebrew Club members have the beer game on lock. Compliments of the club, dozens of varieties of fresh and original beers will be available for you to sample all afternoon and into the evening. Last year the club provided over 250 gallons so there's plenty to choose from! $15 admission in advance gets you in with a souvenir Philadelphia Homebrew Club glass, access to our vendors and a full concert, homemade non-alcoholic refreshments, 2 food tickets to start you off, and endless samples of fall brews. Kids under 12 enter for free. Food portions of either ribs or chicken, and sides, will be ticketed. At $2.00 a ticket, there's plenty to stuff your face! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit phillyhbc.org. October 2, 10AM-2PM 4TH ANNUAL LADIES OF PORT RICHMOND BREAKFAST BUFFET Join and support the Ladies of Port Richmond in their fight for a cure for breast cancer. The fundraiser will be held at the SugarHouse Casino. $30 donation, $10 free play. For more info, contact Marylou Leuters at 214-427-3222. Saturday, October 8, 12-6PM RIVERCITY FESTIVAL With great pride and anticipation, the Fishtown Neighbors Association is pleased to announce the Ninth Annual RiverCity Festival on Saturday October 8th, 2016 beginning at Noon until sunset at 6pm at historic Penn Treaty Park. Free and open to the public, the RiverCity Festival reinforces friendships in our community, promotes exciting local businesses, and showcases everything that makes Fishtown stand out as a neighborhood with tremendous history and vibrancy. Organized by the dedicated volunteers of the Fishtown Neighbors Association and featuring over 100 local arts and food vendors, RiverCity Festival attracts nearly 10,000 attendees to raise funds for neighborhood projects and revitalization. We also invite you and your employees to email, friend and tweet the RiverCity Festival, so all of our friends and family know that fun is to be had in Fishtown at the Penn Treaty Park. For more information visit rivercityfestival.org. Sunday, October 9, 8 AM 5000 YARDS DASH RACE In a race series celebrating the best of local craft brewing, we had to add a race with Yards Brewing Company. You will see that this is the must do race of 2016! Join us Octobert 9, 2016 for the 5,000 Yards Dash! Saturday, October 8 FISHTOWN RIVERCITY FESTIVAL The Fishtown Neighbors Association is hosting the 9th Annual RiverCity Festival at The Penn Treaty Park (1341 N Delaware Ave).

October 11, 4-6PM UNITED BY BLUE'S DELAWARE RIVER CLEANUP Join United by Blue and Honeygrow for a cleanup of the Delaware River at Penn Treaty Park. United By Blue will provide water, trash bags, supplies, and gloves for volunteers. All volunteers will also have the chance to win prizes during two cleanup games: weirdest trash find and total weight guess. Groups of all sizes are welcome! Please wear closed toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty or wet. This event is free and open to the public! Help us to keep Penn Treaty Park beautiful! Learn more about the cleanup by visiting our website at www.unitedbyblue. com/honeygrowtemple Contact Kelly Offner with any questions or concerns by calling 215-278-7858 or emailing cleanup@unitedbyblue.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. 18th, Sunday, 8AM-l:30PM FALL FLEA MARKET Oct. 7th, Friday, 7-9PM "ELVIS" TRIBUTE NIGHT Interested in volunteering? We want YOU! For example, help with scheduled gardening and maintenance at Campbell Square on Wednesday nights, 6:30-7:30PM, Spring/Summer park events and all year round!

sign ups GIRL SCOUT TROOPS AT GLAVIN PLAYGROUND Welcomes New Members. Meetings will start week of Sept. 19 at Glavin Playground (2600 E Westmoreland St.) with breakdown of age level meetings 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. Information about registration and the troop management will be available from the troop leader at the meetings. 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. TOT SOCCER SIGNUPS Sign up now for Tigers Tot Soccer. Girls and boys ages 3 ½ to 6. The season will begin soon, so sign up now at the Tigers’ clubhouse (2423 E. Ann St.) Also, t-ball pictures are in, please pick them up! For more info, call Tom Mack (215-275-8838) 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.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016 COMMUNITY

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Drivers: Great Hometime. $1,250 + per week + Monthly Bonuses. Excellent Benefits. Newer Trucks. No Touch. CDL – A 1 yr. exp. 855-842-8498 Drivers: $1275 per week + Monthly Bonuses up to $500+. Guaranteed Hometime. BCBS Benefits. No Touch. CDL-A 1yr exp. 855-842-8498

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Drivers, CDL-A: Home EVERY Weekend!! Dedicated Southeast! Walk Away Lease, No Money Down. Drivers average $1500/wk 855-321-4565

Help Wanted: Looking for lunch room manager for La Salle Academy. 3 hours a day M-F, from 7am until 10am 215-739-5804 ask Neni

REAL ESTATE SALES: new or experienced; free training program. Call Mike Dunphy at 215-840-8399

After School Art Teacher 2-6PM - $17/hr Must be a certified teacher or have 2+ years experience with 4-7 yr olds. To apply please visit portsideartscenter.org

FOR RENT

Efficiency 25xx Frankford Ave. Private bath $625/month 215-941-3000

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

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FOSTER PARENTS Good, Loving homes needed for children of all ages.

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

FAIR HOUSING

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

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.

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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.

Page 15

The Spirit of the Riverwards – September 14, 2016

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Faithful Laurentians The Faithful Laurentians, a group who wishes to preserve and re-open St. Laurentius Church as a sacred space as well as stop “over-development” in the Riverwards, recently held a public meeting with the neighborhood. At the meeting, plans for the proposed 23 apartment adaptive reuse of St. Laurentius were passed out. Brody Hale, a church preservationist from Boston, was also on hand to discuss how the Faithful Laurentians should move forward with their plans. (Left-right): Carolyn Bechta-Devine, Vanice Whitaker, Rev. Ed, Phil Harter.

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(Left-right): Phil Harter, Broady Hale (Boston-based preservationist) and Rev. Ed.

The Spirit of the Riverwards – March 2, 2016 WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK

development news FIND OUT WHAT’S BEING BUILT ON YOUR BLOCK

Kensington Several years ago, an unnamed developer purchased the vacant lot at the intersection of Randolph and Oxford Streets for $850,000. Six homes will be built on the southernmost portion of the property. The remaining 24,000 square feet of the property will be left vacant, quite possibly for future construction or sale. With the help of the Philadelphia LISC, the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) and Impact Services, a small band of concerned citizens has come together to transform the vacant lot at 719 - 725 Clearfield Street into a beautiful, lush community garden. The lot functioned previously as a hotspot for crime (usually drug-related). The transformation is part of the burgeoning SafeGrowth program that aims to create safer, cleaner, more hospitable neighborhoods. Fishtown Two new Shoo Fry poutine shops are coming to Philadelphia supposedly by year’s end. The location at 132 South 17th Street in Rittenhouse Square should open its doors sometime within the next few weeks. The second location at 200 East Girard Avenue in Fishtown will follow suit in either November or December. Last weekend, Aero Growing, a Pennsylvania-based aeroponics company, brought a mobile greenhouse to Riverwards Produce at 1822 Tulip Street in Fishtown. From 8AM to 3PM, customers were able to tour the greenhouse and buy some of the products within. Developer Leo Voloshin “pre-purchased” the historic Saint Laurentius Church at 1608 East Berks Street in February. He will present a plan to the Fishtown Neighbors Association next month to convert the church into a 23unit apartment building. The future of the property is still one big question mark, largely dependent upon the outcome of the community meeting. The Grupp family plans to construct (and live in) a single-family home on the vacant property at 1506 - 1508 East Palmer Street. The property will be wheelchair-accessible. Reach Lofts is located across the street. Visit the Grupps’ website for further details. The Goose Island Brewpub will soon be coming to the Fillmore complex at 33 East Laurel Street. The brewery is known for its line of more than 300 beers as well as its Belgian-style drinks. A bowling alley and distillery are also under construction by the intersection of Frankford and Delaware Avenues. But that is just the tip of the iceberg; expect much more development in the area soon. Last month at a Fishtown Neighbors Association zoning meeting, developers proposed converting the property at 1420 - 1422 East Susquehanna Avenue into a nine-unit apartment building with three parking spots. The majority of those in attendance, however, opposed the plan. The property will go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) later this month. The building initially functioned as the convent for the Holy Name of Jesus Church. Construction is imminent at 1221 East Berks Street. Developers plan to construct 29 condominiums and 23 parking spots on the currently vacant lot. The property has changed hands twice in the past two years. A three-story, eight-unit apartment building will be constructed at 629 East Girard Avenue. Developers will not be seeking a variance, thus placing a potentially unnecessary number of restrictions on the project.

All photos ny Kaitlyn Moore