The Spirit of Penn's Garden - March 8, 2017 by The Spirit

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WEEK MARCH 8, 2017 VOL. 2 NO. 10

PLAY-APALOOZA Smith Memorial Playground set to hold outdoor playground grand opening. 6

A GREENER UNIVERSITY Temple ranks number 18 on EPA green power college rankings. 5

SEPTA NEWS SEPTA announces update on proposed bus route providing service to University City. 5

BUILDING PASSION Students from Building 21 get hands-on with building trades. 6

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

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7

HOT OFF THE

PRESS

rittany Ann Michelle Rogers, known in the Philly boxing scene simply as Bam Rogers, is the youngest woman in the nation to become a licensed boxing promoter, doing so at the ripe age of 22 in 2011. But Bam’s life had revolved around the sport for quite some time prior to that. Before getting into fight promotion, She hung up her gloves in 2011 at her “home,” Front Street Gym in Kensington, where she had trained with household name, Sonny McCord. But to be precise, Bam’s obsession with boxing began much earlier. “One night, I was complaining because the Flyers were in the playoffs but there was a big fight on that night and my dad was out of town,” Bam recalled. “My mom was like, we have to watch the fight for Daddy, I have to call him with the results. It was a Mike Tyson fight. He ended up knocking down his opponent, surprise, surprise.” From that moment on, Bam was hooked. “I wanted to know everything,” she said. Her roots in boxing stem from her father, Michael Rogers, though, she didn’t discover his history with the sport until she was in her late teens. Michael, an amateur boxer, almost went pro at one point. He first started fighting when he was nine, but retired after he turned 18 to concentrate on being a father. This was around 1983. Bam was born in 1988. When her persistent interest in boxing became a household topic of discussion, her father brought home books and many, many old copies of The Ring, a boxing magazine which has been in print

since 1922. “He would bring me home stuff on Joe Frazier, or Sugar Ray Leonard or Ray Robinson,” Bam explained. “I always knew he was a fighter because we had a heavy bag in the basement, but he never talked about it. Eventually I pulled it out of ‘em that he almost turned pro at one point.” It was around this time that Bam, who was splitting time between her parent’s home in Wissinoming and her grandmother’s in Mayfair, decided to attend Bucks County Community College. In the process she fell in with a rough crowd in the Frankford area. Most of her time was spent between two jobs and school, but the rest of her time and money went towards a group of friends who saw an opportunity to take advantage of Bam. As a 19-year old, her parents noticed. She was swiftly put on lockdown — no phone, no car. After a few months passed, Bam managed to turn her life around. “[My father] was like look, I’m going to take you somewhere and I just want to see how you react to it,” Bam said. “He took me to the Front Street Gym, which was the same gym he was in for his whole boxing career.” “We started going three or four times a week,” Bam said. “When he saw that I loved it and I wanted to go there all the time and was spending all of my time there — I was training there at the time — he started telling me, ‘Okay, you can go.’” After about two years at Bucks County Community College, Bam transferred to Temple University to pursue a degree in Sports and Recreation. Continued on Page 2.

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

Continued from Page 1. The major requires a large amount of volunteer hours. Bam decided to put her hours in at The Blue Horizon, a historic fighting venue directly to the south of Temple at Broad and Master Streets. She began helping out there her junior year and did whatever needed to get done — whether that was setting up chairs, filing paperwork or laying table cloths. According to Bam, Don Elbam, the matchmaker at The Blue Horizon, quickly took her under his wing. “It kind of just evolved from there,” Bam said. “I've been addicted to it ever since.” For her senior internship, Bam landed a spot at Peltz Boxing. Russell Peltz, the owner of the fight promotion company, is now in his 47th year in the boxing game. He’s promoted in the ballpark of 600 to 700 fights. Peltz sees a little bit of himself in Bam. “She wound up promoting her first show on the very same date as my first show,” Peltz recalled. “Her show was on September 30th, 2011. My first was September 30th, 1969. And that's kinda cool.” Temple University is another place where Peltz and Bam intersect, being that it is their mutual alma mater. However, they first crossed paths on a popular online boxing forum called PhillyKeith.com. Bam, a very active user on the site, grabbed Peltz’s attention on a frequent, if not overbearing, basis. Her confidence may explain Bam’s level of comfort when they actually met at the Veterans Clubhouse in 2010. When Peltz met Bam in person at the clubhouse, he had some choice words. "So it was you writing all those nasty things about me!" he joked. Within her time at Peltz Boxing so far, Bam has put on two promotions independently as BAM! Boxing Promotions and has consulted on boxing events nationwide. One notable fight she consulted on was the Sergey Kovalev/Andre Ward fight in Las Vegas that was broadcast on HBO payper-view this past November. "She's going to have a huge future in boxing,” Peltz said. “Everyone loves her, she puts on a good appearance, she's very enthusiastic… very smart… I know she's had offers from other people — even ones she doesn't know that I know of.” After her internship with Peltz, Bam was quickly elevated to office manager, handling the bookkeeping, scheduling and day-to-day minutiae. It went from Bam asking to telling. It shifted to a more concrete partnership. “It's gotten to the point where I lean on her too,” Peltz explained. “More so now than ever before.” In many ways, Bam views Peltz as a valuable mentor. “The way I look at it, this man [Peltz] has been in the business for 47 years,” Bam explained. “He's had world champions, he's had tough fighters, he's had it all. He's interacted with the best promoters on a regular basis and has good relationships with them. Why am I going to go out and try to build something brand new on my own when instead, I can stay partnered with him and soak up as much as I can?” Bam’s last fight, which she co-promoted with Peltz Boxing, DiBella Entertainment and Joe Hand Promotions was at the 2300 Arena in South Philly in December 2, 2016. Feath-

Isaiah Wise and Bam Rogers at Strength Academy in Northern Liberties.

Bam Rogers/All photos by Megan Matuzak erweights Tevin “American Idol” Farmer (Philadelphia, 24 wins and 4 losses) and Dardan Zanunaj (Kosovo, 13 wins and 3 losses) headlined the ticket, but Bam was keeping a close eye on Isaiah Wise, one of the most recent fighters to come under the Peltz Boxing fold. Wise was 3-0 with 2 KO’s leading into the December fight. Bam speaks highly of him. Wise is a new contender in the super-welterweight class and is the ideal client. But when you meet Wise in person, he exudes one of the most humble personalities you could possibly find in boxing. He is a single parent and a trainer at Strength Gym at Schmidts Commons in Northern Liberties. Wise manages to juggle all of this in addition to his own fighting career. Bam didn’t overlook Wise, and he’s not shy to show his appreciation for her work. “Even after my last fight which I suffered my first lost, she was the first person I saw. She came over to me and told me not to worry about it and took care of everything,” Wise told Spirit News. “In this kind of environment, you don't have those kinds of heartwarming experiences. You are expecting cold shoulders, you know?” Promoters all connect with their clients in unique ways. In this regard, Bam handles her clients in a very hands-on and compassionate manner. “Man or woman, I think [Bam] is perfect for it,” Wise said. “I think people should look at boxing the way she does.” Bam has, in many ways, opened Peltz’s eyes to the possibilities of women becoming more involved in boxing. “I told her, ‘If you were a man when I first met you, I wouldn't have looked twice,’” Peltz said. “I’ve gotten to the point

where I believe if I had the choice between hiring a man or a woman, I would hire a woman every time. They are more enthusiastic than the guys are.” It might be surprising to some for a woman to commit to a traditionally male-oriented field. The card girls between rounds serve as an ever-present reminder of what has, until recently, been women’s only place in the professional fighting world. The boxing community is about respect. This is even more apparent in the City of Brotherly Love. Bam admits that she has been unprepared for the challenges of earning that respect as a woman in boxing. For her, it’s been a teeter totter between her age and her gender when it has come to people not giving her the respect she has earned. “There are definitely times that I'm in a situation and people really believe that I don't know what I'm talking about,” Bam said. “They’re finally not using my age. I'm 27 now and I bet that makes me whatever, a chore, but people are finally not looking at me as a kid.” As each fight comes together, Bam works alongside Peltz on the matchmaking and business side of things. She is also on call for tickets and posters for the fighters. At most fights, Bam is constantly running from the stage to the box office, the green room and back again. If she’s lucky, she see’s a few minutes of each fight. It’s exhausting work in and outside of the arena, but Bam never gives away any hint that she’s feeling it. "You see the old school style in the ways she makes matches and in the way she gets the fighters together,” Wise said. “She looks for honesty and those who can commit to their word. But she’s new school because she posts on Instagram and Facebook religiously. Most people have someone on the outside doing it, but she does it herself.” After all the hard work and backing from Wise, Joe Hand and Peltz, situations that could be much simpler can still be affected by her gender. “I know people that tell me ‘Ah, I wouldn't have done business with you if you were a man’ and other people, ‘You know I didn't want to do business with you off the bat because you’re a woman,’” Bam said. “That means if you wouldn't have done this with me if I was a man, that means you were only doing business with me for the wrong agenda in the first place.” Despite all of the factors that align with the inherent sexism of the boxing world, nobody Spirit News spoke with had a bad thing to say about Bam. To put it simply, she is good at what she does. •

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN

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inter is not over, folks. It may be dying, but it is not dead. This week will be a roller coaster, not unlike every March weather experience in the City of Brotherly Love. Right now, we are stuck in a whacky pattern of inconsistent weather that shifts and changes by the day. This past weekend was brutally cold, then it dramatically warmed up. This week will trend cold again. March is running colder than February, but there is nothing strange about that! Anyhow, the main thing we need to discuss this week are storms that may come in on Friday and Sunday. Friday features a slider-type storm that, if it tracks close enough, can bring us 1-3 inches of slushy snow that would accumulate on the grass and car tops. Sunday could feature a much

bigger storm that could bring a period of heavy snow and significant accumulation (4”+) to the area… or it could completely miss us to the south. Stay tuned for the details — this could be a nice storm! The thing about snow this time of year is that the sun now easily melts the snow after it lands, so it has got to come down hard to stick during daylight hours. If the snow is light, it can literally snow all day and not accumulate at all. Like many days this winter, Wednesday will be the “transition” day of the week. The cold front comes through in the morning with showers and we are windy in the afternoon with cooler temperatures. Thursday will be cool and windy, but the sunshine will make it feel better

Friday will be cold with light snow early in the morning that continues into the afternoon. An inch is possible, but this storm shouldn’t be a big deal. Once again, the weekend is going to be very cold. Saturday will be brutally cold for this time of year as the Polar Vortex hovers above us in Canada. On Sunday we look to the west for a storm that could bring in some moderate or heavy snow depending on the track. This could be anywhere from flurries to a foot, but 2-4 inches is a good call for now. Follow us on social media for more updates. Monday is slightly warmer as temperatures rebound in the 40s. We will see some showers on Tuesday and temperatures jump to the 50s. •

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

WRITTEN BY RUTHANN ALEXANDER

Read Across America LOCAL FATHERS READ TO STUDENTS TO ENCOURAGE LITERACY

ast Wednesday, the Frederick Douglass 100 Men of Color read to students at Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter School to celebrate Read Across America Day. Sponsored by the National Education Association, this nationwide event takes place annually on March 2nd, Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The Men of Frederick Douglass Mastery is an initiative sponsored by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter School. During the 2015-2016 school year, the PTA discussed reestablishing a program called “Douglass Dads” that eventually evolved into Men of Frederick Douglass Mastery. The initiative invites fathers into the school to support students, teachers and staff members. The goal of the program is to empower students to become well-rounded scholars and contributors to their community through positive relationships with men of color as role models. Local father, Garry Mills, said this was his third Read Across America event. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of a local organization called Shoot Basketballs NOT People (SBNP), a non-profit that holds six-weeklong basketball clinics for young boys and girls. “I’m always excited,” Mills said about participating this year. “I’m always involved in the community. Mills wrote on the SBNP website that the student population at Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter school is 73 percent African American with a majority white and female staff “which limits opportunities for black boys to develop authentic relationships with men of color during the school day.” Alfonso Glenn, another parent, said when the fathers read in the classrooms the atmosphere is like Christmas morning and the children gather around to listen attentively to the reading. “The event is very positive and brings excitement to the school,” he said. Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter School Principal Tina Caruso said this was the first time any school she worked at participated in Read Across America Week. The benefit of having 100 men of color from the community read to students is to show that men can be positive role models to children, Caruso explained. “We believe in love and outcomes,” Caruso said. “We thought that bringing the Men of Frederick Douglass to our school would be a fantastic idea and the kids get to have fun.” During the day on Wednesday, men participating in Read Across America Day recited passages from Dr. Seuss books chosen by teachers to kindergarten through fifth-grade classes. Three out of the 100 men who read books were Stefan Jordan, Darren Lipscomb and Taron Jordan.

Taron Jordan read “If I Ran the Zoo” by Dr. Seuss. Jordan volunteered his time because he wanted to show the students that they can grow up to have a positive impact on their communities. His goal was to show that there is more in store for the children than the crime they see on the news and in their communities. Jordan’s friend who works at the school often speaks to him about the need for more men of color to work there. “Male involvement has a positive impact on children,” Jordan said. Lipscomb read “Dinosaur Versus Bedtime” to another class. Some men also participated in a career discussion portion during the event in which they spoke to fourth and fifth-graders about their occupations and answered related questions. In one fourth grade classroom, three men, two of which were fathers of students at the school, discussed their jobs with the class. Anton Hackett, a social worker by trade, answered student questions after explaining his career to the class. He also

From left to right: Mr. Dunn, Anton Hackett, and Kevin Royster all read to children on Read Across America Day./Ruthann Alexander

gave encouraging advice to the children. “Life comes at you fast and you can’t plan for something you don’t know will happen,” Hackett said. Kevin Royster, another volunteer, is an Uber driver and a disability advocate who volunteers at a hospital. “I enjoy my job, especially Uber, because I get to meet different people every day,” Royster said. The third man who went by the name Mr. Dunn, said he is a retired security guard and volunteers in the offices at Frederick Douglass Mastery Elementary. A student asked Dunn what he thinks the best jobs in the future will be. “The service is the best job in the world,” Dunn said. “It teaches you who you can be.” When the career fair portion of the event was over, students were lead to the auditorium for a pep rally featuring Temple cheerleaders. Other participating Pennsylvania libraries and schools included Wynnefield Library, Cobbs Creek Library, Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown and Grey Nun Academy in Yardley. •

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK

49 Bus Route

SEPTA ANNOUNCES UPDATE ON PROPOSED BUS ROUTE PROVIDING SERVICE TO UNIVERSITY CITY

n Tuesday, February 28, SEPTA held a community meeting where representatives shared more details about the proposed 49 bus route that would run through Brewerytown, Fairmount, Grays Ferry and University City. The new route would run every 15 minutes on weekdays from 6AM - 9AM and from 3PM - 7PM, and every 20 - 35 minutes on weekends. (This excludes late-night travel.) The 49 route will travel from 33rd Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue to 29th before turning south. Riders will then be taken all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue, where it will travel to Fairmount Avenue and then head east once again. The route then turns south upon reaching Eastern State Penitentiary at 21st Street. The final stretch will take riders west on Market Street once reaching Center City. University City has flourished over the last few decades and SEPTA deemed it necessary to provide the residents of the surrounding communities a direct line of transportation into University City. Currently existing bus routes that service Brewerytown and Fairmount do not provide direct access to West Philadelphia. The new 49 route would significantly reduce travel times and create a connection between the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 30th Street Station. According to University City District, a disproportionate majority of the University City workforce reside in Fairmount, Brewerytown and Gray’s Ferry. In addition to aiding the commute of those workers, the bus route will also help residents of Center City reach workplaces to the north. Those who want to provide feedback on the proposal can email serviceplanning@septa.org. To see the route of the bus on a map, visit the University City District’s website. •

/Patrick Clark

WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK

A Greener University T E M P L E R A N K S N U M B E R 1 8 O N E PA G R E E N P O W E R C O L L E G E R A N K I N G S

ccording to Temple Now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently ranked Temple University number 18 on its list of the top 30 green power users among colleges and universities across the country. The rankings are part of the EPA’s College and University Challenge, a program that encourages higher education institutions to implement more environmentally friendly methods of utilizing their resources. “This is a big achievement for Temple’s sustainability efforts,” Kathleen Grady, Temple’s Director of Sustainability, said. “By changing its energy procurement process to include renewable sources, Temple is sending a clear mes-

sage that climate action is something that cannot wait.” Green power is a blanket term for any alternate form of electricity generated by renewable resources, such as wind and sunlight. More widespread use helps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds released into the atmosphere. By signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, Temple has pledged to become a carbon-neutral institution by the year 2050. “Green power is an important tool in meeting Temple’s carbon neutrality goal,” Director of Utilities and Energy Management Kurt Bresser said. “Energy efficiency projects continue to be our focus.”

/Patrick Clark

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

WRITTEN BY JAMES RENNIE

Play-A-Palooza

S M I T H M E M O R I A L P L AY G R O U N D S E T T O H O L D O U T D O O R P L AY G R O U N D G R A N D O P E N I N G

s spring fever spreads, Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse (3500 Reservoir Drive) plans to celebrate Play-A-Palooza, its seasonal playground grand opening party which will take place on Saturday, March 25. At the upcoming event, families will be able to enjoy nature exploration, carnival games, arts and crafts and other special activities in the 6.5-acre playground before the official start of playground season. Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse is a large facility that caters to the needs of families with young children, providing a space for safe fun and play. “Play-A-Palooza is Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse's seasonal playground grand opening party,” Zoe Hillengas, the Communications Manager of Smith Memorial Playground, told Spirit News. “Although the indoor playhouse is open year-round, the 6.5 acre outdoor playground is closed from January through March. Each year we hold this special event the Saturday before the official playground opening to celebrate extended spring visiting hours for free family visits that begin in April.” The playground is situated on its original historic landscape — 6.5 acres of open fields, wooded terrain, and sloped hills — and is home to the century old Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide, a treasured landmark for generations of Philadelphians who grew up around Smith Playground. “Today, we welcome 181,000 visitors from more than 500 zip code areas, including every zip code in Philadelphia. While our reach is national, we have a special commitment to and relationship with the families and children in our nearby neighborhoods,” Hillengas said. “In addition to welcoming families to Smith, we also partner with a broad

network of social service agencies to bring play opportunities and educational workshops about the importance of play to thousands of children and adults outside of Smith.” Play-A-Palooza will be an action-packed afternoon providing fun and activities for the whole family to enjoy, while being a great way to kick off spring and the start of warmer weather.

“We are thrilled to reopen the Playground after the winter, and can’t wait to welcome families back for days of play at Smith,” said Meg Wise, Executive Director at Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse. Play-A-Palooza is free for Smith members or $10 per child for non-members (accompanying adults free). The event will run from 12PM-4PM. •

Photo Courtesy Zoe Hillengas

W R I T T E N B Y S H E A LY N K I L R O Y

BUILDING PASSION STUDENTS FROM BUILDING 21 GET HAND-ON WITH THE BUILDING TRADES

wo SEPTA busses and a train: That’s the means of transportation Building 21 students take to attend after-school program to learn the building trades at Orleans Technical Institute in Northeast Philadelphia. “The one day we had snow, they had to go up to the Northeast. It’s a long commute to get up there,” Laura Shubilla, principal of Building 21, said. “When the snow was coming, I was curious if it was going to be a poor attendance day, but it wasn’t. They all made the trip up there even in the bad weather.” Since early January, fifteen juniors from Building 21 (2000 N 7th St.) have commuted two days a week to participate in 16-week program to enhance their trade skills. The program, entitled the Career Exploration Program, is provided Orleans’ parent organization, JEVS Human Services. Located in the former Ferguson Elementary School, Building 21 opened its doors to students in Sept. 2014. The Ferguson campus currently has grades nine to 11, but the high school plans on expanding to grade 12 next year. While still existing in School District of Philadelphia, Building 21 is a non-profit organization founded by Shubilla and Chip Linehan. The new, academic model of Building 21 is intended to cater to a student’s specific needs, providing academic courses and “pathways,” career centered opportunities. The “foundation years,” grades nine and 11, are designed to give kids exposure to career fields such as culinary and entrepreneurship. The older grades are designed for students to get hands-on training and internships in their chosen pathways. Building 21 has partnered with Vetri and Temple University’s Medical School to show students those fields. “One of the ways that we’re trying to make the school different is by helping connect students to interest areas from the beginning of their time in high school and help them learn about a variety of different careers and connections

to college in their classes,” Shubilla said. After receiving a grant from the Lenfest Foundation, Building 21 partnered with JEVS to respond to student interest in the trades. For two and a half hours, Orleans’ instructor Milton Dillard is teaches the students the basic aspects of the building trades: carpentry, electricity, plumbing, i.e. Building 21 student Terrance Harris, 17, found a passion for construction when he first did framing in the program at Orleans. “A teacher approached me about program and asked me if I was interested in construction,” Harris said. “I told her I was interested in it, but I wasn’t passionate. After I started coming to Orleans, I began to be passionate about [construction.]” The students work in teams of threes in projects on foundations, which has included installing doors, for a pass or fail grade. Dillard tries to “keep it real” on teamwork and takes it “outside” of just learning the basic trade skills. “Bringing them in as youth, I try to teach them you can pick and choose.” Dillard said. “Out there in the real world, you get to a construction site where you might not know anyone but you still have a job to do. I try to instill that in them, and that what they know will take them further in this business.” Dillard applauds the student’s commute to Orleans, and Anna Bogdanov, Orleans Technical College claims the traveling is adding more to the program. “The program doesn’t just teach the hands-on building trade skills.” Bogdanov said. “It also teaches teamwork, problem-solving, communication skills, time management and Philadelphia geography.” Similarly to peer Harris, Benjamin Davis, 18, was approached by a teacher about the program. Thinking of his mom, Davis told the teacher he was onboard immediately. “My mom and I redo our house a lot,” Davis said. “I knew this would give me some skills to help me so I can fix things without having to call the contractor.”

February was Career and Technical Education Month, and to celebrate, students participating in the program exhibited their framing and electrical work in an event at Orleans Technical College on Feb. 27. Back at Building 21, the students are working to get their safety and forklift certifications. The students are also seeking extra academic help during regular school hours to understand more of the mathematics behind the building trades, according to Shubilla. The next tasks the students will be learning in the program is drywall, plumbing, and laying ceramic tiles. After graduation, Harris is looking into following construction or culinary, but regardless of what he does, he claims he’ll follow his passion. Davis wants to come to Orleans after high school for building maintenance in electrical with mom still in mind. “Every day I come home, she asks me what I’m going to save money on fixing the house. I tell her, ‘We’re working on it.’” •

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

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 FREE BIKE PICKUP AND DELIVERY FOR TUNEUPS FROM FAIRMOUNT BICYCLES Fairmount Bicycles is offering free Sunday afternoon pickup and delivery with purchase of full tuneup. Get your bike tuned up without leaving the house and help keep your local bike shop busy this winter! One week turnaround. Here's how it works: 1. Call Fairmount Bicycles to schedule at 267-507-9370 2. They’ll pick up your bike on Sunday 3. They’ll call with an estimate, tune up your bike, take payment, and then... 4. Your bike arrives back at your house the following Sunday! Offer good through the end of February. Delivery range within 2 mile radius of Fairmount Bicycles. March 8th BLITZ BASICS JOB SEARCH SKILLS WORKSHOP Come join Career Wardrobe Wednesday morning for an open resume review session and a workshop that will help you gain the upper hand in your job search. For the first hour and a half you will be able to sit with a skilled volunteer and get personal feedback on your resume. The rest of the morning is spent discussing best practices for getting your resume noticed and your job search really moving. Please bring a copy of your resume with you for review! Questions? Call 215-568-6693 or email info@careerwardrobe.org. March 8th, 6:30-8PM UHURU HEALTH FESTIVAL AND FLEA MARKET COMMUNITY MEETING All are welcome to bring their ideas and suggestions to an upcoming community planning meeting for the Uhuru Health Festival and Flea Market. For more information, call 267-875-3532 or email philly_ flea@yahoo.com March 9th, 6:30PM-9PM RYBREW OPEN MIC NIGHT Every second and fourth Thursday of the month, Rybrew hosts an open mic night and invites anyone and everyone to come by and perform or simply sit back and enjoy. For more information, call 215-763-1984. March 11th, 10AM-12PM LEMON HILL NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER CLEANUP Join the Lemon Hill Neighbors Association on the second Saturday of each month to help clean up our beloved Fairmount Park! Rain dates are the second Sunday. Group will meet at the Lemon Hill Picnic Pavilion on March 11th. For more information, contact LHNA at lemonhillneighbors@ gmail.com. March 15th, 6PM-7:30PM GAMBA U: COMMERCIAL LENDING FAQ'S Meet and mingle at the next GAMBA U event on Wed.,

March 15th from 6-7:30pm at 1642 Fairmount Avenue. This month’s event will be hosted by Univest Bank and Trust Co. and will provide an opportunity for guests to hear from Frank Pizzo, Small Business Relationship Manager about commercial loan products, steps to prepare a loan application and expectations on time frames. Great information for anyone considering growing their footprint, upgrading equipment or expanding lines of business. Complimentary snacks, soft drinks and wine will be offered. Following the brief presentation, enjoy time to network with other local businesses and discuss how we collectively improve the environment for doing business throughout the Art Museum Area. March 16th, 6PM STRANGE BEAUTY: BOTANICAL COLLECTING IN THE VICTORIAN TROPICS For Victorian naturalists, tropical plants presented a challenge and an opportunity. It was difficult to find and transport these strange and beautiful specimens, but doing so could mean a lifetime of professional security for a young explorer. On March 16th at the Wagner Institute, Elaine Ayers will share the stories of the middle-class women collectors who went to great lengths to collect, preserve, and display tropical plants—specifically moss, orchids, carnivorous pitcher-plants, and the giant corpse flower—while exploring what these plants represented to society at the time. The Wagner's historic natural history museum will remain open until the talk begins at 6:00 PM. For more information, call (215) 763-6529. March 19th, 2PM-4PM ESP INSIDER: BOOK DISCUSSION Eastern State Penitentiary will be hosting an informal discussion of Just Mercy, a true story written by lawyer Bryan Stevenson. Research and Public Programming Manager Annie Anderson will lead the discussion. This is a members-only event, and space is limited. If you want to become a member today, visit http://www.easternstate.org/shop/ membership. March 25th, 12PM-4PM PLAY-A-PALOOZA 2017 As “Spring fever” spreads, Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse will celebrate Play-A-Palooza, its seasonal playground grand opening party on Saturday, March 25, 2016 from 12pm - 4pm. Families will enjoy nature exploration, carnival games, arts and crafts, and other special activities in the 6 1/2 acre Playground before the official start of Playground season. Play-A-Palooza is free for Smith members or $10 per child for non-members (accompanying adults free). For more information, please visit www.smithplayground.org. Mondays, 6-8PM TOUR AMBASSADOR TRAINING PROJECT The Strawberry Civic Association is looking for young and young at heart folks to come out to Mander Rec Center (33rd and Diamond St.) to learn Philadelphia history, Fair-

mount Park history, museum and trail information, etc. Tourism is a lucrative industry…. Be prepared. For more info call 215-765-9500 Tuesdays, 7-8:30PM SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS Learn about substance use and mental health disorders every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Rodeph Shalom (615 N Broad St). This group is for parents living with adolescent and adult children living with addiction and brain disease. Those affected can share experiences and resources as well as how to support their children anonymously. For further information contact Caron at 800-854-6023 or Rabbi Jill Maderer at (215)-627-6747 x216 or rabbimaderer@ rodephshalom.org. Tuesdays, 7-9PM OPEN MIC NIGHT Mugshots Coffeehouse (1925 Fairmount Ave.) hosts an open mic night every Tuesday. For more information visit Mugshots Coffeehouse on Facebook. Wednesdays, 5-8PM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS GAMEPLAY Every week there are different games to play in the galleries of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Play with friends or with fellow visitors in friendly competition provided by the Museum. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100. Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30PM MAKE STUFF A drop-in program to craft handmade objects or create art being surrounded by the art of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Activities include sketching, knitting, Lego fun or even creating a puzzle. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100. Wednesdays, 6PM and 7PM YOGA SESSION AT DHYANA YOGA Dhyana Yoga will be hosting yoga sessions every Wednesday night at 6PM and 7PM at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Space is limited, and each class operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The size of each class varies. Though admission is free, you are welcome to make a donation at the door. For more information, call Dhyana Yoga at 215-222-9642. NETWORKING EVENTS 1st Tuesday of the Month, 6:30-8:30PM DIG - Philadelphia Commercial Sub Group Diversified Investors Group Meetup for London Grill (2301 Fairmount Avenue) For more info, contact Joe Scorese 215-290-5108 jscorese@firstrust.com

Did you know that Spirit News has it’s own radio show? Tune into Spirit News Radio every Wednesday night on WPPM - FM 106.5 from 6-6:30PM. We discuss local news, arts and entertainment pertaining to the various neighborhoods we cover across Philadelphia. Can’t tune in live? You can download our radio show each week in podcast form on iTunes, SoundCloud and Google Play. Thanks for tuning in!

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 8, 2017

WRITTEN BY SPIRIT STAFF

job fair

P A S T A T E R E P. C U R T I S T H O M A S H O S T S P U B L I C S E C T O R J O B F A I R

tate Rep. W. Curtis Thomas held a public sector job fair on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the former Wakisha School (900 Jefferson St.), continuing his efforts to connect constituents with family-sustaining job opportunities. More than 26 employers from city, state and federal agencies participated in the fair, with over 150 attendees applying for jobs. Attendees were able to participate in workshops on expungement of criminal records by Community Legal Services, with the Free Library of Philadelphia tech-mobile on site to help process those applications. Staff from Pennsylvania CareerLink were also on hand to help with resume writing and provide follow-up services. “Working families and the middle class are the engines of our economy,” Thomas said. “I always have and will continue to work to connect constituents with family-sustaining job opportunities through events like our public sector job fair.” Several people were offered jobs at the fair and others are being given a second interview. One such position filled was a crane operator with the Department of Transportation. “I am thrilled that members of the community were able to not only learn about employment opportunities, but some also received job offers and second interviews on the spot,” Thomas said. February’s public sector job fair is one of two annual job fairs held by Thomas, who also holds a private sector job fair each October. •

Photo Courtesy Rep. W. Curtis Thomas

WRITTEN BY DANIEL O’NEILL

movie reviews SHORT REVIEWS OF FILMS SCREENING AT 1600 N. BROAD ST Logan According to Hugh Jackman, “Logan” will be his last outing as Wolverine. If that is in fact the case, he’s going out on quite the high. In the titular role, Jackman plays a very old, bearded and graying Logan. Instead of cutting-up people left and right, he’s now a limousine-driver working within the confines of regular society. In addition to his job, Logan takes care of Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who is a shadow of the intellectual being that he once was. While Logan and Xavier may be the last of their mutant species, there are still some out there being hunted down by a private corporation. From the outset, “Logan” becomes a gritty, down and dirty superhero flick. But what separates it from the rest of the herd is the fact that it did not shy from the R-rating, meaning more blood, more violence and more cursing. This allows for the movie to really embrace its dark, mean and unforgiving edge without trying too hard. The picture of the world that is presented isn’t a very pretty one, but it’s certainly compelling. Viewers will be sure to remember “Logan” for giving us Jackman’s best performance as the iconic Wolverine. •

Get Out Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Alison Williams) are pretty serious now, to the point where they both feel like it’s time to meet the parents. However, because Chris is black and Rose is white, there’s some hesitation on the part of the former. Rose repeats that it will be no problem, but Chris, for obvious reasons, feels a little weird about heading out to the home of his white girlfriend’s parents (played by Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener). Regardless, he meets them. He notices quickly, however, that something is completely off about the other black people in the area — of which, there aren’t many to begin with. It’s right here where the movie gets more mysterious and weird. Jordan Peele, in his directotial debut, keeps us tense and excited throughout. While Peele’s comedic sensibilities do show in the script, where Peele really excels is in creating this dark, foreboding sense of danger and never letting us forget about it. “Get Out” cleverly uses it’s story as a way of communicating themes about race, class, gender and other social issues. But the film excels most at providing the viewer with thrilling twists and turns. Peele may just have a bright future outside of sketch comedy. •

/Max Pulcini