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WEEK MARCH 29, 2017 VOL. 2 NO. 13
PARKWAY 100 Parkway Council details initiative to celebrate 100 year anniversary of Parkway. 6
UNITED ACADEMICS OF PHILADELPHIA Local adjuncts labor union seeks rights for non-tenured professors. 4
PAL PROM BOUTIQUE Cozen Police Athletic League outfits local teens for prom. 5
ACCU-REGGIE 7-day weather forecast for the region. 3
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7
HOT OFF THE
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here have several big questions surrounding the uptick in political engagement and activism among progressive Philadelphians and Americans in recent months. But perhaps the laregst of these has been whether the anti-Trump fervor we have seen will be maintained and translated into tangible political change. Skeptics will point to the Occupy demonstrations that sprung up in Philadelphia and around the world, which were high on emotion and protest, but did not deliver in the way of translating that discontent into movement on the legislative level. Philadelphia United for Progress, or Philly UP for short, seeks to change that. Philly UP hosted the first ever Coffee and Politics meet up at Mugshots Coffeehouse (1925 Fairmount Avenue) this past Sunday in hopes of promoting sustained civic engagement at the local level. Philly UP’s mission states: “We are a grassroots, feminist, intersectional group of passionate Philadelphia progressives that stands in solidarity with all those organizing for justice, while simultaneously working to protect and strengthen democratic institutions in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania and beyond.” The meeting focused on the upcoming municipal elections for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Superior Court, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, City Controller and District Attorney. Attorney Rupali Shah sat in front of a crowd of about 25 people to explain why every election is important and what each position is responsible for. “Like a lot of people, I woke up on November 9th feeling scared and lost as to what to do next,” Shah said in reference to President Trump’s election. “I've always been an outspoken person, but never really a political one. So
I turned to social media to find like-minded people and stumbled across a group of people who were as shell-shocked as me and interested in banding together to make change. That group has since evolved into Philly UP, which has become widely known around the city for being the driving force behind Tuesdays with Toomey.” Yesterday's talk was Philly UP’s first educational presentation and Shah said that the group hopes to do a lot more before the May 16th primary and the general election in November. Philly UP members circulated detailed handouts with summaries of the responsibilities of each court and a list of candidates for each election. Wendi Barish, a candidate for judge in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in the upcoming primary, was also in attendance to offer her insight on the election process and to meet with constituents. “I wanted to show my support for Philly Up,” Barish told Spirit News, “Events like these are vital to help educate people on why the upcoming election is so important.” Part of the problem, Shah noted, is that turnout for these elections is historically low — only about 12 percent of Philadelphians turned out for the last municipal primary, according to Shah. “That’s a really bad turnout for people who are, essentially, elected for life,” Shah said. While attendees seemed to accept the notion that the primary elections are worth paying attention to, they, like many others, expressed that they were unsure of how to make informed decisions when the information Continued on Page 2.
Page 2 Continued from Page 1. about local judges is often obscure and inaccessible. Compounding the problem is that most viable candidates running in Philadelphia identify as Democrats, making it difficult to differentiate between the plethora of primary candidates. The primary for the Court of Common Pleas alone has 48 registered candidates and because of the lack civic literacy one needs to make an informed choice, the top 10 candidates on a ballot generally do disproportionately better than candidates lower on the ballot. Since judges are not supposed to have formal positions on political issues and they do not typically choose the cases they hear, Shah suggested using resources such as the Philadelphia BAR Association (Philadelphiabar.org), where anyone can look up pertinent questionnaires filled out by some of the judges up for election. Shah offered a few potential hypotheticals one can ask themselves while reading through the questionnaires: “How committed to the city are they? Did they go to public school? Did their kids go to public school if they have kids?” Shah understands that a crash course in the structure of the Pennsylvania Judiciary can get a bit dull, at one point during the event conceding, “If you’re suffering from insomnia, call me and I’ll explain it all to you.” Understanding this, attendees were encouraged to jump in and ask questions whenever they felt compelled. Some of the topics covered included marijuana decriminalization, voter turnout, why city controllers get paid as much as they do and how language barriers can contribute to low voter turnout. Once the presentation ended, Shah, Barish and members of Philly UP made themselves available for one-on-one meetings. Craig Getting, a South Philly native, heard about Coffee and Politics from going to Tuesdays With Toomey, an event designed to put pressure on Senator Pat Toomey every week on a variety of issues. Getting ventured up to Fairmount for the gathering to “be the guy in my group of friends that knew what they were talking about.” “I’ve been getting more involved, going to meetings like this [from] the Women’s March on,” Getting said. “I’m trying to go to every new meeting and learn about every little pocket of activism I can, learning from people who know way more than me and then sharing their information out to others. I’m not really in a position to do work directly other than to amplify the right voices.” Beth Finn, one of the main organizers of the Philly Women’s March, describes herself as a new activist. “Just through [The Women’s March] I found a lot of these new Sanctuary Cities - Frequently Asked Questions By The City of Philadelphia
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 2017 activist groups, and Philly UP is probably one of the most effective ones that I’ve been involved with,” Finn said. Her hope, is that the new energy around politics can bring about a new age of political literacy. “It’s really exciting to me that there are a lot of people that are newly awoken and aware now. I want to make sure they don’t lose that passion after a few months,” Finn said. “It can be really hard to understand and I think that’s why we have some of the problems in politics that we do. It’s not easy for the layman or laywoman to understand.” Jo Johnson, a member of Philly UP and one of the organizers of Tuesdays With Toomey, first found some of her Philly UP colleagues on the popular pro-Hillary Clinton Facebook
group “Pantsuit Nation”. Johnson met some of the people she knew exclusively online from Pantsuit Nation for the first time at Coffee and Politics. While not every new activist supported Hillary Clinton, Johnson seems to echo a sentiment shared by many of them. “A lot of us that were on Pantsuit Nation decided to act,” Johnson said. “The originator of the group did not want to be an [activist group]. Many of us pulled away and said, excuse my language, ‘fuck that, we need to organize.’” You can find out more about Philly UP and their upcoming events at facebook.com/philadelphiaup, or email hello@ phillyup.org. • /Photos Courtesy Larissa Mogano
There have been plenty of questions Philadelphians have had about the city’s sanctuary city status. The City has put together this Frequently Asked Question guide to help explain how it works.
Additionally, in order to strengthen trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, Philadelphia Police Officers do not ask about anyone’s immigration status. We’ve found this policy keeps our officers safe and helps them solve crimes because immigrants are willing to come forward to report crimes when they are victims and act as witnesses.
What is a sanctuary city?
Why is Philadelphia a sanctuary city?
There is no singular, legal definition of what constitutes a sanctuary city, so the term means different things to different people. In Philadelphia, we cooperate fully with all law enforcement agencies, including federal agencies, to support criminal and terrorism investigations and apprehend those accused of crimes. We also do not stop Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) from arresting anyone in Philadelphia, if ICE believes they are undocumented. Additionally, if ICE presents a warrant to the City for an inmate in City custody, the City will cooperate with ICE by allowing ICE to take that person into ICE custody. The only place where the City does not cooperate is when it comes to what are known as “detainer requests.” Detainer requests are requests made by ICE to local jurisdictions, such as our Prisons, to hold someone without a warrant because ICE suspects that the person may be undocumented. These requests are not mandatory or legally binding – they are merely requests. The City is not breaking any law by not complying with these requests. Philadelphia does not comply with detainer requests because holding someone in jail without a legal warrant is unconstitutional and puts us at risk for serious financial liability. In fact, a federal court in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County ruled that local jurisdictions could be liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuits for holding individuals based solely on ICE detainer requests.
Adopting sanctuary policies has kept crime low and our city safe. Philadelphia is at the lowest crime rate we've had in 40 years, partly because of all that our Police Department has done to strengthen police-community relations. If we are forced to reverse this policy, immigrants will become less likely to report crimes and it is very hard for our officers to solve crimes without witnesses. Additionally, there’s little evidence that immigrants make communities any less safe—in fact the opposite is true. In areas where immigration has increased, crime either remains stable, or in areas where immigration is high, serious crimes are in fact lower than other areas. Philadelphia is not the only city or county to adopt and implement sanctuary policies – at least 18 rural and suburban counties and municipalities in Pennsylvania have adopted similar policies. This includes rural counties like Westmoreland, Lycoming and Pike and cities like York and Erie (among many others). They all have similar policies because of the significant financial burden, operational challenges, potential liability and legal complications related to cooperation. Lehigh County was successfully sued and paid nearly $100,000 after ICE incorrectly identified a man and the county held him at ICE’s request. What about the undocumented individuals that commit crimes?
An undocumented individual who commits a crime is not afforded special rights simply because we are a sanctuary city. Anyone who commits a crime will be pursued and prosecuted by the City, no matter what their immigration status. Sanctuary city laws do not allow dangerous criminals to evade ICE officials and reoffend. ICE has the power to keep dangerous undocumented individuals from being released, all they need to do is obtain a warrant - the same requirement made of every other law enforcement agency in the country and the City of Philadelphia will honor that warrant. Is the city’s funding from the state and federal government at risk of being cut due to the sanctuary city status?
So far, Philadelphia faces challenges to our sanctuary city status from the federal government, via a Presidential Executive Order and from the PA General Assembly via Senate Bill 10 (SB10). In both instances, it is very unclear what funding would ultimately be at risk. As explained above, the debate we are having over sanctuary cities is a policy disagreement, not a question of whether the city of Philadelphia is following the law. And we are setting a dangerous precedent for both parties if we allow funding to be cut off to municipalities because we don’t agree with one another’s beliefs. What can I do to support our sanctuary city status?
You can contact state legislators and Governor Wolf to express your concerns about SB10. Philadelphia could be pushed to either violate the constitution or lose significant funding if this bill is passed by the House and signed by the Governor. So, please call the Governor (717-787-2500) and state house members and let them know that the way to resolve policy disagreements is not to attempt to defund municipalities. You can find your state legislators number at www.legis.state.pa.us.
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 2017
FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN
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ast week was a temperature roller coaster. We started cold (30s and 40s), then zoomed up to 77 degrees by Saturday, only to crash back down to the 40s on Sunday. Thankfully, temperatures this week start to level off as we step away from the wild and whacky. This March will go down as slightly colder than normal and with 7 inches of snow in the month — making it the snowiest month of Winter! March was colder than February — this Winter is upside down! Heavy Spring rains will soon be upon us. Over the next couple of weeks relatively large storms will cross the country bringing ample amounts of moisture to those in their path. It’s the weather’s version of the “super soaker.” The Poconos and New England could still see some snow in April,
but Winter has lost it’s grip on Philly so it’s pretty much rain from here on out! Rain will be around on Friday and then again on Tuesday; however, when it’s not raining get ready for absolutely beautiful weather! Not exactly warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt, but 65 and sunny ain’t bad. Yes, we all know that guy who wears shorts when it’s 20 degrees out, but for the most of us, 70 or more degrees is when we break out the shorts! Wednesday will start cloudy with a morning shower possible but then temperatures will climb under some sunshine in the afternoon. I wouldn’t be surprised if some places hit 70. Thursday is a nice day but it will start on the cool side. Temps hang out in the 50s during the day.
Friday features a chilly rain for much of the day. Pack the umbrella! The sun returns on Saturday and temperatures get a nice boost as well to 60 degrees! Sunday and Monday continue the nice weather stretch. Temperatures both days will be in the 60s during the day and 40s at night — pretty much perfect Spring weather. Clouds will increase later in the day on Monday. Rain moves in for Tuesday as another larger rain storm dumps on us. As always, follow us on social media for weather updates throughout the week! •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 2017
WRITTEN BY JOHN HENRY SCOTT
United Academics
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LOCAL ADJUNCTS LABOR UNION SEEKS RIGHTS FOR NON-TENURED PROFESSORS
nna Neighbor is an adjunct professor, a job title with surprisingly low visibility despite accounting for more than 50 percent of instructional staff appointments in higher education. The distinction between an adjunct and a tenured professor is not, it seems, commonly understood. “We’re hired and fired at the end of every semester. We don’t have contracts. We’re essentially seasonal workers. Social services sometimes has a hard time wrapping their heads around what kind of workers we are once we say we’re professors and we work for a university.” Adjuncts are paid significantly less than tenured professors and have very little job security. They must, in effect, be rehired every semester by their institution in order to teach their assigned classes, only to be fired again when the semester ends. Fortunately, in Philadelphia, there is a burgeoning organization — a labor union — designed specifically to protect the rights of adjuncts (also know as “contingent faculty”) and to educate these workers on those rights. Founded in 2013, the United Academics of Philadelphia (UAP) is a local union under the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Formerly headquartered in Brewerytown, the UAP recently moved their offices to 12th and Spring Garden Streets. Because many adjuncts teach at several different schools the traditional labor organizing model of mobilizing at a central workplace wasn’t a good fit for UAP. They have instead adopted a city-wide organizing model in which employees from institutions across Philadelphia gather, communicate and organize. Since UAP’s inception, similar city-wide unions have appeared in Chicago and Houston, but are still exceedingly rare considering the proliferation of this type of work across American higher education. “I teach at Penn, Moore and Rowan,” Neighbor said. “That’s why the UAP initiative is so important. It’s about recognizing that a lot of us are these transient workers, almost like freelancers. Because we’re split across multiple employers, there’s a real kind of lack of connection to these institutions. The union really sees itself as a way to connect adjuncts, create a professional network and open up possibilities for professional development — things that really fall through the cracks with contingent workers in these schools.” Because of the tenuous and fragmented nature of their work, most adjuncts qualify for unemployment. Neighbor has led workshops on how to navigate the complicated bureaucratic process involved in qualifying for financial assistance. “We train our adjuncts on how to advocate for themselves so that they can get access to the resources they deserve,” Neighbor explained. In 2014, UAP started working toward unionizing Temple University. As a result, all adjuncts have representation
there. Currently, the UAP is involved in a similar effort at Arcadia University in Glenside. The vote for that union will happen on March 28th. Across the city’s colleges and universities, UAP members are laying the groundwork for further unionizing. Zoe Cohen is a visual artist and adjunct professor who has taught at University of the Arts, Moore College of Art & Design and the Tyler School of Art. She’s been a member of UAP since it began and is now a part of its Membership Growth Committee, a group of members who work on reaching out to their networks to help build the membership of the union, separate from campaigns for specific campuses. “UAP is a union that any adjunct in the Philadelphia region can join,” Cohen said. “We want to make sure that people know that and are encouraged to join.” In addition to organizing work, UAP practices community involvement in the neighborhoods where their members teach. This includes coalition building for “Fight for $15”
(an initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour), joining picket lines for other teaching unions, including the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (which represents public school teachers in the city), and holding student debt clinics to help contingent faculty better understand how they can have their student loan debt significantly relieved. UAP recently held a Faculty of Color Soirée to help create more camaraderie and visibility for faculty of color. They are also building a job bank, an online list of word of mouth openings — as adjunct positions are rarely listed on traditional job websites. “There are two goals,” Cohen said. “One is to build community and support among adjuncts in the region. The other is to create bargaining units, to actually set up adjuncts at Philly universities that have a bargaining unit at each school. If we were just doing one or just doing the other it wouldn’t be as impactful.” More information about UAP can be found on their website at unitedacademicsphilly.org
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 2017
W R I T T E N B Y K A I T LY N M O O R E
PAL Prom Boutique
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COZEN POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE OUTFITS LOCAL TEENS FOR PROM
he Cozen Police Athletic League (PAL) Center in Francisville buzzed with life on Tuesday, March 21 as girls across Philadelphia searched for the perfect formal dress. The center held its ninth annual “Prom Boutique”, an event which provides free prom dresses to girls who attend Philadelphia’s 18 different PAL centers. The gym, which normally hosts free after-school athletics like soccer and basketball, was filled with racks of prom dresses and makeup tables where girls could experiment with different looks. Jai’yah Patterson, 12, was just looking for a dress for fun. She held a blue formal dress as she perused through her options. “I’ve looked at other ones, but I like this one,” she said, gesturing toward a dress. “It’s really exciting because I like to get fancy.” Officers brought around 15 girls from each center by van to the Cozen PAL center at 17th and Brown Streets starting at 4:30PM. The event lasted until 7:30PM. “We have only three hours to dress around 300 girls,” said event organizer Nancy Rounbehler, who has been a part of the program since it began nine years ago. “Hopefully every girl walks out with a dress.” The program first got started when Rounbehler had grandparents from the Cozen PAL center ask her to help their granddaughter find a prom dress. Rounbehler was involved with the Cozen PAL from working for the Philadelphia-based Cozen O’Connor law firm. “I was always a PAL kid growing up,” Rounbehler said. “My daughter was a sophomore [in high school], so I know the whole hype around the dress and the expense.” From there, Rounbehler reached out to Linda Wert, who worked as an assistant principal at Archbishop John Carroll High school, who also collected prom dresses. Wert was looking to host her own Prom Boutique event in Radnor, PA, but couldn’t reach city youth in that location. Together, they hosted their first event at the Cozen PAL center in 2008. The program quickly took off in popularity, which Rounbehler attributes to social media, where they get most of their dress donations. “When you see the main line suburban mom Facebook groups online and the moms say, ‘I have all these dresses. What should I do?’ I say, ‘Send them my way,’” said Wert, who coordinates dress donations and volunteers. Wert currently works as the assistant principal at Cardinal O’Hara High School, where she pools most of her volunteers from, along with Carroll High School. She says the one-on-one interaction between the high school volunteers and the PAL members is a large part of what makes the program special. “It’s one thing to donate a dress, but [the volunteers] get to watch it happen and help them do accessories and the matching,” Wert said. “Its awesome not only to just see the girls shopping, but to give them a chance to shop with no pressure of a price tag. It's all about the girls.”
On Tuesday, March 21, the Cozen PAL center held its ninth annual “Prom Boutique” which provides free prom dresses to girls from Philadelphia’s 18 different PAL centers./All photos by Kait Moore
Jai’yah Patterson, 12, looks for a dress at the Cozen PAL center “Prom Boutique.”
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 2017
WRITTEN BY STEVE BOHNEL
Parkway 100
PA R K WAY C O U N C I L D E T A I L S I N I T I A T I V E T O C E L E B R A T E 1 0 0 Y E A R A N N I V E R S A R Y O F PA R K WAY
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century ago, after decades of planning and debate over how to connect Fairmount Park to the center of Philadelphia, construction began on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Now, there’s more than 20 museums and institutions surrounding one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares. And last Thursday, members from several of those organizations spoke about Parkway 100 — a vision consisting of several events and initiatives planned over the next two years to commemorate the legacy of the parkway. Judi Rogers, executive director of the Parkway Council Foundation, said collaboration between institutions along the Parkway is what her foundation seeks to continue. What separates Parkway 100 from other projects like it is the effort to encourage support for all the different programs happening, she added. “It’s a strong effort to focus on the Parkway and the riches we have here,” Rogers told Spirit News. “And to try to get people to think of it not as much as a street or an individual group of destinations, but one destination.” During last week’s press conference at the Logan Hotel, several representatives from Parkway 100 sponsors and Parkway Council members spoke about the value of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Philadelphia, along with what the next two years will specifically look like. “The Parkway … is the heart of this great city,” said Gail Harrity, president and chief operating officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “A great cultural access that weaves together the historical urban fabric of the river, boathouses and green landscapes beyond.”
The official start of the Parkway 100 will be September 8th, when more than 100 free, family-friendly activities will be offered at multiple museums and institutions, and also outside in parks and public spaces along the Parkway. Mike Innocenzo, senior vice president and chief operating officer of PECO, detailed the “We Are Connected” Kickoff Festival, which will also feature discounted or free admission to the museum’s collections and exhibitions. Along with the attractions, the Parkway will also be decorated with “Winter Fountains for the Parkway,” five illuminated dome-shaped installations covered in glass beading that will light up the Parkway at night. The William Penn Foundation has donated $1.25 million toward the project, which is being designed by Jennifer Steinkamp, an artist who specializes in installations and has taught at UCLA and other California universities. Steinkamp told Spirit News the process for creating the seven-and-a-half foot high structures spanning 35 feet started early last year. She was immediately intrigued by the history of the Parkway and the challenges the project presented. The idea for how the installations would be shaped came from the fountains at Eakins Oval, she added. “These don’t run in the winter, and I was thinking, what if I cover them and do something else,” Steinkamp said. “But then it was too big … just logistically, having bright enough projectors and it would be a pretty huge dome … so we backed off that plan and decided to put domes near the fountain.” Construction on the installation will begin later this year,
/Rendering Courtesty Parkway Council Foundation
and the fountains should be running from December 2017 through March 2018. Rogers acknowledged that outside of bringing additional tourism to the area, it will be important to consider the impact on nearby residents. She said the Parkway Council Foundation has maintained partnerships with Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Fairmount CDC and other local civic organizations. “We’re not interested in shutting down the Parkway for an event,” she told Spirit News. “We’re interested in bringing people from the neighborhoods and from afar to enjoy what’s already here.”
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 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 March 30th, 7PM FAIRMOUNT CIVIC ASSOCIATION MONTHLY MEETING Join the Fairmount Civic Association for their monthly meeting at The City School (860 N. 24th Street) and hear about the latest happenings in Fairmount and the surrounding area. Meetings take place on the last Thursday of each month at 7PM. For more information, visit www.fairmountcivicassociation. org/. April 1st, 3PM THE PERFORMANCE GARAGE: UNSHIFTING SHADOWS Philadelphia-based choreographer Blythe E. Smith will be presenting six contemporary ballet pieces in her performance Unshifting Shadows. The pieces are titled “River,” “It Is Well,” “Churchill’s Boy,” “In Ritual,” “Danse Macabre” and “Far Behind.” Purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unshifting-shadows-tickets-32090957919. April 4th, 6PM - 7PM EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY: NAZGOL GHANDNOOSH On April 4th, Nazgol Ghandnoosh, research analyst at the Sentencing Project, will host a lecture at Eastern State Penitentiary about the development of parole policies and practices. The event is part of the penitentiary’s Searchlight Series, a program that features discussions related to crime, justice and the modern prison system. A reception will follow the lecture. Admission is free. April 6th, 6:15PM WAGNER FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE: EVENING WITH AN EXPERT Join entomologist Greg Cowper on April 6th for a tour of the Wagner Free Institute of Science’s collection of insects. The doors will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the tour for a wine and cheese reception. Only 20 people will be able to participate. Tickets are $30 ($20 if you are a member). Purchase tickets at http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/syllabi%202016-17/Insect_Tour_Cowper.htm. April 8th, 10AM-1PM FAIRMOUNT SPRING CLEANUP On April 8th, the Fairmount Civic Association Neighborhood Improvement Committee will host the 5th annual Fairmount Spring Cleanup. Attendees are invited to help the FCA make a difference in the community with an extensive cleanup to beautify the neighborhood. To register, visit eventbrite.com and search “Fairmount Spring Cleanup”. Sign-in will be at the ESP Playground at 22nd and Brown Streets. For more information, visit fairmountcivicassociation.org/.
April 8th - 17th EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY: POP-UP MUSEUM For 10 days in April Eastern State Penitentiary will host its fifth annual pop-up museum. Photos, articles, films and objects inmates made while serving time in the penitentiary will be on display. Standard admission will afford you access to the museum. Tickets are available online at https:// secure.interactiveticketing.com/1.16/b70c6e/#/select or at the door (subject to availability). April 15th, 10AM THE SPRING GARDENS ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT Check out The Spring Gardens on April 15th for their annual easter egg hunt! Eggs will be filled with candy, stickers and tokens for special gifts. Suggested donation is $5. RSVP by emailing sprouts@thespringgardens.org with the number of children and their ages by April 7th to make sure there are enough supplies. April 15th, 5PM-9PM THE BUZZ: A CRAFT COFFEE, BEER AND SPIRITS FESTIVAL The Free Library of Philadelphia and Home Brewed Events are proud to present, The Buzz: A Craft Coffee, Beer & Spirits festival on April 15th from 5pm to 9pm. Sample Philadelphia’s best coffee, tea, cocktails and beer in one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Early Bird tickets are available now through March 15th at www.universe.com/thebuzzphilly. This will be a fundraiser for the Free Library with 25% of the proceeds going to support the local library system. For more information, visit www.homebrewedevents.com April 29th, 12PM-4PM FAIRMOUNT AVENUE ARTS CRAWL The Fairmount Avenue Arts Crawl is a free annual, indoor/ outdoor festival for art lovers of all mediums, which transforms the Art Museum Area of Philadelphia into an eclectic showcase of local artists and performers in its streets, restaurants, businesses, shops and bars. The event features emerging and ground-breaking artists in a range of media including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media. 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, Fairmount Park history, museum and trail information, etc. Tourism is a lucrative industry…. Be prepared. For more info call 215-765-9500
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
Tuesdays, 7-8:30PM
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. Do you want to have your company or product sponsored on Spirit News Radio’s Podcast? Reach out to ads@spiritnews.org today! Thanks for tuning in!
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 29, 2017
WRITTEN BY SPENCER HOMAN
know your history T H E S T O RY B E H I N D E T H E L A L L E N E L E M E N TA RY S C H O O L’ S N A M E S A K E
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oday, the Dr. Ethel Allen Elementary School is located at 3200 W. Lehigh Avenue in Strawberry Mansion. Have you ever wondered who Dr. Ethel Allen is and why they have a school named in her honor? Perhaps you have wondered what used to be located at the site of the school that sits across from Mt. Vernon Cemetery. According to Greatphillyschools.org, the school has about 630 students enrolled and a student-teacher ratio of 18:1 The school was one of 15 schools that was part of the Philadelphia School District’s “Turnaround Network” plan in March 2016. Last year, PhillyVoice reported that $23.7 million was donated to schools in Fairhill, Strawberry Mansion and other neighborhoods within the School District. Dr. Ethel Allen was the first African American councilwoman elected to an at-large seat of the Philadelphia City Council. According to nlm.nih.gov, Allen was one of three children to her father, Sydney S. Allen. He was a self-employed tailor. Ethel’s mother was the only one of her parents who graduated from high school. Allen went to the John W. Hallahan Girls Catholic High School, blocks away from what is now our own Whole Foods Market. Following her graduation, Allen earned her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia State College, which was all-black at the time. She spent seven years searching for a medical school that would accept a black woman into their program. Finally, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) allowed her into the program. Allen graduated from PCOM after finishing her internship in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1964. Soon after, she started her practice in the heart of North Philly at 15th Columbia Avenue. She called herself a “ghetto practitioner” and worked in “difficult and often dangerous circumstances” in some of Philadelphia’s poorest neighborhoods. Once while making a house call, she discovered that she had been set up by four men who tried to rob her of the drugs in her medical bag. Allen escaped safely after wielding her gun. Allen began working in politics in 1971 and was soon elected to the Philadelphia City Council. According to Philadelphia Magazine, Allen gave the “seconding speech for presidential nominee Gerald Ford at the 1976 Republican National Convention.” In 1979, she was the Secretary of the Commonwealth for Governor Dick Thornburgh’s cabinet. Surprisingly, Dr. Ethel Allen was a Republican. The New York Times recalls that Allen referred to herself as a “B.F.R. – a black, female republican, an entity as rare as a black elephant and just as smart.” Ethel died on December 16th, 1981 as a result of complications from heart surgery. She never married or had any children. Dr. Allen is remembered for breaking barriers for women and African Americans. Before Allen’s namesake elementary school existed, the property across the street from Mt. Vernon Cemetery was also a cemetery itself, the German Lutheran Cemetery, as recently as 1962. It can be seen on maps and atlases from as early as 1895. 31st Street and Chalmers Avenue was the site of the Benjamin Franklin High School Athletic Field, just
south of the school itself. Benjamin Franklin High School in 1962 was called Central High School in 1942. On the 1910 Philadelphia Atlas, Central High School is shown with a football gridiron, tennis courts, and just south of the athletic fields was the Manual Training Schools. West of Central High and East of Mt. Vernon Cemetery is the Odd Fellows Mount Peace Cemetery. World famous brewer Theodore Engel’s father, Wendell, was buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Theodore Engel was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery, west of Mount Vernon. As far back as 1895, the German Lutheran Cemetery was included on maps. The 1862 Philadelphia Atlas does not completely cover this region, so it is unclear whether or not the cemetery underneath of the Dr. Ethel Allen School was around that far back. We do know that Mount Vernon and Odd Fellows were both there at that time. The history of Dr. Ethel Allen Elementary School is rich. This area used to be covered with cemeteries, since they were situated away from the crowded city-center. In time, Philadelphia has grown so large that the city has caught up to this area as well. The German Lutheran Cemetery had to fit the needs of the neighborhood, and today, its memory exists underneath of the elementary school named for a trailblazer in the medical field who called Philadelphia her home.
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Summer Lifeguarding Jobs Screening Days Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) is hiring 400 lifeguarding to staff is 70 outdoor and four indoor pools. The job pays between $12.33 and $14.60 an hour. Interested candidates do not have to be strong swimmers, if they start being assisted by the staff early. These candidates should take the first step and attend a screening day offering now until June at the following facilities: Sayre Morris Swimming Pool (5825 Spruce St.) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 6-8PM Pickett Swimming Pool (5700 Warne Ave.) Monday through Thursday, 6:30-8PM Lincoln Pool (7437 Rowland Ave.) Monday Through Thursday 7:30-8:30PM For more information, please visit phila.gov/lifeguards.