Page 10 The Public Record • October 6, 2011 www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000
A number of candidates have been busy raising money for their campaigns. Last week BOB ASHER, Pennsylvania representative to the National Republican Committee and ROB GLEASON, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, hosted an event for AL SCHMIDT, candidate for City Commissioner at the Union League. The $500 ticket price did not dampen attendance. The crowd included some Democrats. TOM KNOX, who ran for mayor in 2007 on the Democratic primary, was there as well as BISHOP LEONARD GOINS of the Pentecostal Clergy Political Awareness Council. FRED ANTON, Chairman of the nonpartisan Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association attended. Also a number of Republican ward leaders, including SUZANNE HANEY (2nd), MIKE CIBIK (5th), LINDSAY DOERING (8th) and MATT WOLFE (27th), were there to support Schmidt. ANNE MARIE COYLE, judicial candidate for the Court of Common Pleas, held a fundraiser at Finnigan’s Wake last Thursday. The crowd was reflective of her broadbased support. There were a number of Republicans there, including WARD LEADERS JIM DINTINO (26th), WALT VOGLER (21st) and CHRIS VOGLER (54th), as well as CAMILLE McCOLGAN of the City Commissioners’ office and mother of JOE McCOLGAN, candidate for Council at Large. Coyle will have top position on the Republican ballot in November. She missed making the Democratic ballot by roughly 400 votes in the primary in May. While it will be difficult for a Republican (not also on the Democratic ballot) to win in this Democratic city, this Elephant believes she has a better chance than other Republicans in recent years. The electorate tends to like females in (Cont. Page 24)
Yo! Here we go again with these fascinating facts. Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean. The banana cannot reproduce itself; it can be propagated only by the hand of man. Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density. The University of Alaska spans four time zones. The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself. In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted. Warner Communications paid $28 million for the copyright to the song “Happy Birthday”. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. A comet’s tail always points away from the sun. The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent. Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers; that is why it is found in some medicines. The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity. If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day. When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight. In ancient times, strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed. Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside. Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per 100gm. The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year. The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust. Due to earth’s gravity, it is impossible (Cont. Page 25)
If you’re a regular reader of “Out and About”, you probably noticed this space sat empty last week. There’s a reason for that. I usually write this column on Tuesdays. Last Tuesday was when I got a call from my sister with the kind of news you know you’re eventually have to deal with, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any less painful. My mom, Ollie Louise Clay, died last Tuesday. She was 88. I’ve mentioned Mom in this column because she is not only the person who introduced me to baseball, but also because she occasionally gave me the kind of commonsense political analysis that could only come from the daughter of farmers from Paris, Kentucky. But Mom wasn’t really big on politics. She left that to my dad. She probably also wasn’t really big on politics because of all of the stuff my twin brother and I had to clean off of the walls when we’d have our annual Thanksgiving Dinner Political Food Fights. But she had no problem encouraging me to cover politics. She loved it when I told her about my week at the Democratic National Convention, the City Council meetings I’d cover and the other silliness that I’d see covering politics and education. Mom also made sure I had food in my refrigerator during those times when I was short on funds due to an expense check that didn’t come, or worse yet, one that bounced. But most importantly, whenever I was hit with some sort of setback, had some politician say something forcefully nasty to me, or just found myself brokenhearted due to whatever (Cont. Page 14)
THERE ARE a lot of good folks serving as committeepersons in our city, and I ran into a few of them who are on duty for their neighborhood 24/7: IRV VAUGHN, who is also Chairman in the 12th Ward. Quiet devotion to duty. What about my “brother” BIG SAMMY HODGE in 13-17? Don’t forget the dynamo GWEN COLLINS in the 16th.... LABOR UNIONS are sponsoring boxing in the Northeast Armory on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. for just $20. The proceeds go to help the Veterans Multi-Service Education Center, on N. 4th Street. The center does a lot of good for our needy vets. Give what you can to help a worthy cause.... THE COLUMBUS DAY PARADE on Oct. 9 is shortened – starting at Board & Morris – but makes it up in vitality, and a good festa at Marconi Plaza.... THE VIOLENCE OUTBREAK in Grays Ferry was fully investigated by Captain LARRY NODIFF, head of South Detectives. This leadership in “South” gives us hope for conflict resolution.... DEMOCRATS and Republicans alike are not happy when GOP Mayoral Candidate KAREN BROWN was not allowed in the Town Meeting with Mayor Nutter. What are they worried about? (Milton Street did get 25% of the vote with no campaign funds.) It’s an election year – LET HER IN!!!!... Gov. TOM CORBETT is rising in popularity. He is most popular in the Northeast of our state at 50%. The recent floods are given as a reason. But floods cause temporary bumps in ratings. If he is at a peak there, he is lower elsewhere, yes? Popularity? AND THE GOVERNOR’S PRIVATIZATION PANEL is set to study selling of state stores, (Cont. Page 25)
COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES’ Emerging Leaders fundraiser was a big hit! The house was packed with emerging leaders like COUNCIL MEMBERS MARIA QUINONES SANCHEZ and BILL GREEN, future Councilwoman CINDY BASS, STATE REP. TONY PAYTON and many others. But the highlight of the evening was the stirring public endorsement for DARRELL CLARKE for Council President. What an announcement! Clarke graciously took the floor and thanked Jones and made some nice remarks. Other notables in attendance included former Managing Director LORI JONES, Future State Rep. AL SPIVEY, Future State legislator JOE MEADE, SONTE REAVIS, ESQ. and continuous wannabe-anything WILL MEGA. Missing from the room was State Representative and future Councilman KENYATTA JOHNSON, who was busy dealing with the recent rash of shootings in Point Breeze. We predict Johnson will represent the District as long as he desires…. True leadership dealing with hard issues! One of the City’s ward leaders is reported to be pouting like a 5-year-old over redistricting because they didn’t get their way. With all due respect, get over it and grow up! MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER gets great advice from TUMAR ALEXANDER and LEW ROSSMAN. These two have managed to stay around in City Hall despite whatever change happens in the Mayor’s office. They know how to make themselves invaluable to every occupant of room 214. They’re the best in the ‘Hall’! Why is MICHAEL YOUNGBLOOD still hanging around City Hall? Wasn’t he banned by then-Council President JOHN STREET? While folks smile and are cordial, no one is listening to this guy.
The baseball playoffs have begun and the VIPs have flocked to Citizens Bank Park. One of Southeastern Pennslvania’s top employers for Southeastern Pennsylvania, IBC, hosted PAT GILLESPIE, head of the Philadelphia Building Trades. Also in the box were STATE SEN. MIKE STACK and his lovely wife TONYA. IBC senior executives SDTEVE FERA and CHRIS CASHMAN hosted the VIPs. A few doors down in the Mayor’s Box, STATE SEN. SHIRLEY KITCHEN was accompanied by HENRY HUNTER and enjoyed the big Phils win. 56TH WARD LEADER JOHN SABATINA was decked out in full Phillies regalia, including hat and facepainting. It was unclear whether Sabatina was a guest of the Mayor or the guest of numerous judicial candidates that have sought his affection. Speaking of judicial candidates, former STATE REP. FRANK OLIVER probably should have chosen his words more carefully when speaking to a breakfast gathering last week. Reportedly, Oliver told the 27 candidates for retention they each owed $10,000 to Democratic City Committee, for them to be carried and pushed on Election Day. CONGRESSMAN BOB BRADY was not in the room when the instructions took place. City Hall Sam thinks a better way to communicate is in individual private meetings. The Republican at-Large Councilmanic race has received much more attention then it usually does. All five Republican challengers believe they can win. Former Speaker of the House STATE REP. DENNY O’BRIEN and DAVID OH were the early choices for (Cont. Page 14)