PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022

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Fix Yourself, Not the World is out now

Sonic expressions of

The Wombats Plus, navigating the ins and outs of polyamory | Page 16

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THE SECOND BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN: 87 ROUNDS REPORTEDLY FIRED IN YEAR-END SHOOTING

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he Battle of Germantown occurred on October 4, 1777, during our War of Independence. After capturing Philadelphia, British General William Howe ordered a sizable force to hold Germantown, which was then not a part of Philadelphia.

General George Washington attacked the British forces in Germantown, but even with the element of surprise and a good showing by his Continental soldiers, Washington’s army was routed. It was a bloody battle with many soldiers on both sides killed and wounded.

The second Battle of Germantown occurred at 11:30 pm on December 30, 2021, on Germantown Avenue. A group of men exited a white van and began shooting at people on the street in the residential neighborhood. Someone in the crowd returned fire.

According to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small, five men and one woman were rushed to the hospital. The woman, who was shot multiple times in the chest and stomach, was listed in critical condition. Some have speculated that she was the shooters’ target.

“She may be the intended target due to the fact that she was hit so many times,” Small told reporters on the scene. “But as we found over 65 spent shell casings, it’s hard to even

JANUARY 13- 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

But perhaps some finger pointing is approsay who’s the intended target and who was priate. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry struck by stray.”

Krasner was sworn in for his second term as Later, the estimated number of gun shots DA on January 3rd. At the press conference fired was raised to 87. Thankfully, no one was afterward, Krasner did not mention the Gerkilled, as the shooters hit more parked cars mantown shootout. He said that and walls than people. Still, the during his next term as DA he brazen gun battle, which was capplans to invest heavily in violence tured on video, resonated across prevention, as opposed to prosecutthe city. ing criminals vigorously, which he “It looked like a warzone,” one called derisively, “traditional proscop who was on the scene after the ecution.” shooting told me. “The street and He said the only true justice was sidewalk were littered with brass to stop homicides before they hapfrom the bullets. It looked more pen. like Baghdad than Philadelphia.

“It will be an effort to heal, to These thugs ought to be locked up address the trauma, to stop the for good.” hurt as best we can for the whole “It was like the Wild West,” block, the whole area,” Krasner another cop said. “It was like said. “Not just that one family, but the Gunfight at the OK Corral. everyone who has been so terribly It’s amazing that a lot of people affected by this.” weren’t killed by these wild-ass, According to Krasner, it takes a gun-slinging cowboys. I’m glad no PAULDAVISONCRIME.COM village to grieve. kids were shot. I feel so bad for the Krasner went on to say that he good people who live here.” has taken steps to support families “Stop pointing fingers,” City of homicide victims, such as offering grief Council President Darrell Clarke told a recounseling, help with funeral arrangements, porter. He added that everyone had a role to and providing other support in the first 45 play in preventing violence like the scene in days after a homicide, which is all well and Germantown. He said that the district attorney, the police commissioner, and the court good.

But I suspect the victim’s family would also system need to figure out how to stop it.

PAUL DAVIS

like the murderer of their loved one prosecuted and shipped off to prison.

It is well known that Krasner is a prosecutor who does not like to prosecute — except perhaps for cops. In criminal circles, Krasner is known affectionately as ‘Uncle Larry,’ and ‘Let ‘Em Loose Larry.’

In a year of extreme gun violence and murder, in which the Philadelphia Police Department recorded 562 murders, many point their finger squarely at Krasner and his policies.

Although liberals are quick to call for more gun controls after every shooting, I doubt that the guns used in the Germantown gunfight were properly purchased and legally owned and carried by the shooters.

Chances are they used illegal crime guns.

As there are already many laws against carrying and using illegal firearms while committing a crime, new gun laws are certainly not the answer to ending gun violence and murder.

The answer, as many former and current law enforcement officers have told me over the years that I’ve been covering the crime beat, is to target the high crime areas and arrest, prosecute and imprison the gun-toting criminals who are causing Philadelphia to be called ‘Murder City.’

Paul Davis’ Crime Beat column appears here each week. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.

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FROM THE EDITOR

THE FATAL SUPPORT GREAT CONTENT ALLURE OF and help us make it.

NATIONAL POLITICS

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s politics have become more naSimilarly with crime, an all-time murder retional and ideological, rural ar- cord in the city hasn’t led to collaboration and eas of the country have been seen a new commitment to do better. Instead, finas the biggest losers of this shift. ger pointing and passing the blame reign suSmall towns and sparsely populat- preme. A utopian district attorney can’t take ed counties can’t rely on old politi- all the heat, as an intransigent police union, cal alliances like they once did, and a mayor reluctant to lead, and a city council the old elite that used to stay there that avoids reform make clear.

Philadelphia could be looking to other citnow heads to bigger cities and corridors of ies (or countries) and learning economic growth. how to build more apartments, or However, competency in big-city reduce crime, or make the buses government has also suffered. Inrun on time. But we don’t. Bring stead of city council members and taxes down and attract businessmayors running on platforms attuned es here? Learn how to pave a to local concern, campaigns are built road and add in a bus lane? City with an eye of how to appeal stateCouncil is too timid and too narand nationwide. The nuts and bolts of row-minded to even raise the price good governance fall by the wayside. of a street parking permit. It’s a Instead, progressive bona fides or re1970s-era philosophy of goverstrictive-immigration extremism is nance that will be dragged kicking the name of the game, sure to drive and screaming, if at all, into somecampaign donations and grab attenthing new. tion from cable news.

Occasionally, there’s a flash of Sometimes, we don’t need grandisomething different. City Controlose statements about foreign policy, @ANTHONYHENNEN ler Rebecca Rhynhart has been inhealth care spending local leaders sistent in accounting for how the can’t change, or condemnation over city spends taxpayer money — and demandthe story of the week. Instead, we need local ing better. Maria Quiñones-Sánchez was the politics that responds to local problems. only one on city council to demand disgraced Problems like the need to build more housing, as the tragedy of the Fairmount apart- Councilman Bobby Henon resign for being corrupt and betraying the public trust. It’s not ment fire made clear. The costs are easy to ignore — until they aren’t. Apartment over- that difficult to imagine a future Philadelphia crowding doesn’t become a hot-button issue where we jail corrupt politicians, rent prices fall, and we prioritize public safety in every because those who hold the politicians’ ears tend to obsess over parochial things like for- neighborhood. Justice, prosperity, and freedom aren’t that far out of reach. Neither is giving student debt for graduate students.

A competent local government doesn’t efficient public transportation, a cleaner enwaste time on national issues out of its con- vironment, and a school system that prepares its youth for the future. trol. It finds the most pressing local problems The problem is the fatal attraction of inerand ameliorates them. Rising rents and houstia. The siren call of national politics and utoing prices are a crisis to solve now because they will be a disaster in a decade if the city pian rhetoric clouds our vision of the concrete doesn’t get serious about greenlighting a con- work that is in front of us, waiting to be done. struction frenzy. Otherwise, only the wealthy One day, if we’re lucky, we can bring the city down to Earth and fix the problems at hand. will be able to afford to live in Philadelphia.

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PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13- 20, 2022

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STATE OF OUR CITY

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BLACK MUSIC CITY PROJECT OFFERS

GRANTS TO BLACK CREATIVES

STATE

The Black Music City Project, which funds Philly-area Black creatives who produce new, original works that honor the city’s rich Black music history, has extended its application deadline to receive roughly $100,000 in grant funding.

Interested artists can apply until Monday, January 17 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). Any artistic medium will be considered. Grant winners will be selected by a committee of prominent Black Philadelphia professionals in the arts, media, and business, and completed artworks will be featured in videos, shown in a Juneteenth event, and promoted inside and outside Philadelphia.

More information on BlackMusicCity.com.

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Image | Courtesy of Devils Den

DEVIL’S DEN HOSTS SHIP TO SHORE TO SLAY: NAUTICAL TRUE CRIME

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CITY

Devil’s Den, the craft beer bar, is starting 2022 on a spooky note by hosting Ship To Shore To Slay: Nautical True Crime, an evening of tales from distant – to not so distant – past in the seafaring world, presented by a homicide investigator on Tuesday, January 18 from 7 pm – 9 pm.

Ship To Shore To Slay: Nautical True Crime is the next installment of the Devil’s Den’s famed true crime nights held several nights per year at the South Philadelphia gastropub.

True crime enthusiasts can look forward to tales of infamous and obscure cases and killers from sailors on ships to haunted lighthouses, and everything in between, hosted by Sarah Cailean, a former police officer and detective. Attendees can partake in themed trivia for a chance to win prizes and indulge in signature Devil’s Den fare including salmon BLT; diablo, aventinus, and traditional mussels, and a house-made seasonal seafood chowder.

“Folks today have shown such a strong interest in learning of past true crime tales – whether it be through podcasts or documentaries – and it’s been a lot of fun giving people an inside look into some of the most infamous cases,” said Sarah Cailean, host of Ship to Shore to Slay.

Tickets $15, available on Eventbrite.

The current number of homicide victims year-to-date under Mayor Jim Kenney and District Attorney Larry Krasner’s leadership. This represents an 31 percent increase over the same time last year. The city ended 2021 with a horrific 562 murders.

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Kyle Sammin Senior Editor

Contributors: A.D. Amorosi, A. Benjamin Mannes,Jesse Bunch, Paul Davis, Timaree Schmit, Ryan K. Smith, Stu Bykofsky, Eugene Zenyatta.

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To contact the news department: mail@philadelphiaweekly.com.

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VOICES

THE SHOUT OUT

Music and cultural events are returning throughout the winter.

Your turn: What concerts or performances are you most excited about?

Send your thoughts to voices@philadelphiaweekly.com

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In-person or online ed? Teachers’ union wants remote pause Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Broad + Liberty.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the American Federation of Teachers asked the state department of education on Friday to reinstate stiff Covid-19 mitigation standards in schools across the commonwealth. If that proves impossible, the union requested that in-person instruction be paused for two weeks.

“In-person instruction is by far the best way for students to learn and for educators to teach,” said AFT Pennsylvania President Arthur G. Steinberg. “Ideally, we would keep all schools open for in-person learning all the time. However, that has become untenable with a rising rate of infection of teachers and a shortage of qualified substitute teachers.”

“Therefore, we are asking the Pennsylvania Department of Education to reinstate COVID mitigation layers in all school districts, rather than the current patchwork that exists. This includes negotiated vaccination mandates for educators and school staff, masking requirements with KN95 masks or greater, and asymptomatic and pool testing of students and staff regardless of vaccination status.”

AFT PA is one of the largest teacher’s unions in the state, representing approximately 36,000 teachers and other education professionals, according to its press release.

The union’s requests did not sit well with Back to School PA (BTS-PA), a political action committee formed in 2021 that promoted school board candidates who pledged to commit to as much in-person instruction as possible. The PAC helped several dozen candidates win school board seats across the commonwealth in the November elections.

“We know that closing schools does not impact Covid cases,” said Beth Ann Rosica, executive director of BTS-PA. “We know that kids and teachers are safer in school than they are in the community based on the transmission rates of school and the community. And it is simply unconscionable that the teachers’ union at this point in time would be calling for a pause to in-person learning.”

The move is certain to penetrate the many political races getting underway for the 2022 election.

In support of her claim that closing or

opening schools does not greatly impact Covid transmission, Rosica pointed to an article from United Press International in January 2021.

The move by the AFT PA also comes just one day after Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said school administrators should strive harder to keep their doors open.

“Scientists measure the severity of a coronavirus variant by examining how many people infected by it end up in the hospital,” a report from the New York Times said. “The Delta variant turned out to be substantially more severe than earlier variants. But the reverse is true for Omicron.”

As the Omicron variant has wrought more havoc, it has crystalized the need for more substitute teachers.

“I do recognize that there are districts that are clearly having staffing issues, but not every district is struggling,” Rosica said. “Not every district is calling for remote learning and some districts have said that with the staff shortages, it’s actually harder to staff virtually than it is to do in person.”

Last month, Governor Tom Wolf signed bipartisan legislation aimed at easing the shortage of substitute teachers.

When teachers in Chicago, led by their union, demanded a move back to virtual instruction, Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot exploded.

“We love our teachers. We appreciate them,” Lightfoot said. “But the [Chicago Teachers Union] leadership is a whole different matter. And we cannot allow them to blow up the school system because they decide that they want to engage in disruptive, chaotic conduct.”

A staffing issue also compelled a teacher’s union in New York City to request a delay in in-person instruction. Newly sworn-in Mayor Eric Adams rebuffed the call, saying, “the safest place for children is in a school building.”

A Broad + Liberty report last year showed that teachers unions in Pennsylvania had extraordinary access to the Wolf administration as it was crafting reopening guidance for the fall of 2020 — guidance that ultimately caused many districts that planned to be in-person to shift back to virtual learning.

Todd Shepherd is Broad + Liberty’s chief investigative reporter.

Send him tips at tshepherd@broadandliberty.com, or use his encrypted email at shepherdreports@protonmail.com.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022

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THE WOMBATS Introspective Fix Yourself, Not the World a new phase BY: ANTHONY HENNEN

Coming Back to Philly

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he Wombats have been British indie music darlings for more than a decade, and they’re back with a new album and a stateside tour. Their new album, Fix Yourself, Not the World was released January 7, and they’ll play at The Fillmore on January 22.

Fix Yourself was recorded remotely over the past year, with lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew “Murph” Murphy in Los Angeles, bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen

JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

in Oslo, and drummer Dan Haggis in London.

The process was “pure madness, to be honest,” Murph said. Zoom meetings planned the day, then separate recordings were mixed into finished tracks by producers Jacknife Lee (U2, The Killers), Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey), Paul Meaney (Twenty One Pilots, Nothing But Thieves) and Mark Crew (Bastille, Rag‘n’Bone Man).

Their fanbase has been buoyed recently by TikTok, when Oliver Nelson’s remix of their 2015 song “Greek Tragedy” took off. Thanks to 600,000 videos on the platform using it, The Wombats have surpassed a billion worldwide streams and gained another 2.4 million

monthly listeners on Spotify since last January. “I’m very proud that we’ve stuck in like some dirty little warthogs. It hasn’t been the easiest road but we’ve always kept our focus and it’s paying off,” Murph said. “I thought it was gonna stay in that mid-2000s indie rock phase forever and then swarms of younger people are now getting into the band and finding the older stuff.”

Fix Yourself also develops some new themes for the band, from the trials and tribulations of romantic commitment to the need to focus on self-improvement instead of raging about the world.

“It’s about cancel culture,” Murph says of pointed lines like “why don’t you chop

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my tongue out?” and “you don’t speak for me.” “The toxicity of social media. One of my friends said there’s no room for nuance in anyone’s opinions or views on the world, you’re either with us or you’re against us. I think people are sucked into a vortex of pretty bad ideologies…Where is the conversation, because it’s not gonna progress anywhere without being able to talk to one another intelligently.”

The point is not to control everything in life, but to appreciate the complexity of the world and try to understand it better.

PW caught up with Tord to talk about the band’s new album and return to touring.

Indie rock isn’t as popular as it once was, at least in popular culture. How do you keep your songs fresh?

I think the key is to not pay too much attention to genres or “caging” music into particular styles. I’ve always felt that music is much more free than that and especially these days bands and artists are much more genre fluid. We often take inspiration from multiple styles (whether it makes sense or not!) and that’s what I think keeps it fresh for us. The songwriting is the constant - I feel like that is something we’ve stayed true to and gives our music the familiarity within the different sonic expressions.

How autobiographical is the new album?

“People Don’t Change, Time Does,” for example, seems notably raw and personal.

A lot of our songs are lyrically quite personal and are often taken from real-life events; so are a lot of the tracks on our new album. “People Don’t Change People, Time Does” however is completely fictional, although the lyrics still are very relatable!

How does it feel to tour again?

Touring is a really important part of being in The Wombats, so we are next level excited to be back in a room full of legends having a good time!

Any favorite cities to tour in when coming through America?

Philly, of course!

We enjoy playing everywhere to be honest, if the vibe in the room is good we are into it!

Is there a bigger gap today between British music and American music? Or have the distinctions declined, borders becoming less meaningful than when Youtube and social media were new?

I am definitely no expert analyst on this matter! But I’ve got a feeling that borders in general make less of a difference musically these days thanks to social media. But I think there will always be geographical differences to what is more popular as long as radio still is an important platform.

How did Liverpool and the Institute for Performing Arts influence you?

That’s where we met, so it’s thanks to that place we are even a band! It was a great place to experiment and figure out who we were musically and learnt a lot about recording and gave us the freedom and time to improve on the songwriting.

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What’s the writing process like for you?

On this album the process was different to previous albums as we had to write and work on a lot of the songs over Zoom because of lockdown and the fact that we live in three different cities (Oslo, London, LA). Half of the album though was made before lockdown and for those songs we would start every session with a blank canvas and start writing and making every song from scratch. It’s really exciting working that way as you never know what you’ll end up with at the end of the day!

Are your influences generally coming from other music and artists, or does literature, paintings, and film do some heavy lifting here?

We get inspiration from anything really - all of the above can inspire a lyric or the concept of a song. Musically, it could be any artist or era or even sounds from specific songs, so we rarely have the exact same approach to any song.

What do you want listeners to take away from the new album?

Hopefully it will take people on an enjoyable journey through our take on the last year and a half.

Y’all have been performing and releasing records for more than a decade now, coming up on two. Does it feel any different, putting out the fifth album vs. the second or third? What’s changed?

You stack up a lot of experience after so many years together as a band, what works and what doesn’t work. I feel like we have gotten a lot more confident both in the writing and in the recording process / production throughout the years, so the process has become more enjoyable in my opinion.

What’s the best way for fans to follow y’all?

Instagram and TikTok @wombatsofficial; Twitter and YouTube @thewombats; Facebook @thewombatsuk.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022

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MUSIC

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Crowdsourcing Chaos and the Beauty McCloskey gets funding from fans for new album BY: EUGENE ZENYATTA

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on McCloskey is an eclectic singer-songwriter and performing artist who infuses the traditional folk idiom with elements of psychedelic rock, electronica, hip-hop, and 80s pop.

His idiosyncratic writing style and independently produced albums have appeared in the Oscar Award-winning film, Bowling for Columbine, FX’s television series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Apple TV’s Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, commercials and have garnered 1 million+ streams on Spotify alone Don McCloskey has a new record out in February called The Chaos and the Beauty; he grew up in Bristol and graduated from St. Joe’s Prep. One of his best friends from high school is Rob McElhenney (of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame) who handpicked his song, “First in Flight,” to be in the closing scene of his Apple TV show, Mythic Quest... the song has over 500,000 spins across platforms and is the first single from the new record.

Don still lives in PA - but is in West Caln these days. After a pre-Christmas show at Johnny Brenda’s in December, McCloskey will be touring the U.S. supporting his new album.

PW caught up with McCloskey to chat about music and what he’s been up to since the pandemic hit.

Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you become interested in music? Who were some of your earliest influences?

My mom and her sisters would dance with us to The Beatles and Motown so I knew every word to all those records. Smokey Robinson at Valley Forge was my first concert and it left a huge impression on me. My aunt Marianna loved Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bob

JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Dylan, and ics, chapte tion was G Hendrix s My Un walking e Irish folk repertoire rebel mus had a lot ways let u an MC, wh ies in Bris Afrika Ba Public En til I could I sang a learned a Bristol Ri dio and M rest. In hi his old gu point on I music and ences into

MUSIC

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Dylan, and Paul Simon so I knew all those lyrics, chapter and verse. My Dad’s record collection was Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix so I wore those out.

My Uncle, Tom, was an Irish tenor and walking encyclopedia of literally hundreds of Irish folk songs. Imitating him I had a small repertoire of love ballads, drinking songs and rebel music before I was even school age. He had a lot of instruments at his house and always let us play them. My uncle Andrew was an MC, which was super rare in the mid-eighties in Bristol. He introduced me to Newcleus, Afrika Bambaataa, RUN DMC, KRS- One, Public Enemy. I would rewind those tapes until I could rap along word for word.

I sang a lot of liturgical music in church, learned a lot of musicals from working at The Bristol Riverside Theater and then Philly radio and MTV of the 80s and 90s filled in the rest. In high school, my cousin Lou gave me his old guitar and three lessons and from that point on I started learning to play my favorite music and synthesizing all these eclectic influences into songs of my own.

How did you spend your downtime during the pandemic?

I moved out of my place in Brooklyn and into an old farmhouse on 110 acres out near Lancaster. I played an online concert series and learned how to grow tomatoes. I played a socially distanced concert at a drive-in movie theater on Cape Cod with G Love which was both great and surreal. I finished recording my 4th record, the first single was featured on an Apple TV show. I rewrote O Holy Night and joined the blockchain.

You recently played your first Philly show since the pandemic. What did it feel like to be back on stage? What are your touring plans for 2022?

It felt great. I love playing Johnny Brenda’s. It was great playing the new record with the friends I recorded it with and looking forward to much more of it in the new year.

Right now, the touring plan is record release shows with a few stops on the West Coast, a few on the East Coast. I would really love to pay First in Flight in Kill Devil Hills.

Baseball fans might remember you as the writer behind “Unstoppable,” the song that had lots of airplay here and was played before every home game of the Phillies’ 2009 World Series appearance. How did that song come together, and did you anticipate the response the song received?

It came together quickly. I wrote the chorus after we won the NLDS. I called Chuck Treece and Tom Spiker to see if they wanted to record it with me. We laid the basic tracks down at Tom’s studio where the three of us recorded my second album, Northern Liberties.

I sent it to G Love. Our friend Kuf Knotz was recording with G and he did the first verse. I wrote the second verse. A Philly All-Star horn section laid the hook down and that was it!

Definitely surprised by the response.

WMMR, XPN, WIP, were all playing it regularly, we were asked to do a live performance on Preston and Steve and Good Day Philadelphia and then ultimately they played it before every World Series home game at Citizen Bank Park! That was surreal.

Your upcoming full-length album, The Chaos and the Beauty, is due to drop in February, and was crowdsourced by your fanbase, which raised $22,000 in only two days on Kickstarter. First, how did that response from your fans make you feel? Second, how did the album come together and turn out?

It made me feel like George Bailey at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life. I spent the first 20 years traveling the country, playing clubs, pubs, parking lots, theaters, parties, and whatever else. So to have all the people who were there for all of those moments send this huge

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wave of love and support all at one time in my direction, really was overwhelming and something I’ll never forget.

The album came together because I had written a new batch of songs. I asked my longtime friend and fellow Philly ex-pat, Devin Greenwood, to co-produce it with me at his studio, The Honey Jar, in Brooklyn. We narrowed 30 songs down to ten. Cut demos. We recorded the basic tracks live to analogue tape with the two of us and Chuck Staab on drums.

We brought Ross Bellenoit on guitars, Ali and Claire Wadsworth and Alicia Walter on additional vocals, percussionist Sebastian Guerrerrro and Mike Irwin on horns. Dev and I overdubbed everything else it needed and… voila! The Chaos and The Beauty.

You’ve been performing for about 20 years. What’s your most memorable highlight? What’s still on your “bucket list” to achieve?

Tough to pick a highlight but opening for Raekwon, touring the Midwest with G Love, and playing a sold-out show at the Beacon with my friends in It’s Always Sunny are all great memories. Having the opportunity to travel the country, meet interesting people, and od the thing I love most with kindred spirits and musical collaborators has been one of the great blessings of my life.

I don’t have a bucket list but I do intend to record 9 albums. The first three are already out. The Chaos and the Beauty is the first of the second three, then down the road the old man trilogy. With a whole bunch of living in between.

McCloskey is on Instagram (@don_mccloskey_music), Facebook (DonMcCloskeyMusic) and Twitter (@DonMcCloskey).

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022

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GOSSIP

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Philly Has Surpassed NYC Plus, Tracy Hardy of Lou & Choo's Lounge

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ew York City. Up until like 2000 give or take a few weeks, Philly was NYC’s lame-o cousin and dishwater doppelganger, The City That Never Sleeps vs. The City That Pretty Much Slept Solidly After 8 PM What From That Ritually Exclusive Carbo Loading Diet of Greasy Cheesesteaks and Doughy-But-Leaden Soft Pretzels.

You know the end of that sad east coast story, though: Philly caught up to NYC in every way, even often surpassing it.

Our restaurants are better and more diverse. Our theater is more personal. Our indie music scene is funkier. Now, as of this week in particular, NYC trails us high and wide – sometimes in instances more ruinously tragic than others.

One comparison I’m looking at? Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Following in the footsteps of our very own Mr. Softee,

JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

ICEPACK Larry Krasner, the newly-in-place hip hop to top the Jill Scott sex Bragg is ready to go on a lawless BY: A.D. AMOROSI tape rumors on social media. But program of instructing his prosePhiladelphia actor and rapper Eve cutors to stop looking for jail time – the first lady of the Ruff Ryders – and prison sentences for many crimes and is doing her levelheaded best what with a rare downgrading felony charges in cases such as guest appearance on any record not her own armed robberies and drug dealing (well, what on DJ/producer Paul Oakenfold’s new Shine drugs are we talking?). For everyone in New On album which also features Aloe Blacc, CeeYork still thinking of moving to Philly like Lo Green, and Azealia Banks. a bunch of you did during Covid’s great miKanella’s New Owner gration, think again. Just like that old dumb The Jefferson Hospital area’s fave Medijoke about a bar at closing time: You can’t stay terranean BYOB hot spot, 10th and Spruce’s home, but you definitely don’t want to come Kanella, just got a new owner in Tayfun Abushere and stay either. See you in Connecticut. ka. Yes, the always familiar and hands-on Eve Guest Appearance Konstantinos Pitsillides left in December, and It’s going to be hard for Philly’s women of Abuska will carry on the kabob tip. I would

yell “Opa,” but you’d only confused it with another Greek-Mediterranean restaurant several blocks away.

Benefit for Philadelphia Clef Club For the love and aid of the Philadelphia Clef Club – that glass front, 70s-designed tower of cool on Broad Street that’s housed some of this city’s finest live jazz showcases and educational events – Chris’ Jazz Café will host some of the area’s finest players (Orrin Evans, Immanuel Wilkins, etc.) gathering, in person and virtually, for a charitable live party on January 13 at 7 pm.

Vax Mandates and Closures Several pretty much legendary Philly locations are either already closed or closing or closed by the time you finish this sentence. For those of you digging shoo fly pies, pot roast sandwiches, and fresh Scrapple by the yard stick’s length, Mose Smucker’s Amish-oriented The Grill at Smucker’s at Reading Terminal just shuttered its stand. Reason? Not enough of a customer base now that the city’s

GOSSIP

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY triple vaccine mandate on food establishments is keeping the non-vaxxed bacon-egg-n-cheese sandwiches at bay.

Weird that if you sit in the Terminal’s court, you have to be vaccinated, but you can wander around and shop all day but don’t need vaxxing.

Eh? Then there’s Walnut-at-Rittenhouse’s near-50year-old Wonderland head shop which is closing at the top of February. Always a great place for bongs and vitamin B cut for cocaine, owner Michael Katz has mentioned the pandemic, 2020’s summer of looting and broken windows, and the lack of downtown customers ever since those two unfortunate plagues for shuttering.

Oh, and then there is the little matter of Kenney and the city’s taking down of all of 13th Street’s Midtown Village Gayborhood outdoor streeteries, starting now and lasting through part of the summer due to planned utility work. But that shouldn’t really hurt restaurateurs and food workers desperately clinging to life, business, dignity, and money, right?

And yes, Philadelphia. We lost James Mtume and Bob Saget on Sunday. Yes. Everything is really fucked up, Philly. Everything.

Speaking of MidGayTownHoodVillage and really fucked up, didn’t DJ Pauly D from MTV’s Jersey Shore host an opening of Sugar Factory Philadelphia, hanging by the candy wall and over-sampling the gelato bar? Is this weird or am I just fussy?

MASKED PHILLY: Tracy Hardy In Icepack’s way-too-long, way-overly-complex-and-continuing saga of asking mask-donning local celebrities what they’ve been up to, beyond the pale, during C-19 – from lock down to the current re-opening, present-day un-masking and re-masking, worrying about Delta variants, freaking out about Fauci’s call for a potential third round of vax shots a mere five months after the last, new mask and vax card mandates, ignored or not ignored (I mean why did I wait in line at the Convention Center if you’re not asking to see my card?), the possibility of mix-and-matching vaccines which is weird, AND NOW, YEAH OF COURSE, the whole worldwide B.1.1.529 Omicron variant scare, so welcome to ROUND THREE, I reached out, this week, to Tracy Hardy.

Hardy and Damon Roye are the team behind Lou & Choo’s Lounge, West Hunting

Park Avenue’s legendary, large-scale big hearty food and bigger cocktails saloon and restaurant with a new tiki bar, a new garden/patio, an arcade, and a designated cigar bar which re-invigorated its design and post-Covid (well, as much of a pandemic is actually post) reopened at the end of 2021.

When asked what occurred in Harty’s life during Covid’s slowdown beyond the pale, Tracy responded with something more spiritual and life affirming than usual.

“I prioritized and rebuilt and focused on building my relationships with my family and friends while developing new business ventures,” he said. “I wanted to highlight mine and the business’ involvement in the community, to spread hope.”

As far as the mask goes, not only does Hardy wear the the N95, Tracy gave out N95 masks, rubber gloves, and Bio-Nest hand sanitizer to members of the 39th Police District and the 5th Police District, Fire Department 59, Ladder 18, principals and teachers in their school district, and the city’s Democratic ward leaders for their area.

When it comes to the vax, Hardy says, “I understand the distrust of our community in getting the vax because historically they have used disenfranchised people as test dummies.

Therefore, community leaders need to educate and explain the vax a lot more to our community to build trust. As a business owner, it is another hurdle to our business. I am vaxxed and encourage others because this is a universal problem and we all have to do our part.”

“That said, I don’t like the fact that the city has put another burden on our already struggling business to check vaccination cards.

We’re already losing money in the hardest-hit industry in the city, what with being overtaxed. It’s just more for us to handle and still try and pay our staff and bills.”

All this, and Lou & Choo’s Lounge is not only carrying on, but improving, adding all of the aforementioned building/design amenities as well as bringing in Chef Bruce Palmer, of Bruce’s Big Sea Sandwiches, with a new menu of seafood and soul food dishes. “We’re also marketing our history and vibe to attract more tourists, are putting together our Day of Service for MLK Day, and will stay true to my promise of being entrenched in the community and giving back.”

Image | Courtesy of Tracy Hardy

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12

THE RUNDOWN

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THE RUNDOWN Image | Nathan Ansell

FOOD & DRINK

Image | Courtesy of Mano

Townsend EPX

Townsend EPX, Chef Townsend Wentz’s award-winning French restaurant and bar on East Passyunk Avenue, has recently reopened after a two year hiatus with an all-prix fixe tasting menu for $100 per person.

Guests can expect a six-course meal curated by Chef Wentz including Roasted Venison Loin, Beef Tenderloin Tartare, Seared Sea Scallop, Skate, Foie Gras Stuffed Pheasant, and Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé. In addition to a superb spread of elevated French cuisine, imbibers can select from an extensive wine and craft cocktail list, crafted by the expert in-house mixologists at Townsend EPX. Reservations on Resy.

A Mano

A Mano, the seasonal Italian BYOB from the Townsend Wentz Restaurant Group, offers diners a chance to experience the essence of hand-crafted Italian cuisine, using fresh and locally grown ingredients with their crowd-pleasing Abbondanza menu.

Image | Courtesy of Forsythia

JANUARY 13- 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Featuring two options, a Family Style four-course menu for $68 per person, and Pasta Family threecourse menu for $48 per person, guests can enjoy an assortment of Chef Townsend Wentz’ dishes such as Pork Belly Agrodolce, Burrata, Pumpkin Gnocchi with pancetta saba, Pasta Alla Chitarra with blistered cherry tomatoes, olives, and anchovy, Grilled Branzino prepared with charred broccoli, oil cured olives, and salsa rosa, and for dessert, Lemon Olive Oil Cake with fresh blueberries and buttermilk cream. Reservations on Resy.

Forsythia

Forsythia, Chef Christopher Kearse’s contemporary bar and restaurant in Old City, launched a Frenchforward prix fixe experience on Sundays only from 4 – 10pm with an impressive line-up including Andouille and Garlic Beignets with red pepper jam, Soup de Jour or Escargot, Mahi Mahi with white bean cassoulet, sunchoke, and lemon coriander nage, or Rohan Duck composed of lentils de puy and foie gras emulsion, and for dessert, Caramel Pot de Crème – all priced at $55 per person. Reservations on Resy.

River Twice

Acclaimed East Passyunk Avenue new American restaurant River Twice recently shifted its structure to focus on a seven-course tasting menu, available Thursday through Saturday from 5 – 10 pm for $95 per person.

Curated daily by the River Twice team, the everevolving prix fixe menu currently offers Raw & Cooked Puntarella, BigEye Tuna, Vineyard Bay Scallops, Carolina Gold Rice, Mackerel Cooked Over Charcoal, Hudson Valley Venison, and Koginut Squash. Optional add-ons include Sweet Amalia Oysters, Maine Uni, and Kaluga Caviar. Reservations at Rivertwicerestaurant. com.

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THE RUNDOWN

13

Royal Boucherie

Royal Boucherie, Old City’s atmospheric and lively neighborhood restaurant and bar, recently relaunched brunch service, available every Sunday from 10am – 3pm. In addition to a deluxe menu of all-new French fare courtesy of Chef Matt Buehler, there is a plethora of brunch drinks for imbibers to indulge in including Royal Bloody Mary ($12) crafted with Boardroom Spirits Vodka and housemade bloody mary mix, with the optional add-on of bacon for $2 or shrimp for $4, Provence Spritz ($16) composed of St. Germain, lavender, and sparkling white wine, Café et Tonic ($12) prepared with Don Q Spiced Rum, Demarara syrump, cold brew, and tonic, and Satine ($14) composed of freshly-squeezed orange juice, Pavan liqueur, and sparkling white wine.

FOOD & DRINK Devil’s Den

Devil’s Den, Philadelphia’s craft beer bar, offers brunch-goers a bevy of boozy beverages to enjoy during the weekend including a delightful Beermosa ($7) composed of Ommegang Witte and orange juice and the crowd-pleasing St. Germaine Cocktail ($10) crafted with St. Germaine, Champagne, cranberry, and topped with sparkling water. In addition, every Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 2pm, guests can sip on Mimosas and Bloody Marys for just $5.

North 3rd

North 3rd, Northern Liberties’ new American bar and grill, hosts a sought-after weekend brunch featuring an ever-evolving, robust menu of breakfast and lunch fare that pairs perfectly with house-made signature sippers. Guests looking for a boozy pick-me-up on Saturday and Sunday mornings can select from favorites such as Monster Mary ($10) composed of vodka and North 3rd’s famous bloody mary mix, or opt for Bloody Maria ($10) substituting vodka for tequila. As for Mimosa-lovers, for $9 imbibers can enjoy a Mimosa crafted with prosecco and choice of freshlysqueezed OJ, mango, or peach nectar.

Stella of New Hope

Stella of New Hope, located in the heart of bustling Main Street overlooking the Delaware River, boasts a carefully curated cocktail menu for brunchenthusiasts to peruse, with offerings including a seasonal riff on the mimosa in As It Should Be ($15) composed of pomegranate, prosecco, and rosemary, pick-me-up morning tipple Not For The Faint Of Heart ($14) crafted with bourbon, hazelnut, and cold brew, an effervescent Pear Elderflower Sour ($14) mixed with vodka, prickly pear, elderflower, and lemon, and The Morning After ($14) prepared with scotch, lemon, honey, and ginger.

Urban Farmer

Urban Farmer, Logan Square’s modern American steakhouse, is no stranger to providing locals and tourists with a superb brunch spread and equally exquisite cocktails to match. The rotating menu of brunch tipples includes the classic Bellini ($13) composed of peach purée, Cointreau, and sparkling wine, a house-made Bloody Mary ($14), Farmer #4 ($15) crafted with Stateside Vodka, elderflower, lime, grapefruit cube, and Peychaud’s, and Farmermosa ($14) composed of Aperol, orange juice, Peychaud’s bitters, and sparkling wine.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13- 20, 2022

14

THE RUNDOWN

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MLK Jr. Weekend Celebration at The African American Museum in Philadelphia

The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) and Citizens Charitable Foundation team up for the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Celebration. This year’s event will run from January 14-17 and feature a combination of in-person, virtual, and hybrid opportunities for the public to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Themed “Grassroots and Grand Strategies,” the collection of events will highlight the continuum of individual and collective efforts to promote equity, celebrate and facilitate generational advancement, and protect the mental and spiritual wellbeing of historically oppressed peoples.

Events, thanks to a $30,000 donation from Citizens, will be free to the public on Jan. 17 and $2 on Jan. 15 and 16.

The 2022 MLK Weekend Celebration will include a special edition of the Disruption Spotlight and Open Mic quarterly event series; a screening of the film “A King in the Wilderness;” a virtual transcribe-a-thon; a children’s book event; musical performances; and a keynote address

by Dr. Kenneth Scott of Beech Companies. The weekend will culminate with an on-site voter registration drive that will serve as an MLK Day service project. More info at AAMPmuseum.org.

Art & Culture Tattoo: Identity Through Ink at the American Swedish Historical Museum

For more than 5,000 years, tattoos have helped document the history of humanity one painful mark at a time. Tattoo: Identity Through Ink (Feb. 5-May 1) tells the story of why people have adorned their bodies with tattoos, from practices in Indigenous cultures to sailors in the 19th century to motorcycle gangs in the 1960s, to athletes and celebrities today.

The exhibition showcases the last 150 years of tattooing in America, from the sideshows in the early part of the 20th century to modern celebrity tattoos.

A highlight of this exhibition is the story of influential tattoo artist Amund Dietzel, a Norwegian immigrant who became one of the most important tattoo artists of his time.

Dietzel, known as the “Master of Milwaukee,” rose to fame throughout America’s circuses and sideshows and would go on to open a shop in Milwaukee. At 14, Dietzel got his first tattoo to commemorate his time at sea as a sailor – an anchor on his left hand between his thumb and forefinger.

This later inspired his travels around North America, where he tattooed lumberjacks, sailors, and merchant marines. More info at Americanswedish.org.

JANUARY 13- 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

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THE RUNDOWN

15

Perkins Center for the Arts Photography 41 “Looking Up”

Juror Jim Graham has chosen approximately 40 works for the show. One will be chosen by the Philadelphia Museum of Art to become part of its permanent collection. Now through Feb. 25. Awards ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 pm. More info at Perkinsarts. org.

Tom Gaines Solo Exhibition

Contemporary American painter who works in oil and resides in Moorestown. Now through Feb. 25. More info at Perkinsarts.org.

CULTURE This Bitter Earth at InterAct Theatre Company

InterAct Theatre Company continues its 2021-2022 season with This Bitter Earth, by Harrison David Rivers, a “compassionate and devastating” play “equal parts searing and touching, gut-wrenching and romantic.”

This Bitter Earth follows Jesse and Neil, whose deep love is challenged by divisive political realities. Jesse, an introspective black playwright, finds his choices called into question when his boyfriend, Neil, a white Black Lives Matter activist, calls him out for his political apathy.

As passions and priorities collide, this couple is forced to reckon with issues of race, class, and the bravery it takes to love out loud.

Ruthless, truthful and authentic, “Gay black love isn’t depicted much on stage; interracial gay love less so. But more than portray it, Rivers’ work analyzes it, with key details of meeting the others’ families, and thoughtful considerations about why black men grow up so tough, ‘because maybe gentle gets you killed.’” (Broadway World) A “Pay What You Can” Final Dress Rehearsal will be held on Thursday, January 27 at 7 PM, with proceeds collected at the door to benefit The William Way LGBT Community Center. Performances take place at the Proscenium Theatre at the Drake, located at 302 S Hicks St. (between 15th & 16th and Spruce & Pine, and run Jan. 28-Feb. 20.

More information at Interacttheatre.org.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | JANUARY 13- 20, 2022

NICE RACK

SEX WITH TIMAREE

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Multiple Ways

To Have Multiple

PARTNERS REACH OUT TO US. Carry PW’s at your spot. drops@philadelphiaweekly.com.

“Though I’ve been poly all my life, I didn’t relate to partners and different expectations know it had a name. I used to say that I ‘openly to have about how one will interact with one’s dated multiple people and they were all aware “metamours” — that is: your partner’s partthey were not the only one,’” says Shay Au ners.

Lait, a Philly burlesque producer and theatre These differing expectations have been artist (and a personal friend of this challenging for Shay in some of her writer) on a social media thread this relationships with her metamours. week. “Years later, I’d learn there “I don’t mind meeting metas but was a poly world with its own vocabbeyond that I have no desire for ulary.” further interaction,” she says, “I’m While it’s difficult for researchonly dating the person I’m dating ers to know for sure, it’s estimated and would rather invest the rest of that 1 in 5 Americans have been in my free time with MY friends, not a consensually non-monogamous my lovers’ other girlfriends and lov(CNM) relationship: a non-excluers. Not my business.” This is fursive, agreed upon romantic or ther complicated by her profession sexual arrangement. Consensual as a performer. “I can’t quite avoid non-monogamy is distinct from init because going back since forever fidelity — where people are acting DR. TIMAREE they always come to my shows,” she outside of the stated boundaries of says. a relationship.

In her social media post, Shay @TIMAREE_LEIGH In all likelihood, the number of shared a list of poly orientation people in CNM situations vocabulary: some of the is probably higher, since ways people choose to threesomes and other ranorient their open relationdom arrangements might ships. Included in the list: technically fall under the Garden party polydefinition. That trend is partners are able to enlikely to continue, since gage in friendly interacone third of Americans tions at social functions or indicate that their ideon social media, but don’t al relationship would be share a great deal directly. non-monogamous, with Kitchen table polymillennials especially innamed after the idea that terested. all one’s partners would But not all non-monogbe able to comfortably sit amous relationships are around the kitchen table, the same. That’s the whole the assumption that metapoint, arguably: that no mours would be friends two relationships are identical, but rather with each other. the unique combination of the people who Lapsitting poly- a more engaged version are involved. Even within the label of “polyof kitchen table poly, where metamours in a amorous,” there are wildly divergent ways to polycule develop entanglements and relation-

SCHMIT

Where ALL GUYS come together Visit www.squirt.org today to join the action JANUARY 13 - 20, 2022 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

“While it’s difficult for researchers to know for sure, it’s estimated that 1 in 5 Americans have been in a consensually non-monogamous relationship.”

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ships of their own.

Parallel Poly- all the partners acknowledge each other’s existence but live entirely separate lives.

There are endless ways that non-monogamous people can orient their relationships or want to relate to their partner’s partners. In Shay’s post, she asked followers how they preferred things to go, and I posed the question on my social media as well. Here are a few responses we pectationsreceived: with one’s “I love ner’s part-knowing and being ave beenable to inme of herteract with etamours.them. The metas butdepth of desire forthat insays, “I’mteraction ’m datingabsolutely he rest of depends, iends, notbut my deds and lov-sire is that his is fur-I’m close professionto most uite avoidof them ce foreverand get to hows,” shebe part of building comost, Shaymunity togethrientationer.”- Leslie me of the “My preferhoose toence would be n relation-for my partn the list: ners to at least ty poly-be able to civilly interact with each other, but ble to en-interaction is not always mandatory…. I think y interac-labels are best as conversation landmarks. If nctions ortwo people say they like kitchen table polybut don’tamory there still needs to be a conversation al directly. about what that label means to them as it may le poly-be different from person to person. But the idea thatlabel can be a good place to start…. Some reers wouldlationships with your meta may also change ortably sitovertime. Some folx might not be comfortable hen table,with Lapsitting Polyamory right out of the that meta-gate with a new meta but are open for that to be friendsgrow with time.” - Bill “I prefer to have a polite direct line of d versioncommunication with my partners’ partners. mours in aSometimes I end up being friends with metad relation-mours, other times we only check in as needed

SEX WITH TIMAREE to clarify logistics, but it tends to work better than triangulating communication through a shared partner.”- Mischief “[We] are very fluid and we treat the interactions we have with other partners autonomously and allow them to take their own course.

We hedge toward kitchen table and we love for our other partners to meet and interact and for them to interact with each of us but we would never force that on to someone.

As much overlap as each person is comfortable with is ok for us but the fluidity also depends on the energy we have to give.” - Travis “It is my fervent belief that metamours should be treated like coworkers.

You may not like them, and you may not always want to get a drink after work together, but you sometimes need to be collegial for the project to get done, and sometimes you need to make small talk at the office mixer. I think it’s lovely when I can be friends with my metas, and honestly that’s my personal preference and desire. But bare minimum I try to make sure I can negotiate time and challenges (and maybe nefarious good surprises for our mutual partner) directly so we are acting like adults and not putting our mutual partner in a weird game of whisper down the lane.” - Nicole “Creating a tribe of people is part of our intention so interaction with metamours is always the goal.”- Alex Have a question for Dr. Timaree? Send an email to asktimaree@philadelphiaweekly.com.

“Even within the label of ‘polyamorous,’ there are wildly divergent ways to relate to partners.”

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General Employment NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE

WHEREAS, on May 19, 2011, a certain mortgage was executed

by Emily A. Guidotti, as mortgagor in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AS MORTGAGEE, AS NOMINEE FOR URBAN FINANCIAL GROUP INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Document ID 52358553 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 1221 Dickinson Street Philadelphia, PA 19147, parcel number 012435900(“Property”); and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by Emily Guidotti and Vincent Guidotti by entireties by virtue of deed recorded November 4, 1983 in Book: 00877 Page: 149; and WHEREAS, Record Owner Vincent Guidotti died on July 13, 1998.

By operation of law title vests solely in Emily Guidotti and Vincent Guidotti is hereby released of liability pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 1144. Emily Guidotti died on July 18, 2018 intestate and is survived by her heirs-at-law, Vincent Guidotti, Jr., Joseph Guidotti, Anthony Guidotti and Maria Edelstein aka Maria Guidotti; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary”), pursuant to an assignment recorded on December 27, 2016 in Document ID 53153253, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph 9 (a)(i)), as Emily A. Guidotti died on July 18, 2018, and that upon the death the entire principal balance becomes due and owing, and that no payment was made, and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of September 30, 2021 is $349,185.91 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable;

common with the owners and tenants and occupiers of the other lots of ground bounding thereon and entitled to the use thereof.

APN: 012435900

Containing in front or breadth on said Dickinson Street 16 feet 6 inches and extending of that width in length or depth Northward between lines parallel with said 12th Street 67 feet 3 inches.

Being known as 1221 Dickinson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 The sale will be held on January 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $349,185.91 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date. Ten percent (10%) of the highest bid is the deposit required at the sale.

The amount that must be paid to HUD by the mortgagors or someone acting on their behalf so that the sale may be stayed is the total delinquent amount of $349,185.91 as of September 30, 2021, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement.

There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale.

When making their bid, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent 10% of the Secretary’s bid as set forth above in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyance fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them.

The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) days, and a fee will be charged in the amount of $150.00 for each fifteen (15) day extension requested. The extension fee shall be paid in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.

If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder’s deposit will be forfeited, and the Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder.

There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein.

Together with the free and common use, right, liberty and privilege of the certain 2 feet wide alley which extends Northward into Wilder Street as and for a passageway and watercourse at all times hereafter forever, in

KML LAW GROUP, P.C. Foreclosure Commissioners (215-825-6305)

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, l2 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR Part 29, and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on September 29, 2011 in Misc. Instrument #: 52395684, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, notice is hereby given that at January 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 all real property at or used in connection with the following described premises will be sold at public action to the highest bidder: The land hereinafter referred to is situated in the City of Philadelphia, County of Philadelphia, State of PA, and is described as follows: All that certain lot or piece of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, described according to a survey and plan thereof made

by Charles F. Puff, Jr., Surveyor and Regulator of the 2nd Survey District on 04/26/1916 as follows to wit: Situate on the North side of Dickinson Street (50 feet wide) at the distance of 232 feet Westward from the West side of 12th Street (50 feet wide) in the 1st Ward of the City of Philadelphia.

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APPLY IN PERSON Monday Through Friday • 9:00am to 3:00pm 4201 Tacony Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124 | 215-992-8000 Apply Online: www.philly.totalbusco.com NOTICE OF RENEWAL OF APPLICATION FOR PAWNBROKER LICENSE. Notice is given that Accurate Gold Refiners & Assayers, did on , submit to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Banking, an application for renewal licensure of a pawnbroker office at this location, which is as follows: 805 Sansom Street, Philadelphia PA 19107 All interested persons may file written comments in favor or in opposition to the application, with the: Pawnbroker Hearing Officer Pennsylv ania Department of Banking 333 Market Street, 16th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101-2290 All comments to be considered must be received by the Department within thirty (30) days from the date of this newspaper publication.

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