Philadelphia Free Press - 09-30-2020 - Digital Edition

2 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

ENCAMPMENT continued from page 1

residents make this transition, they will be allowed to stay in the encampments.

In a statement emailed to the University City Review, a city spokesperson stressed that there “is no final agreement.”

“The City remains in negotiation with the representatives of the protest camps, but many details remain to be worked out.,” city spokesperson Mike Dunn said. “Any agreement will require a date certain by which the protest camps will be resolved.”

Dunn declined to comment further, saying it would be “inappropriate to comment to the press,” during ongoing negotiations.

Sterling Johnson, a member of Philadelphia Housing Action, acknowledged that organizers and the city had not finalized plans, and that they were still developing a timeline for implementing a final agreement. He also said that there were still details, such who would

specifically own the land trust, that were still under discussion.

Johnson nevertheless said he was encouraged.

“We still have to talk and have a bunch of meetings and also talk with the team that’s been negotiating and with the mediators,” Johnson said. “But this is the compromise that we’ve reached here, and we will continue to fight for housing justice.”

The Saturday press release reported that the city, as well as the Philadelphia Housing Authority, had agreed to transfer 50 of their vacant properties slated for sale into the control of a community land trust – a type of housing corporation that ensures a set of properties remain affordable housing into perpetuity.

The trust will be “set up

by Philadelphia Housing Action,” and “managed by local control committees.” Fifteen of the properties transferred to the trust will be those into which activist from Occupy PHA – a member group of Philadelphia Housing Action – settled homeless mothers and children over the last few

months. Those mothers and children would also be allowed to stay in those properties until they are found alternative living arrangements.

The city and Philadelphia Housing Authority had previously agreed to only working “with members of the Philadelphia Housing Action – and others – on establishing a Community Land Trust or Trusts.” But they did not guarantee that the properties would be transferred to affordable housing nonprofits of which Philadelphia Housing Action approved, leaving activists unsatisfied until today.

Johnson said that, despite earlier accusations about a lack of transparency, he found the city’s promises credible. During his interview with the UC Review, Johnson noted that he was in the middle of touring vacant properties with city officials. As a sign of trust good faith, Johnson said that Philadelphia Housing Action had taken down the barriers with which they were barricading the encampment.

“If something backcontinued on page 8

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia’s initiative on Race and Housing ratio upon which mortgage approval rests. The American Community Survey (2017) found median household income for white households was $61,363, and for black families, $38,183. The disparity between white and black household income has persisted over time and has even grown larger. According to a Pew Research Center study (2018), sixty-one CEO Corinne O’Connell (L) helps on site. Photo: Courtesy of Tom Mahon percent of Americans

By Marc Holmes III an “Ownership Society,” say there is “too much” @MHolmesIII stated, “If you own some- income inequality today.

Unfortunately, the income Contributing Writer thing, you have a vital stake in the future of our disparity between white acist housing country. The more owner- and black households translates to much lower policies such ship there is in America, as redlinthe more vitality there is homeownership rates for black families. ing and racial restrictive in America.”

Another of the factors covenants created a racial The National Associawealth gap in Philadeltion of Realtors celebrat- contributing to disparities in homeownership phia and throughout the ing Homeownership between black and white nation.” Those words Month (June) declared, families is education. are part of the backdrop “homeowners are one of Habitat for Humanity step closer to the Ameri- Educational attainment is usually married to inPhiladelphia’s initiative can Dream and sharing on Race and Housing their experience can help come potential.

Educational attainment that seeks to address the others to do the same.” wealth gap that is a longWhat is it that prevents data for black households time fixture in American so many African-Ameri- from 2017 reveals that 23.5 percent had a Batchculture and has added cans from achieving the elor’s degree or more. significance in these times American Dream? The of the COVID-19 panUrban Institute has iden- The data shows that white families had 38.2 demic. tified three factors that percent with Batchelor The gap between white play a significant role in and black homeownerfurthering this inequality. degrees or more.

According to the Urban ship is stubbornly wide Their research points Institute, correcting the and recently estimated by to income inequality as the Urban Institute to be responsible for thirty-one disparity in educational about thirty-one percent- percent or 9.3 percentage attainment between black and white households age points. Plainly stated, points of the gap. would not itself signifithat means 71.9 percent What is your income? cantly lessen homeownerwhite homeownership According to Urban Inship gaps. Their research versus 41.8 percent black stitute research, that is homeownership. What the most crucial question indicates a smaller share of black households owns is most disturbing about a potential homebuyer this gap is that it has wid- must answer and the an- homes relative to white ened since the great reces- swer to that question. is a families, notwithstanding educational achievement. sion of 2008. “key factor in mortgage Another finding reFor many Americans, underwriting determinavealed in the Urban Instihomeownership has a tions.” particular meaning. In Income level is includ- tutes’ research shows that black households with 2004, President George W. ed in formulas to deterBush, while promoting mine the debt-to-income a Batchelor’s degree or more were less likely to own a home than white households without a high school diploma. This finding is partly because 20.5 percent of black people are younger than 35, compared to 16.4 percent of white people.

The third major factor Check out our websites for daily updates, as identified by the Urban Institute that furthers well as to leave your comments, or, to add inequality in homeownyour email address for the weekly email blast. ership is credit scores.

Mortgage underwriting determinations include consideration of credit scores and the credit history of applicants.

A recent study (2019) by the Federal Home

“R

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 3

Crime Blotter Crime Statistics & Crime Report Updates. If you have any crimes to report, please send them to N.C. at newsdesk@pressreview.net by press time, Monday at noon. Note: this crime report does not cover the entire boundaries for each police district. Instead, it reflects statistics in or near our circulation areas.

The Following Crimes Occurred Be- St, 0 N 10th St, 500 N 10th St, 0 N 12th tween Wednesday, September 16th St, N 2nd St & Market St, 400 N Broad And Thursday, September 24th.

St, 700 N Broad St, 200 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, 300 N Christopher CoNote: Do not be alarmed if this section lumbus Blvd, 0 N Juniper St, 300 S 4th looks longer than it did before! We are St, 1100 Spring Garden St, 1200 Vine St, currently reconstructing our data collec- 1200 Wallace St, 1200 Walnut St, 1300 tion methods for this section, and as part Walnut St. of that we are reporting on crimes within Burglary: 900 Cherry St, 500 Fairmount the entire bounds of each district rather Av, 300 N 13th St, 200 S 12th St, S 3rd than focusing on just the subsections St & Chestnut St, 100 S 8th St, 1100 where we circulate. For a map of police Spruce St. district boundaries, refer to phillypolice. Robbery: 100 Chestnut St, 100 S Broad com/districts-units. For feedback on this St, 1200 Walnut St. change, please reach out to Dorian@ Theft: 200 Arch St, 1100 Arch St, 1300 PressReview.net Arch St, 500 Brown St, 1100 Buttonwood St, 1300 Buttonwood St, 1000 Callowhill 3RD DISTRICT To report a crime in the St, 300 Cherry St, 1100 Chestnut St (5 3rd District, please call 215-686-3030.

Incidents), 1200 Chestnut St, 200 Filbert St, 1200 Filbert St, 1300 Green St, 1000 Rape: 1100 S 12th St. Irving St, 0 Letitia St, 1100 Locust St (4 Arson: 1200 S Broad St, 300 Moore St. Incidents), 500 Market St, 700 Market St, Assault: 1000 Cross St, 700 E Passyunk 1300 Market St (2 Incidents), 0 N 10th Av, 200 Greenwich St, 1000 Greenwich St, 0 N 11th St, 100 N 11th St, 600 N St, 500 Hoffman St, 1100 Jackson St, 11th St, 800 N 11th St, 300 N 12th St, 0 200 Moore St, 0 Oregon Av, 700 Packer N 2nd St (2 Incidents), 600 N 2nd St, 800 Av, 2100 S 11th St, 1500 S 13th St, S 3rd N 2nd St, 100 N 3rd St, 400 N 5th St (2 St & Bainbridge St, 900 S 5th St, 2500 Incidents), 700 N 5th St, 800 N American S 8th St, 2400 S Alder St, 2200 S Broad St, 300 N Broad St (2 Incidents), 600 N St, 3200 S Broad St, 1600 S Christopher Broad St, 0 N Front St, 300 N Front St, Columbus Blvd (3 Incidents), 3300 S 400 N Front St (2 Incidents), 100 N IndeChristopher Columbus Blvd, 2500 S pendence Mall, 300 New St, 900 Pine St, Howard St, 1900 S Iseminger St, 2700 S 200 S 11th St, S 12th St & Locust St, 300 Marshall St Av, 2400 S Sheridan St, 100 S 12th St, 200 S 13th St, 0 S 2nd St, 400 Tasker St, 200 Tasker St, 1000 Washing- S 2nd St (4 Incidents), 300 S 5th St, 0 S ton Av, 800 Watkins St. Broad St, 200 S Broad St (2 Incidents), Burglary: 1100 Christian St, 400 Oregon 400 Spring Garden St (2 Incidents), 800 Av, 1900 S Christopher Columbus Blvd, Spring Garden St, 1100 Vine St, 1200 2300 S Percy St, 1300 South St. Vine St, 1000 Wallace St, 1200 Wallace Robbery: 2100 S 7th St, 2000 S Broad St, 1300 Walnut St, 800 Walnut St, 1300 St, 1800 S Iseminger St, 400 South St, Wood St (2 Incidents).

1300 South St. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 1300 Theft: 1100 Annin St, 100 Catharine St, Buttonwood St, 900 Chestnut St, 1200 500 Dickinson St, 900 E Passyunk Av, Chestnut St, 1200 Filbert St, 700 Green 600 Earp St, 1000 Ellsworth St, 1200 St, 1300 Market St (2 Incidents), N 12th Federal St, 100 Fitzgerald St, 800 Fitz- St & Spring Garden St, 600 N 12th St, water St, 1300 Jackson St, 900 Lombard N 13th St & Arch St, 300 N 13th St, N St, 1100 Lombard St, 700 Mercy St, 300 Broad St & Buttonwood St, 800 N HanOregon Av, 1400 S 10th St (2 Incidents), cock St, 200 Quarry St, 200 S 10th St, 2100 S 10th St, 1100 S 11th St, 1200 S S 12th St & Walnut St, 200 S 9th St, S 11th St, 900 S 12th St, 2200 S 13th St, Juniper St & Market St, 1000 Spruce St, 800 S 2nd St, 2600 S 2nd St, S 5th St 1100 Wood St. & E Passyunk Av, 2200 S 5th St, 1100 Other Offenses (Any incident that does S 6th St, 2400 S 6th St, 1400 S 7th St, not fit into other definitions, and may 2000 S Broad St, 1600 S Christopher include public drunkenness, runaways, Columbus Blvd, 1800 S Christopher Co- loitering, weapons offense or missing lumbus Blvd (3 Incidents), 2300 S Chris- person): 1200 Chestnut St, 1000 Lemon topher Columbus Blvd (3 Incidents), S St, 1300 Market St, 600 N 11th St (2 InFront St & Snyder Av, 2600 S Jessup cidents), 600 N 12th St, 800 N 12th St (4 St, 1300 S Juniper St, 1400 S Leithgow Incidents), 300 N 13th St, 800 N Orkney Ter, 1000 S Reese St, 1800 S Water St, St, 500 Pine St, 700 Pine St, 1000 Pine 0 Snyder Av, 700 South St, 900 South St, St, 1200 Race St (3 Incidents), 300 S 1000 South St, 1200 South St, 1100 Tree Broad St, 800 Sansom St, 200 Spring St, 400 Washington Av, 1000 Washing- Garden St, 500 Spruce St, 1300 Spruce ton Av (2 Incidents), 1300 Wharton St. St, 1000 Wallace St, 1100 Wallace St, Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 100 1000 Walnut St, 1300 Walnut St (2 InFederal St, 1300 Jackson St, 1200 Kater cidents).

St, 700 Ritner St, S 10th St & Federal St, S 12th St & Washington Av, 1500 S 12th 9TH DISTRICT: To report a crime in the St, 800 S 3rd St, 500 S 4th St, S 5th St 9th District, please call 215-686-3090. & Tree St, 2100 S 8th St, 2400 S 8th St, 2600 S Jessup St. Homicide: 1800 Wallace St (2 InciOther Offenses (Any incident that does dents). not fit into other definitions, and may in- Assault: 1700 Addison St, 2200 Arch clude public drunkenness, runaways, loi- St, 2100 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, 2200 tering, weapons offense or missing per- Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, 1500 Chestnut son): 300 Bainbridge St, 700 Bigler St, St, 2000 Chestnut St, 200 N 17th St, 300 900 Morris St, 500 Pierce St, 300 Reed N 22nd St, 800 N Capitol St, 1700 Pine St, S 2nd St & Christian St, 1000 S 4th St, 1500 Poplar St, 300 S Broad St, 1600 St, 1400 S 4th St, 1500 S 6th St, S 9th Walnut St, 2100 Walnut St. St & South S, 2500 S Beulah St, 1800 Burglary: 1500 Chestnut St, 400 N S Christopher Columbus Blvd, 1600 S Broad St, 0 S 17th St, 1800 Spruce St. Juniper St, 2000 S Watts St, 700 Snyder Robbery: 1500 Market St (2 Incidents), Av, 300 South St, 1200 Washington Av, 400 N 22nd St, 1700 Sansom St. 1100 Winton St, 400 Wolf St. Theft: 1600 Arch St, 2300 Benjamin Franklin Pk, 2200 Brandywine St, 1900 6TH DISTRICT: To report a crime in the Chestnut St (3 Incidents), 2000 Chestnut 6th District, please call 215-686-3060.

St, 2100 Delancey Pl, 2000 Hamilton St, 1400 John F Kennedy Blvd, 1600 John Rape: S 7th St & Chestnut St, 100 F Kennedy Blvd, 1800 John F Kennedy Spring Garden St. Blvd, 1100 Kelly Dr, 1500 Locust St (3 Assault: 600 Franklin Pl (2 Incidents), Incidents), 1500 Market St (3 Incidents), 400 Lombard St, 1100 Ludlow St, 300 1600 Market St, 1800 Market St, 1900 Market St, 1100 Market St, 1200 Market Market St, 2000 Market St, 1400 Melon

St, 1500 Melon St, 1700 Melon St, 600 N 16th St, N 17th St & John F Kennedy Blvd, 700 N 17th St, 500 N 18th St (2 Incidents), 400 N 19th St, 400 N 20th St, N 21st St & Hamilton St, N 21st St & Race St, N 22nd St & Green St, 500 N 22nd St, 300 N 24th St, 400 N 24th St, 800 N Beechwood St (2 Incidents), 800 N Carlisle St, 100 N Mole St, 800 N Taylor St (2 Incidents), 2400 Parrish St, 2000 Pennsylvania Av, 2200 Poplar St, 2900 Poplar St, 1600 Ridge Av, 1800 Rittenhouse Sq, 0 S 17th St, 400 S 22nd St (2 Incidents), 200 S 24th St, S Sydenham St & Walnut St, 100 S Van Pelt St, 2500 Spring Garden St, Spruce St & S Smedley St, 1500 Spruce St (2 Incidents), 2200 Spruce St, 1900 Wallace St, 1600 Walnut St (2 Incidents), 1700 Walnut St (2 Incidents), 700 Waterworks Dr, 1900 Waverly St. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 1600 Arch St, 2200 Arch St, 2100 Clay St, 1400 Fairmount Av, 2500 Meredith St, 400 N 19th St, N 20th St & Spring Garden St, N 23rd St & Green St, 1600 Pine St, 400 S Van Pelt St, Sedgeley Dr & Lemon Hill Dr. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 16th And Vine St, 2100 Chestnut St, 1600 John F Kennedy Blvd, 1800 John F Kennedy Blvd, 1600 Market St, 1800 Market St, 300 N 15th St, 200 N 16th St, N 17th St & Wallace St (2 Incidents), 600 N 17th St, 200 N 20th St, 700 N 20th St, 800 N 23rd St, N Broad St & Spring Garden St, 2300 Perot St, 1500 Ranstead St, 1600 Ridge Av, 200 W Rittenhouse Sq, 1700 Wallace St (3 Incidents), 1800 Wallace St. 12TH DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 12th District, please call 215-686-3120.

Rape: 2100 Gould St. Arson: 2100 S Simpson St, 5000 Woodland Av. Assault: 5500 Beaumont St, 6500 Belmar St, 2600 Bonnaffon St, 7100 Buist Av (3 Incidents), 7300 Buist Av (2 Incidents), 2500 Carroll St, 6900 Chelwynde Av, 5600 Chester Av, 1600 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, 5400 Eastwick Ter, 6300 Elmwood Av (2 Incidents), 7300 Elmwood Av (2 Incidents), 5500 Greenway Av (2 Incidents), 6700 Guyer Av, 4100 Island Av, 4500 Island Av, 5200 Kingsessing Av, 8500 Lindbergh Blvd, 7900 Lindbergh Blvd, 8000 Lindbergh Blvd, 8400 Lindbergh Blvd, 5400 Malcolm St, 7000 Reedland St, 1100 S 52nd St, 1300 S 57th St, 2100 S 60th St (3 Incidents), 3200 S 61st St Garage, S 62nd St & Dickens Av, 2600 S 62nd St, 2400 S 64th St, 1800 S 65th St, 2100 S 67th St (2 Incidents), 1500 S Lindenwood St, 2500 S Millick St, 1600 S Yewdall St, 5400 Springfield Av, 6100 W Passyunk Av, 5600 Whitby Av (2 Incidents), 5300 Willows Av, 6200 Woodland Av, 6600 Woodland Av, 7200 Woodland Av, 5800 Woodland Av, 6300 Woodland Av. Burglary: 2200 Island Av, 1900 S 65th St, 1500 S Allison St, 1200 S Wilton St, 5000 Upland St. Robbery: 1600 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, 6400 Dickens Av, 6500 Woodland Av. Theft: 8200 Bartram Av, 8800 Bartram Av, 6500 Elmwood Av, 6900 Elmwood Av, 7000 Elmwood Av, 7300 Elmwood Av, 5800 Fernwood St, 6100 Grays Av, 6300 Greenway Av, 7600 Lindbergh Blvd, 7700 Lindbergh Blvd (2 Incidents), 8400 Lindbergh Blvd (2 Incidents), 8000 Lyons Av, 8200 Lyons Av, 3000 Mario Lanza Blvd, 6600 Norwitch Dr, 6400 Paschall Av, 6600 Paschall Av, 7100 Phoebe Pl, 6300 Reedland St, S 52nd St & Kingsessing Av, 3100 S 61st St (2 Incidents), 2000 S 68th St, 2900 S 70th St, 2500 S 72nd St, 2800 S 82nd St, 2100 S Daggett St (2 Incidents), 2000

S Frazier St, 1500 S Lindenwood St, 900 S Paxon St, 1100 S Wilton St, 6100 W Passyunk Av, 6300 W Passyunk Av, 6200 W Passyunk Av, 5900 Warrington Av, 5200 Whitby Av, 5300 Whitby Av, 5600 Woodland Av, 6000 Woodland Av, 6100 Woodland Av, 6500 Woodland Av, 7200 Woodland Av. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 2600 Carroll St, 8400 Lindbergh Blvd, 8000 Madison Av, 6500 Reedland St, 1600 S 53rd St, 1000 S 54th St, 1800 S 58th St, 3000 S 63rd St, 2500 S 66th St, 2600 S 70th St, 1900 S Ithan St, 6900 Theodore St (2 Incidents), 6100 Upland St, 6600 Upland St, 6100 W Passyunk Av, 5900 Windsor St, 6200 Woodland Av. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 5500 Belmar St, 5800 Belmar St, 2200 Bonnaffon St, 2500 Bonnaffon St (3 Incidents), 5400 Chester Av (2 Incidents), 6000 Chester Av, 5400 Chester Av, 6500 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, 6600 Dicks Av, 6500 Elmwood Av, 6700 Elmwood Av, 6800 Essington Av (3 Incidents), 5600 Florence Av, 5300 Glenmore Av, 6400 Glenmore Av, 6400 Grays Av, 5100 Greenway Av, 5500 Greenway Av, 6800 Guyer Av, 2600 Hobson St, 3600 Island Av, 6300 Kingsessing Av, 5600 Lindbergh Blvd, 5600 Litchfield St, 5500 Pentridge St, 6500 Regent St (2 Incidents), 5300 Reinhard St (3 Incidents), 1300 S 51st St, 1100 S 52nd St, 1600 S 54th St, 1700 S 54th St, 1100 S 56th St, 2100 S 57th St, 1700 S 58th St, 1800 S 58th St, 2000 S 60th St, 2500 S 61st St, 2200 S 62nd St, 2600 S 62nd St, S 64th St & Reedland St, 1800 S 65th St, 1900 S 65th St, S 66th St & Glenmore Av (4 Incidents), 2100 S 67th St, 2100 S 70th St, 2900 S 84th St, 1900 S Alden St, 2000 S Avondale St, 1900 S Cecil St, 1800 S Conestoga St, 1200 S Saint Bernard St, 1600 S Yewdall St, 2200 Shields St, 5000 Springfield Av, 5800 Springfield Av, 6800 Upland St, 5400 Warrington Av, 5800 Warrington Av, 5700 Wheeler St, 6100 Wheeler St (2 Incidents), 5600 Whitby Av, 5300 Willows Av, 5700 Woodland Av. 16TH DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 16th District, please call 215-686-3160.

Homicide: 4800 Wyalusing Av, Assault: 1200 Belmont Av, 4800 Brown St, 400 Busti St, 3800 Folsom St, 5100 Folsom St, 4000 Lancaster Av, 3200 Mantua Av, 4900 Market St, 3800 Melon St, 3300 Mount Vernon St, 500 N 33rd St, 600 N 34th St, 600 N 38th St, 0 N 39th St, 600 N 39th St, N 40th St & Market St, 1100 N 41st St, 800 N 46th St, 100 N 50th St (2 Incidents), N 51st St & Market St, 100 N 52nd St (2 Incidents), 500 N Paxon St, 4800 Olive St, 3900 Pennsgrove St, 4200 Viola St, 3200 Wallace St, 3800 Wallace St, 4100 Westminster Av, 3900 Willow St. Burglary: 3800 Cambridge St, 0 Dearborn St, 4000 Lancaster Av, 4000 Market St, 900 N 41st St. Robbery: 5100 Haverford Av, N 31st St & Spring Garden St. Theft: 800 Belmont Av, Belmont Mansion Dr & S Chamounix Dr, Chamounix Dr & Ford Rd, 4500 Fairmount Av, 3100 Haverford Av, 4100 Horticultur, 4200 Lancaster Av, 4600 Lancaster Av, 4000 Market St, 300 N 33rd St, 400 N 34th St, 600 N 35th St, N 38th St & Hamilton St, 700 N 39th St, 1100 N 39th St, 0 N 42nd St, 800 N 42nd St, 1000 N 43rd St, 700 N 46th St, 400 N 50th St, 200 N 52nd St, 600 N Creighton St, 4100 Parkside Av, 3600 Spring Garden St, 4200 Viola St, 4000 W Girard Av, 5100 Westminster Av. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 3900 Brown St, 4400 Holden St, 4000 Lancaster Av, N 48th St & Aspen St, 3200 Race St, 4200 Viola St. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 5100 Arch St, 900 Belmont Av, 3800 Brown St, 3900 Brown St (3 Incidents), 4700 Brown St, 300 Busti St, 4400 Holden St, Lancaster Av & N Pres-

ton St, 3900 Lancaster Av, 4000 Lancaster Av, 4500 Lancaster Av (6 Incidents), 3800 Market St, 600 N 35th St, N 40th St & Market St, N 40th St & Reno St, N 40th St & Wallace St, 600 N 41st St (5 Incidents), N 50th St & Arch St, N 51st St & Haverford Av (9 Incidents), N 51st St & Westminster Av (5 Incidents), N 52nd St & Westminster Av (2 Incidents), 600 N Creighton St, 400 N Preston St, 600 N Preston St (5 Incidents), 600 Pallas St, 4500 Parrish St, 3800 Reno St (3 Incidents), 600 Union St, 700 Union St (5 Incidents), 4000 Wallace St, 4000 Westminster Av, 4800 Wyalusing Av, 5100 Wyalusing Av. 17TH DISTRICT: To report a crime to The 17th Police District, please call 215-6863170.

Assault: 2100 Dickinson St, 3100 Dickinson St, 1300 Grove St, 1700 Latona St, 1700 S 17th St, 1200 S 22nd St, 1600 S 23rd St, 1400 S 29th St, 1700 S 29th St, 1700 S 32nd St, 1500 S Bailey St, 1500 S Corlies St, 1600 S Corlies St, 700 S Hicks St, 1700 S Natrona St, 1600 S Taney St, 1700 Washington Av, 2500 Washington Av, 2600 Wharton St. Burglary: 1900 Carpenter St, 1300 S 22nd St, 1200 S Bonsall St, 1600 S Dover St. Robbery: 1400 Fitzwater St, 2700 Latona St, S 22nd St & Morris St, 1700 S 30th St, 1200 S 34th St. Theft: 1500 Bainbridge St, 1900 Carpenter St, 2000 Christian St, 1800 Federal St, 1700 Fitzwater St, 2200 Fitzwater St, 1700 Lombard St, 1700 Lombard St, 1500 Montrose St, 2200 Oakford St, 2000 Pierce St, S 17th St & Wharton St, S 18th St & South St, 1400 S 19th St, 1300 S 20th St, 1000 S 22nd St, 1500 S 28th St, 1000 S Broad St (10 Incidents), 1100 S Broad St, 1500 S Broad St, 1700 S Chadwick St, 1300 S Corlies St, 1500 S Opal St, 1700 South St, 1800 South St, 2000 South St, 1500 Tasker St, 2800 Tasker St, 2000 Washington Av, 1600 Webster St, 3000 Wharton St. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 1900 Christian St, 2000 Dickinson St, 2100 Earp St, 2300 Madison Sq, 2100 Montrose St, 1500 Point Breeze Av, S 35th St & Grays Ferry Av, 1500 South St. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 1800 Bainbridge St, 2100 Bainbridge St, 2000 Catharine St, 1400 Point Breeze Av, 1500 S 26th St, 1600 S 32nd St, 1500 S Bailey St, 1500 S Etting St (2 Incidents), 1300 S Mole St, 1600 S Taney St, 2000 Saint Albans St, 2600 Tasker St, 2000 Wharton St. 18TH DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 18th Police District, please call 215-6863180.

Rape: S 56th St & Chestnut St, 500 S 54th St. Arson: 5900 Addison St, 4500 Chester Av. Assault: 5700 Catharine St, 6100 Cedar Av, 5800 Chestnut St, 5100 Hazel Av, 5600 Larchwood Av, 5200 Locust St, 6000 Locust St, 6100 Locust St, 5000 Ludlow St, 5500 Ludlow St (2 Incidents), 3300 Market St, 5900 Market St, 6100 Market St (3 Incidents), 5500 Pine St, 500 S 44th St, 100 S 50th St, 200 S 51st St, S 58th St & Washington Av, S 59th St & Walnut St, 600 S 60th St, 900 S 60th St, 1100 S 60th St (2 Incidents), 200 S Ithan St, 200 S Millick St (2 Incidents), 4400 Sansom St, 4500 Saybrook Av, 2900 Walnut St, 5000 Walnut St, 5500 Walnut St, 5700 Walton Av. Burglary: 4000 Baltimore Av, 6200 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, 5600 Montrose St, S 48th St & Ludlow St, 200 S Cecil St, 5500 Webster St, 6200 Walnut St 708.

Robbery: 6100 Irving St, 200 S 57th St, S Cecil St & Baltimore Av, 0 S Salford St. Theft: 5300 Catharine St, 5800 Catharine St, 6000 Catharine St, 5200 Chancellor St, 4000 Chestnut St, 4100 Chestnut St, 4600 Chestnut St, 5600 Chestnut St, 6200 Chestnut St, 1000 Farragut Ter, 300 Hanson St, 4300 Locust St, 4600 Locust St, 5300 Locust St, 5900 Market St, N 34th St & Market St, N 38th St & Market St, N 56th St & Market St, 4500 Osage Av, 300 S 40th St, 100 S 43rd St, 500 S 45th St,

800 S 47th St, 200 S 49th St, 100 S 52nd St, 200 S 58th St, 500 S 59th St, 200 S Millick St, 200 S St Bernard St, 4100 Spruce St, 4500 Spruce St, 5000 Spruce St, 5700 Spruce St, 3900 Walnut St (2 Incidents), 4400 Walnut St. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 5300 Cedar Av, 5500 Chancellor St, 4200 Chester Av, 3900 Chestnut St, 6200 Delancey St, 5800 Ludlow St, 5600 Montrose St, 5800 Pine St, 5200 Rodman St, 100 S 52nd St, S 59th St & Christian St, 800 S 59th St, 5400 Spruce St, 5500 Walnut St, 5700 Walton Av. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 5800 Baltimore Av, 6000 Baltimore Av, 5700 Catharine St, 5500 Cedar Av, 4800 Chestnut St, 5200 Chestnut St, 5500 Chestnut St, 5800 Chestnut St, 5900 Chestnut St (3 Incidents), 5200 Delancey St, 5900 Delancey St, 5100 Hazel Av, 5400 Irving St, 5500 Locust St, 4300 Ludlow St, 5800 Ludlow St, 4600 Market St (2 Incidents), N 52nd St & Market St, N 60th St & Market St, 4500 Osage Av, 5500 Pine St (2 Incidents), 5200 Rodman St (2 Incidents), 600 S 42nd St, 100 S 46th St, 200 S 52nd St, S 55th St & Baltimore Av, 200 S 55th St, 300 S 56th St, 800 S 56th St (2 Incidents), 700 S 57th St, 0 S 58th St, 100 S 60th St, 200 S 60th St, 500 S 60th St (2 Incidents), 100 S 61st St, 500 S Conestoga St, 4900 Sansom St, 4700 Spruce continued on page 10

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4 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

BARRY

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work at this time, as he received much forage and supplies from him for his army. Under date of March 12, 1778, he thus writes our hero: ‘I congratulate you on the success which has crowned your gallantry and address in the late attack upon the enemy’s ships. Although circumstances have prevented you from reaping the full benefit of your conquests, yet there is ample consolation in the degree of glory which you have acquired.’”

Few people in Philadelphia know more about Commodore

Barry’s life than the erstwhile Wiley, who moved to the city in 1985 with his wife Jean and two children, Russ and Erin.

Wiley’s interest in Barry took off in the early 2000s when he teamed up with Jack O’ Brien and John Inerney to advocate for a Barry Memorial at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. The three men put together a proposal and presented it to three admirals and one general from the US Marines at a luncheon meeting. That proposal was rejected.

“We don’t really provide for new memorials at the Naval Academy,” Wiley says they were told.

Two more proposals

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and rejections followed.

This was a time when the legacy of “the other founder of the American Navy,” John Paul Jones, a Protestant, seemed to take center stage. It appeared that in the Academy’s eyes, Barry, a Catholic, was a lesser light in history so there was little motivation to celebrate his legacy.

An intense letter writing campaign extolling the importance of Barry was organized by Shamus Boyle, president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ National Board. Letters were sent to a large number of retired Generals and Admirals. That finally did the trick. The idea of a Barry Memorial was finally approved after seven long years.

“They situated [the statue] at the entrance to the US Naval Academy where all the tourists and parents of the students come through. It’s the most important entrance to the Academy,” Wiley told me.

What about John Paul Jones, the so called “other father of the American Navy?”

Wiley says that while Jones played a major part in the American Revolution, when the

war was over, Jones left the Navy and became a kind of freelance warrior, “fighting for Russia and then going to France where he died in Paris.”

In today’s world, “fighting for Russia” would certainly raise more eyebrows. Like Barry, Jones went to sea at an early age. He was only 13 when he went to sea to work on slave and merchant ships although he soon became disgusted at the slave trade and resigned his position as First Mate in 1766. He joined the Continental Navy in 1775 where he was commissioned as First Lieutenant. After the Revolution he took part in the RussoTurkish War (1787-1792) where his heroics got him designated as an “honorary Cossack.”

Tragedy struck when his enemies framed him on charges of raping a 12 year old girl. Jones survived these attacks but it wasn’t until 1905 that he was given a proper burial.

Jones had been buried in a lead casket in a Paris cemetery that was later covered over with a neighborhood. When his body was located and exhumed in preparation for transfer to Annapolis, it was so well preserved that his face still matched his likeness on military medals of the period.

“Jones really didn’t have the kind of loyalty to the country that Barry

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did,” Wylie says.

After the Revolution, Barry went on to design the current structure of the U.S. Navy. Barry is also recognized as the first American commissioned naval officer.

John Paul Jones in many ways might be called the absentee father of the American Navy.

Did Barry keep a journal? Wiley told me about his own work digitalizing the Barry Hayes Papers, a collection of significant historic documents related to Commodore John Barry and his family, at the Independence Seaport Museum. Among the many items that came across his path during this project was the log book that Barry kept while Captain of the Black Swan.

The log, Wylie recalls, was “a really long and huge rectangular book.”

“The paper that the log notations were written on was this incredible paper that I’ve never seen before. I’m sure it was something available in the 1770s. Each page was rather thick and it had a lot of rag content to it. And there were various hues of color in it; there were subtle pinks and aqua colors. It looked and felt alive. It was in such good shape.

The writing was incredibly beautiful. It was like calligraphy. The paper had no acid in it. With acid, after the book ages for decades, it starts to degenerate because of the acid.”

Wylie says it felt amazing to touch the book.

Commodore John Barry died of asthma related problems at age 59 on Sept. 13, 1803.

The first statue of Barry was erected by the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America for the 1876 Centennial. Another statue was presented to the City in 1907 by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick at Independence Square for a cost of $10,500. The sculptor, Samuel Murray, was an intimate friend of artist Thomas Eakins.

For the duration of his presidency, John F. Kennedy had Commodore Barry’s sword behind his desk in the Oval office. Today that sword can be found in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, MA.

SEASONS

continued from page 1

landscape together with the John Coltrane, Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson houses and the Mario Lanza Museum, without mentioning the large musical venues such as the Academy of Music and the Curtis Institute. The historic importance of the Sigma Sound Studios has led the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia to nominate the building to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The nomination will be considered at the October 21st meeting of the Designation Committee of the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

Still, Sigma is a part of a larger picture on the busy street. The Sigma building, while not of great architectural significance itself, is one structure in a row of five, to include three, dignified three-story townhouses, and most significantly, the handsome Greek Revival style, Chinese Gospel Church at 222 N. 12th, formerly the 11th Baptist Church, attributed to famous architect Thomas U. Walter. Each building in the row provides context for the others, and in their totality provide interest to a streetscape that without them would be barren.

To the west, directly behind the 12th Street row is the 200 block of North Camac Street. Here there is an amazingly intact group of 19th Century row houses, many with handsome arched doorways, lining the back street on both sides. Before the unfortunate demolitions required for the construction of the convention center, there was more of such old Philadelphia historic fabric in the area, but this is the last long stretch of a typical row house street remaining in the vicinity.

At the end of another line of low rise, traditional Philadelphia buildings on 13th Street is the striking, round cornered, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Building designed in the Art-Deco style in 1940 by theater architect William Harold Lee. Originally housing the Film Exchange for Warner Brothers, the structure happily has been placed on the Philadelphia Register.

This general part of continued on page 6

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 5

EDUCATION S P EC I A L S EC T I O N

Ready to Learn Back to School Supply Giveaway Supports School Success for Children and Youth Engaged with Local Service Agencies added.

Since August PEC and YSI have distributed nearly 600 backpacks and 130 headsets to students in need, provided safe spaces to learn for 150 students living in shelter, and connected 500 families to essential learning resources during back to school— including school district information, learning resources, internet access, activities, and healthy meals. To learn more People’s Emergency Center and Youth Service, Inc. Offered Services, about or support their Resources, and Supplies to 70 K-12 Students in West Philadelphia. Photo work, visit www. pecCourtesy PEC cares.org/backtoschool.

PEC and YSI exon hand to talk about eople’s Emerpressed gratitude to the importance of litera- the donors to their joint gency Center (PEC) and Youth cy in a young child’s life Back to School drive, Service, Inc. (YSI), gave and getting all students including Southern Land to read at grade level by Company and other away headsets, school third grade. To mainsupplies, books and University City busitain physical distancing, nesses, private individubookbags to 70 schoolaged children and youth families checked in one als, and churches. at a time, selected bookWednesday, September The People’s Emerbags, and then selected 23, at PEC’s creative gency Center - People’s the items they needed placemaking site The Emergency Center (PEC) such as crayons, pencils, is located in West PhilaBank (3750 Lancaster pens, paper, notebooks, delphia. PEC’s mission Avenue). Part of the event was streamed live and headsets. The first is to nurture families, 10 families also received strengthen neighboron PEC’s Instagram account, @LancAvePhilly. an extra book bag with hoods and drive change. healthy shelf stable PEC serves families, Primary services are snacks and puzzles from for families, children, children, and youth experiencing homeless- the Please Touch Muand youth experiencing ness and students in the seum and Giant. homelessness, and resiGwen Bailey, ExecuWest Philadelphia neighdents of West Philadeltive Director of YSI, was phia. www.pec-cares.org borhoods of Belmont, on hand to greet famiMantua, Mill Creek, Youth Service, Inc. Saunders Park, and West lies. “We are so glad to Youth Service, Inc. is Powelton. YSI is a non- be here today to provide a non-profit organizasupports and resources profit organization that tion that has provided has provided immediate to the community. We immediate shelter and shelter and support ser- work with families with support services to children of all ages and vices to Philadelphia’s Philadelphia’s children, children, youth and fam- we know how imporyouth and families for tant it is at this time to ilies for over 67 years. over 67 years. YSI offers The two agencies began help students go back to unique programs and an affiliation process last school ready to learn.” niche services through“There are 1,500 chilyear. out the city, including dren and youth who PEC and YSI also Philadelphia’s only experience homelessness Crisis Nursery program helped families to conevery day in Philadelnect to other resources and the longest standing phia, and that is the that they offer, such as shelter in the area for most conservative estiparenting education, runaway and homeless homelessness prevention mate,” said Jacqueline teens. Through shelter, grants, food relief, high Flynn, PEC’s Vice Presi- counseling, and in-home quality early childhood dent of Business and support services, YSI Resource Development. reaches more than 4,000 education, one on one remote computer classes, “Schools in our neighclients annually, the early childhood caregiv- borhood serve many stu- majority of whom live dents who also experier activities, and more. below the poverty level. ence housing insecurity www.ysiphilly.org/ The West Philadelphia and hunger, known to be Action for Early Learnbarriers to learning,” she ing outreach team was

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SEASONS continued from page 4

the city has historically served as a refuge for the homeless and destitute.

Most of the facilities that housed them are gone, but a vestige of that past is St. John’s Hospice on Race between 12th and 13th Streets, ironically across from the flourishing convention center.

Operated by Catholic Social Services, St. John’s “provides crucial, lifesustaining services with dignity, respect and compassion to homeless men

in Philadelphia.”

On the sidewalk in front of the hospice is a poignant sculpture in bronze by Timothy P. Schmaltz of Jesus as a homeless man sleeping on a bench rapped in shrouds. Protruding are his bare feet showing gaping wounds left by the penetrating nails. For sure, few motorists driving down Race would notice the sculpture as they pass by. One must get off on foot to discover and contemplate this work of art, and the other treasures of architecture and history nearby.

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Clarion Street, to the west just beyond 13th Street, has a shorter stretch of well- maintained, picturesque, threestory townhouses. Across the street from the row, the blank side wall of the Hampton Inn hotel is covered with lush greenery, a miraculous sight in the gritty urban setting.

Off this block of Clarion Street is Spring Street on which is located the old red brick Adelphi School House built by the Quakers in 1832 for indigent black students.

More recently the building was occupied by the architectural firm, SRK, but now is sadly vacant.

Quaint Winter Court should be mentioned, but it is left for curious readers to find this tiny, hidden, enclave of Father, Son, Holy Ghost houses.

In their search for the courtyard, hopefully urban explorers will gain an appreciation for the fascinating neighborhood.

This segment of the larger Chinatown seems not to have a name.

Someone did suggest that it be called Season City since Winter, Spring and Summer Streets, crisscross it. (There is no Autumn Street.) That appellation somehow never took hold, but from that suggestion, the idea for the title of this article came. A neighborhood that has so much variety in its building types and uses, so much richness in its architecture and history to be preserved,

yet so much potential for growth, is a “Neighborhood for all Seasons.”

As to preservation, the priority for the moment is getting the Sigma Sound Studio placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. There is opposition from the owner, but hopefully the Designation Committee of the Historical Commission will vote on October 21st in favor of the nomination.

Beyond that, it is proposed that the sub-neighborhood, and perhaps the whole of Chinatown, be designated a “Thematic Preservation District” in which all of the historically and architecturally valuable buildings and rowhouse streets be identified and protected. The Philadelphia Historical Commission speaks of such a district as “identifying buildings, structures and sites linked by association, plan, design and history.” With this provision, a foundation would be laid for appropriate future development in a district where there is so much to preserve and so many vacant structures to be renovated and empty lots to be infilled.

With increased immigration from China and the continuing trend of Chinese residents of New York City transplanting to Philadelphia, the development of the neighborhood will easily benefit from these new-comers who inevitably will want

(215) 382-1330

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Building designed in the Art-Deco style in 1940. Photo by David S. Traub

Poignant sculpture in bronze by Timothy P. Schmaltz of Jesus as a homeless man sleeping on a bench rapped in shrouds. Photo by David S. Traub

to find homes in this quarter. Others outside the Asian community will want to live here too.

Given its key location in the city, the area promises to be a mirror of our demographic reality.

In the district, there are literally acres of dreary surface parking lots, many of them hardly used. These lots constitute an incredible waste of valuable urban real estate. On them is the opportunity to build housing for the expected influx of new people in the city.

The convention center, with its sterile bank

of service entries and screened parking areas, defiantly turns it back on the neighborhood. But maybe someday, with the fulfillment of this vision, some intrepid conventioneer will wander behind the center and find a little piece of the city that harkens back to Philadelphia’s past , but also provides a 21st century, humanly dimensioned neighborhood just steps from the very center of the city at City Hall.

David S. Traub can be reached at davidstraub@ verizon.net.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 7

C

lassical music lovers have a sweet opportunity on Sept. 30 to hear fine choral singing, support local restaurateurs who continue to struggle, and to enjoy the bucolic outdoors of Dilworth Park. Sixteen members of the Opera Philadelphia Chorus will provide the music including opera arias, Broadway hits and choruses, attendees have the choice of dining in the Dilworth Park Cafe or the Air Cafe or picking up take-out from nearby restaurants to enjoy in the spacious grounds of the PNC terrace and the park which will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., free admission, and the performances will take place between 6 and 8 p.m.

West side of City Hall.

Face masks are required.

Information and details at 215-599-0776. www. operaphila.org  Inis Nua Theatre Co. starts a new Reconceived Family Reading Series Sept. 30 with “3 Billion Seconds” by Maud Dromgoole featuring Joseph Acquqye and Laurel Johnson as idealistic climate change activists, directed

by Claire Moyer as a recorded staged reading available for four days.

Three additional plays will follow all dealing with how different families begin. Information at the Inis Nua website. www.inisnuatheatre. org  It’s a virtual stage at the Annenberg Center this season offering dance and music artists from their theatre to viewers’ homes. On Oct. 1, Caleb Teicher and Chris Celiz in an improvised performance of tap dancing and beat boxing at 7 p.m., followed on Oct. 2 by “The Surrogate” a 2020 93-minute film directed by Jeremy Hersh and starring Jasmine Batchelor happy to be the surrogate mother for her best friend Chris Perfetti and her husband Sullivan Jones...until a moral dilemma ensues.

Details at 215-898-3900. www.annenbergcenter.

org  Choral Arts Philadelphia have three dates ahead on WRTI 90.1 in the station’s new Friday Choral Connection series for three weeks beginning on Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m. with “Nun Dimittis Oratorio” by Chelsea Komschlies. Information at www.wrti.org .  A new show at the Fabric Workshop and Museum is “Upstairs at Steve’s”, set on the Museum’s 8th floor where it is installed upside down on the ceiling imagining a world of chaos and destruction, curated by Samara Golden to reflect viewers’ own images. Through Jan. 31. Masks must be worn, and timed tickets are available at 215-5618888. www.fabricworkshopandmuseum.org 1214 Arch St.  Tempesta di Mare’s new season opener featuring lute specialist Richard Stone in a program of works by J. S. Bach, George Muffat and Silvius Leopold Weiss is being streamed now through Oct. 4. Details at www.tempestadimare.org  GroupX has installed six works at the Navy Yard, a collection of fun art chosen by the anonymous group of local artists, curators and organizers and including such diversions as cross-stitched flowers on an empty wall and a 1984 Ford Thunderbird adorned with colorful strips of paper and the word “hope” in 25 different languages.

Through Nov. 2. Masks required. Open daily from dawn until sunset.

Directions and an online map, available at navyyard.org/mimosa or 215-843-9273. 4747 S. Broad St. @groupxofficial.  Bristol Riverside Theater has a new virtual offering starring Vinny Deponto in his “Mental Amusement”, a mind trickster with both theater and carnival touches in which he guesses strangers’ birthday and has befuddled many others with his brain

antics. Available on Bristol’s website for ticketed performances on various evenings now through Nov. 6. www. brtstage.org  The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society has come up with a program of 13 virtual classical musical events in a pay-what-youwish format beginning on Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. and featuring pianist Amy Yang, on PCMS’s website, YouTube and Facebook. Details at www.pcmsconcerts.org Bris215-569-8080.  Bartram’s Garden’s annual Gala Fund Raiser is quite a bit different this year but afficionados will still want to participate on Oct. 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., for “Twilight, a Virtual Soiree in the Garden” beginning with a “festive cocktail demo”, a silent auction with intriguing items and other entertainments, all to the benefit of Bartram’s annual record of some 100,000 visitors including 9.000 children who engage in hands-on learning. Information at 215-729-5281. www.bartramsgarden. org  Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center has opened its Fall Program Series via Zoom classes with the hope of moving to social distancing later in the year. The company’s year-round program for 3-year old’s and up, teenagers and adults has been teaching ballet, pointe, modern jazz, tap, hip-hop pop, creative dance, theatre acting and Pilates for more than 35 years.

The school is also the home of DanceFusion, a professional modern dance company. www. gbyedance.org 215-2227633.  The New York Film Festival 58 presented by Film at Lincoln Center, “the most anticipated event on the year’s movie calendar runs now through Oct. 11 at drive-in theatres in the NYC area but also with virtual screenings available nationwide, free filmmaker talks and events as well as “the year’s best cinema from anywhere”. www.filminc.org  Another major NYC annual attraction is The New York Festival,

this year from Oct. 5 to 11, their first virtual event, an eclectic mix of conversations, performances and experiences featuring some of the “most talented and influential figures of our times”, among them Steve Martin and Jerry Seinfeld, Noah Hawley and Chris Rock, Fiona Apple, Malcolm Gladwell and Ira Glass, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, and Eric H. Holder, Jr. and Sherilyn Ifill. Full program and tickets at newyorker.com/festival.

Ballet lovers will

want to spend time with Misty Copland, the first Black ballerina to become a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. On Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. she talks about her first ballet class and her new picture book illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey “Bunheads” about dance, her life, her achievements at her still very early age. politicsprose.com/events.  The Met Opera’s free nightly screening of magnificent productions, singing, costumes and music continues on Sept. 30 with 5 consecu-

tive nights of Mozart: Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito”: Oct. 1, “The Magic Flute”; Oct. 2, “Don Giovanni”; Oct. 3 •,”The Marriage of Figaro” starring soprano Renee Fleming; Oct. 4, “Idomeneo” with Matthew Polenzani; Oct. 5, Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” with Nina Stemmed and Rene Pape; Oct. 6, Wagner’s “Tannhauser” with EvaMaria Westbroek and Gunther Groissbock.

Available until 6:30 p.m. the following evening. metopera.org. 

Due to Covid-19, we can only take appointments. No walk-ins, please.

Monday through Friday: 9am to 6pm Saturday: 9am to 5pm 3743 WALNUT STREET • UNIVERSITY CITY PHILADELPHIA, PA • 215.222.9252 WWW.JOSEPHANTHONYHAIRSALON.COM

8 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

ENCAMPMENT continued from page 2

slides, we will put [the barriers] back up,” Johnson added.

The encampment on the Parkway, formally named the James TalibDean Camp after an encampment organizer who died in its first week, was established on June 10. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that had erupted throughout the country, activists transformed the Parkway into a hybrid of a homeless encampment and a continuous demonstration for affordable housing.

As many as 150 people eventually congregated at the site, and encampment leaders said they would refuse to clear the area until their list of demands had been met.

Before Saturday’s announcement, city officials had already done a considerable amount to accommodate activists’ demands. They promised that the city would launch a new Rapid Rehousing Program and use federal funds to create 900 to 1400 new very low-income or noincome housing units.

As a supplement to this augmented affordable housing stock, the city said it would establish a “Tiny House Village,” – a campus of miniature, but habitable houses for people experiencing homelessness.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority, which is a state agency not wholly under the jurisdiction of the city, previously acted to meet activists’ demands as well. It pledged to transfer as many as 300 vacant PHA properties to affordable housing non-

profits, including those that would organize a community land trust.

The PHA also agreed to impose a moratorium on market-rate sales of vacant properties for as many as nine months, in which time an independent study of PHA sales practices would be conducted.

And in response to the cries against police brutality that rung out across the nation this summer, and have yet to quiet heading into autumn, officials promised to reform the PHA police force.

The city made an additional soft commitment to designate a city-sanctioned homeless encampment in the future – but said such a designation would require approval from the neighborhood in which the encampment would be placed, and approval from that neighborhood’s district council member.

These concessions were made in between a series of attempts to evict residents from the Parkway and Ridge Avenue encampments.

The city issued its first eviction notice on July 10, ordering camp residents clear by July 17, but delayed any action so Mayor Jim Kenney could personally negotiate with activists. The second eviction notice was issued on Aug. 17, ordering protestors to leave the next day, but was delayed when camp residents filed a petition for injunction in federal court. The third was issued Aug. 31, the Monday after a U.S. district judge denied that injunction petition, and it ordered residents to clear by Sept. 9.

The city never gave a

v

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reason for not effecting the final eviction order – but it appears city officials were loathe to use force against camp residents and the shieldwielding protestors that had gathered the morning of Sept. 9 to protect the Parkway and Ridge Avenue encampments.

This stands in contrast to the city’s earlier evictions of homeless encampments at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Philadelphia International Airport, which were carried out swiftly.

The city’s efforts to evict came amidst growing community complaints about sanitation and safety from other residents of the neighborhood. Office of Homeless Services Director Liz Hersh previously told the Free Press/UC Review that she had concerns about public health, citing that generally encampments were blighted by hazards such as discarded needles. Hersh also noted that encampment residents are often left in an outdoor position in which they are vulnerable to violence.

Since the camp was established, there have been one reported overdose death and three stabbings, with the most recent reportedly happening last Tuesday.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines that generally advise against clearing homeless encampments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They do acknowledge, however, the health risks associated with outdoor living and encourages governments to consider “the balance of risks for each individual experiencing unsheltered homelessness.”

Nadya Prood and Katie Moran-McCabe, two professors at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, sent an emailed statement about the encampments to the UC Review on Friday.

Moran-McCabe, who signed onto an open letter in support of the encampment in June, said that the encampments “highlighted the urgent need for more safe, affordable housing in Philadelphia.” She also said it exemplified the need to take a “very different” approach to the afford-

able housing crisis.

Prood, who is also a Beasley Center for Public Health technical research coordinator, cautioned that there was “not enough evidence” to know for certain what housing innovations would be effective. She particularly noted how it was unclear whether legal mechanisms like land trusts could be sufficiently scaled to address the housing insecurity that is facing a city like Philadelphia.

“Like other treatments, laws can fail at achieving their intended goals, or have unexpected side-effects,” said Prood. “This means that evaluation — and less formally, careful observation and frequent reflection — must be integral to strategies for addressing housing needs.”

Moran-McCabe, who is a special projects manager at the Beasley Center for Public Health Law, acknowledged the complexity of solving the affordable housing crisis. She nevertheless believed that urgent reform was necessary.

“Although there are many questions to answer in order to solve the housing crisis, we can say with certainty that something must be done,” Moran-McCabe said. “Not only is housing a basic need to which all are entitled, but we can imagine the great things we might achieve as a city if more resources were allocated to providing stability and opportunity for everyone.”

There is little doubt that a lack of housing is curbing the city’s growth. Rents and mortgages have surged in recent years, especially in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification.

Meanwhile , according to a 2016 Federal Reserve study, the city lost more than 20,000 affordable housing units between 2000 and 2014, with this effect also being concentrated in gentrified areas.

Under these conditions, more than more than half of Philadelphia renters were considered cost burdened in 2016, meaning they paid more than 30% of their income on housing. More than a quarter were considered severely cost burdened,

Insulted. Belarus(sia): Departure rites for a despot?

Yury Urnov, a native Russian, helmed the production, he is also Wilma’s lead artistic director for the 2020-21 season. Photo by Wide Eyed Studios.

By Richard Lord Contributing Writer

immediately after the crudely doctored returns were announced. The sehilly’s celebrated curity forces responded with harsh measures inWilma Theatre cluding tear-gassing and has launched its new season with thrashing of protestors. two digitally delivered The play Insulted. productions. One, Code Belarus(sia) sets out to Blue is a short video render the events leadwhere a health worker ing up to and followand a pandemic sceptic ing the challenged reare presented in counelection of Lukashenko, terpoint scenes to show affectionately known the deep damage to the as “the Cockroach” by national psyche brought large numbers of his on by the pandemic. It’s compatriots. The story still available for anyis still unfolding. In time viewing. fact, the morning after The major September I viewed this staged offering from Wilma reading, I heard a short was a play that seems report on NPR recountto have been written at ing the latest attempts of breakneck speed from Lukashenko’s security daily reports spilling out apparatus to put down of Belarus. The eternal protests over this apparpresident of Belarus, ent fraud.

Alexander Lukashenko, The play was written has just claimed vicby Andrei Kureichik, tory for his sixth term then translated into in office. International English by John Freedmonitors called the anman. Kureichik was well nounced results of the qualified to write this election dubious in the play: a native Belarusextreme. (Lucky Lukey sian who has written claims to have snared a over 20 plays as well mere 80% of the popular as screenplays, he was vote.) Protests erupted continued on page 12

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meaning they paid more than half their income on rent.

Johnson, the Philadelphia Housing Action member, said he believed encampment organizers’ agreement with the city signified progress in addressing this housing crisis.

While he did acknowledge that camp residents would not be completely satisfied with the supposed final deal – saying there were “hard conversations [organizers] had to have” – he

said the encampments were just the first step on a path to systematic reform.

“We’re in a hard place, because, [the agreement] doesn’t get everyone,” Johnson said. “We still need to keep going, we’re nowhere near our goals, but we just want to put that message out that society has to be built on care towards each other.”

“That’s the whole purpose of this,” Johnson added.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • 9

HMS School’s been in West Philadelphia for more than 137 years. It helps young people with cerebral palsy. But in the age of COVID-19, HMS might be in need of help, itself

By Chris Doyle Special to the Philadelphia Free Press

T

he HMS School was founded in 1882 and today is a nonprofit that provides wholistic educational and therapeutic services to young people with cerebral palsy and other neurological impairments. It offers day and residential programs, devising ways for students, from young school-aged children to 21-year-olds, to receive individualized instruction. It also focuses on teaching communication skills and giving their students a place to practice leading more independent lives.

Like so many other businesses and schools, the coronavirus pandemic has acutely affected HMS. The school closed its doors to in-person learning in March, and HMS staff have been struggling to convert their normal classroom curriculum into a virtual learning experience ever since. And on top of health and academic concerns, HMS may have to worry whether the school will keep vital state funding after the legislature passes its next budget in the midst of an ongoing coronavirus recession.

“It’s been enormous,” HMS President Thomas Quinn said of COVID-19’s impact on the school.

Quinn said that the transition to online learning has proved especially difficult. Along with the routine logistical problems that all teachers have faced in having to suddenly change their lesson plans to fit onto a new medium, HMS staff have also had to devise an online curriculum that is accessible to students with cerebral palsy. Because most HMS students are non-verbal, and others have difficulty seeing, finding ways to continue teaching its students via virtual means has been a herculean task. HMS has even had to provide students with new special equipment, such as larger monitors and physical therapy tools.

Other more, more common problems have posed challenges to HMS. Like thousands of chil-

Student Nehemiah Harvell. Photo: Courtesy of HMS School

dren across Philadelphia, HMS students have had to contend with simply securing access to the internet. According to Quinn, HMS enrolls students from all different income levels, including students at low-income levels who are especially liable to lack a stable web connection. HMS staff, therefore, have had to work, not only to accommodating their students’ special needs, but also to get some of their students the basic tools of modernday learning, such as computer equipment.

“COVID has really forced us to try to figure out the virtual world of education,” Quinn said.

“Like every school, we did kind of a triage version in March, just trying to figure it out.”

Although HMS is now working with all 58 of its students, the current program is not a perfect substitute for in-person learning. Students are still not receiving all the physical help they could be, and the residential program, which can help promote more independent living for older students, is on an indefinite hold.

Getting students back in the classroom though, is a problem that’s even more formidable, Quinn said. Most students have respiratory preexisting conditions associated with cerebral palsy that means they are at high risk of suffering serious complications from COVID-19. The typical social distancing, masking, and hygiene measures that would commonly be used by schools to mitigate these risks, moreover, cannot all be used.

The hands-on, one-onone teaching and therapy students require preclude teachers from running a socially distanced class

room, while most HMS students, owing to conditions associated with cerebral palsy, cannot wear facemasks. The school will therefore be closed at least for the first semester of the school year, which means students will not be able to return to the building until Feb. 1, at the earliest. In the interim, Quinn said the school is working to develop a program where students would have the option to come to the school for inperson physical and occupational therapy while still having “significant COVID safeguards.”

“If you were to put together students that would be least suited to virtual education, that’s who we are,” Quinn said.

“But if you were also to put together a group of students who were most at risk for COVID in the environment that we have, that would also be our students.”

“All things, being equal I think we’re doing the best we can, we’re anxious to see our kids and see them back safely, but like everybody, we’re uncertain when we can do that,” Quinn added.

The HMS school’s current problems are compounded by concerns about its financial future.

According to Quinn, the state sponsors 29 students to attend HMS, ultimately providing the school with around half of its roughly $10 million operating budget. The remainder, Quinn said, is mostly funded by local school districts with students attending HMS, which covers 40% to 45% of costs. Private fundraising covers only 5% of the school’s budget.

HMS will receive its scheduled state funds, which are delivered monthly, through November, but will have no

money coming in from the state beginning Dec. 1. Quinn said he is worried the state legislature will not fully fund HMS during in its next budget vote, scheduled for the second week of November, despite HMS seeing no reduction in costs during the pandemic.

And with a coronavirus induced recession likely to still be draining the commonwealth’s coffers, Quinn said that legislators have not been able to completely assuage his fears.

“What we’ve been told is the state’s answer to everything is that they don’t know the exact economic outlook,” Quinn said. “They’re going to look at what money they have and make some pretty tough decisions come November, so I’m nervous about what those decisions are going to be.”

West Philadelphia state Rep. Jim Roebuck, whom Quinn described as a “tremendous advocate” for HMS, said that he supported fully funding the school.

“I’ve always been an advocate for HMS, I know they do an excellent job of educating young people, I’ve always supported them, and wrote letters in support, and lobbied people I could lobby to continue their funding,” Roebuck said. “I am very much a supporter I think they do an excellent job and I want to see them maintain their viability.

Roebuck, a Democrat, said that funding for HMS had never been a partisan issue in the past. And while overall spending for institutions that help students with disabilities is at risk, he said he still expected his colleagues to rally and lend their full support to special education.

“The problem is whether or not there is funding in general for the program for students with disabilities,” Roebuck said. “But we have a strong core of individuals who advocate for kids with disabilities, the institutions are generally well respected and they have a track record, and they have support, and I don’t see that changing in a major way going for-

ward.”

Roebuck added that, if the coronavirus economic downturn does require cuts, he believed it should not come at the expense of institutions that provide special education.

“I just can’t imagine that there’s some sort of tradeoff between COVID and funding for things like schools for kids with disabilities, that makes no sense whatsoever,” Roebuck said. “But then, a lot of government doesn’t make sense.”

Not all legislators, however, have shown the same consistent support for HMS as Roebuck.

Some representatives with constituents at HMS, Quinn said, were not even aware that funds were going to HMS at all.

“I spent a lot of time meeting the various state [representatives] who do have students and constituents in our building,” Quinn said. “And it was pretty remarkable how many of them have no idea that they funded us, and it was more than a little concerning.”

Roebuck is notably ending his 35-year career in the state house at the expiration of this term, having lost to progressive challenger Rick Krajewski in the June Democratic primary. Krajewski could not be reached for comment.

Roebuck said that even after leaving office, he would still work to support HMS in “whatever way [he] can.”

While it is still unknown whether state funding will be forthcoming, the Philadelphia School District was resolute in its commitments

to HMS. In an email to the University City Review, Philadelphia School Board President Joyce Wilkerson said the district had seven students attending HMS. Wilkerson assured that the district is “making all of its payments” to the school, and “plans to continue doing so throughout the school year.”

Quinn encouraged concerned people in the city and state to call their local legislators and ask them to continue supporting HMS. “We’re often called ‘the best kept secret in West Philadelphia,’ which I would like to change,” Quinn said. “I want people to know what we do, because we provide a remarkable service, and have a remarkable history, and have been here a long time, and really have helped a huge number of people over the 137 years that we’ve been there.”

“But the best thing people can do right now is advocate on our behalf when it comes to budget issues, just to make sure we’re not forgotten again,” Quinn added.

Quinn said that ensuring HMS students have access to their education is far more than an act of charity – it is a legal obligation.

“Both state and federal law says that every person in the country is guaranteed a right to a free and appropriate education,” Quinn said. “So that funding absolutely has to stay intact for [HMS students], because they’ve got the same rights as everybody else.”

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10 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

HABITAT

homeownership is unmistakable. Having no or continued from page 2 a low credit score is, no doubt, a barrier to obtainLoan Mortgage Corpoing a mortgage. ration (Freddie Mac) Corinne O’Connell, indicates that more than Chief Executive Officer fifty percent of the difof Habitat Humanity ferences between blacks Philadelphia, describes and whites in obtaining Habitat’s dual strategy mortgages are explained that impacts the need and by “credit attributes.” desire to own a home.

According to the FredMs. O’Connell says die Mac study, credit among the benefits of attributes are reflected in homeownership are FICO scores, further that equity and help to close more white people than the racial wealth gap. Adblack people have a FICO ditionally, in this age of score.

COVID-19, “housing is Moreover, of those medicine, housing is eduwith FICO scores, more cation and equity. Housthan half of white people ing is really foundational have scores above 700, if we think about attackwhile only 20.6 percent ing poverty, [it’s] how of blacks have scores we go about disrupting above 700. Even more poverty.” ominously, about one“The new home conthird of black people have struction side of our no FICO scores at all. business, families put in Not all people are in the 350 hours of sweat equity system, and if the blacks working on construction not in the system were, and in the classroom, and the share of black people then they buy their home without a score would from Habitat at a low inlikely be higher than that terest mortgage.” of white people without This strategy has rea score. sulted in 225 new homes The lower percentadded to Philadelphia’s age of homeownership housing stock, and 225 by blacks leads to the new homeowners since conclusion that blacks in 1985. Habitat for Humanmore significant numbers ity Philadelphia is the rely on rental housing. only affordable homeRent payments aren’t fac- ownership program in tors in the equation that the city. Because Philadeldetermines mortgage phia has sixty-thousand eligibility. vacant parcels of land, the The connection bepossibility of adding new tween credit scores and

homes should not be as tricky as it would be in other large cities.

The other strategy employed by Habitat Philadelphia involves already existing housing.

“About ten years ago, we started a critical home repair program...We work alongside owneroccupied homeowners...

We do our best to create repairs in those homes to stabilize and preserve the existing housing structure.”

In both strategies, Habitat works with families whose household incomes are well below the median income level.

Ms. O’Connell says they are working families, living paycheck to paycheck, and often work multiple part-time low wage jobs. If they were seeking mortgage financing through traditional sources, they would not qualify.

Philadelphia, like other older American cities, has a surfeit of ancient and aging housing. The median age of a house in Philadelphia is ninetythree years, thirty years older than the average median across the United States.

Ms. O’Connell readily admits to the challenge presented to Habitat Philadelphia’s home repair strategy.

“We have no problem

Crime Blotter ...continued from page 3

St,4600 Walnut St, 5300 Walnut St. 19TH DISTRICT: To report a crime in the 19th Police District, please call 215-6863190.

Rape: 6100 Nassau Rd. Arson: 5300 Arch St, 7500 Woodcrest Av. Assault: 5600 Arch St, 5800 Arch St, 5400 Arlington St, 5600 Arlington St, 2400 Cardinal Av, 5000 City Av, 6100 City Av, 3800 Conshohocken Av, 4700 Conshohocken Av, 5300 Diamond St, 5500 Haverford Av, 6000 Haverford Av, 6200 Haverford Av, 6400 Haverford Av, 5700 Jefferson St, 5400 Lansdowne Av, 6500 Lebanon Av, 5200 Market St, 5700 Market St (2 Incidents), 5100 Master St, 5200 Master St, 2700 N 45th St, 2700 N 46th St (2 Incidents), 1200 N 50th St, 200 N 52nd St, 600 N 52nd St, 1500 N 52nd St, N 53rd St & Arch St, 200 N 53rd St, N 54th St & Morse St, 0 N 54th St, 1200 N 54th St, 100 N 55th St, 1200 N 56th St, 1500 N 56th St (2 incidents), N 59th St & Filbert St, 1600 N 61st St, N 63rd St & Vine St (2 Incidents), 200 N 63rd St, 300 N 63rd St, 1100 N 63rd St, 2100 N 63rd St, 400 N 64th St, 500 N 64th St, 1100 N 66th St (2 Incidents), 1500 N Conestoga St, 0 N Dewey St, 300 N Edgewood St (3 Incidents), N Felton St & Master St, 1500 N Frazier St, 1500 N Redfield St, 2200 N Salford St, 200 N Simpson St, 300 N Simpson St, 600 N Wilton St, 1700 N Wilton St, 5200 Parkside Av, 5500 Race

St, 5400 Sharswood St, 6300 Sherwood Rd, 5400 Spring St, 5600 W Girard Av, 5000 W Stiles St, 5200 Westminster Av, 4900 Wynnefield Av. Burglary: 5900 Callowhill St, 5300 Gainor Rd, 5100 Lancaster Av, 200 N 53rd St, 100 N Hobart St, 5500 W Thompson St (2 Incidents).

Robbery: 5300 Gainor Rd, 5200 Lancaster Av, 5300 Market St, 2700 N 45th St, 100 N Gross St, 5200 Poplar St. Theft: 5600 Appletree St, 5500 Arch St, 4200 City Av, 7600 City Av, 7700 City Av (2 Incidents), 5100 Harlan St, 6500 Harlan St, 5200 Lancaster Av, 5200 Lansdowne Av, 5400 Lansdowne Av, 6100 Lebanon Av, 5800 Market St, 700 Marlyn Rd, 2400 N 50th St, 2200 N 51st St, 300 N 52nd St, 1500 N 52nd St (2 Incidents), 2400 N 54th St, 1800 N 57th St (2 Incidents), 1500 N 61st St, 1600 N 62nd St, 400 N 64th St, 600 N 67th St, 1800 N 77th St, 100 N Edgewood St, 1700 N Redfield St, 200 N Salford St, 400 N Sickels St, 100 N Wanamaker St, 4900 Parkside Av, 5000 Parkside Av, 6300 Sherwood Rd, 6300 Summer St, 5900 Turner St, 5400 Upland Way, 4700 W Girard Av (2 Incidents), 5300 W Montgomery Av, 5200 W Stiles St, 5200 W Thompson St, 5600 Woodcrest Av, 5300 Wyalusing Av, 5400 Wyalusing Av, 4900 Wynnefield Av, 800 Wynnewood Rd. Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: 2800 Belmont Av, 1700 Georges La, 6600 Haverford Av, 5700 Hunter St, 6000 Lansdowne Av, 6600 Leeds St, 5200

Market St, 1900 N 52nd St, 600 N 53rd St (2 Incidents), 600 N 54th St, 100 N 55th St, 1500 N 56th St, 500 N 59th St, 300 N 61st St, 100 N 62nd St, 100 N Dewey St, 0 N Edgewood St, 600 N Frazier St, 100 N Lindenwood St, 100 N Salford St, 200 N Salford St, 200 N Vogdes St, 500 N Vogdes St, 1800 Pennington Rd, 7400 Ruskin Rd, 5200 W Columbia Av, 5200 W Columbia Av, 5400 W Girard Av, 7500 Woodcrest Av. Other Offenses (Any incident that does not fit into other definitions, and may include public drunkenness, runaways, loitering, weapons offense or missing person): 5600 Arlington St, 5400 Aspen Pl, 2200 Belmont Av, City Av & N 54th St, 5600 City Av, 6100 City Av, 3700 Conshohocken Av, 5300 Euclid St, 5900 Haddington La, 5500 Haverford Av, 5200 Heston St, 3900 Lankenau Av, 5600 Market St, 6000 Market St, 5500 Master St, 6400 Media St, 2400 N 50th St, N 51st St & Merion Av, 1600 N 53rd St, 2200 N 53rd St, 1200 N 54th St, 1300 N 54th St, 1900 N 54th St, 2400 N 54th St (3 Incidents), 1500 N 55th St, 1200 N 57th St, 0 N 58th St, 300 N 58th St, 200 N 60th St, 1500 N 60th St, 300 N 62nd St, 200 N 63rd St, 300 N 63rd St, 2000 N 63rd St, 200 N 64th St, 400 N 65th St (2 Incidents), 100 N Edgewood St, 100 N Peach St, 1200 N Wilton St, 6100 Nassau Rd, 5900 Overbrook Av, 5400 Poplar St, 5400 Summer St, 5700 W Girard Av, 6100 W Girard Av, 4900 W Stiles St.

finding homes to repair.

There [are] one-hundred twenty-one thousand owner-occupied homes in Philadelphia that have been deemed by HUD (Housing and Urban Development) inadequate or severely inadequate.”

The consequence of having so many inadequate or severely inadequate homes is that they collapse around the families that live in them.

As Habitat Philadelphia finds, it’s a multi-fold problem. “The housing stock itself is old. Many of the folks who live in the old homes are aging rapidly, under-resourced, and low income.” These factors combining to create a perfect storm that makes the goal of ensuring decent housing is available for all of Philadelphia’s residents complicated.

When Habitat Philadelphia commits to repair a dwelling, they have three objectives to meet. These are safe, warm, and dry— the monetary investment per home averages seventeen thousand five hundred dollars.

Ms. O’Connell describes Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia being at the crossroads and exists because of

structural racism. Discriminatory lending practices of the FHA and the VA contributed to the wealth gap (household wealth or net worth), which allows us to measure inequality. Generally, most of a family’s wealth derives through property or homeownership. Pew Research Center data indicate that in 1989, the wealthiest five percent of families had 114 times more wealth than the families one level above the poorest. The median wealth of the lowest twenty percent was either zero or negative in most of the years examined by Pew. Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia has launched an initiative to close the racial wealth gap described by Ms. O’Connell. “It’s designed to help educate a larger audience who might not make the connection between discriminatory housing policies in the forty’s, the fifties and sixties that prevented people of color [from participating]. It’s an education series that we’re doing on our website for our larger audience. Redlining is a great example. What does redlining mean? What are the implications in the

afterlife of redlining?”

Having the public better informed about these issues will help eliminate the racial wealth gap and allow more people to contribute to our country’s vitality.

Ms. O’Connell describes the partnership Habitat for Humanity has with Americorp. “They are like our domestic Peace Corp. They do a year of service working at Habitats across the United States, as well as many other nonprofit organizations...They’ll do a year of service out on our construction sites and repair sites. There’s a very modest stipend to Americorp [workers].”

The work of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia relies on contributions from individual donors, corporations, foundations, and fundraising events. Ms. O’Connell says no gift is too big or too small. Donations may be made via their online website https://www. habitatphiladelphia.org or mail to: Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, 1829 N. 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19121. Telephone 215-7399300.

The Philadelphia Young Republicans deliver 192 backpacks and supplies to Philamay be unable to delphia elementary students school do so at home, and we

Ross Wolfe, Chairman of the Philadelphia Young Republicans. “I am very proud of those inside and outside of our organization who contributed to this cause. With everyone focused on the 2020 election, we hope this event reminds people in both parties that politics should focus on helping the community.”

Through its annual Conner Kennedy, Philly YR Public backpack drive, the PhilAffairs Chair adelphia Young Republiver the past two cans have now provided weeks, the Phil- over 850 backpacks with adelphia Young supplies to Philadelphia elementary school stuRepublicans delivered dents over the past four 192 backpacks with years. supplies to elementary “Although every year school students throughthere are students in out Philadelphia! The Philadelphia in need of schools receiving backbackpacks and supplies, packs are listed below. we believe this year may “This is now the be the most impactful,” fourth year that the Wolfe continued “Due Philadelphia Young to the at-home learning Republicans have been in Philadelphia this year, able to use politics to students who rely on make a real impact in borrowing supplies at our community” said

O

hope the supplies we provided make things easier on the students, parents, teachers, and staff.”

The Philadelphia Young Republicans donated the backpacks to the following schools: William Loesche School (595 Tomlinson Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19116); Morton McMichael School (3543 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104); Joseph W. Catharine Elementary School (6600 Chester Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19142); Gilbert Spruance Elementary School (6401 Horrocks St, Philadelphia, PA 19149); Henry Lea Elementary School (4700 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19139); Bridesburg Elementary School (2824 Jenks, St., Philadelphia, PA 19137); and Edward T. Steel School (4301 Wayne Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19140).

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Review UNIVERSITY

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12 • PHILLYFREEPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

DESPOT continued from page 8

forced to flee his native land after the election to avoid arrest.

Kureichik tells the story through the eyes and voices of seven key people in the reallife drama. Lukashenko himself is there, of course, as is his 15-yearold son and designated heir. Lukashenko is countered with his main opponent in the election, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

We also get to meet two devoted protestors; a uniformed security officer whose assignment is to make life miserable for those protestors: and a teacher who doubles as local election committee official. That teacher seems to specialize in an advanced form of new mathematics; under her direction, the votes for Lukashenko suddenly multiply exponentially.

Unlike the Wilma’s last full-length presentation (Is God Is), Insulted.

Belarus(sia) was not written for the stage then reconfigured as a digital

spoken word production. While Is God Is clearly suffered at key moments from its conversion into a radio play, Insulted seems to have been written with the socially distanced digital format clearly in mind.

Most of its almost 90 minutes is taken up with monologues, juxtaposing individual turns by the different characters.

There’s only one short section which functions as an exchange between any two characters.

(In this case, between Lukashenko and his teenage son.) For the most part, the hopscotch of sharp monologues works much to the benefit of the overall effect of the play.

You might think -as I did -- that a piece of theatre hurriedly turned out to keep pace with unfolding events would be little more than heated agitprop.

But Kureichik’s work is actually a rather praiseworthy achievement, a collage of character studies stitched together to serve a clear political purpose. The mono-

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logues ring true and capture the personalities of “Europe’s last dictator”, his semi-clueless son, and those who have been thrust onto the stage of history, however unwillingly.

John Freedman’s translation of Kureichik’s text is both very good and too good.

The speeches sound very authentic – authentic if these characters were all contemporary Americans. Almost every sentence of Freedman’s version is pure 21st century American idiom. It would have been much better if the language had included a dash of strangeness, some of that good old alienation effect to keep reminding us that we are in a very different land, one which is in some ways a relic of the old USSR. The same can be said of the acting, which was unabashedly American. As presented in this production, any of these characters could be encountered in most American cities today.

Again, a certain element

of alienation would have worked better to capture the feel of a Belarus being torn apart from many different angles.

That being said, the entire cast deserves unqualified plaudits for the quality of their performances, even if they were too obviously American. Steven Rishard played the Oldster, a.k.a. Lukashenko. He convincingly delivered the aura of congenial evil long-time despots ooze in every speech and every sour smile As Lukashenko’s son, Brandon J. Pierce turned in one of the production’s most impressive performances. This teenager, whose greatest distress at the outrages going on all around him is that his dad has shut down the Internet, is an innocent whose guilt lies in his very innocence.

This was captured beautifully by Pierce.

Kristen Apple, playing Lukashenko’s main opponent and the probable true winner of this election, was compelling as a woman trying to maintain dignity and

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decency in the midst of turbulence.

Jered McLenigan served up a frightening portrayal of the renta-thug brought in to help quell the protests in whatever means he finds convenient. Taysha Marie Canalas was totally sympathetic as an anti-Lukashenko activist who also happens to be the soon-to-be sister-inlaw of that brutal uniformed thug.

Keith Conallen had a most difficult assignment: a soccer hooligan reborn as a zealous protestor, whose last appearance was as a corpse recounting his own murder by our brutal security officer. Conallen fulfilled the assignment marvellously.

Melanye Finister played the teacher who doubled as the corrupt local election committee official. An unwavering supporter of Lukashenko (she’s just four years short of retirement with a plump pension waiting for her if she toes the party line), Finister’s teacher/election official nicely demonstrated

how political evil needs a corps of unprincipled lackeys to survive.

The production was helmed by Yury Urnov, a native Russian, who is also Wilma’s lead artistic director for the 2020-21 season. Urnov shares the plaudits with his cast for the solid performances and power of the production. Though I had misgivings about the pronounced American flavor of the text and the performances, I must admit after the first half hour, I was so caught up in the flow of recreated events that I could almost imagine that I was witnessing a small cluster of Belarussians struggling to navigate the maelstrom of revolution. It was reassuring to see such strong theatre again in this pandemicplagued year.

As I said up top, this story is still unfolding.

Accordingly, I think it best to give the final word here to playwright Kureichik: “I hope to write another play on the finish of the dictator.”