The Spirit of Penn's Garden - April 12, 2017 by The Spirit

COMMUNITY NEWS – FREE PUBLICATION – PICK ONE UP!

HY PE RLOC AL

D ON E DIFFE R E N TLY

FAIRMOUNT + NORTH CENTRAL + BREWERYTOWN + TEMPLE + STRAWBERRY MANSION FRANCISVILLE + POPLAR + LUDLOW + SPRING GARDEN

THIS

WEEK APRIL 12, 2017 VOL. 2 NO. 15

CONTRACT DISPUTE Faculty and students of CCP protest new contract set to increase healthcare costs. 5

RECOVERY HOUSING Temple Student Government passes bill urging University to create addiction recovery housing. 8

GUN SAFETY Community leaders distribute free gun locks at Winchester Playground. 6

DAWN STALEY After national championship, Dawn Staley revisits Dobbins Tech. 8

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

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7

HOT OFF THE

PRESS

airmount resident Allison Cornish makes it a habit to walk around her neighborhood with a yellow trash grabber and pick up litter like cigarette butts — her biggest pet peeve. “We need to leave an unspoiled environment for the next generation, or at least clean up the mess we have made,” she said. On Saturday, Cornish joined the estimated 120 people who participated in the 5th Annual Fairmount Spring Cleanup, which was hosted by the Fairmount Civic Association’s Neighborhood Improvement Committee. The effort in Fairmount was part of the citywide 10th Annual Philly Spring Cleanup. Sam Holloschutz, the committee’s director, provided supplies like bags, gloves and rakes. The Eastern State Penitentiary also donated tickets to be given to participants for free. The cleanup took place between Girard and Fairmount avenues from east to west and 30th and Corinthian streets from north to south. There were 11 designated locations where participants dropped off trash and recyclables to be taken by the city. Holloschutz also served as an ambassador of Circle Compost, a compost pickup service he works for as the chief sustainability officer. The service composted everything they could, including leaves and yard waste that participants found. Holloschutz told Spirit News that volunteers collected 210 bags of trash and recycling and 31 bags of compost on Saturday. He added that Saturday’s cleanup was the most well attended yet in Fairmount and the fourth one he organized. When Holloschutz walks his dog Charlie around the neighborhood he commonly notices trash like doggie bags, cans, paper and broken glass,

he said. “Anything that’s trash, we have it here,” Holloschutz said. “[The effect of that] is big. I walk the streets after and you can tell there’s been a massive cleanup. People notice it.” Emily Corrado and Gunter Pfau, an engaged couple that lives in Fairmount, often bring their two dogs — Roxy and Fred — to play at a patch of grass on Aspen Street near 23rd. But a row of dead bushes at the site were “unsightly,” Corrado said. The couple made it their goal to get rid of the plants on Saturday, which was the second cleanup they have participated in. Corrado said they plan to start cleaning up in the neighborhood regularly. “It’s important to take care of your home space,” Corrado said. “Make sure it’s livable.” Corrado added that cleaning up Fairmount helps to show off its positive traits and encourages people to visit and take advantage of its amenities, like restaurants. Kelsey Humphrey is the assistant manager at Rembrandt’s, a gastropub across the street from where Corrado and Pfau worked on Saturday. She said trash and dead plants pile up when it’s cold outside and make the neighborhood less welcoming. When the area is cleaner and more beautiful, Humphrey said, it benefits everyone invested in the neighborhood: business owners, visitors and neighbors. “It lifts people’s spirits,” she said. Continued on Page 2.

Page 2

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

Continued from Page 1. During the rest of the year, Holloschutz heads the Fairmount Civic Association’s environmental efforts by sending out eco-friendly tips and sharing city programs like Rain Check, a stormwater management effort, with residents. But trash is consistently the topic that’s most complained about in the neighborhood, he said. “A lot of people wait for someone to come along [and make a change], but I always say you have to be that person,” Holloschutz said. “If you don’t do it, someone else probably isn’t going to.” •

Fairmount residents participated in the 5th annual Fairmount Spring cleanup, organized by Sam Holloschutz and the Fairmount Civic Association’s Neighborhood Improvement Committee. /All photos by Grace Shallow

Old Zion Lutheran Church

628 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia An ELCM Congregation Daniel P. Metzger, Pastor

M AU N DY TH UR SDAY 7:30 pm English Communion

K A R FR EITAG

10:00 am German Communion

GOOD FR IDAY 12:00 Noon Communion

E A STER SU N DAY 10:00 am Communion

www.oldzionlutheran.org

Page 3

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN

accu-reggie TWITTER: @ACCUREGGIE • FACEBOOK: ACCU-REGGIE

Last week ended perfectly: two days in the 80s with plenty of sunshine. You just couldn’t ask for better weather this time of year! The great weather washed away the memory of the chilly rains we experienced earlier in the week. I’ve got good news for you: if you liked the warm weather last week, you are going to absolutely love this week. First, notice we really don’t have a high temperature significantly under 70 degrees. Second, look at that big 80 on Sunday. Third, look at the absence of monster rain storms that, quite literally, rain on our warm parade. We only have a weak shower chance early Wednesday morning, Saturday night and then one more likely late Sunday evening.

Wednesday may start cloudy with a shower here and there, but it will end with sunshine and warm temperatures in the 70s. Thursday is a touch cooler than Wednesday, but it’s an absolutely gorgeous day. You just can’t complain about sunny, 65-degree weather! Friday begins the march up in temperatures that climaxes on Sunday. A southwest breeze will begin to transport warmer air in. Clouds could threaten to keep temperatures lower on Saturday but the middle 70s are a good bet. A warm front crosses us from the south, setting us up for a very warm Sunday.

There is a small chance for a shower Saturday night into Sunday morning. Sunday will essentially be a summer’s day in April; temperatures will climb through the 80s! An evening shower looks likely as a cold front comes through and brings us back to reality. We get progressively cooler on Monday and Tuesday as temperatures drop into the 70s and 60s, respectively. Still, we aren’t worried about that one bit! Enjoy the great weather this week because it will get cooler and rainier next week! As always, follow us on social media for weather updates throughout the week! •

1428 East Susquehanna Avenue Philadelphia, PENNSYLVANIA 19125 TELEPHONE: 215.423.6246

No one understands small business like small business. We may be getting a bigger staff and more readers, but we’re still just like you. Work together with Spirit News to help grow your business and inform your neighbors.

EDITORAL INQUIRIES: NEWS@SPIRITNEWS.ORG ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: ADS@SPIRITNEWS.ORG OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY–FRIDAY, 9AM–5PM MATTHEW ALBASI

MAX PULCINI

PUBLISHER

MANAGING EDITOR

THOMAS HOWLEY

ads@spiritnews.org 215.423.6246

f www.spiritnews.org

PATRICK CLARK

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PENN'S GARDEN EDITOR

andrew deffley

accu-reggie

SOCIAL MEDIA

WEATHERMAN

greg labold

DAN O'NEIL

BALD SPOT COMICS

FILM CRITIC

SEAN KEARNEY

Jack Grauer

CONTRIBUTOR

GRACE SHALLOW

SPENCER HOMAN

CONTRIBUTOR

ruthann alexander

mark brakeman

CONTRIBUTOR

THOMAS BECK

JORDYN CORDNER

EDITORIAL INTERN

steve bohnel

shealyn kilroy

EDITORIAL INTERN

james rennie

kaitlyn moore

EDITORIAL INTERN

No reproduction or use of the material herein may be made without permission. The Spirit of Penn’s Garden Newspaper will assume no obligation (other than cancellation of charges for the actual space occupied) for accidental errors in advertisements, but will be glad to furnish a signed letter to the buying public.

Page 4

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

WRITTEN BY JORDYN CORDNER

Triple Homicide

R E P. C U R T I S T H O M A S H O L D S P R E S S C O N F E R E N C E F O L L O W I N G L A S T M O N D AY ’ S S H O O T I N G I N N O R T H C E N T R A L

n Monday, April 3, students at St. Malachy, a North Philadelphia school serving children from preschool to grade 8, went into lockdown just as school was letting out. “I was in the office and all you heard was multiple shots,” a student told NBC10 after the incident. These shots came from just about a block away on the 1100 block of Stiles Street where three men were killed and one was injured in a quadruple shooting. The incident became a triple homicide with the subsequent deaths of Tyair Jabbar, 20, Marcello Robertson, 27, and Ronald Fenwick, 32. The surviving victim is an unnamed 26 year-old male. Last Thursday, State Representative W. Curtis Thomas of the 181st Legislative District hosted a press conference at the Harrison Plaza Recreation Center, near where the crime took place. Community members and a council of other city representatives bowed their heads in prayer. A line of uniformed police officers stood along the east wall. “Families lost their loved ones. Today we’re having this press conference to call for action,” Thomas said solemnly. “We’re hoping that this press conference [will signify] a beginning to getting a handle on our community.” Thomas spoke of other crimes that have taken place in the area in the recent past, including the rape of a 13-year-old girl by 3 males in Hunting Park. “In North Central Philadelphia,” he said. “There is a problem that we need to get a handle on.” Thomas condemned “the lawlessness of this act … at 3:30 in the afternoon, thinking that it’s okay to try to execute 4 human beings [...] as long as lawlessness is allowed to live, and good people stay home, it’s going to continue. When good people step up, evil has to pack up and go.” The Representative called for a “comprehensive effort,” mentioning and urging along the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), the community and others to combine efforts in putting an end to violent crime. At one point, Thomas suggested that the PHA, who have a no-weapons policy in their housing, take action in enforcing the policy more harshly. Thomas continued by going over what he called the “recommended steps for change,” noting that everybody in the surrounding area should have a list of emergency contacts, tip-lines and the names and email addresses of the persons in charge of each organization. Thomas provided these lists to guests at the conference courtesy of his office. “A lot of people [...] don’t want to snitch. It is not snitching when you do the right thing,” he said. “Amen,” replied a member of the community. Thomas spoke of the “coordinated effort of bad behavior” in certain areas and encouraged residents to reach out to the appropriate authorities. In the case of his reference to drug dealing, this authority would be the Drug Strike Force. Tensions ran high after the official speakers finished their comments and opened the floor. Concerned members of the community expressed their ideas and concerns passionately, reflecting on the distress of a community plagued by violence and the hope and effort for change in the future. “You can’t keep coming after the fact to build or help these kids when [you should] try to prevent it. Where are the jobs for these kids?” asked one attendee. “We’ve got to confront the individuals creating this havoc. [...] We’ve got to do something to confront this,” another community member said. “If you look at what’s going on with our children getting out of school [and] fighting on the busses [or] the subway, this is something that we’ve got to confront.” “These are our children, whether you consider them bad or good,” said one woman. “There’s a joke amongst black women in this community — ‘You can’t tell us that our bad ass kids are bad.’ So I say, stop relying on other agencies to take control of what’s happening in this and other communities. We have to take control of that.” Despite intermittent disagreements, the comments all reflected a mutual desire to nurture a deep involvement in the community. Those who spoke did so solemnly and with conviction. One comment compared guns to cocaine as the most serious killer in the modern era. “During the fifties, there was an influx of heroin. Heroin destroyed us as young black people. Then came the

‘80s and it was cocaine. Now, during the 2000s, it’s guns. I mean, during the gang wars here, we might have had a zip gun, a pistol you made,” said the man, standing and gesturing to the rest of the room. “But I have never seen the kind of guns that these young kids have got out here today. There’s no gun manufacturer around here, just like in the drug days, there was nobody that had a boat to go to [Colombia] to get the cocaine.” Wayne Walker, mother of slain officer Moses Walker Jr., spoke about the commitment of the Moses Walker Jr. Foundation to ‘address the cycle of anti-socialization skills within adolescents in our community.” “I grew up in this community [and] I was thrust into what I’m doing today. I didn’t ask for it,” Walker explained. “I don’t live in Philadelphia [now]. I live in Dover, Delaware, but I keep coming back here year after year after year because I care. When I heard about [this shooting] on the news, I called Representative Thomas. I was outraged, like he was outraged, like everyone here is.” The Moses Walker Jr. Foundation deals with “conflict resolution skills,” with hopes to reduce violence in part through bettering these and other social skills. “We want to let our adolescents and young men and women know that they can make a difference in their community,” Walker added. “Somewhere we have to look at who our heroes are in the community and we have to mimic them, and we do have to give them encouragement, and we do have to offer support. This is a community but this is Rep. Curtis Thomas speaks at a public meeting addressing last Monday’s triple homicide in North Central. /Jordyn Cordner

also a village, [and] what’s happening in our community is a disease.” •

Wayne Walker, mother of slain police officer Moses Walker Jr., speaks at a public meeting last Friday regarding the recent triple homicide in North Central. /Jordyn Cordner

Page 5

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

WRITTEN BY RUTHANN ALEXANDER

Contract Dispute

FACULTY AND STUDENTS OF CCP PROTEST NEW CONTRACT SET TO INCREASE HEALTHCARE COSTS

aculty and students of the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) gathered on the steps of the Allied Health Sciences building last Thursday in a protest calling for college President Donald Generals to bargain fairly. CCP’s administration is currently proposing a contract that would increase workers’ healthcare costs and increase faculty workload. American Federation of Teachers Local 2026 co-president Steve Jones said the administration wants to increase the teaching workload by 25 percent. The rally was scheduled outside the Allied Health Sciences building to coincide with CCP’s Board of Trustees meeting. The union wanted the board to hear from regular staff and faculty members while negotiations are ongoing, Jones said. “We’re getting concerned with how much time is going by,” he added. Local 2026 is demanding a five percent pay raise for all members and improved health benefits, as well as an increase to $15 an hour for classified staff. The union is also seeking an outside entity to look into making college jobs more equitable and up-to-date. The union has worked without a contract since January 2016 and it represents three bargaining units of more than 1,800 full-time and part-time faculty, visiting lecturers and classified employees. “Faculty make moderate wages and the college proposes to make us pay thousands of dollars more for healthcare,” said John Braxton, a biology teacher at CCP. Currently, most union members pay $300 deductibles. Higher paid members would pay over $2,000 a year from the premium increases. The administration has also proposed increased co-pays for prescriptions and doctor visits. Additionally, the administration wants to add extra classes for full-time faculty every semester. With an extra class every semester, full-time faculty will be forced to work overtime, and that will hurt the quality of education and time that the professors can devote to their students. “We like to have time outside each class to prepare,” Braxton said. “No one should be required to work overtime because it is not in the interest of the students.” According to Local 2026’s newsletter for 2017, increasing the workload of an already full-time faculty would reduce the number of full-time teachers by 25 percent. Over time, there would be 100 fewer full-time faculty to teach the same number of students they currently teach. Local 2026 also pitched in $500 to buy a cart of food to donate to the Snack Rack, the student government-run food pantry. Buying food for the pantry symbolizes that the is-

sues of faculty and students intersect, Braxton said. Clare Cady with the College and University Food Bank said that food insecurity is high among the nation’s community college students. Cady referred to a study done by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab that found nearly 50 percent of students surveyed experience some form of food insecurity, meaning not having reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. “Students’ problems don’t end when they come on campus,” Cady said. “I think it’s really exciting to see the commitment to students at CCP. A lot of schools don’t offer food pantries.” In response to the rally, President Generals released a statement about the administration’s focus on student success during the negotiations. "Throughout the contract negotiations, the College has remained focused on student success and kept their ability to afford tuition costs at the forefront of our deliberations," Dr. Generals said in his statement. "We will continue to do so. We are working to ensure that, in the years to come, even more students will be able to reach their goals, and build a foundation for a stable future. Our proposals reflect this commitment to our students." Zoe Cohen, a Temple adjunct professor and visual artist

spoke at the rally, as well. “We are doing the work to demand, not ask, for proper working conditions for staff and faculty,” Cohen said. At the rally, Student Government Association president Troy Bundy spoke on behalf of the student body. “A group of us students are working with faculty and staff and the union to try to build one voice to speak out on getting a fair contract,” Bundy said. Sophomore Nahje Royster, a member of the Student Power Network at West Chester University, told Spirit News that students attended to show support because many issues that affect students and staff are interconnected. “There are too many faculty who have to choose between having a part-time job and a full-time job … having to worry about ways to provide with the salary they are given,” she said. As an issue that encompasses the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), it also concerns the state and nation as a whole, Royster added. A part-time student attending the rally who did not wish to be named told Spirit News why he was standing in solidarity with college faculty. “I do think the teachers have their hands full with the current load,” he said. “I think it’s unfair to expect them to add to their class load.” •

Faculty and students of the Community College of Philadelphia protest outside the Allied Health Sciences building. /Ruthann Alexander

New Student Special: 2 weeks of unlimited yoga for $30 EXCLUDES PRENATAL, MOMMY&ME, SERIES & WORKSHOPS

Community Classes--$7. See website for details Three Locations! Vinyasa • Yin • Prenatal Beginners • Teacher Training Mommy&Me Yoga

FAIRMOUNT • 2329 PARRISH ST RITTENHOUSE • SOUTH PHILLY

215-235-1228 wakeupyoga.com

BEST RATES FOR UBER & LYFT DRIVERS Insurance for Autos, Homes, & Businesses The Perzel Agency | Charles Schaal 923 Spring Garden Street | Philadelphia, PA 19123 215-253-4894 | chic@perzelagency.com M-F 9-6 | Sat 9-1

Page 6

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK

Gun Safety

C O M M U N I T Y L E A D E R S D I S T R I B U T E F R E E G U N L O C K S A T W I N C H E S T E R P L AY G R O U N D

n Thursday, April 6th, Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams, City Council President Darrell Clarke, Philadelphia Media Network publisher and CEO Terrance C.Z. Egger and block captains from Town Watch Integrated Services held a public gathering at the Winchester Playground Recreation Center (2332 North 15th Street) to distribute free gun locks. These locks are small, vinyl-covered steel cables or cylinder-shaped trigger locks that thread through the chamber of a firearm to prevent it from going off. The gathering was held as part of an ongoing citywide effort to reduce gun violence and gun-related mishaps in Philadelphia. “We need to take ownership of the power we have — whether it’s the power of law enforcement, power of the legislature, power of the media or power of being a good parent — and use it to promote a baseline of responsibility when it comes to gun ownership,” Clarke said. “That baseline is keeping guns out of the hands of children, period.” Last year, Clarke enacted the Responsibility to Avoid Possession and Discharge of Firearms by Children Act, a law that requires gun owners with children under the age of 18 to keep their unloaded firearms and their ammunition in separate locked containers unless a person with a license to carry a gun is in “immediate control” of these materials. The Philadelphia Media Network — the publisher of the Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com — will be offering free advertising space to support better gun control. “Gun locks can save lives,” Egger said. “Studies show that up to 73 percent of children under 10 who live in homes where firearms are stored know the location of those guns.

Keeping guns locked can prevent tragic accidents. We are happy to partner with the Sheriff’s Department and City Council to get the word out about these free locks.”

To get your own free lock, talk to your city councilman or call the Sheriff’s office at 215-686-3572. You can also visit the Sheriff’s Department’s website at www.phillysheriff.com. •

(Left to right) Terry Egger, Publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News; Sheriff Jewell Williams; City Council President Darrell Clarke, and Anthony Murphy, head of Town Watch Integrated Services, came together at the Winchester Recreation Center recently to announce a new ad campaign supporting the gun lock safety initiative of Sheriff Williams and Council President Clarke. /Photo Courtesy Joseph Blake, Office of the Sheriff

Page 7

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

COMMUNITY

calendar N E W S @ S P I R I T N E W S . O R G • 1 4 2 8 E . S U S Q U E H A N N A AV E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6 April 15th, 10AM THE SPRING GARDENS ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT Check out The Spring Gardens on April 15th for their annual easter egg hunt! Eggs will be filled with candy, stickers and tokens for special gifts. Suggested donation is $5. RSVP by emailing sprouts@thespringgardens.org with the number of children and their ages by April 7th to make sure there are enough supplies. April 15th, 5PM-9PM THE BUZZ: A CRAFT COFFEE, BEER AND SPIRITS FESTIVAL The Free Library of Philadelphia and Home Brewed Events are proud to present, The Buzz: A Craft Coffee, Beer & Spirits festival on April 15th from 5pm to 9pm. Sample Philadelphia's best coffee, tea, cocktails and beer in one of the city's most iconic landmarks. Early Bird tickets are available now through March 15th at www.universe.com/thebuzzphilly. This will be a fundraiser for the Free Library with 25% of the proceeds going to support the local library system. For more information, visit www.homebrewedevents.com April 22nd, 9AM-5PM UHURU HEALTH FESTIVAL AND FLEA MARKET The African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF) presents the Uhuru Health Festival and Flea Market, taking place at Clark Park in West Philadelphia on Saturday, April 22nd. “Get Fit for the Revolution! It’s Our Only Solution!” is the theme of the day-long community solutions-oriented festival which will offer free health screenings, interactive fitness workshops, entertainment, food giveaways, 100+ marketplace vendors, and information on alternative health options as well as information on APEDF institutions. April 22nd, 11AM PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER FAMILY QUEST MONTHLY MEETING The Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society Inc. Philadelphia Chapter Family Quest will hold it's monthly meeting on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Community College of Philadelphia, Northwest campus (1300 W. Godfrey Avenue) in Room 201. The Topic will be how to research African American family history. Meetings are free and open to the public. For more information call 215-747-2786. April 23rd, 12PM-2PM BACHE-MARTIN ELECTRONIC RECYCLING AND CLOTHING DRIVE Bache-Martin Elementary School (2201 Brown St) will be holding a fundraising clothing drive and electronic recycling collection event Sunday, April 23 at the school. Dropoffs will be collected from 10AM to 1PM and a truck will

load and accept material from 12PM to 2PM. For more information, call (215) 684-5074. April 27-29 2017 NFL DRAFT The NFL Draft will be taking place in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art this year from the 27th to the 29th. The event will be accompanied by several festivities spread across the surrounding area. The draft itself will begin at 8PM on the 27th, 7PM on the 28th and 12PM on the 29th. The NFL Draft Experience will be open to attendees from 12PM to 11PM the first two days of the draft and from 10AM to 6PM on the final day. The Draft Experience will feature the Combine Corner, the NFL Play 60 Kids Zone, memorabilia exhibits, a Lombardi trophy display and other attractions. April 29th, 12PM-4PM FAIRMOUNT AVENUE ARTS CRAWL The Fairmount Avenue Arts Crawl is a free annual, indoor/ outdoor festival for art lovers of all mediums, which transforms the Art Museum Area of Philadelphia into an eclectic showcase of local artists and performers in its streets, restaurants, businesses, shops and bars. The event features emerging and ground-breaking artists in a range of media including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media. May 7th, 8AM 2017 BLUE CROSS BROAD STREET RUN The annual Broad Street Run will be taking place on Sunday, May 7 at 8AM. The start line will be at Broad Street and Fisher Avenue near the Einstein Medical Center and the course will take participants 10 miles south to the Philadelphia Navy Yard at the end of Broad Street in South Philadelphia. Runners can meet at the warm-up area at the Central High School Athletic Field, located at Broad Street and Somerville Avenue. For more information, visit www.broadstreetrun.com or call 215-683-3594. Mondays, 6-8PM TOUR AMBASSADOR TRAINING PROJECT The Strawberry Civic Association is looking for young and young at heart folks to come out to Mander Rec Center (33rd and Diamond St.) to learn Philadelphia history, Fairmount Park history, museum and trail information, etc. Tourism is a lucrative industry…. Be prepared. For more info call 215-765-9500 Tuesdays, 7-8:30PM SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS Learn about substance use and mental health disorders every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Rodeph Shalom (615 N Broad St). This group is for parents living with ado-

lescent and adult children living with addiction and brain disease. Those affected can share experiences and resources as well as how to support their children anonymously. For further information contact Caron at 800-854-6023 or Rabbi Jill Maderer at (215)-627-6747 x216 or rabbimaderer@ rodephshalom.org. Tuesdays, 7-9PM OPEN MIC NIGHT Mugshots Coffeehouse (1925 Fairmount Ave.) hosts an open mic night every Tuesday. For more information visit Mugshots Coffeehouse on Facebook. Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30PM MAKE STUFF A drop-in program to craft handmade objects or create art being surrounded by the art of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Activities include sketching, knitting, Lego fun or even creating a puzzle. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100. Wednesdays, 6PM and 7PM YOGA SESSION AT DHYANA YOGA Dhyana Yoga will be hosting yoga sessions every Wednesday night at 6PM and 7PM at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Space is limited, and each class operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The size of each class varies. Though admission is free, you are welcome to make a donation at the door. For more information, call Dhyana Yoga at 215-222-9642.

Summer Lifeguarding Jobs Screening Days Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) is hiring 400 lifeguarding to staff is 70 outdoor and four indoor pools. The job pays between $12.33 and $14.60 an hour. Interested candidates do not have to be strong swimmers, if they start being assisted by the staff early. These candidates should take the first step and attend a screening day offering now until June at the following facilities: Sayre Morris Swimming Pool (5825 Spruce St.) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 6-8PM Pickett Swimming Pool (5700 Warne Ave.) Monday through Thursday, 6:30-8PM Lincoln Pool (7437 Rowland Ave.) Monday Through Thursday 7:30-8:30PM For more information, please visit phila.gov/lifeguards.

Did you know that Spirit News has it’s own radio show? Tune into Spirit News Radio every Wednesday night on WPPM FM 106.5 from 6-7PM. We discuss local news, arts and entertainment pertaining to the various neighborhoods we cover across Philadelphia. Can’t tune in live? You can download our radio show each week in podcast form on iTunes, SoundCloud and Google Play. Do you want to have your company or product sponsored on Spirit News Radio’s Podcast? Reach out to ads@spiritnews.org today! Thanks for tuning in!

Page 8

The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – April 12, 2017

WRITTEN BY STEVE BOHNEL

Recovery Housing

T E M P L E S T U D E N T G O V E R N M E N T PA S S E S B I L L U R G I N G U N I V E R S I T Y T O C R E AT E A D D I C T I O N R E C O V E RY H O U S I N G

ast week, Temple Student Government (TSG) passed a bill calling on administration to “explore options” for creating housing for students recovering from addiction. For George Basile, the junior class representative for TSG, creating the bill stemmed from seeing his dad’s recovery from an addiction to painkillers. “From a personal aspect, that’s what really got the ball rolling on this issue,” said Basile, a political science major. The bill itself is simple. It’s only a page long and calls on university administrators to thoroughly research and see how it can make on-campus recovery housing a reality. Basile said the bill was meant to be vague because TSG’s parliamentary body is not allowed to dictate powers of administration, but rather pass resolutions that can create meetings with those administrators in the future. These administrators include Dean of Students Stephanie Ives and Director of Residential Life Kevin Williams, but Basile said he will continue meeting with several other administrators and city officials. Basile added that while he was drafting the bill — which started in February — he received letters from prospective students’ parents, who were concerned about the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia. He also learned about how serious of an issue overdoses are, especially in adjacent neighborhoods like Kensington. Basile said his dad, Joe, wasn’t open about his painkiller addiction and recovery until this bill was being crafted. Now Joe, 48, who entered treatment in Long Island, New York, is advocating for the bill and spreading the word about the need for recovery programs in Long Island. “His recovery kind of inspired this bill,” Basile said. Basile also credited David Holloman, Philadelphia’s Director of Chronic Homelessness, for providing valuable insight about the opioid epidemic and how Temple can assist in fighting the issue. How Temple will exactly implement the recovery housing is still being discussed, Basile said. Group therapy, training staff and intervention services are part of those discussions, but housing probably won’t be created for about four to five years, he added. Drexel University is home to “The Haven at Drexel,” which offers substance abuse housing and recovery programs. Basile said this model could help Temple craft its eventual housing, but emphasized that talks are preliminary.

/Patrick Clark Several students on campus Monday stated they did not know about the bill, but were receptive of the concept. “I guess it’s a good idea because excessive drug abuse is always going to be there,” said Sherwin Adeel, a junior psychology and spanish double major. “I have friends who have been addicted, so I know it can be challenging.” Kaitlyn Carpenter, a sophomore film major, also expressed support. “I feel like it could possibly be a good thing, depending the execution and whatnot,” she said. Paul Choi, a graduate student studying geology, said recovery housing would better the entire university community and should be well-integrated. “When you’re an addict and you’re recovering, you have to have a stable place,” he said. “If your basic needs are not

met, it’s going to be a hard journey.” While he was drafting the bill and talking to experts on recovery housing, Basile said one theme kept popping up: stigma. “Some of the concerns were we would be putting a label on the university that we’re harboring drugs and addicts,” he said. Basile added, however, that the solution to that and the overall issue of drug addiction is to have a different outlook. “People need to understand these people are humans and we’re dealing with real human problems rather than dehumanizing them with the idea that they’re bad people,” he said. “They’re people you probably know and interact with every day.” •

WRITTEN BY STEVE BOHNEL

Dawn Staley

A F T E R N A T I O N A L C H A M P I O N S H I P, D A W N S T A L E Y R E V I S I T S D O B B I N S T E C H

awn Staley, a former coach of Temple’s women’s basketball team, won the NCAA women’s basketball championship earlier this month at South Carolina. Last Thursday, she returned to her hometown roots in Philadelphia and was honored at Murrell Dobbins High School, where she graduated in 1988. 6ABC reported that she had a Final Four net draped around her neck, which she called her “netlace.” She was honored by several city officials and Temple coaches including Mayor Jim Kenney, Fran Dunphy and John Chaney. "I think the people of North Philly and the people that support you, they paint the picture, and this is a beautiful picture to come back and to share in the special moment," Staley told 6ABC. Kenney credited the school with producing successful athletes like Staley and others. “The number of great players that this school has turned out, and with Coach Staley winning a national championship is awesome,” Kenney told 6ABC. “She's done more for women's basketball than anyone I can think of.” Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey also attended the event at Dobbins to congratulate the North Philadelphia native. WLTX19, a TV-affiliate from Columbia, South Carolina, spoke with Jeffrey about Staley’s success.

“Coach Staley has brought SC the notoriety it deserves,” Jeffrey told WLTX19. “She has put USC and that program on the map. I think she is the best coach in America … what she is doing with those young ladies is really something special.” Jeffrey gave Staley two jerseys — one with his number, 17, and another with Staley’s, 5. The Eagles newest receiver graduated from the University of South Carolina after a successful career there from 200913. He attended the university when Staley and the Gamecocks advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in Columbia. Staley was thankful for all the success and recognition she has received. “For someone to be successful, it takes a lot of hands and you reflect, and your past is right there before you,” she told 6ABC. •

Sheriff Jewell Williams congratulates Coach Dawn Staley before the start of ceremonies at Murrell Dobbins High School. /Photo Courtesy Joseph Blake, Office of the Sheriff