PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. II No. 58 (218) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia May 6, 2011

PUCCINI’S CELEBRATED OPERA Tosca fills stage at Academy of Music. See

review page 6.

Sing It!

2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 6 MAY, 2011

Rendell, Judges Clown It Up

Volunteer Judges and Attorneys dressed in costume and presented mock trials based on fairy tales to Philadelphia

grade-school students this morning and heard a presentation by former Gov. Ed Rendell.

The event was held in City Hall’s Courtroom 653 and was staged in honor of Law Week.

Toomey Backs Pipeline

Safety Bill

US Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) supported advancing the

Pipeline Transportation Safety Improvement Act

(S.275) out of the Commerce, Science & Transporta-

tion Committee to the full Senate yesterday.

In the wake of pipeline accidents across the country like

the tragic explosions in Allentown and Philadelphia ear-

lier this year, the Pipeline Transportation Safety Im-

provement Act will help ensure the safety of our

pipelines and our citizens. The legislation increases fines

for violating safety regulations, requires new pipes to

have shutoff valves that can be controlled remotely and

increases public availability of pipeline information.

“As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I

was pleased to support this bill for consideration before

the full Senate,” Toomey said. “The bipartisan measure

takes important steps toward improving pipeline safety

and preventing future tragedies like those that unfortu-

nately took place in Philadelphia and Allentown. I will

continue working with members of the Commerce Com-

mittee and Senate Leadership to address any remaining

issues before the Senate votes on final passage.”

Small-Biz Group Slashes At Philly Bar Over Tort Reform

Kevin Shivers, State Director of the

National Federation of Independent

Business, which represents nearly

15,000 small businesses in Pennsyl-

vania, issued a statement yesterday

in response to a resolution approved

by the Philadelphia Bar Association

urging lawmakers to defeat the Fair

Share Act:

“It was as predictable as the sunrise

that the Philadelphia Bar Associa-

tion, whose members have achieved

for their city the grotesque title of

‘America’s Worst Judicial Hell-

hole,’ would ask the Legislature to

enshrine it by defeating the Fair

Share Act,” Shivers said.

“The Bar Association makes the

comically insincere argument that

lawsuit abuse is a service to justice.

It argues that civil defendants who

are not directly negligent, but who

are theoretically negligent accord-

ing to the elastic vocabulary of at-

torneys, should have to pay all of

the damages anyway because the

real guilty party has no money.

“If any one of them were charged for

the cost of something that their secre-

tary shoplifted, they would proclaim

the arrival of totalitarianism in Ameri-

can. Yet, that’s the sort of justice under

which they want the rest of us to live.

“Some of the lawyers who sup-

ported that resolution are defense

attorneys. Many of them are paid by

small businesses. The overwhelm-

ing majority of small business own-

ers believe that the Fair Share Act is

in their interest. So whose interest

are the lawyers representing?

“The fact is defense attorneys get

paid when their clients get sued.

Personal-injury lawyers get paid

when their clients win. So when it

comes to protecting their cash cow

– Pennsylvania’s upside-down legal

system – all of the lawyers are sit-

ting on the same side of the table.

“As a political interest group, they

have been extraordinarily success-

ful at defending the indefensible.

But the tide is turning against them,

and we are confident the new Legis-

lature will approve the Fair Share

Act and restore common sense to a

legal system that has turned Penn-

sylvania into a game preserve for

trophy-hunting lawyers.”

6 MAY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

Casey Announces $15 Million ForPhilly Schools To Boost Safety

US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) announced yesterday the

US Dept. of Labor has awarded $15,033,797 to seven

schools in Philadelphia to reduce violence and improve

educational outcomes.

“Ensuring our children receive a quality education in a

safe environment is vital to the future strength of our

communities and our nation,” said the Senator Casey.

The federal grants will be used to reduce violence and

support educational opportunities within these schools

through strategies such as anti-bullying education, peer

mentoring and crisis management. Expected outcomes

for the initiative include decreased dropout rates, a re-

duction in school violence and improved student be-

havior and academic performance.

Funds have been awarded to the following schools in

the School District of Philadelphia:

Germantown High School $2,312,892

John Bartram High School $2,312,892

Overbrook High School $2,312,892

Thomas FitzSimons High School $2,312,892

University City High School $2,312,892

West Philadelphia High School $2,312,892

Abraham Lincoln High School $1,156,445

Mayor To Create Poet LaureateProgram

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced he has directed

the Office of Arts, Culture & the Creative Economy to

create an official Poet Laureate program for the City of

Philadelphia. He first announced this effort on Tuesday

during Sonia Sanchez Live at City Hall, an event to

highlight poetry in Philadelphia that was presented in

partnership with Art Sanctuary. The planning commit-

tee for the Poet Laureate program will be chaired by

Chief Cultural Officer Gary Steuer of the Mayor’s Of-

fice of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

“I am extremely excited and proud to announce that the

City of Philadelphia will create an official Poet Laure-

ate program. Poetry is an extraordinary and powerful

art form, and our great city is filled with an astonishing

array of poets who help us to understand better our

community,” said the Mayor. “Sonia Sanchez exempli-

fies the role a poet can play in helping to define a city

and helping its citizens discover beauty. I look forward

to receiving the recommendations of the planning com-

mittee and establishing, for the first time, a Poet Lau-

reate for the City of Philadelphia.”

The other members of the planning committee are

Lorene Cary, author and executive director of Art Sanc-

tuary; Siobhan Reardon, President and Director of the

Free Library of Philadelphia; Al Filreis, Kelly Writers

House at the University of Pennsylvania; Beth Feldman

Brandt, poet and executive director of the Stockton

Rush Bartol Foundation; and Greg Corbin, founder and

executive director, Philadelphia Youth Poetry Move-

ment.

“Promoting the arts in Philadelphia includes creating

new institutions and programs that will showcase and

offer insight into our city,” said Chief Cultural Officer

Gary Steuer. “The work of renowned former national

Poet Laureates including Elizabeth Bishop, Robert

Frost, Richard Wilbur and currently W.S. Merwin offer

a unique perspective on America. I hope this initiative

will provide the same opportunity for Philadelphia’s

artists to explore what it means to be a Philadelphian.”

4 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 6 MAY, 2011

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T h e P h i l a d e l p h i a P u b l i c R e c o r d C a l e n d a r

May 6-

State Sen. Shirley Kitchen hosts

Senior Healthy Living Expo at Co-

lumbia N. YMCA, 1400 N. Broad

St., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free event.

Breakfast and lunch will be

served. For info (215) 227-6161.

May 6-

State Rep. Michael McGeehan

hosts tour of Samuel Baxter Water

Treatment Plant celebrating Na-

tional Drinking Water Week at

9001 State Rd., 10 a.m. To join

tour call Nancy Hartey (215) 333-

9760. Need photo ID.

May 6-

22nd Ward Democrat Committee

Spring Fundraiser at Gathering

Place, 6755 Germantown Ave., 6-8

p.m. Candidates $100, community

$50. Meet 8th Dist. City Council,

at-Large City Council and judicial

candidates. For info Ward Leader

Ron Couser (215) 817-6159.

May 6-

AOH 40 names John McNesby

Labor Leader of Year at Ironwork-

ers Ha., 11600 Norcom Rd., 7-11

p.m. Open bar, dinner, music.

Tickets $50. For info Brian Cole-

man (215) 779-1330.

May 6-

Cocktail fundraiser for 8th Dist.

Council candidate Verna Tyner at

Maia’s Fine Dining & Jazz, 5920

Greene St., 7-11 p.m. $50. For info

(267) 297-7470.

May 7-

State Rep. Michelle Brownlee

hosts Mother’s Day celebration

with free health screenings, games

and prizes in her 195th Dist. Office,

2839 W. Girard Ave., 11 a.m.-3

p.m. For info (215) 684-3738.

May 7-

Pre Mothers Day Jazz Brunch

hosted by Ed Nesmith for Council

at Large, Teamsters Local 623,

4369 Richmond St., 1-4 p.m. Spe-

cial guests include Urban Guerilla

Orchestra and Co-Pastor Dayna

Devine of Family Life Worship

Ctr. Tickets $25. For info (215)

992-9273.

May 7-

Beef & Beer Fundraiser for Traffic

Court GOP candidate Lewis Har-

ris, Jr. at 6924 Greenway Ave., 2-6

p.m. Tickets $35. For info Annie

(215) 416-8366.

May 8- Lane Team Mother’s Day

Breakfast at Oak Lane Diner, 6528

N. Broad St., 9 a.m.-12 m. Hosted

by Marion Wimbush. First 100

mothers 50 years and older receive

free breakfast and gift. Broadcast

over 900AM WURD.

May 9-

Democrat City Committee’s Jef-

ferson Jackson Day Cocktail Party

at Sheet Metal Workers Ha.,

Columbus Blvd & Reed St., 5:30-

7:30 p.m. $150. For info Yolanda

(215) 241-7804.

May 9-

Shaare Shamayim Candidates

Night at 9768 Verree Rd., 8 p.m.

Free. For info Myles Gordon (215)

673-6377.

May 10-

Republican City Committee Pri-

mary Election Cocktail Party and

Buffet at Cannstatter Volksfest

Verein, 9130 Academy Rd., 5:30

p.m. For info Carmella Fitzpatrick

(215) 561-0650.

May 10-

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell

holds Democratic 43rd Ward Can-

didates Meeting at 1str Dist. Plaza,

3801 Market St., 6-9 p.m.

6 MAY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 5

OARC Announces 8th AnnualJazz Details

The Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp., Philadel-

phia’s leading community development corporation,

will hold a press conference on Monday, May 9, at 10

a.m., at Relish Restaurant in Northwest Philadelphia to

announce the details of the Annual West Oak Lane Jazz

& Arts Festival.

Now in its eighth year, the Festival is scheduled for Fri-

day, Jun. 17, through Sunday, Jun. 19, and will take

place along Ogontz Avenue in the city’s West Oak Lane

section.

The Festival celebrates the rebirth of the West Oak

Lane community and will feature dozens of internation-

ally acclaimed, award-winning artists, including Chaka

Khan, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Chrisette

Michele and Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra, alongside

some of the best regional and upcoming talent.

Historic Allen Lane Station

Receives Award-Winning

Makeover

SEPTA representatives, elected officials and commu-

nity leaders celebrated the culmination of a two-year

renovation project at historic Allen Lane Station with a

ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning.

Allen Lane Station, which opened in 1885, is now fully

compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The renovation of the historic station earned SEPTA a

2011 Preservation Achievement Award from the Preser-

vation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

City Locals 2187 And 2186

Rank And File Pitch In For

Philabundance

The City of Philadelphia’s white-collar workers, work-

ing without cost-of-living or merit increases or pay

raises while they deal with ever-increasing health-care

costs for almost three years in the absence of a contract,

are giving up this Saturday to help Philabundance sort

and package food for their fellow Philadelphians in

need.

These workers are acutely aware of the fact that – as

they see their paychecks diminished through inflation

and increased health insurance deductions – they could

easily find themselves unable to provide food for their

own families. By volunteering at Philabundance, these

City employees are demonstrating their ongoing com-

mitment to the welfare of all of Philadelphia’s families

and participating on and off the job in making Philadel-

phia a better place to live and work.

Throughout her Local 2187 and District Council 47

presidency, Cathy Scott has scheduled volunteer days at

the Food Bank/Philabundance to help this region’s fam-

ilies who are food insecure gain access to affordable,

nutritional food. At least 50 will be on site.

Philly For Change Endorses

Treatman In 8th Dist.

Eighth Dist. City Council candidate Howard Treatman

earned the endorsement of an important Philadelphia

progressive organization Wednesday night as the can-

didate’s field program achieved a canvassing milestone.

Members of Philly for Change overwhelmingly voted

to endorse Treatman for City Council at the group’s

monthly meeting. Meanwhile, the Treatman campaign

yesterday knocked on the door of its 15,000th voter.

“Philly for Change values grassroots campaigning, and

6 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 6 MAY, 2011

from the beginning, my goal was to

take the message straight to the vot-

ers,” Treatman said. “PFC wants to

see new ideas in City Council, not

more of the same. They liked my

plans for bringing jobs to Northwest

Philadelphia. They want someone

who will make sure that public

funds allocated in the 8th Dist. actu-

ally create public benefit, rather

than enriching a few connected in-

dividuals and organizations. PFC is

a great group of people who really

care about this city and I’m honored

to have their support.”

Our members looked at all the can-

didates in the 8th District City

Council race, and determined that

Howard Treatman has the kind of

experience, independence and fresh

ideas we want to see in City Coun-

cil,” said PFC Chair David Stern-

berg. “Philly for Change

enthusiastically endorses Howard

Treatman in the 8th Dist.”

Philly for Change is the Philadel-

phia chapter of Democracy for

America, which was founded in

2004 by Howard Dean to support

socially progressive and fiscally re-

sponsible Democrats. Activists and

citizens gather on the first Wednes-

day of each month at the PFC

Meetup to discuss politics and hear

about ways to get involved in cam-

paigns and issues.

“Speaking with everyday people –

real voters – has given me a per-

spective on this race I couldn’t have

gotten anywhere else,” Treatman

said. “My experiences at the doors

have been extremely gratifying, and

I’ve found people are very receptive

to my message and to my candi-

dacy.”

Tosca Meets High Expectations In Opera Co. Performance

by Adam Taxin

The current Center City production

of Tosca, with two of its five Acad-

emy of Music performances re-

maining (tomorrow at 8 p.m. and

Sunday at 2:30 p.m.), meets the

lofty expectations one would place

upon an Opera Co. of Philadelphia

version of one of Giacomo Puc-

cini’s best-known works.

This three-act production, the first

production of Tosca by the Opera

Co. in over 10 years, should please

savvy opera veterans. Audience

members who are positively dis-

posed toward, but not particularly

knowledgeable about, opera may

vaguely recognize a few arias (e.g.,

the title character’s “Vissi d’arte”[translated as “I lived for art”] in

Act II) and the “Te Deum” chorus

near the end of Act I. For those po-

tential audience members who are

complete opera novices but are

looking to get more familiar with

the artform, Tosca, which has a rel-

atively straightforward plot, is prob-

ably one of the most ideal “gateway

operas.”

Sung in Italian with English trans-

lations projected on a screen above

the stage, Tosca takes place over a

24-hour period in Rome of the year

1800. That year was part of an era

in which the Bourbon-run city-state

of Naples, in conjunction with Vat-

ican authorities and Austria, was

competing for control of Rome with

Napoleonic France.

This historical backdrop provides a

starting point for the opera’s plot,

which is based on the Frenchman

Victorien Sardou’s play La Tosca,with text for the opera written by

Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica.

A short, not-giving-away-most-of-

the-important-surprises summary of

the opera’s plot is: Baron Scarpia, a

corrupt chief of police (played by

Russian baritone Boris Statsenko),

engineers a plot by which he will be

able to obtain temporary carnal fa-

vors from celebrated singer Floria

Tosca (played by Romanian so-

prano Adina Nitescu) by trumping

up legal charges against her hand-

some painter lover Mario Cavara-

dossi (played by Brazilian tenor

Thiago Arancam).

All three of the production’s main

performers are making their

Philadelphia Opera Co. debuts.

As for stage presence, Nitescu

brings the mandatory sense of Puc-

cini-heroine drama (along the lines

6 MAY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 7

of Mimi in La Bohème and the title character in

Madame Butterfly) to her role. Nitescu is funny in the

parts of Act I in which she exhibits a sense of threat

from a woman in a painting on which her lover is then

working. Arancam brings the right mix of charisma and

sympathy to his role. Statsenko is exceptional in mak-

ing his character reek of vile ominousness. Statsenko’s

Scarpia reminded me of Rod Steiger’s Victor Ko-

marovsky in the 1965 film version of Doctor Zhivago,with a touch of the senses of jealousy and menace of

Shuler Hensley’s Olivier Award-winning

London/Broadway portrayal of Jud Fry, the jealous

farmhand in Oklahoma!

Enough of an opera novice myself to know my limita-

tions as a critic, which include the ability to discern

sublime from merely excellent vocal performances, I

was fortunate to run into Mark Kushner, a Center City-

based cantor (Congregation Mikveh Israel at 20th &

Chestnut), at the performance. I took advantage of the

opportunity to solicit his more-expert assessment.

Kushner’s overall take on the vocal performances was

that “the soprano is maybe world-class, but that’s it.

But you’re still riveted.” In terms of a criticism of the

opera in general, he added that “it is a shame that the

tenor’s best aria is at the beginning; he barely has a

chance to warm up.”

Nevertheless, according to Kushner, “without world-

class voices and without world-class sets, it is still a

grand and glorious opera because of Puccini’s music

and the wonderful libretto.” He emphasized the impor-

tance of the characters which enable the audience to re-

late. Whether “a boss who was corrupt and [whom you

hope gets] his due at the end” or “a girlfriend who was

high-maintenance,” the characters, Kushner said,

“speak to you.”