the spirit of penn's garden – march 10, 2016

THIS

WEEKMARCH 10, 2016

VOL. 1NO. 9

PRESS

HOTOFF THE

STRAWBERRY MANSION NAC/CDC

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Preserving a neighbor-hood’s past while investing

in its future.

ACCU REGGIE

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Seven day forecast for the Penn’s Garden region.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

7

Events and happeningsin Penn’s Garden.

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FAIRMOUNT + NORTH CENTRAL + BREWERYTOWN + TEMPLE + STRAWBERRY MANSIONFRANCISVILLE + POPLAR + LUDLOW + SPRING GARDEN

SHARSWOODDEVELOPMENT

8

Sharswood development plans causing controversy.

iPHO

2

Old Blue Cat BYO on Fairmount is now a new Vietnamese restaurant.

COMMUNITY NEWS – FREE PUBLICATION – PICK ONE UP!

Tenant Barry Thompson knew something was strange when his landlord, Michael Davis, said not to believe anything other ten-ants said about him. “He asked me to move in as soon as he kicked someone else

out,” Thompson explained, as he made his way to hand out flyers with organizers and members of the Philadelphia Tenants Union. In October, Thompson rented a room in the single-family house at 2225 N. Bouvier St., near Temple University. He soon discovered that the house was infested with bedbugs and rodents and the property needed repairs. After months of inaction, he decided to join the efforts of the Philadelphia Tenants Union. The Tenants Union Campaign was started over the summer of 2014 as the organizing project of a group called Philly Socialists. During that summer, the West Philadelphia branch of Philly Socialists formed a soli-

darity network which would take on issues with tenants wronged by land-lords or employees wronged by bosses. After a year of outreach, holding events and meetings, the Philly Social-ists cemented a direct-action campaign that became the Tenants Union. Having had some success in West Philadelphia, Philly Socialists made the decision to expand their efforts into other parts of the city. Organizer Brandon Slattery said there was a need for a citywide tenants union campaign because all working-class people need a tenants union to fight for their interests. “We chose the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood as one of the first places we organized because the residents there have been particularly hit hard by slumlords and gentrification because of Temple University’s business

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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – March 10, 2016

Strawberry mansionW R I T T E N B Y M A R K B R A K E M A N

P R E S E R V I N G A N E I G H B O R H O O D ’ S P A S T W H I L E I N V E S T I N G I N I T S F U T U R E

For nearly ten years, two community organiza-tions have worked together in Strawberry Man-sion to make lives easier for residents and guide development so those lifestyles do not wither.

The Neighborhood Action Center (NAC) arose in No-vember 2004, two years prior to the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation (CDC). The NAC focuses on community planning and quality of life issues, according to its community liaison, Tyrone Williams. It is funded by the city’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The CDC, founded in 2006, is concerned with pressing the community’s interests on steering phys-ical development plans for Strawberry Mansion. According to the CDC’s website, the neighborhood of Strawberry Mansion stretches north from Cecil B. Moore Avenue to Lehigh Avenue, with the Schuylkill River on the west and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor rail tracks, roughly Sedgley Avenue, on the east. One of the NAC’s most popular and impactful initiatives is the Neighborhood Energy Center (NEC), according to Williams. The NEC helps residents afford winter heat and keep utility services from being shut off all together. Mar-cella Bevans, the NAC’s energy monitor, said she helps residents apply to various energy assistance programs. These programs include the state of Pennsylvania’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Crisis programs, the city’s crisis assistance plan for rent and utility bills, and Utility Services Emergency Funding (USEF) for utility shutoffs. Williams explained that without such help, many resi-dents would needlessly suffer. He said millions of dollars made available by the state through LIHEAP and Crisis for Philadelphia assistance are returned each year because people do not feel they are qualified to apply for it. But the NAC cares for more than people’s pocket books: Williams said it also keeps residents apprised of current issues and listens to their concerns at regular communi-ty meetings. Agenda items — ranging from actions by or requirements of the Department of Licenses and Inspec-tions to sightings of raccoons in the neighborhood — are decided on by listening to concerns of residents. In addition to those meetings, the NAC composes a quar-terly newsletter to keep residents apprised of its actions and the state of the neighborhood. “We’re an information hub for the neighborhood,” Williams said. Williams says that one of the NAC’s notable successes was stopping SEPTA’s plan to reconfigure its bus shelter at 33rd and Dauphin Streets. SEPTA’s plans for renova-tions of the routing spot for three bus lines did not sit well with the community and because of the controver-sy, SEPTA delayed action. With the help of the Neighbor-hood Preservation Alliance, Williams said the facility was deemed a national historic site, preventing SEPTA’s contentious alterations. Outwardly, to the community, the NAC’s most obvious presence may be its Keyspot computer lab for community members who do not have access to the Internet, which draws 200 users each month, according to NAC executive director Lenora Jackson-Evans. She said the lab is an ex-ample of the NAC’s tagline: “Rebuilding the community through empowerment.” Lawrence Battle is a volunteer assistant at the lab two days a week. He said the lab is open weekdays from 9AM to 5PM and that in a typical day an average of forty peo-ple use the lab. The computers were provided by Keyspot (a program of the Obama Administration to bridge the digital divide), Broadband USA and the federal Empower-ment Zone initiative. Battle is himself, along with the lab’s other assistants, pro-vided by Keyspot, for which they directly volunteer. He said he performs the same functions at two other computer labs. “Strawberry Mansion needs us here,” Battle said. ”It’s one of the few places where you can use computers for free.” Aside from helping people with technology at the site, Battle said he helps users learn how to operate any elec-tronic devices. ”I’m here to show what they can do, to help to make their lives easier and to show them that their technology is nothing to be afraid of.” The lab is mostly visited by seniors or other adults “brushing up on their skills,” he said, but added that it is also heavily used by kids who are homeschooled and need a place to complete assignments. “Nine times out of ten I’m here to help out as well… Keyspot is here to help the community and I’m here to help the community with Keyspot.” Young people are given specific attention and aid in find-ing employment and applying to school, said lab volun-

teer Lindsey Edwards. That service is sometimes pushed to the limit when any of the other 79 Keyspots in the city are overwhelmed with users and send kids to the Straw-berry Mansion site, putting extra pressure on its resourc-es. Edwards also said Keyspot would like to expand its two summer computer camps in the city, combined with a summer lunch program offered by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and pay its volunteers, or at least offer them a stipend for transportation costs to keep them from leav-ing for paid work elsewhere. But additional funding is needed for all that. For all that the lab is able to do, Edwards says much more could be done with additional funding. “The challenge is to find funds for every [Keyspot] lab,” Edwards said. But being able to keep up with the latest technology is only part of what Strawberry Mansion has to offer its res-idents. According to Tonnetta Graham, president of the Strawberry Mansion CDC, two community gardens give people a chance to work and grow their own food in the form of plot boxes directly on the ground. She said they are located at 32rd Street and Ridge Avenue and 31st Street between Berks and Norris Streets. A greenhouse at Straw-berry Mansion High School, across Ridge Avenue from the garden, will allow farming in the winter, she added. Graham explained that although the CDC and the NAC share a business office, the two neighborhood organiza-tions are two separate entities with different approaches to the neighborhood’s concerns. But they use each other’s strengths to meet their own obligations. “It’s great that we’re two. We’re able to cover so much,” she said. For the CDC’s part in that struggle, she tries to keep de-velopment in the neighborhood in line with what works best for its residents. She said Strawberry Mansion has always had a high rate of homeownership and there are also many low-income developments of the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) in the neighborhood. Now, she added, many market-rate residential developments and mixed-use projects are going up. Graham said PHA will begin constructing 52 units of af-fordable housing at the intersection of 33rd Street and Ar-lington (ground has already been cleared for the project) and Eastern Apartments, a renovation project underway at 30th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue that will open its 32 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments in the spring of this year. But that new construction is being built to draw new residents. Graham says the two neighborhood support groups want to make sure that a path to sustainability is

also made clear for existing residents. “We have an ag-ing housing stock in Strawberry Mansion,” she said. ”We would like to see renovation programs.” Whatever the nature of a development, Graham said the CDC likes to keep the neighborhood involved with all lev-els of the project. She said the CDC has a contractor pool including both union and non-union work forces that they choose to use for jobs. She added that any contrac-tor who is awarded a job must, by contract, hire from the community — a requirement guided by the CDC’s tagline: “Preserving our past, investing in our future.” And it is the NAC’s tagline: ”Financial Empowerment...to improve credit” that is behind the NAC’s Financial Empowerment Center, which helps people prevent fore-closure on their home loans by connecting them to a city program that guides residents through that process. As-sistance is also given to residents applying for the city’s Homestead Exemption Plan to reduce the real estate tax. The NAC also counsels people to keep an eye on their budgets and the number of household residents when applying because the income of an entire home and the number of people relying on it can affect an applicant’s eligibility, said Williams. “We have many… failsafes in place,” said Williams. ”Without [them] many of these residents would fall. We’re a one-stop shop for community services.” ·

(Left to right) Marcella Bevans, Tonnetta C. Graham, and Lenora Jackson-Evans


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Last week started with us getting a “whopping” 1 inch of snow in Philadelphia! The week ended with full-on springtime weather as temperatures soared through the 70s. Such is the volatility of

the cruel month of March. This week, spring arrives in full force as the entire week looks to feature temperatures at or above 60! We could end the week on a cooler note if a cold front comes down on Tuesday, but we’ll worry about that later. Thursday will be so warm it will almost feel like summer. Never say “never” when forecasting the weather, but it looks like winter is really over in Philly. Yeah, we may have a couple days in the 40s to deal with at the end of March, but we are jumping on the tropical express the next two weeks. Plenty of warmth to come!

Snow chances this week: None — Philly may not see an-other snowflake until next winter. Thursday is a picture perfect day. It will be sunny and warm with temperatures in the 70s. Warm lovers — you’ve waited a while for this so enjoy it! Everyone, get out and bask in the sun! Friday is also a very nice day with temperatures once again climbing into the 70s. There could be some clouds and a sprinkle in the morning, but overall a great day! Just remember, it snowed just a week earlier! Saturday is a cooler day that could also feature a shower. Any rain should be brief in duration, with clouds and a lit-tle sun dominating most of the time. Sunday is a touch warmer than Saturday, but showers be-come more likely as our weather comes straight up from

the moist South. It won’t be a washout by any means, but a shower or two should do. Shower chances stick around for Monday as we jump back into the 70s. Again, we are not talking about a lot of rain. Tuesday could be the end of our warm run as a back-door cold front tries to work its way down to us from New England. If that happens we will be in the 40s and 50s for a couple days. Otherwise we will be in the 60s. Either way it looks like we will have some showers around. On Wednesday we start to dry out from any showers the previous days, but clouds hang around.

The weather winner of the week is Thursday; the weath-er loser is Monday. ·

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practices,” Slattery said. “When people are displaced by developers, they are more susceptible to being abused by slumlords like Mike Davis.” Slattery said a strong tenants union branch is also estab-lished at Temple whose members helped organize the lo-cal. Bill Hill, a former tenant of Davis, said he had an arrange-ment with Davis to perform maintenance on some of his properties. However, Davis barely paid Hill, when he paid him anything at all. Hill said he was paid five dollars per project and the work ranged from painting buildings to replacing a roof on a house. He painted the building he lived in three or four times. “The most he gave me was $20 because Barry [Thomp-son]’s wife cussed him out,” Hill said. Hill’s grievances also include bedbugs, mice and a sunk-en bathroom floor. He said the bathroom floor is so low that he can see outside where it disconnects from the wall and rodents enter through that gap. Hill and his wife were recently evicted, even though they paid their rent on time. Thompson alleges that Davis stores furniture from his other properties in that building, making the bedbug infestation worse. Thompson’s bathroom has a broken Plexiglass window that has yet to be replaced. Despite always paying rent on time and following Davis’ advice for rodent prevention, Thompson saw no improve-ments in anything. “He doesn’t fulfill his promises,” Thompson said. “I’m not trying to get out of paying my rent. If he does right by me, I’ll do right by him.” In response to being ignored, Hill and Thompson were joined by Philly Socialists organizers on Saturday, Feb. 20th to distribute flyers outside North Philadelphia Sev-enth-Day Adventist SDA Church, which Davis attends. The flyers were printed with an image of Davis’ face and summarized the grievances his tenants are bringing to his attention. Organizer Brandon Slattery said that they hope to raise awareness in the community of Davis’ violations and neg-ligence of his properties. By flyering outside of the church Davis that attends, the Tenants Union hoped to send him a message. “We wanted to show him that it was easier to sit down and negotiate with us than it will be to ignore us,” Slattery said. While the Tenants Union was not able to contact Davis di-rectly at the event, they were able to make contact with an elder at the church who goes by the name of Chuck. Chuck said he would attempt to facilitate a meeting between Da-vis and the union members. Davis has not been any more cooperative, so the Tenants Union took their problems to City Hall on Wednesday morning, February 24, in the hopes of meeting with City Council President, Darrell Clarke. While they did not hold high expectations that Clarke would be able to meet with them, the organizers and union members at least made contact with the Council President’s office. In doing so, they hope that Clarke will contact them and Davis to arrange a meeting. Philly Socialists and Tenants Union organizer David Thompson said that Wednesday’s action was about ask-ing for Clarke’s assistance to get through to Davis, and to show that there are people fighting back against him. “The point of this is to show Darrell Clarke and his staff that there’s a serious push,” Thompson said. “Hopefully, if he’s [Clarke is] smart, he’ll want to make this go away.” Another organizer with Local Three, Stephanie Altimari, left a message with Clarke’s staff. She told them they were representing Local Three of the Tenants Union and they want to talk to Clarke about Davis, a landlord in the Coun-cil President’s district, who is mistreating tenants. Since Clarke was unavailable, the group left a flyer with contact information for him. Among the more serious accusations against Davis, Thompson says that Davis rents out individual rooms in houses he owns, but alleges that Davis does not have a renter’s licence. Davis, who is African American, also allegedly told Thompson that the Department of Licenses and Inspec-tions (L&I) would not give him a renter’s license because he is black. In 2013, Davis was accused of renting out two proper-ties that he didn’t even own. The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), the property’s actual owner, evicted two families who had signed leases to rent the properties and had paid cash to Davis. A spokesperson from L&I responded that the agency does not push penalties as much as they try to encourage com-pliance from landlords. If a landlord does not have a li-cense to rent, L&I makes them become certified and code compliant. When Davis found out about Thompson joining the Ten-ants Union Local Three, he allegedly responded that there was no point in complaining, because “no one will listen to a black man.”

When Thompson tried to pay rent, Davis suggested he save his money to find a new place to live. Thompson has not been evicted, but he believes this is Davis’ way of trying to get him to move out. If these allegations are true, this may qualify as retaliatory action against a tenant, which Philadelphia law prohibits. “We want to come to some solution,” Thompson said. When contacted for comment, Davis responded that the tenants making these accusations have not paid rent for five months and that some were selling drugs. “They’re false accusations,” Davis responded to the alle-gations from the tenants. At the end of Saturday’s action, Thompson said the day went better than he had hoped.

Continued from Page 1.

Organizer Brandon Slattery (left), tenants Barry Thompson and Bill Hill (middle) spoke with Elder Chuck (right) about the possibil-ity of facilitating a meeting with landlord Michael Davis.

The Philadelphia Tenants Union Local Three went to City Hall to attempt to speak with City Council President, Darrell Clarke.

(From left to right) Tenant Barry Watson, organizers Alex Drusda, Brandon Slattery, Justin Andrews, Mara Henao and tenant Bill Hill. Organizer Tim Horras kneels in the center front.

W R I T T E N B Y D A N R A I N V I L L E

It was a good action,” Thompson said of Saturday’s event. “It wasn’t what we thought it would be. It was better, be-cause we were able to talk to the elder. They made con-tact.”·

P H O T O S A N D W O R D S B Y T H O M A S W E I R

O N E M O N T H C O U N T D O W N T O T H E 9 T H A N N U A L P H I L L Y S P R I N G C L E A N U P


iPHOW R I T T E N B Y D A N R A I N V I L L E

V I E T N A M E S E R E S T A U R A N T L A N D S I N F A I R M O U N T

According to CBSPhilly, what was once the Latin BYOB Blue Cat is now home to iPHO, Fairmount Avenue’s third restaurant to open this year. Located at 1921 Fairmount Ave, iPHO boasts traditional Vietnamese cuisine from chef Van Nguyen, who also operates another iPHO in Atlantic City.

Fare and Fairmount Pizza owner, Andy Siegel, and co-owner of the new iPHO location, has been friends with Nguyen since their high school days. “His soup definitely has its own little flair that I think people are really going to like,” Siegel said, “and his ability to get the flavor out of the grill is just unbelievable.” In addition to its namesake dish, the menu features Banh Mei, a Vietnamese-style hoa-gie, and Bun bo Hue, a spicy noodle soup made with rice vermicelli and beef. iPHO (215-763-7777) is open daily from 11AM to 9PM and offers delivery service as well as take-out and dine-in options. ·

spring cleanupP H O T O S A N D W O R D S B Y T H O M A S W E I R

O N E M O N T H C O U N T D O W N T O T H E 9 T H A N N U A L P H I L L Y S P R I N G C L E A N U P

Mayor Jim Kenney, Streets Commissioner Donald Carlton, Deputy Managing Director for Infrastructure and Transportation Clar-ena Tolson, Deputy Commissioner Carlton

Williams, City Council President Darrell Clarke and Pa. State Rep Donna Bullock were all present to announce the countdown to the 9th annual spring cleanup. The 9th Annual Philly Spring Cleanup is set for Saturday, April 9th from 9AM to 2PM! This is a great way for you, your family, your friends and your neighbors to get in-volved and do your part to keep our City looking its best. Dedication like yours, along with the can-do attitude of thousands of volunteers all over the city, is exactly what we need to meet our goals. ·


Final Indoor Market This Sat, March 12th

8AM til 4PM820 Spring Garden St (9th & Spring Garden) Phila, PA

Over 100 Vendors!

Free Parking / Free Admission / Food Court

See Our Web Site For Our 2016 Outdoor Schedule

www.PhilaFleaMarkets.org

Spring Garden Indoor

VINTAGEFLEA

MARKET

Another First Friday has come and gone in Brew-erytown, thanks to efforts of local artists, busi-nesses and the dedicated work of Brewerytown Social.

Artists included: Robert Morgan at The Monkey and the Elephant (2831 W. Girard Ave.); the Prelude to a Memory Release Party at Brewerytown Beats (2710 W. Girard Ave.), which featured art from Textual Records and music spun by DJs Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere; the work of Sta-cy Holder was displayed at Crime & Punishment Brewing Co. (2711 W. Girard Ave.); and Rephael Epstein’s art was exhibited at Lather Hair Studio (2731 W. Girard Ave.). The night was capped off by the Yung Kandy Collective who welcomed droves of art enthusiasts into their space to showcase an array of Brewerytown artists and musi-cians. The featured art will be displayed at all locations throughout the duration of March. ·

Brewerytown Beats.

Yung Kandy Collective.

Inside Brewerytown Beats.

Rephael Epstein’s art at Lather Hair Studio.

Robert Morgan at The Monkey and the Elephant

Rephael Epstein’s art at Lather Hair Studio.


calendarC O M M U N I T Y

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 A V E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6

March 2-26THE RESONANCE OF PLACECerulean Arts (1355 Ridge Ave.) is pleased to present The Resonance of Place: Andrea Krupp & Roger Chavez, fea-turing works inspired by their recent residencies in Ice-land and Ireland, respectively. The opening reception will take place on Friday, March 4 from 5-8PM and the Artists’ Talk will take place on Sunday, March 13 at 2PM. For more information on this exhibit and others, visit CeruleanArts.com or call 267-514-8647.

Thursday, March 3 to Sunday, March 13POP-UP MUSEUM: SPORTS & LEISUREFor 11 days only, Eastern State Penitentiary presents its fourth annual Pop-Up Museum! On display for 2016 will be sports paraphernalia, including a photograph of for-mer Philadelphia baseball manager Connie Mack with Warden Cornelius Burke, as well as objects depicting rec-reational activities – inmate-made crafts, paintings, con-fiscated shanks and other weapons. Also of particular in-terest this year is a short movie of sports at Eastern State Penitentiary filmed in 1929, courtesy of the University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collections. The film has never before been shown at the historic site. The Pop-Up Museum is included with admission. Tickets are available online or at the door, subject to availability.

Thursday, March 10GBCDC MARCH COMMUNITY MEETINGJoin the Greater Brewerytown Community Development Corporation for their March meeting. The meeting will cover community cleanups, new events and an opportu-nity to learn about the 2016 Democratic Primaries. The meeting will take place on 3000A W. Master St.For more information visit brewerytownphilly.org or call 215-769-5220.

Tuesday, March 15SM COMMUNITY RESOURCE GARDENInterested in growing your own vegetables and herbs? Join us at the SM Community Garden and learn how and when to grow food naturally. There are a limited number of plots available so come out and join the club soon. The event runs from 11AM-2PM.

Wednesday, March 16GAMBA U: PLANNING & LOAN READINESSA business plan… it’s something you should have, but maybe don’t. It’s something you’ll definitely need when raising money or borrowing to grow and expand. Join colleagues for a discussion on how to create an effective business plan that will prepare you to present to lenders or investors. The event runs from 6-7:30PM and the loca-tion is TBA. For more information visit fcdc.wildapricot.org.

Wednesday, March 16CAN A KID BE A HERO, TOO?Did you know that more than 48 soldiers under the age of 18 won the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery and service during the Civil War? Follow your cu-riosity and imagination, verify your facts, and investigate your clues to discover stories of the children who were an active and critical part of the Civil War, on the home front and on the battlefield. All ages welcome. The event will take place at the Cecil B. Moore Branch of the Free Library, at 2320 Cecil B. Moore Ave. starting at 4PM. For more information visit freelibrary.org.

Thursday, March 17SOCIAL AND STUDIO CONVERSATIONS: MICHAEL RAKOWITZAt this special event, Iraqi-American and Jewish artist Mi-

chael Rakowitz will preview A Desert Home Companion, his upcoming project produced with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Realized in Philadelphia, the project will bring renowned Iraqi broadcaster Bahjat Abdulawahed together with other Iraqi refugees and Iraq War veterans, for a layered and transcendent look into the history and culture of Iraq, reflecting on the country’s mid-20th century cultural heyday and its recent wartime environment. This event is free to the public and will take place at Moore Col-lege of Art and Design (20th and Benjamin Franklin Park-way) from 6:30-8PM. This event is free to the public.For more information, visit muralarts.org/programs.

Saturday, March 19VISIONS OF BROADWAYThe 2016 Visions of Broadway on Broad at the New Free-dom Theatre (1346 N Broad St.) is directed and choreo-graphed by Patricia Scott Hobbs, Managing Director of the Performance Arts Training Program. In this original New Freedom Theatre production, she is joined by New Freedom’s teaching staff members: Diane Leslie, Shaw-na Evans, and Khalil Munir who make up the directorial/choreographic team. Latasha Morris is the musical direc-tor, Shanna Mawavise is the writer, and Gail Leslie, is the assistant to writer. The staff is joined by alumni teachers.For more information and to buy tickets, visit freedomthe-atre.org or call 888-802-8998.

Saturday, March 19NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS: THE NEWEST BIOLOGICAL FRONTIERWhat is it like to discover a new species? Most people probably imagine a team of intrepid scientists trekking through a wild landscape to find creatures that have never been seen before by human eyes. While that situation is familiar to Smithsonian Curator and research zoologist Kristofer Helgen, he also knows that another kind of ex-pedition can be just as valuable: a trip to a natural histo-ry museumAt this Westbrook Lecture, one in an annual series of historic talks by world-renowned scientists, Dr. Helgen will share how some of his most well-known new mammal discoveries were inspired by natural history col-lections, and how today’s scientists are using collections such as the Wagner’s to paint a fuller picture of the animal kingdom. The Wagner museum will open at 1:30PM; lec-ture starts at 3pm. Free for all.For more information and to register visit wagnerfreeinstitute.org.

Saturday, March 19BALANCE DANCE COMPANYBalance Dance Company presents Map of the Human Heart, an exploration through dance of the highs, lows, and challenges of love. Performances take place at 3PM and 7:30PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for stu-dents (16 and under) and are cash only. For more information and to get your ticket, visit performancegarage.com

Saturday, March 192016 WESTBROOK FREE LECTURESHIPDr. Richard B. Westbrook, Trustee of the Institute from 1884 until his death in 1899, established the Westbrook Free Lectureship as a means to encourage open discourse on scientific subjects, especially “disputed questions in science and the theories of Evolution.” Since 1912 when the series began, Westbrook lecturers have included some of the most distinguished scientists and scholars of the past 100 years, among them John Dewey, George Gaylord Simpson, and Margaret Mead.For more information visit wagnerfreeinstitute.org.

Tuesday, March 29THE VIETNAM WAR COMMEMORATION The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support in Philadel-phia, PA is looking to inform local Vietnam veterans about an event in which they would be honored for their service. Every Vietnam War veteran in attendance will be personally recognized by current U.S. service members and communi-ty members. Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam War veter-an Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Sinn, Ret., will also provide a keynote address on his experiences as a “tunnel rat” and a leader of a Rome Plow team. The Vietnam War Commemoration Program is sponsored by the Association of the U.S. Army and commemorative partners Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support and Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The event will take place at 3PM.

Wednesday, March 23SEED SWAP & GARDEN SKILL SHARECalling all gardeners, seed keepers, and heirloom en-thusiasts! Join the Culinary Literacy Center and the Phil-adelphia Seed Exchange for an evening of storytelling, skill-sharing and seed and plant swapping. Early spring is the perfect time to get in the garden and plant seeds and starts for your favorite cooking greens, beans, grains, root vegetables, culinary herbs, flowers, and more. Bring your own seed, plant starts and plant cuttings for culinary crops to share. New to seed saving and plant propagation? Information on the practices and traditions of seed sav-ing will be available. Participants are encouraged but not required to bring materials to set up a small demonstra-tion and share a specific skill such as threshing seeds, seed starting, taking cuttings, etc. This is a family-friend-ly, physically accessible program open to gardeners of all skill levels. The event runs from 6-8PM at the Free Library of Philadelphia: Culinary Literacy Center at 1901 Vine St 4th Floor Conference Rooms 405-407.

Tuesday, April 5A PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLYThe People’s Assembly at Tree House Books is a process that our community will engage in as important and es-sential impact makers in North Philadelphia. This pro-cess will, over time, expose how the ideas and work done by the people of North Philadelphia benefits the develop-ment of the entire city. By creating a relaxed and safe at-mosphere, Identifying key tasks to be completed during meetings, and being flexible with the agenda as new issues may arise, we will work towards community con-sensus. We will review writings reflective of great civiliza-tions and municipalities, we will share stories of success and celebration. We use this practice to develop plans for growing together. This is our city. Together we will direct its growth. Treehouse books is located at 1340 W. Susque-hanna Ave., and the event runs from 6:30-8:30PM.

Thursday, April 7THE BIOLOGY OF BEDTIMESLEEP—it’s something we do (or try to do) every night be-cause we feel tired and know how our behavior changes when we don’t catch enough zzz’s. Scientists, however, ar-en’t clear on the biology behind our compulsion to sleep, or even how regular snoozing benefits us. After making a simple discovery, that flies also need sleep, University of Pennsylvania Neuroscience professor Amita Sehgal was inspired to study the molecular basis of sleep and circa-dian rhythm (the 24-hour cycle that mysteriously dictates many of our physiological functions). At this Weeknights at the Wagner lecture, Sehgal will share the latest findings from her lab, where they use the Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly as a model for human sleep and sleep-related be-havior. The lecture begins at 6PM. For more information visit wagnerfreeinstitute.org.

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SharswoodW R I T T E N B Y T H O M A S B E C K A N D J O R D Y N C O R D N E R

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

According to Hidden City Philadelphia, a 10-year-long redevelopment project priced at ap-proximately $500 million is underway in the Sharswood section of Philadelphia. The Phila-

delphia Housing Authority (PHA) will tear down Norman Blumberg Apartments and in its place construct more than 1,000 single-family housing units. But this development is not without its share of controver-sy. The PHA will also be appropriating at least 372 nearby structures, including hundreds of row houses and more than two dozen commercial properties along Ridge Avenue and more than a thousand vacant lots over 40 city blocks. This has preservationists riled up due to the community’s history as a brewing mecca, its Jazz Age influence and its importance during the Civil Rights movement. In December of last year, PHA officials announced that they have yet to decide which edifices they will demolish and which ones they will restore. “We’re going to be looking at buildings on a case-by-case basis,” PHA spokesperson Nichole Tillman told Hidden City. “We are committed to balancing the need to develop affordable housing with the needs of historic preservation.” The PHA, however, has yet to formally complete Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (1966), which requires the organization to consider the ramifications the project might have on any historical landmark or building. Amy Lambert, a graduate student and member of the Penn Preservation Program, expressed her mounting dis-pleasure with the PHA’s development. “We need to define preservation and the cultural land-scape for them so they know that what we want is not incongruent with what they’re doing in Sharswood,” she said, according to the Hidden City report. “PHA says it’s committed to historic preservation, but I don’t think they know what that term means.” Many are concerned that the PHA will exploit the suppos-edly neglected nature of the neighborhood in order to jus-tify their business venture. “[PHA’s] language at community meetings is always that the neighborhood is beyond repair,” said Molly Lester, co-chair of Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance. Other skeptics point to the PHA’s lack of experience in de-velopment beyond affordable housing. Inga Saffron of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “In recent years, PHA has done its best work on the tabula rasa sites it created after demolishing high-rise towers. But critics say the agency is less adept at managing infill projects in existing neighborhoods. That’s the kind of sensitive development that Sharswood’s gap-toothed, 19th-century blocks need.” At least 73 of the properties in Sharswood subject to ap-propriation are currently occupied by residents and local business owners. The PHA has assured them that they will provide financial assistance for relocation efforts. But the locals’ concerns have not been allayed. “Where am I supposed to go,” asked Kevin Polanco, own-er of a convenience store and two housing units at the in-tersection of 24th and Oxford Streets in an interview Hid-den City. “I have two daughters who depend on the income from that business. I have employees with families [who] depend on that income. We don’t want to leave.” According to Curbed Philly, the Norman Blumberg Apart-ments will be destroyed in keeping with the PHA’s plans for the North Philadelphia neighborhood. Two of the three high rises will be imploded at 7:15 AM on March 19th, leaving one tower intact to serve as senior citizen housing. The development of the neighborhood is being headed by Domus. Citizens put out by the implosion have been awarded the right to return, absolutely, to the neighborhood, as per the Norman Blumberg Apartments Multi-Family Section 18 Relocation Plan from June 2015. New low rise units are already underway just across the street from the current Norman Blumberg site. Spirit News will continue to look into this development as it progresses.

the spirit of penn's garden – march 10, 2016

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