vol. iii no. 90 (456) keeping you posted with the politics of ... · 24/05/2012 · event will...

Vol. III No. 90 (456) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia May 24, 2012

CITY REPUBLICANS allied with State Party officials last night held an election for Republican City

Committee Chair at St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church in Northern Liberties. Rick Hellberg,

right, was elected chairman by a roll-call vote of 20 ward leaders, who form a majority of 30 ward

leaders whose positions are not contested. Hellberg will lead this group against

a rival faction headed by Vito Canuso, whose chairmanship was not recognized

by Republican State Committee last year after voting irregularities, and

Canuso’s Chief Counsel Mike Meehan. Each group now claims to be official

Republican City Committee.

PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Now: 2 GOPs

2 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

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

C a l e n d a rMay 24- S.W. CDC’s Exec-

utive Board will host reception at

Bartram’s Garden, 54th & Lind-

bergh Blvd., 5-8 p.m. Marking its

25th year of service to Southwest

community.

May 24- 63rd Ward GOP

Fundraiser at 1619 Grant Ave., 6

p.m. Tickets $50.

May 26- State Rep.

Vanessa Lowery Brown hosts

Hug-A-Vet rally at George T. Cor-

nish American Legion Post 292,

4812 Fairmount Ave., 10 a.m.-3

p.m. Honoring vets from N. and

W. Phila. For info (215) 879-6615.

May 28- Memorial Day

Services at Washington Sq., 7th

and Locust, Korean and Vietnam

Memorials, Spruce and Columbus

Blvd, Bridesburg and Fishtown,

10 a.m.-2 p.m.

May 29- Samuel Staten, Sr.

Charitable Trust holds its Charity

Golf Classic at Spring Mill Coun-

try Club, Ivyland, Pa. Outing dedi-

cated to memory of James N.

Harper, Sr., business manager of

Laborers’ Union Local 413. For

info

www.StatenCharitableTrust.org.

Jun.2- State Rep. Cherelle Parker

sponsors legal workshop on Your

Right to Know at Finley Recre-

ation Ctr., 7701 Mansfield Ave.

For info (215) 242-7300.

Jun. 3- Italian National

Day, La Festa Della Repubblica,

in S. Phila. on E. Passyunk Ave.

between Mifflin and Moore Sts.,

12-6 p.m. Rain or shine. For info

(215) 334-8882.

Jun. 3- Congregations of

Shaare Shamayim marks 50th an-

niversary at 9768 Verree Rd.

Event will honor David L. Cohen,

Exec. VP, Comcast, with Highest

Honor Award (Kol Hakavod) for

his service, especially in the Jew-

ish community. Honorary Co-

chairs are Gov. Ed Rendell and

Hon. Jonathan Saidel. Entertain-

ment by “Broadway Sings”. Event

starts at 2:30 p.m. For ticket info

and to place ad in Souvenir Com-

memorative Journal (215-677-

1600) or Dr. Ruth Horwitz,

Tribute Committee (215) 913-

1991.

Jun. 10- St. Edmond’s

Parish Centennial Dinner at

Penn’s Landing Caterers, 1301 S.

Columbus Blvd., 2-6 p.m. Ticket

$65 with a cash bar. For info (215)

334-3755.

Jun. 15-16-7- Annual St. Maron

Church Lebanese Festival on

Ellsworth St. between 10th and

11th. Friday from 5 p.m., Saturday

and Sunday from 11 a.m. Admis-

sion free. All welcome. Authentic

Middle East cuisine and entertain-

ment.

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Romney Visits Philly School

As Obama Backers Rip HimAs Mitt Romney campaigns in West Philadelphia

this morning, touring Universal Bluford Charter

School, Mayor Michael Nutter, District Attorney

Seth Williams and Obama supporters held a press

conference to rip into Mitt Romney’s education

record.

Supporters of President Obama charged Mitt Rom-

ney’s career in both the private and public sectors

has been guided by one principle: helping the

wealthiest prosper by any means necessary, even if

it means undermining workers and middle class

families. These are the values that he would bring

to the White House and that would prioritize

budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthiest Ameri-

cans over good schools and affordable higher edu-

cation, they said.

Public Education

Rally Draws ThousandsFourteen people were arrested yesterday at a mass

protest to save Philadelphia’s public schools after

the marchers sat in the middle of Broad Street a

few blocks from the Philadelphia School District

office.

They were among thousands of parents, commu-

nity members, teachers and workers who marched

through downtown Philadelphia calling on the

city’s School Reform Commission and Gov. Cor-

bett to stop “dismantling” public education. Aim-

ing to focus public attention on the proposed

closure of dozens of schools and layoff of thou-

sands of school employees, the protesters marched

to the School District office at 440 N. Broad

Street.

Among those arrested were Gabe Morgan, Penn-

sylvania State Director for 32BJ of the Service

Employees International Union, and George Ric-

chezza, Leader of the 32BJ District 1201, which

has more than 2,700 members working in the

city’s public schools. Also arrested was Wayne

McManiman, 32BJ Mid-Atlantic District Director;

two members of Fight for Philly; and two retired

teachers, Lisa Haver and Ron Whitehorne.

By 4 p.m., at least some had been released. They

are to be arraigned at a hearing on Jun. 20.

Ricchezza, who has himself received a layoff no-

tice along with the more than 2,700 other school

workers in his unit, said, “Our members – the men

and women who keep Philadelphia schools run-

ning and who get children to school safely every

day – are also parents and community members.

The Governor and SRC are taking steps that would

devastate their communities.”

SRC is pushing the school district to outsource

core operations by closing dozens of schools, elim-

inating thousands of good jobs, and greatly ex-

panding privately run public charter schools. This

(Cont. Page 5)



Daily WafflesFrom Joe Sbaraglia (The Waffleman)

CLAM VENDOR – “Jigs”, as

he was nicknamed, opened

and sold fresh clams on the

half-shell from his push cart.

He could open the clams al-

most as fast as the hungry

buyers could eat them. The

clams were served on paper

plates and eaten at his cart.

He charged fifteen cents for six

clams on the half-shell, twenty-

five cents for a dozen. There

was no charge for the hot pep-

per sauce or lemon wedges

used to flavor the clams.

CLEANING THE STREETS -

Almost all the neighbors got

out their buckets and brooms

when someone opened the

plug. They swept and cleaned

the pay-ments, streets and

front steps. This was done

often by almost all the neigh-

bors because they really took

a genuine pride in their neigh-

borhoods.

CLINKER SIFTING - was al-

ways done to sift out and re-

move partially-burnt coals from

the ashes produced by coal

fired home furnaces. Sifting

was done before the ashes

were put out in front of the

house for pick up. The clinkers

were then put back in the fur-

nace to be burned again. It

was a no-no to throw out us-

able coal with the ashes.

To buy a copy of this bookE-Mail [email protected]

3 BIGSALES

WEEKLY



(Cont. From Page 3)

comes in the wake of district budget problems

caused by district mismanagement and chronic un-

derfunding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylva-

nia, which accounts for nearly half of the school

district’s revenues.

Recent news reports have also highlighted connec-

tions between Corbett and at least one wealthy

donor who would benefit from further expansion

of private charter schools. That’s Vahan

Gureghian, a businessman who is a major Mont-

gomery Co. Republican Party player. Last year, he

spent $28.9 million on CSMI, a charter that re-

ceives more than 41% of the Chester School Dis-

trict’s budget, according to the PhiladelphiaInquirer.

Casey Unveils Legislation

To Stop Vet Job Discrimination

Today, in a continued effort to share President

Obama’s vision for our country, Obama for Amer-

ica released a new television ad in Pennsylvania ti-

tled “Reverse” that highlights the steady, consistent

recovery President Obama is leading for the mid-

dle class. When the president took office, our

country was losing 750,000 jobs a month and he

took immediate action to stop the bleeding, not

only helping the private sector end the free-fall,

but reversing the trend. Instead of losing jobs, we

are now creating them — 4.2 million private-sec-

tor jobs over 26 consecutive months of job growth.

This follows the release of another television ad ti-

tled “Go” — which details President Obama’s com-

mitment to moving America forward.

New Obama Ad,

‘Reverse’, Targets Penna.

With Memorial Day approaching and veteran un-

employment in Pennsylvania at 7.3%, US Sen.

Bob Casey (D-Pa.) unveiled legislation to combat

job discrimination that veterans often confront

when they return home.

During a conference call, the Senator highlighted

county-by-county unemployment data for veterans

across Pennsylvania and called on Congress to

quickly take up and pass his bill, the Servicemem-

bers’ Access to Justice Act.

“The men and women of our armed forces have

given their all for our country, and it’s essential

that we protect them in the workplace when they

come home,” Casey said. “No veteran should face

job discrimination when they return from war, and

passing this bill will ensure our servicemembers

are protected.”

Casey’s bill would strengthen existing laws that

prohibit discrimination against returning veterans

at the workplace. Specifically, it would:

Make it easier for servicemembers to obtain justice

when their employment rights are violated by pro-

hibiting employers from requiring servicemembers

to give up their ability to have their old job back as

condition of employment. For example, under the

bill an employer could not force a servicemember

to automatically give up his job when he or she is


THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORDcalled into service. A servicemember could volun-

tarily leave their job upon deployment but could

not be forced to as a condition for being hired.

Enhance the remedies available to servicemembers

who prove that their rights under existing veteran

anti-discrimination laws were violated, by adding

minimum liquidated damages for willful violations

and punitive damages for violations committed

with malice.

Require that federal agencies provide notice to

contractors of potential Uniformed Services Em-

ployment & Reemployment Rights Act obligation.

Include a provision for a Government Accountabil-

ity Office report requiring study of current em-

ployer education programs and soliciting

recommendations for ways in which government

agencies such as the Small Business Administra-

tion and the Defense Dept. Employer Support for

Guard and Reserve could cooperate to enhance

employer education.

There are 77,641 veterans in Philadelphia. Their

unemployment rate is a shocking 16.1%.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele an-

nounced yesterday a new, simplified process for

people born in Pennsylvania to get a non-driver

photo ID card for voting purposes if they lack an

acceptable alternative ID.

This innovative system, now in place, can certify

the birth records of Pennsylvania natives without

the need for them to purchase a duplicate birth cer-

tificate with a raised seal.

“At Gov. Corbett’s direction, we continue working

on quicker and easier ways for eligible voters to

obtain photo IDs,” said Aichele, whose department

oversees elections in Pennsylvania “Working in

collaboration with PennDOT and the Dept. of

Health, we have developed an alternative, secure

system for verifying the birth records of people

born in Pennsylvania to help them obtain a photo

ID for voting.”

Individuals must visit a PennDOT drivers-license

center and submit the necessary information. The

information will then be forwarded to the Dept. of

Health, which maintains birth records.

Once it is verified that the individual’s birth record

is on file, applicants will be notified by mail when

to pick up the non-driver photo ID card for voting

purposes. The process, which is free, is expected

to take about 10 days.

Anyone who purchased a Pennsylvania birth cer-

tificate for voter ID purposes after Mar. 14, 2012,

can apply for a refund by visiting one of DOH’s

six regional offices. For more information, visit

www.health.state.pa.us, under the “Birth and

Death Certificates” tab.

To be eligible for a refund, you must show proof

that a birth certificate was purchased after the date

the Voter ID law went into effect, as well as the

photo ID obtained from PennDOT.

Anyone who holds a Pennsylvania driver’s license

or non-driver photo ID that has expired since 1990

does not need any proof of ID or residence to get a

photo ID for voting. People need only give their

name to a PennDOT customer service representa-

tive and indicate they have an expired license.

For identification issues, call PennDOT’s customer

care center at 1 (800) 932-4600.

Information on the voter ID law is available at

www.votesPA.com, or by calling 1 (877)

VOTESPA.

Pa. Sec’y Eases Path

To Obtain Photo ID



House Committee Moves

Bishop’s Adoption LawThe House Children & Youth Committee approvedlegislation introduced by State Rep. LouiseWilliams Bishop (D-W. Phila.) which specifies afather’s rights in adoption proceedings.

Bishop’s amendment to HB 451 would establishmethods to locate the father if the mother relin-quishes parental rights to their child for adoptionproceedings. The measure will also immediatelyterminate parental rights in the instance of abuseagainst the child.

“My bill will protect children and give fathersrights in adoption proceedings,” Bishop said. “Mylegislation helps to streamline the adoption processand make it easier for fathers to connect with theirchildren.”

The legislation has now been referred to the StateHouse for further consideration. The legislator isDemocrat chairwoman of the House Children &Youth Committee.

Domestic Partners Shouldn’t PayInheritance Tax, Says JosephsAt a Capitol news conference yesterday, State Rep.Babette Josephs (D-S. Phila.) called on House Re-publicans to move her legislation that would adddomestic partners to the list of people who are ex-empt from paying state inheritance taxes.

“I believe the institution of marriage is sacred andquite special; however, there are many traditionalcouples who are in deeply committed relation-ships, but for personal reasons, choose not to enterinto the institution of marriage. Other couples areprevented by law from marriage because of theirgender,” Josephs said. “Nevertheless, both types ofthese domestic partnership arrangements do notpreclude a committed, loving and monogamous re-lationship.

“Under the Commonwealth’s inheritance-tax laws,

the State victimizes the surviving partner of thatcommitted couple by subjecting that partner to asignificant financial burden while he or she is alsoexperiencing the emotional trauma of a lovedone’s passing.”

Josephs’ legislation (HB 1828) would define a do-mestic partnership as a relationship not defined bymarriage or a civil union, but one where the twopeople agree to mutual interdependence and takeresponsibility for the maintenance and support ofthe other.

In order to prove this relationship for an inheri-tance tax exemption, the surviving domestic part-ner would have to provide a signed partnershipaffidavit and any two documents proving signifi-cant household partnership.



Mayor Kicks Off Kids’

Summer Youth ProgramingMayor Michael A. Nutter announced the launch of

the Fun Safe Philly Summer campaign, a summer-

long effort to involve and engage Philadelphia

youth in structured programming, drop-in activi-

ties and the Summer Meals Program. The kick-off

coincides with the update to the youth program-

ming website, which will serve as a one-stop infor-

mation hub for available summer activities for all

ages.

“Summer is certainly a time to relax and enjoy a

break from school. But it is also an invaluable op-

portunity for our young people to be active and en-

gaged in fun and enriching programming,” said the

Mayor. “Fun Safe Philly Summer is an all-encom-

passing campaign aimed at promoting available

structured programs and encouraging involvement

in drop-in activities, as a way to ensure young peo-

ple are spending their time productively.”

For summer 2012, the City of Philadelphia has

identified more than 15,000 structured summer

program spots for youth, including up to 8,000

slots at 140 Dept. of Parks & Recreation sites.

Paired with structured programming, the City is

also promoting participation in drop-in activities at

recreation centers, public libraries, pools,

KEYSPOT computer centers and more.

“This summer, the City of Philadelphia is taking a

proactive approach to helping kids and teens create

their own summer program,” said Deputy Mayor

for Environmental & Community Resources

Michael DiBernardinis. “Drop-in activities, like

visiting one of the 54 public library branches,

swimming at one of 70 public pools or playing at a

neighborhood recreation center, can be enriching

and safe options for spending your summer.”

Susan Slawson, First Deputy Commissioner for

Recreation & Programs, said, “The Dept. of Parks

& Recreation offers affordable, fun and safe sum-

mer opportunities for youth of all ages in neigh-

borhoods throughout the City. Our programs serve

the diverse needs of our youth no matter their in-

terest; such as the arts, athletics, outdoor education

or computer classes.”

As part of Fun Safe Philly Summer, the City is

working with Philadelphia Youth Network on the

Save Summer Jobs program. Save Summer Jobs

identifies and reaches out to local businesses to

create jobs or internships for young people.

Nutter also introduced the Summer Service &

Summer Reading Challenge, which offers incen-

tives to young people who read and/or volunteer

this summer. Challenge participants can pick up

and drop off forms at any branch of the Free Pub-

lic Library. The challenges are:

The Summer Reading Challenge is open to youth

ages 5 to 18. Participants will read three books and

complete book reports.

The Summer Service Challenge is open to older

youth, ages 14-18. Participants will volunteer at

least three service events, completing no less than

10 service hours.

The Fun Safe Philly Summer campaign also en-

courages enrollment in the Summer Food Service

Program, a federally funded program that serves

breakfast, lunch and snacks to children 18 years of

age and younger and mentally and physically chal-

lenged persons who are enrolled in specialized

programs. The Summer Food Service Program be-

gins on Jun. 18, 2012.



In 2011, the Summer Food Service Program

served 2.8 million meals to about 90,000 Philadel-

phians. However, an additional 41,000 children

were eligible to receive food services but were not

registered. Meals are served at nearly 1,000 sites

across the City, including recreation centers, play-

grounds, Play Streets, summer camps, community

organizations and schools and daycare centers.

Mayor Nutter also reminded parents, caregivers

and youth that the summer curfew will go into ef-

fect when the school year ends on Jun. 14. The

curfew times are as follows:

13 years old and younger, 9 p.m.;

14 and 15, 10 p.m.; and

16 and 17, 11 p.m.

For more information on summer youth program-

ming options and for a full list of program start

dates and times, call 3-1-1 or log on to

www.phila.gov/youthprograms. Follow Fun Safe

Philly Summer on Twitter @PhillySummer or on

Tumblr at www.funsafephillysummer.tumblr.com.

New Garden Opens

Behind Art MuseumOfficials marked completion of a new garden at Reilly Memorial near Art Museum and the river at a re-

ception hosted by City officials and the Philadelphia Museum of Art this morning. It marked the opening

of a garden designed by the renowned artist Sol LeWitt (1928-2007). He conceived this installation 30

years ago, and the vision now becomes a reality.

Called Lines in Four Directions in Flowers, the garden is 18,850 square feet (nearly one-third the size of

a football field). Each of the four beds within the garden is 4,320 square feet (80’ x 54’) and in total, four

colored quadrants-red, yellow, white, and blue-contain more than 7,000 plants.

Landscape architecture and urban design firm OLIN worked in partnership with the Philadelphia Mu-

seum of Art to interpret LeWitt’s original drawing and written description of the design and oversee the

installation of this work. Groundswell Design Group, LLC, planted the flowers and will maintain the

garden throughout the next two years.

vol. iii no. 90 (456) keeping you posted with the politics of ... · 24/05/2012 · event will...

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