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Vol. III No. 110 (475) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia July 9, 2012
PHILA. WATER DEPT. will hold hearings every day this week to discuss pro-
posed rate increases. See story inside.
PhiladelphiaDaily Record
Gold In TheWater
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 rJul. 13- Councilwoman
Jannie Blackwell celebrates her
birthday h osting and feeding
city’s homeless at Holmes
School, 5429 Chestnut ST. from
noon till 4 pm.
Jul. 16- Phila. Tea Party
Patriots and So. Philly/CC
group meet at Prudential Bank
Bldg., 1843 Oregon Ave., 7 p.m.
Parking and entrance in back.
Jul. 21- Fundraiser for
State Rep. John Taylor in N.
Wildwood at Coconut Cove,
400 W. Spruce Ave., N. Wild-
wood, N.J., 2-6 p.m. , $25. Cash
Bar. For info (215) 545-2244.
Jul. 21- 9th Annual
Healthy Hoops Program, 10
a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at St. Joseph’s
University Michael J. Hagan
Arena, 5400 City Avenue. For
youngsters 3 to 16 with asthma,
heart or weight problems.
Hosted by Amerihealth Mercy
Foundation, Keyswtone Mercy
Health Plan and Charlie Mack
Party 4 Peace. Call 215-863-
6666 to register.
Jul. 21- Rep. Gary
Williams’ 32nd Ward’s 5th an-
nual Fee Summer Day Trip to
Wildwood, NJ, hosting seniors
and children at no cost for full
day of fun, water park rides, and
beach frolic. Three Buses leave
from 16th and Berks sts. at 8
a.m. and return at 8 p.m.
Jul. 27- Former Sheriff
Barbara Deeley hosts evening
with Councilman Bob Hewnon
at 270 Seabreeze Court, Angle-
sea, NJ. 6:30 to 9 pm. Contribu-
tion $100. Make checks payable
to Bobby 11, POBox 22614,
Phila. 19110. RSVP badee-
ley@gmail.com or call 215-
906- 0339.
Jul. 28- Brady Bunch
Beach Party at Keenan’s in An-
glesea, Wildwood, N.J., 4 p.m.
Tickets available at door.
Aug. 18- Barrett Rec Ctr.
Advisory Board Community
Day, 8th & Duncannon Sts., 11
a.m.-3 pm. No charge. Family
fun day. All invited. For info
Sheila Bellamy (215) 457-4079.
Aug. 18- 47th Ward Crab &
Shrimp Fest to Baltimore leaves
Progress Plaza, Broad and Ox-
ford Sts., 1 p.m. Open bar, mas-
sive menu. $150. For info
George Brooks (267) 971-5703.
Aug. 19- Annual Bill Mee-
han Clam Bake at Cannstatter
Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy
Rd., 4-8 p.m. Ferko String Band
entertains. For details call Re-
publican City Committee (215)
561-0650.
When You Want Your Roof To Be Done Right The First Time
215-464-6425
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 3
Voter ID: How Many Lose?
Administration, Foes DifferThe vast majority of registered voters in Pennsyl-
vania have identification that can be used for vot-
ing, according to a recent comparison of the Dept.
of State’s voter-registration rolls and PennDOT ID
databases.
“This thorough comparison of databases confirms
most Pennsylvanians have acceptable photo ID for
voting this November,” Secretary of the Common-
wealth Carol Aichele said. “This comparison takes
into account only voters with PennDOT IDs, and
does not include voters who may have any of the
other various acceptable forms of ID.”
All voters identified as not having a PennDOT ID
number will be contacted by letter this summer, re-
minding them of the new voter-ID law, what IDs
are acceptable for voting purposes, and how to get
a free ID if they don’t have one.
County election directors will also be provided
with the names and addresses of voters in their
counties who did not match any record in the Pen-
nDOT database.
The database comparison shows:
91% of Pennsylvania’s 8,232,928 registered voters
have PennDOT ID numbers
Of the 758,939 voters who could not be matched
between the Dept. of State and PennDOT data-
bases, 22%, or 167,566, are inactive voters, most
of whom have not voted since 2007.
One of the reasons a voter can be put on “inactive”
status is if he or she has not voted in five years. A
notice must be sent asking if the voter is still at the
listed address. If the voter does not respond to this
notice, the voter is placed on “inactive” status.
Federal and state law require keeping an “inactive
voter” on the registration list until he or she has
not voted in two consecutive general elections for
federal office after the date of the notice.
“Even though many voters identified in this com-
parison as not having PennDOT IDs are ‘inactive
voters’, most of whom have not voted since 2007,
we will err on the side of caution and include them
in this mailing,” Aichele said.
Other registered voters may not have matched
PennDOT’s list due to a variation in names be-
tween the voter registration and PennDOT data-
bases.
For example, an individual who is registered to
vote as Jon Smith but whose driver’s-license name
is Jonathan Smith, would not show as a match, and
(Cont. page 5)
4 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Daily WafflesFrom Joe Sbaraglia (The Waffleman)
GAH-ZINTA - A name forsomething that is unknownor has a name that hasbeen forgotten, temporar-ily. For example: Inte-grated circuits are thosethings that gah-zinta acomputer.
GAME SEASONS - Thevarious games played inSouth Philadelphia hadseasons. It was uncanny.It seemed that some un-written code mandatedwhen games were to beplayed. Playing a game
out of season was almostunheard of. For example:paper football was onlyplayed after the footballseason opened; springtimeis when we played mar-bles. Some silent messagesignaled the end of onegame season and the be-ginning of another. Notonly did the game seasonrely on the weather or on-going events, but itseemed like it started on agiven day. One day, noone played a particulargame. But the next dayeveryone played it becauseits season had started.That game was playeduntil the next game seasonstarted.
GEORGE THE PRETZELMAN - His pretzels weresoft, warm and delicious,but he watered down hismustard. He made a quartof mustard into about agallon so that he couldapply it to the pretzelswith a paint brush.
To buy a copy of this bookE-Mail Dwaffleman@aol.com
4 BIGSALES
WEEKLY
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 5
be reported as not having a PennDOT ID number.
This list also does not take into account voters
without PennDOT identification who have other
acceptable forms of identification. Such other ac-
ceptable forms include identification from accred-
ited Pennsylvania colleges or universities,
Pennsylvania care facilities, military identification,
valid US passports, other photo identification is-
sued by the federal or Pennsylvania government,
or employee identification issued by the federal,
Pennsylvania, or a county or municipal govern-
ment.
All identification used for voting must have an ex-
piration date and be current, except for Pennsylva-
nia driver’s licenses or non-driver photo
identification, which are valid for voting purposes
one year past their expiration. Retired military
identification with an indefinite expiration date is
also valid for voting purposes.
Voters who do not have an acceptable form of
photo identification for voting can get one for free
at any PennDOT driver-license center.
We are committed to helping any eligible voter
who does not have an acceptable ID get one to be
able to vote in November,” Aichele said. “We are
continuing our outreach to get the word to voters
about this law. The goal of this law is to allow
every legal voter to cast a ballot, but detect and
deter anyone attempting to vote illegally.”
Aichele, who is a Republican, has every reason to
stress good news about the new voter-ID law.
Philadelphia Democrats are taking a leerier view.
State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown (D-W. Phila.)
reminds her constituents that her office is ready to
ensure that all eligible voters have a legal ID for
the November election.
“I want to make sure this crucial election is a fair
and legitimate election,” Brown said. “That is why
I am fighting to make certain anyone who is eligi-
ble to vote has everything they need to cast their
ballots this upcoming election and every future
election.
“Recently, elected officials have commented they
believe this new law will influence upcoming elec-
tions. How can that possibly be good for democ-
racy?
“A new report from state election officials shows
that 18% of all Philadelphians registered to vote,
more than 186,000 could be affected by this new
law.
“Our goal must be to encourage all who are eligi-
ble to get out and vote, not to make it harder for
those who do vote,” she added.
Brown’s office at 1435 N. 52nd Street has all the
necessary forms for birth certificates and driver’s
licenses, and her staff is able to assist the residents
of her district in completing and submitting them.
6 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Commissioner Singer
On Nat’l Talk ShowCity Commission Chair Stephanie Singer has be-
come a go-to commentator as the storm over voter-
ID legislation breaks in Pennsylvania. She debuts
tonight on national TV.
“Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time talking
about Voter ID,” Singer told her supporters in an
email yesterday, “especially since the Republican
Dept. of State here released numbers showing the
law will disenfranchise many Pennsylvanians, and
will be especially onerous in Philadelphia.
“I’ll be on TV twice next week. I have a new way
to explain why the law is so un-American, using
some household tools as a visual aid. Please tune
in!”
Look for Singer’s appearances:
Monday, Jul. 9, on the “Political War Room” on
Current TV, between 9-10 p.m.
Sunday, Jul. 15, on NBC10’s “@Issue with Steve
Highsmith”, 11:30 a.m.-12 noon (local Philadel-
phia-area show).
Youngblood Announces
Grant For Cleveland Sch.State Rep. Rosita C. Youngblood (D-Northwest)
has announced the award of a $1.38 million fed-
eral School Improvement Grant to underwrite a
new approach to education at Grover Cleveland
School, which houses students from Head Start to
8th grade.
Youngblood said the competitive grant — part of
$6.9 million awarded to 10 schools through the
Pennsylvania Dept. of Education — will enable
Grover Cleveland to implement a Restart Model,
under which it can re-open as a charter school or
be operated by an education management organi-
zation.
“This grant program seeks to give low-performing
schools new and exciting options for improve-
ment,” said Youngblood. “On behalf of those who
have worked hard to secure this funding, with the
goal of providing a brighter academic future for
our students, I thank the Pennsylvania Dept. of Ed-
ucation and the federal government.”
Youngblood said that in an era of lean state fund-
ing for education – including more than $1 billion
in state subsidy cuts over the past two years, which
has ravished local school budgets – the infusion of
$1.38 million in federal funding is a godsend for
any struggling school.
Youngblood said to qualify for the SIG grant, a
school had to be among the lowest-performing
schools in Pennsylvania that have failed to make
substantial progress on state assessments or have a
graduation rate of less than 60% in at least two of
the last three years.
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 7
Water Dept. Runs Hearings
On Proposed Rate IncreaseThe Philadelphia Water Dept. recently announced
its proposal to seek rate changes, beginning Octo-
ber 1, 2012 to maintain the City’s top-quality
water, alleviate flooding, meet regulatory require-
ments and improve the quality of local rivers and
streams.
Five public hearings have been scheduled to pro-
vide customers with an overview of PWD’s pro-
grams and services and an opportunity to comment
and ask questions. The first took place at noon
today at Philadelphia Senior Center, 509 S. Broad
Street. The remaining four hearings are listed
below:
Tuesday, Jul. 10, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Roxborough Memorial Hospital, Wolcoff Audito-
rium
5800 Ridge Avenue
Thursday, Jul. 12, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Holy Family University, Campus Center Confer-
ence Room 115
9801 Frankford Avenue
Monday, Jul. 16, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
YMCA North Philadelphia
Broad & Master Streets
*There will be a Spanish Interpreter present.
Tuesday, Jul. 17, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
White Rock Baptist Church
5240 Chestnut Street
“Water rates fund the day-to-day operation of our
6,000-mile water and sewer pipe network, pump-
ing stations, water and wastewater treatment facili-
ties. They support a host of programs that ensure
that our product ranks among the top in the na-
tion,” stated Deputy Finance Commissioner Joseph
Clare. “They also ensure that the system will work
for decades to come. The proposed new rates will
allow PWD to meet all of our operating expenses
and fund extensive capital improvements to protect
the infrastructure and in turn, protect residents
from flooding during increasingly intense rain-
storms.”
The proposed changes to rates and total monthly
bills over the four-year period are below. These in-
creases represent an average of $4.10/month or
about a 6.5% annual increase. The current FY12
total monthly average bill is $57.43.
8 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Fiscal Year Percentage Increase of Additional Monthly Total Monthly Bill
Monthly Bill Water & Sewer Charge
2013 6.1 $3.52 $60.95
2014 6.2 $3.76 $64.71
2015 6.7 $4.36 $69.07
2016 6.9 $4.75 $73.82
Residential Customer Average Monthly Billings
Income eligibility for the senior citizen discount is
being raised to $30,800. Other assistance pro-
grams, including discounts for qualifying individu-
als and educational/charitable institutions, will
continue.
For more information about the proposed rates fil-
ing and process, please visit the Department’s
website at www.phillywatersheds.org.
Collins-Greenwald
Skippers Public PropertyMayor Michael A. Nutter last week appointed
Bridget Collins-Greenwald as the new Commis-
sioner of the Dept. of Public Property. Collins-
Greenwald succeeded Joan Schlotterbeck on her
retirement on Jun. 9.
“I’m confident Bridget’s broad experience in the
Managing Director’s Office and her work on va-
cant property, as well as the Mayor’s Facilities
Task Force, will serve her well as she takes the
Department’s helm,” Mayor Nutter said.
“I am excited to take on the role as Commissioner
of Public Property. I look forward to continuing
the hard work and improvements that have taken
place under Commissioner Schlotterbeck,” said
Collins-Greenwald. “Serving the City of Philadel-
phia and its residents is a privilege, and it is an
honor to maintain City Hall, one of the most treas-
ured landmarks in Philadelphia.”
Collins-Greenwald was first employed by the City
in 1997 in the Office of Human Resources. She
then moved to the Dept. of Licenses & Inspections
where she rose to Deputy Commissioner for Oper-
ations.
In 2010, she became Deputy Managing Director
and was responsible for initiating and implement-
ing the Mayor’s vacant land strategy; served as the
Chairperson of the City’s Space Allocation Com-
mittee, and coordinated the citywide Facilities
Task Force, chaired by Tom Knox. Collins-Green-
wald also served as the Managing Director’s de-
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 9
signee to the Philadelphia Housing Development
Corp. Board, as a member of the City’s labor ne-
gotiation team working on union contracts and as a
member of the Society of Human Resource Man-
agement.
As Commissioner of DPP, Collins-Greenwald will
continue to be involved in implementing the va-
cant land strategy and serving on the Facilities
Task Force. She holds a BS in Business Manage-
ment from Drexel University and a Master’s in
Human Resources Management from Holy Family
University.
A Brand-New Park
Is Dedicated In S. PhillyMayor Michael A. Nutter dedicated Hawthorne
Park, Philadelphia’s newest public park at 12th &
Catharine Streets in South Philadelphia. The park
is the fourth new park added to the Parks & Recre-
ation system this year. At three quarters of an acre,
the $2.1 million greenspace features a world-class
landscape, cutting-edge sustainable features and
new public art honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Joining the Mayor at the dedication were Michael
DiBerardinis; Deputy Mayor for environmental
and community resources; Mark Focht, first
deputy mayor for Parks & Facilities; Michael
Johns, acting deputy executive director of housing
operations, Philadelphia Housing Authority; Drew
Becher, president of the Pennsylvania Horticul-
tural Society; Cindy Dunn, deputy secretary for
conservation & technical resources at the Pennsyl-
vania Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources;
and Pat Bullard, chairperson of the Hawthorne En-
terprise Center.
Hawthorne Park represents a key milestone in
Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks plan and Philadelphia
Parks & Recreation’s Green2015 plan – both of
which urge investment in greenspaces in under-
served areas.
“Greenworks has committed the City to bring all
Philadelphians to within a 10-minute walk of open
space. We identified a deficiency in South
Philadelphia and acted to correct it. This is a great
case of planning informing action and follow
through,” said Nutter.
Formerly the site of the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Plaza Homes towers, the location was previously a
vacant gravel lot, containing urban fill. Hawthorne
Park represents a green keystone in the Philadel-
phia Housing Authority’s dramatic revitalization of
the neighborhood beginning in the late 1990s. The
original master plan called for open space, and ro-
bust community engagement in the design process
ensured the implementation of this vision.
A design team headed by LRSLAStudio incorpo-
rated the community’s desire for a park that was
simultaneously green, relaxing and animated.
More than 50 trees, 4,000 square feet of plant beds
and 19,000 square feet of lawn were planted.
Monumental granite seatwalls and game tables
create places for mingling. An ample stage area
exists for public performances. In addition, the
Hawthorne is part green infrastructure with sus-
tainable features such as 6,000 square feet of per-
meable paving, a high-efficiency irrigation system,
bike racks and drought-tolerant plantings.
From concept to completion, Hawthorne Park ben-
efitted from robust collaboration among neighbors,
10 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORDfunders, state and local government and non-prof-
its. Funding for the park came from a $1.1 million
grant from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation
& Natural Resources, $300,000 in capital funding
from the City of Philadelphia, a $300,000 grant
from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Community &
Economic Development grant, $250,000 from The
Pew Charitable Trusts through the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society and $250,000 from The
William Penn Foundation through PHS.
“In many ways this represents a community’s vi-
sion triumphing over adversity,” said DiBerardinis.
“From the very beginning, groups like the
Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition ensured this
project remained a priority. I think it’s clear that
others will invest in places that have such strong
champions.”
Alliance Française To Honor
Barnes Foundation Head
Memorial Fund Is Set Up
For Slain Motorcycle Cop
DEREK
GILLMAN,
president of
Barnes Foun-
dation, will re-
ceive
Ambassador of
the Arts Award
from Alliance
Française de
Philadelphie at
annual Bastille
Day event.
Photos by Bon-
nie Squires
Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby
wishes to announce a memorial fund has been set
up at the Philadelphia Police & Fire Federal Credit
Union for Police Officer Brian Lorenzo.
The fund is named the “Brian Lorenzo Memorial
Fund” and contributions can be made at any
PPFCU branch or by phone at (215) 931-0300.
Lorenzo was killed in the line of duty yesterday.
He leaves a wife and three children.
The Alliance Française de Philadelphie will honor
Derek Gillman, of Merion, president of the Barnes
Foundation, with its Ambassador of the Arts Award
at the annual Bastille Day dinner event on Jul. 14 at
the Independence Seaport Museum.
Nancy Gabel, of Wynnewood, VP of the Alliance
Française and chair of the Bastille Day event, an-
nounced the schedule: At 7:00 p.m. there will be a
cocktail reception, followed by a buffet dinner by
Brulee Catering and Chef Jean-Merie Lacroix.
There will be dancing under the stars with live music
by the Fred Hall Orchestra and Susan Gay, of Bryn
Mawr, as vocalist. There is also an open bar. There is
a large silent auction, and the raffle prize is two
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 11
round-trip tickets to Paris on Delta-KLM-Air-
France-Alitalia.
Gillman was appointed president of the Barnes
Foundation in October 2006. From 2001-06 he
held the position of president and director of the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he
oversaw the celebration of the institution’s 200th
anniversary in 2005. Prior to moving to the Acad-
emy as Executive Director and Provost in 1999,
Gillman served as deputy director of the National
Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia’s largest
encyclopedic art museum. From 1985-1995 he was
keeper (equivalent to director) of the Sainsbury
Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East
Anglia, Norwich, England, which houses the
Robert & Lisa Sainsbury Collection of modern art,
antiquities, and the arts of Africa, the Pacific re-
gion and the Americas.
Since its founding in 1903, the Philadelphia Chap-
ter of the Alliance Française (nonprofit) has en-
couraged the study of the French language and
literature, promoted French culture and fostered
friendly relations between France and the United
States with a uniquely Philadelphia touch, style
and tradition.
Members of the Honorary Committee include the
Hon. Michael E. Scullin, honorary Consul of
France in Philadelphia & Wilmington; Diana M.
Regan, president of the Alliance Française; Coun-
cilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown; Donald R.
Caldwell; US Sen. Robert P. Casey; State Sen.
Daylin Leach; Congressman Patrick Meehan;
Leslie Miller and Richard Worley; Mayor Michael
A. Nutter; Hon. Edward G. Rendell; State Rep.
James R. Roebuck; Dr. Neil L. Rudenstine; Con-
gresswoman Allyson Schwartz; Hon. Arlen
Specter; and Joseph Zuritsky.
Sponsors of the event include Arkema, Trois Petits
Cochons and Lillet.
For tickets and information call (215) 735-5283 or
visit the website at www.afphila.com.
SEEN HERE at planning meeting at Barnes offices are, from left, Martine Chauvet, executive di-
rector of Alliance Française; Andrew Stewart, director of communications for Barnes Foundation;
and Nancy Gabel, of Wynnewood, VP of Alliance Française and chair of Bastille Day event.
12 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Police Crackdown Begins
In Wissahickon ParkSgt. Mike Vassallo of the 5th Police Dist. informed
the Friends of the Wissahickon of a step-up in pa-
trolling and law enforcement in and around Devil’s
Pool and Valley Green Inn in Wissahickon Valley
Park. Officers began the enforcement with an all-
day intensive enforcement effort yesterday, Jul. 8,
and will continue enforcement activities through-
out the summer.
A group of officers from the 5th and 14th Police
Dists., along with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Park Rangers, will begin intensive patrolling and
enforcement in the area to combat a variety of
problems that afflict the area each summer, includ-
ing illegal parking, swimming, diving, and litter-
ing, and violations of open container laws and the
City-wide leash law which requires all dogs in the
park to be on a six-foot leash.
“We will be enforcing all park rules and regula-
tions, as well as citywide laws,” said Sgt. Vassallo
of the effort, which will involve officers in patrol
cars and on foot, bike, and motorcycles.
“This time of year is the peak season for use of the
park around Valley Green Inn and Devil’s Pool,”
said FOW Executive Director Maura McCarthy,
“and every year we see an increase in environmen-
tal damage to the park and the creek, car break-ins
and thefts, and injuries related to illegal swimming
and diving. The extra effort put forth by these offi-
cers is greatly needed and appreciated.”