The Spirit – August 19

16
HYPERLOCAL DONE DIFFERENTLY FISHTOWN + KENSINGTON + NORTHERN LIBERTIES + PORT RICHMOND + BRIDESBURG LOCAL LENS Thom Nickels lashes out against tailgaters who set up in Stawberry Mansion. 2 COMMUNITY CALENDAR Community events and happenings in the Riverwards. 12-13 SUGARHOUSE CASINO EXPANDS Ceremony follows building milestone to give back to the Riverwards. 9 CLEAN PLATE Spaghetti with an Eggplant Sauce 8 ACCU REGGIE 2 WEEK AUGUST 19, 2015 VOL. 12 No. 33 THIS HOT OFF THE PREss Seven day forecast for the Riverwards CRIME BLOCKS HARROWGATE WHAT HAPPENED TO H arrowgate has an image problem. It is a neighborhood bordered by Frankford Creek and Erie Avenue, G Street, Clearfield Avenue, and Aramingo Avenue. Buts its history starts with the discovery of a natural hot spring by Capt. George Esterly, a Revolutionary War veteran. The spring water — located at what is now Kensington and Tioga — was declared by Dr. Benjamin Rush to be good for your health and Esterly founded a retreat for wealthy Philadelphians around the spring. The spring stopped flowing around 1800, but the surrounding area lived on and thrived. Industrialization transformed the neighborhood. By the end of the 19th century, the area was a dense industrial town full of factories, mills, row- homes and the social institutions serving those who worked and lived in the neighborhood. The thriving economy attracted immigrants to the area, mostly Irish but also German, English and Scottish. Here, Harrowgate’s story becomes sadly similar to those of neighbor- hoods all across Philadelphia and other American industrial cities. The Great Depression took a toll on the neighborhood’s infrastructure, and by the 1950s the area’s industry was unable to grow due to neglected buildings and cramped urban conditions. A large number of residents sought spacious skies in the suburbs and the churches and schools in the neighborhood began to suffer. Most of the area’s wealth vanished within a couple of decades. While early Philadelphians may have thought of Harrowgate as a luxuri- ous escape for the town’s elite, today it’s known as a heroin hotspot. It’s a Continued on Page 9. WRITTEN BY BEN SMOLIN Continued on Page A GUIDE TO STUBBORN CRIME IN RIVERWARDS, PART ONE: THE NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN WRITTEN BY BOB STEWART W elcome to Crime Blocks, The Spirit’s primer on the areas in the Riverwards that are most burdened by crime, and what is being done to improved them. The city of Philadelphia keeps data on where and when every crime is reported. The key word here is “reported.” Truth is, not ev- ery dope-deal-gone-bad or armed robbery results in a 911 call. Some vic- tims may be too scared to call or may be embarrassed to admit what they were doing when the crime went down. Other times, someone calls but thinks better of it and rolls before the police arrive. That gets labeled as “unfounded” by police. But to residents and local business owners “un- founded” doesn’t mean “didn’t happen.” In this ongoing series, we’ll take a closer look at the areas in our neigh- borhoods that are encumbered with the highest volume of persistent, stubborn and unreported crime. Despite a love for our neighborhoods, crime is a reality of our communities, and progress can only be made through conversations about these issues. We’ll talk to the police, area leaders and the stakeholders. We’ll ask, “What is the problem?” “Where is the problem?” “What is being done about it?” “What else can be done about it?” One of the people cataloging the problems facing some of these troubled areas is Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez. The recently re-elected Quinones-Sanchez hails from the 7th District, which includes areas in

description

This week we explore crime in the Riverwards, the forgotten neighborhood of Harrowgate, and the expansion of SugarHouse Casino.

Transcript of The Spirit – August 19

Page 1: The Spirit – August 19

HYPERLOCAL DONE DIFFERENTLY

FISHTOWN + KENSINGTON + NORTHERN LIBERTIES + PORT RICHMOND + BRIDESBURG

LOCAL LENS

Thom Nickels lashes out against tailgaters who set up in Stawberry Mansion.

2

COMMUNITYCALENDARCommunity events and

happenings in the Riverwards.

12-13

SUGARHOUSECASINO

EXPANDS Ceremony follows building

milestone to give back to the Riverwards.

9

CLEANPLATE

Spaghetti with an Eggplant Sauce

8

ACCU REGGIE

2

WEEKAUGUST 19, 2015

VOL. 12No. 33

THIS

HOTOFF THE

PREss

Seven day forecast forthe Riverwards

CRIMEBLOCKS

HARROWGATEWHAT HAPPENED TO

Harrowgate has an image problem. It is a neighborhood bordered by Frankford Creek and Erie Avenue, G Street, Clearfield Avenue, and Aramingo Avenue. Buts its history starts with the discovery of a natural hot

spring by Capt. George Esterly, a Revolutionary War veteran. The spring water — located at what is now Kensington and Tioga — was declared by Dr. Benjamin Rush to be good for your health and Esterly founded a retreat for wealthy Philadelphians around the spring. The spring stopped flowing around 1800, but the surrounding area lived on and thrived. Industrialization transformed the neighborhood. By the end of the 19th century, the area was a dense industrial town full of factories, mills, row-homes and the social institutions serving those who worked and lived in the neighborhood. The thriving economy attracted immigrants to the

area, mostly Irish but also German, English and Scottish. Here, Harrowgate’s story becomes sadly similar to those of neighbor-hoods all across Philadelphia and other American industrial cities. The Great Depression took a toll on the neighborhood’s infrastructure, and by the 1950s the area’s industry was unable to grow due to neglected buildings and cramped urban conditions. A large number of residents sought spacious skies in the suburbs and the churches and schools in the neighborhood began to suffer. Most of the area’s wealth vanished within a couple of decades. While early Philadelphians may have thought of Harrowgate as a luxuri-ous escape for the town’s elite, today it’s known as a heroin hotspot. It’s a

Continued on Page 9.

WRITTEN BY BEN SMOLIN

Continued on Page

A GUIDE TO STUBBORN CRIME IN RIVERWARDS, PART ONE: THE NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN WRITTEN BY BOB STEWART

Welcome to Crime Blocks, The Spirit’s primer on the areas in the Riverwards that are most burdened by crime, and what is being done to improved them. The city of Philadelphia keeps data on where and when

every crime is reported. The key word here is “reported.” Truth is, not ev-ery dope-deal-gone-bad or armed robbery results in a 911 call. Some vic-tims may be too scared to call or may be embarrassed to admit what they were doing when the crime went down. Other times, someone calls but thinks better of it and rolls before the police arrive. That gets labeled as “unfounded” by police. But to residents and local business owners “un-founded” doesn’t mean “didn’t happen.” In this ongoing series, we’ll take a closer look at the areas in our neigh-

borhoods that are encumbered with the highest volume of persistent, stubborn and unreported crime. Despite a love for our neighborhoods, crime is a reality of our communities, and progress can only be made through conversations about these issues. We’ll talk to the police, area leaders and the stakeholders. We’ll ask, “What is the problem?” “Where is the problem?” “What is being done about it?” “What else can be done about it?” One of the people cataloging the problems facing some of these troubled areas is Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez. The recently re-elected Quinones-Sanchez hails from the 7th District, which includes areas in

Page 2: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 2

THOM NICKELS IS A PHILADELPHIA BASED AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, POET, FILM CRITIC & FEATURE WRITER FOR

SPIRIT NEWS.

LOCAL LENSTHE

WRITTEN BY THOM NICKELS

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There are seven historic house museums in the City of Philadelphia and each one has a unique history. These houses are the city’s link to its his-toric past. One of these houses, Historic Straw-

berry Mansion, was built in 1789 by Judge William Lewis, a lawyer and abolitionist. Then called Summerville, Straw-berry Mansion was Lewis’ home along the Schuylkill. For some decades, around the turn of the 20th Century, the mansion was a popular restaurant. It later devolved into a less-prestigious place to eat until the Committee of 1926 restored the mansion and opened it to the public as a house museum in 1930. Today, the house stands as one of the city’s crown jew-els, thanks to a recent $2,000,000 renovation. Tour groups regularly meet there and the house is also rented out for banquets, wedding receptions and the like. Not far from the mansion is the Dell Music Center, an im-pressive 5,284 reserved seat outdoor amphitheater, which many say is the best amphitheater in the country. The Dell has experienced its own growth odyssey. In 2007 the con-cert venue was closed but adequate funding saved the day and led to its rehabilitation and reopening in 2010. Along with the Dell’s 5,000 plus reserved seat capacity, its lawn can also seat 600 concert-goers. As with every big concert or sports venue, you will also find a large number of tailgaters. There’s nothing wrong with a good tailgate party. Tailgate parties are a big sports tradition, most notably near the stadiums in South Philly. There are many varieties of tailgate parties, including those with fully stocked bars in car trunks where the par-ticipants don seersucker suits, white straw hats and bow ties. These are Radnor Hunt and Devon Horse Show tail-gating parties. Unfortunately, much of the tailgating that goes on outside the Dell during concerts has become a super-trashy event. Pretend for a moment that you are part of a wedding party, celebrating on the lawn of historic Strawberry Man-sion. It’s an evening wedding and the sun is beginning to set. A little earlier in the evening, you and fellow wedding guests noticed the rows of cars and SUVs parking illegally all over the mansion lawn. You probably guessed that the rogue parked cars have something to do with the music coming from the Dell. Since you have already gotten a little used to the loud music and have all but given up on trying to hear the violin trio that the bride’s father hired for the occasion, you’re okay with the cars. You realize that you have to make some concessions in the big city. Like it or not, in a city, loudspeaker-style, surround-sound music seems to rule. After a while, you notice the bride’s parents trying to maintain brave, tolerant smiles as more and more cars drive up alongside the mansion’s lawn, parking anywhere they please after leaving huge track marks on the grass. Although there are barricades and yellow tape prohibit-ing rogue vehicles from entering the mansion’s property, people are getting out of their cars, moving the barricades and cutting the yellow tape so that they can park wherever they please. You join the bride’s parents and watch as more people drive sloppily over shrubs, sometimes backing into flower beds. The mansion house manager looks at the scene with a growing sense of alarm. He knows that historic Straw-berry Mansion, the largest of the historic Fairmount Park houses, has just been through an extensive restoration. This has made the mansion a major tourist spot, but now it is being ruined by bellicose tailgaters. You are chatting with friends when you see figures mov-ing along the edge of the lawn. One of the figures crouches down in a bathroom position and — you can hardly be-lieve your eyes — defecates on the grass. A moment later, another person follows suit. “Where are the police?” someone in the wedding party asks. Isn’t running over flowerbeds and removing barri-cades and defecating in public an offense of some sort? You try to forget the scene for a moment and head into the house where things are a little quieter. You down a cocktail or two and then talk to someone about the up-coming presidential election. Just how crazy is Donald Trump? How long will the system continue to allow Ber-nie Sanders to beat out Hillary Clinton? Then you hear a loud thump. No, it is not a Dell drum concert sequel from Chaka Khan, Boney James, Jeff Bradshaw or Monifah. In-stead, it is a car-colliding-with-something thump. You go outside and have a look around and see that a car has ac-tually backed into a fire hydrant, upending it and pulling it out of the ground. The wedding party at this point has become a little like a freak show. More tailgaters are piling in; there’s a rush, as if a dam has burst.

The house manager tells a few of the guests that the scene they are witnessing has been a problem at Strawberry Mansion for years, but no matter what they do — write let-ters, make telephone calls — the mansion’s complaints go unanswered by City of Philadelphia officials. This doesn’t make sense to anybody connected with the man-sion; with all of these tailgaters, the Dell is losing parking money. At the same time, the property of the city’s largest historic house is slowly being ruined. The wedding guests then notice that the tailgaters are setting up cook ranges, tents and pieces of outdoor furniture on mansion proper-ty. BBQ smoke begins to rise over the tree tops as slabs of meat are piled on the grills. Picnic baskets appear. The wedding guests spot another public defecator, but the shock isn’t so great this time — proving William Bur-roughs’ observation correct: human beings can get used to anything. Still, the wedding guests wonder why the tail-gaters can’t be more discreet. Why not hide behind a tree? Why the blatant show-and-tell? By this time, every wed-ding guest knows that the tailgaters are not paying Dell customers at all, and of course it bothers them that there are no provisions for bathrooms or garbage collection. Garbage and trash collection is a major undertaking after concert and sporting events. Compound this with Phila-delphia’s chronic litter problem, and you have a Filtha-delphia mess. Unfortunately, the Dell, unlike the Mann Music Center and the stadium area after a Phillies game, is not very quick in the area of cleanup. When the Dell concert area is cleaned up, the area around the mansion is ignored. The mansion area clean-up is done by the city almost a week later. Sadly, the mansion bears the cost of its own grounds-keeping making repairs to damages caused by tailgaters. This includes making repairs to damaged infrastructure and planting new grass where the cars have driven. Walk around the mansion lawn after a Dell concert and you’ll see some shocking sights, such as tampons and an oc-casional diaper in the grass. You’ll also find beer bottles, chicken bones and Styrofoam food containers. On one re-cent lawn inspection, Strawberry Mansion officials found paper towels and napkins soiled with — you guessed it —feces. Happy Labor Day! Historic Strawberry Mansion is not the only historic house museum affected by these Dell tailgaters. Wood-ford Mansion, Strawberry’s immediate neighbor, has also experienced similar problems, although there’s been no problem with outdoor water closet activities — at least not yet. One mansion official called the situation “lawless” and asked why no police are present to hand out tickets or prohibit illegal parking during concerts. He’s right. If the Dell parking lot is too small and insufficient to handle the huge crowds that make it such a popular concert venue, then why not build a multi-level deck over the present parking lot — especially if the Dell is making profits? If the construction of a deck is against some obscure city code, then why not grandfather it in, in the same way an uniden-tified source told me that the Dell was able to do with their illegal digital signage? But that’s another story. Barring this, how about just hiring parking regulators? The most important question is why the city is not listen-ing to Strawberry Mansion when it requests help to reme-dy the situation? This is not a complaint against loud mu-sic. It is also not a war of musical tastes posing as a litter and property destruction problem. Everybody knows that the Dell’s great amphitheater and its musical programs are a good thing for the city. The very least that the city can do is to install “no parking” and tow signs on Strawberry Mansion’s property Historic Strawberry Mansion has already petitioned the city to make these changes, but the question remains: Will the city listen this time? How long will it take before the changes are made? Will Susan Slawson, First Deputy Commissioner of Recreation and Programs, help make these needed changes? Let’s hope that the city will come to its senses and help out this crown jewel of house museums. •

Page 3: The Spirit – August 19

Page 3The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

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Accu-ReggieWEATHER OUTLOOK AND FORECAST

WEDNESDAY

Sun and clouds, chanceof shower. Not bad!

HIGH86

LOW73

THURSDAY

Starts nice, ends wet!Storms all evening.

HIGH85

LOW73

FRIDAY

Chance for storms, chance of sun.

HIGH84

LOW70

SATURDAY

Sun and clouds, chancefor an afternoon shower.

HIGH83

LOW70

SUNDAY

HIGH84

LOW72

MONDAY

50/50 day. Starts out nice,but T-storms at night.

Trying to clear out, chancefor a morning shower.

HIGH86

LOW70

TUESDAY

HIGH86

LOW69

Sun and clouds, chancefor an afternoon shower.

Last week was a tale of two weeks. The first half of the week was beautiful: comfortable temperatures combined with plenty of sunshine and low humidity. Then the heat turned up with a bad attitude as 90+ degree weather dominated the end of the week. As I think about the upcoming week, I remember something my dad always used to tell me growing up: “you can’t have everything in life.” That saying couldn’t resonate more this week. While we are going to trade in the intense heat for much nicer temperatures we are also going get wet. This week will feature two strong fronts that bring thunder-storms; the first one is Thursday into Friday and then again Monday into Tuesday. No day will be a “washout” but most days this week will have showers here and there. Not everyone will get them, but they will be around. Wednesday will be a decent day, but there is a chance for a shower in the afternoon. Thursday will start nice, but turn ugly. Watch for a potentially severe line of storms to come through in the evening. Very humid too!

Friday tries to clear things out, but still the chance for a lingering shower and T-storm. Overall, it doesn’t look awful. Saturday and Sunday are essentially the same weather-wise. Both days will be warm but not hot, have breaks of sunshine between clouds and hit-or-miss showers and thunder-storms floating around. On Monday we do the whole Thursday weather charade again. The day starts out nice and then BAM! A line of heavy (and possibly severe!) T-storms comes through in the eve-ning. Tuesday, like Friday, is the ‘clear-it-out’ day so it may start off cloudy but sunshine should take hold in the afternoon and evening. The weather winner of the week is Satur-day; the weather loser is Thursday. •

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Make sure to follow us on Twitter @TheSpiritNews for daily Riverwards weather. Accu-Reggie is now our official weatherman! (Facebook: Accu-Reggie, Twitter: AccuReggie).

congratulationsCongratulations to the Fishtown A.C. Fireworks on winning their second straight NEPL Softball Championship! The team had a two-year record of 31-1-1. Pictured in the Photo are: Emma Leyden, Cara Comey, Natalie Conway, Abby Fitz, Lisa McIntyre, Hanna Lux, Morgan Jenkins, Julia Thomson, Riley Chandler, Gabby Tolasi, Aubrey Graziano, and Mikalia Hutton. Coaches A.J. Thomson, Mike Hutton and all of their parents and friends are proud of the girls for their accomplishments and hard work. •

FISHTOWN A.C.

FIREWORKS

Page 4: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 4

mural artsPHOTOS AND WORDS BY MATTHEW ALBASI

PROVIDES OPEN SOURCE FOR COLOR AND GEOMETRY IN FISHTOWN

If you’re riding north on Frankford Ave., you may no-tice a new splash of color when you cross over Berks Street on your daily commute. On Thursday, August 13, 2015 the artist MOMO began work on a new mu-

ral at 1832 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown with the help of students enrolled in Mural Arts Education Program. The display of public art is part of the Mural Arts Program’s Open Source project, which brings artists together with the intention of investigating social issues such as behav-ioral health, criminal justice or, in this case, education. “Momo, for example, the design he’s doing here comes out of his head, out of his genius, and his work with the kids and his methodology connected with our education program,” said Jane Golden, Executive Director of the Mu-ral Arts Program. As part of his involvement with Open Source, MOMO has been working with Philadelphia-area high school stu-dents from Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Freire Charter School. These stu-dents have spent the last few weeks learning techniques to create geometric shapes. These techniques are, at first, alarmingly simple. Stu-dents attach a can of spray paint in a special carriage to a length of cord. The cord is anchored in one or more plac-es on the wall, depending on the desired shape. The can of paint is moved along the wall while keeping the cord stretched tight. With only one anchor, the line of paint will make an arc, continuing into a full circle if it is completed. The real magic begins once you add more anchors. Sud-denly, this simple setup is capable of creating ovals, spi-rals and squiggles galore. Michael Blount, one of the students participating in the program, spoke about how the program has influenced him. He talked about a project they did on the first day of class. Students were asked to draw a simple bottle. Then, they examined the geometric shapes that composed that drawing and learned techniques to recreate them. Final-ly, they used the new techniques to draw the bottle again with impressive results. “Just thinking about how there are perfect geometric shapes that have been here established in our society for centuries is pretty amazing to me,” said Blount. “It’s just knowing how beautiful things can be made simple.” MOMO has worked on a variety of pieces in the past, from an enormous tag the size of Manhattan he did in 2006, to an augmented reality mural he created with Re+Public

Lab in St. Louis. Originally from San Francisco, MOMO now keeps a studio in New Orleans. It was the allure of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program that led him northeast to work with Jane Golden in Philly. “It’s the whole program that’s really fascinating,” MOMO said. “To work with Mural Arts, which is such a singular organization that I’ve heard about forever, doing murals everywhere. That’s a kind of deep and meaningful honor to get time to come here and do that.” So, what is it that the artist hopes we take away from the large, abstract piece? “I’m not arriving with a message or placing anything on the space besides just the formal things to be enjoyed. Which, I think, are really universal and people can relate to directly as their own.” •

The mural is scheduled to be completed by August 23.

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MOMO TALKING TO STUDENTS IN FRONT OF THE IN-PROGRESS MURAL.

STUDENTS LEARNED TECHNIQUES USING SIMPLE TOOLS TO CREATE GEOMETRIC SHAPES.

MICHAEL BLOUNT DEMONSTRATES ONE OF THE METHODS HE LEARNED TO CREATE AN OVAL.

THE ARTIST, MOMO, WILL COMPLETE ANOTHER MURAL IN LATE AUGUST ON THE SONESTA HOTEL AT 1800 MARKET ST.

Page 5: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 Page 5

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Frankford, Juniata, and part of The Spirit’s coverage area in Kensington. While she was always aware of the crime in her district, her office relocation to Howard and Dauphin in Kensing-ton was a real eye opener. She moved to her new office in the winter and few people in the area noticed her presence right away. “I had an opportunity to sit at the window and watch some stuff and it was very, very concerning,” Sanchez said. “In the morning, I had seniors and other folks coming and selling their pills to the drug dealers and then in the afternoon, the drug dealers selling them to their clients.” She noticed that some of the dealers were “third genera-tion” dealers coming from a “family of drugs.” She cites addiction as the underlying problem and said, “We can’t arrest our way out of it.” Nor does she like the strategy of containment, which is just making sure the problem doesn’t spread out of a three to four block area. “That’s no longer acceptable to me,” Sanchez said. “There are innocent people caught up in [those areas].” Some neighbors give her tips in a variety of ways. “We get [information] all the time,” Sanchez said, adding that they come in the form of Facebook inbox messages, emails, calls and many other ways, often anonymously. She shares this info with the district captains in the East division. But now she may have a new ally: the new sheriff in town Well, he’s not actually a sheriff. Philly doesn’t work that way. He’s the new Chief Inspector of Narcotics and his name is Dan MacDonald. One of MacDonald’s first actions in the Riverwards was to go after the dealers and buyers around A and Somerset. The Narcotics unit operated a multi-day, multi-depart-mental unit raid that The Spirit reported first. The arrest totals were good but not spectacular. That doesn’t bother him though. “It’s not about numbers,” MacDonald said. “It’s about taking back an area.” MacDonald sat at his desk at the Narcotics Unit’s new digs in East Falls. Fittingly, the building formerly served as a U.S. Army Reserve center and he is a soldier. A tall, neatly-stacked set of papers loomed in front of him. The rest of the desk was busy, but not cluttered. In addition to his decades of experience with law enforce-ment in Philly, he’s also been on three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. He wants to bring some military ideas to Philly’s narcotics enforcement. Gulp. Wait, we’ve seen this on TV. The militarization of the police doesn’t go well. Not so fast. MacDonald acknowledges that the police de-sign is to protect, the military to destroy. “Operation tactics don’t crossover,” he explained. What does crossover is “decision-making, strategy and review.” In fact, what he wants to bring to policing is actually what policing brought to the military. If you’re familiar with David Petraeus’ “Clear, hold and build” strategy, then you will understand MacDonald’s philosophy. He described the raid in the ‘hood at A and Somerset as “hit it, hit it again and hit it again.” The key to the impact didn’t lie in the raids themselves, or the “clear” as Petraeus

would call it. But rather, it was MacDonald’s coordination with the uniformed district police officers to put heavy pa-trols in the area to “hold” immediately after each raid. The “build” aspect comes later with community involvement. Some may see the back-to-back-to-back hits and note the diminishing returns. MacDonald sees it as changing the way the neighborhood is viewed. “Take Langhorne or Warminster (towns in Bucks County, Pa), do you hear about a lot of robberies [and other crimes] in those places?” MacDonald asked. “No. Because the per-ception is if you get caught, you go to jail forever. Now, perception is not reality, but it’s important in criminality.” Closer to home, MacDonald recalled making heroin ar-rests in Fishtown 15 years ago on the 400 block of George Street. He notes that the neighborhood has drastically improved since that time. Over the last ten years, property sales average close to $300,000 on George Street, accord-ing to data from Philly’s Office of Property Assessment. In the years before, MacDonald cites, the average sale price was a tick above $42,000. The drug busts and “gentrification compliment one an-other, but neither work alone,” MacDonald said. Looking at the pile of papers in front of him, which are complaints and tips from the public, he asks, “You see this? This is just from yesterday.” Narcotics receives “hundreds of complaints a day” from across the city. The tips are vital for the Narcotics Unit’s effectiveness. When it comes to what’s going on, “the community has the most knowledge,” MacDonald said. “I read 200 pages a day, my inspector reads 200 pages a day,” he said. “I now have an integrity officer looking at every document.” He also altered and increased the paperwork for the of-ficers. Cops are known to resist change; MacDonald un-derstands there will be a transition period but said it has

to get done. Unfortunately for MacDonald, convincing field officers to do the paperwork differently may be the easy part. He must also restore confidence and trust in the unit after the bad publicity of a federal corruption case. While all six former members of the squad were acquitted, it’ll be an uphill battle to improve the unit’s image in the eyes of the community. “Less people will give us tips ... juries are less likely to believe officers,” MacDonald explained. Sanchez agrees with MacDonald. Her district encom-passes a big chunk of the Riverwards and she bridges not only a language barrier but a trust gap with police and other officials. She said the recent news, particularly the federal narcotics case, has created “skeptics” in the com-munity. One solution once again comes from the military: infor-mation operations. In the Riverwards, this takes place at local civic and community meetings, so be sure to look out for MacDonald’s people there. They’ll be there to an-swer questions. He’ll also be coordinating with the dis-trict police. Cops like Sgt. John Massi of the 26th district are ready. Massi has blocks where PCP sales and shoot-ings are happening in Kensington as well as blocks that are physically hard to patrol with cars. The fact of the matter is, crime happens no matter which neighborhood you live in. And it’s not just drugs and violence, it’s theft, fraud, and a range of other offenses. There are badlands in the shadows of schools and prob-lematic “dirty horseshoe” blocks — like one in the heart of Fishtown, just a stones throw away from big money de-velopment projects and properties. These areas are also filled with families, business owners and pubic servants working to make their communities clean, safe and suc-cessful. We’ll map these streets out, along with their in-dividual issues, and talk to the people who are organizing and mobilizing to take back their blocks. •

Continued from Page 1.

Page 6: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 6

The casino will partner with the City of Philadelphia's Public Art

Program to commission approximately $600,000 worth of sculpture and other environ-

mental art installations throughout the property.

SugarHouse designs and maintains 2,400 feet of riverfront walkway — a

landscaped, public walking and bike path on the banks of the Delaware River, which will be

extended by 400 feet.

SugarHouse’s anticipated investment in landscaping will total roughly $10 million across the property once the expansion

is complete.

SugarHouse will continue to be a strong economic engine for the city and commonwealth following the completion of expansion. Since opening in

September 2010, the casino has generated nearly $580 million in

tax revenue.

As part of the expansion project, SugarHouse has completed a $12.5 million upgrade of the

Laurel Street Combined Sewer Outfall, more than doubling

capacity of the more than 100-year old sewer and correct-

ing chronic flooding in Fishtown and Northern

Liberties.

D O L L A R SD O L L A R S S Q U A R E F E E T D O L L A R S D O L L A R S10,000,000 2,400 12,500,000 580,000,000 600,000

Here are some additional statistics and information about the new expansion at SugarHouse Casino, and how it affects the neighborhood and city.

sugarhouseWORDS AND PHOTOS BY MAX PULCINI

“TOPS OFF” EXPANSION PROJECT WITH CEREMONY, UPS COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION BY HALF-MILLION DOLLARS

Wendy Hamilton addressed the crowd gath-ered in the parking lot of her casino on a hot summer morning. The general man-ager of SugarHouse called the gathering

the second largest announcement to come to Philadel-phia this year, falling short only to the upcoming Papal visit. Hamilton pointed out to everyone, however, that her event would be taking fences down rather than putting them up. On August 13th, SugarHouse Casino celebrated the placement of the final beam of the gaming hub’s $164 mil-lion expansion project. To commemorate the milestone, a “Topping-Off Ceremony” was held at the foot of the newly erected building. The expansion is scheduled to open by the year’s end and will bring 500 new full-time jobs, a larg-er gaming facility, several restaurants and a multipurpose event center to the waterfront casino. The “freaking awesome” expansion, as Hamilton put it, “provides some much needed elbow room on a gaming floor that we have successfully outgrown.” When Sugar-House Casino opened in September 2010, it was designed and constructed as an interim facility, with future plans for a larger, full-service gaming and entertainment com-plex. In October 2013, SugarHouse launched a $6 million project to “refresh” their property, which included new carpets, restrooms, ceilings and a VIP lounge. The cur-rent expansion project broke ground last summer and the general manager has described the time since as “a fast 13 months.” The new construction increases SugarHouse’s 108,000 square-foot facility to approximately 260,000 square feet, not including the new seven-story parking garage of roughly 600,000 square feet which will offer 1,500 spaces, increasing the total parking to 2,440 spaces. The larger gaming areas will include 44 additional table games, 289 new slots and a 28-table poker room as well as a multipur-pose event center and various entertainment possibilities. “We’re adding a bounty of non-gaming amenities, in-cluding several new restaurants, featuring among them a nationally renowned high-end dining concept that...

shhh, we’ll announced in September,” Hamilton said. Celebrating with Hamilton was Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming, State Senator Larry Farnese, Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla, Deputy Mayor for Eco-nomic Development and Director of Commerce for the City of Philadelphia Alan Greenberger, and Rich Levins, vice chairman of the Penn Treaty Special Services District. Carlin, who is the head of the parent company that owns SugarHouse, praised Hamilton and her team for helping make their business “Philly’s Casino.” According to Car-lin, the new expansion will allow the the casino to further set itself apart in a competitive and crowded market where regional gaming has expanded across the country in the past decade. The gaming exec applauded SugarHouse for excelling as a place of work, for being a contributing mem-ber of the community and for being an economic engine to the city and region. The new expansion will bring an additional 500 new, full-time jobs to SugarHouse. The casino currently employs approximately 1,100 people and for four consecutive years has been voted a “Best Place to Work” in the Philadelphia Business Journal and a “Top Workplace” from Philly.com four years in a row. The construction of the expansion brought additional labor jobs to the region. Joe Ski, a con-struction worker who lives in nearby Port Richmond, was working on piledriving the foundations in the project. “It was a tough job,” Ski said, “but it was really safe. They ran a really safe operation here.” The $164 million SugarHouse expansion was designed by Cope Linder Architects; with construction management by Skanska USA Building, Inc. and development manage-ment by Keating Consulting, LLC. Hamilton gave a shout out to the construction team in her opening remarks. “Our construction team has been phenomenal,” Ham-ilton said. “On behalf of the entire SugarHouse family, thank you to the men and women who have been build-ing this terrific new building each and every day since last summer.” While providing jobs to region, the casino also directly gives back to the community through the Penn Treaty Spe-

cial Services District. The PTSSD is a nonprofit organiza-tion formed by volunteers from Fishtown, Northern Liber-ties, Olde Richmond and South Kensington. Using money from the SugarHouse Casino outlined in the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), the PTSSD awards grants to community organizations with the intent on making im-provements in the neighborhoods falling in the Special Services District. The amount of money that the PTSSD receives is set to increase from $500,000 to $1 million now that the SugarHouse expansion is nearing its completion. In fact, the jump in contribution is coming earlier than expected. “Under the CBA, SugarHouse was not obligated to give us any additional monies until the year following the comple-tion of this [expansion] project,” Rich Levins, vice chair-man of the PTSSD and Fishtown resident, said. “However, last month they announced that they were going to start funding us in advance of the requirement. We’re going to get that money in September or October.” As the casino has committed to giving back to the com-munity, it has also not brought any additional crime to the area. SugarHouse opened in September 2010 following protests from community members who feared that the casino would lead to an increase in neighborhood crime. However, a 2014 study by researchers at Drexel University and Temple University shows that wasn’t the case. According to the study, crime rates in Fishtown were largely unaffected by the introduction of the gaming es-tablishment. Lallen T. Johnson, PhD, an assistant profes-sor of criminal justice in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Jerry H. Ratcliffe, PhD, a professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University, used geolocated crime data to examine chang-es in crime volume in the immediate neighborhood of the casino since its opening. The researchers found that any

Continued on Page 7.

WENDY HAMILTON, SUGARHOUSE’S GENERAL MANAGER, ADDRESSES THE CROWD

Page 7: The Spirit – August 19

Page 7The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

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FOR CURATED VIDEO CONTENT

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OF LOCAL NEWS. f

The casino will partner with the City of Philadelphia's Public Art

Program to commission approximately $600,000 worth of sculpture and other environ-

mental art installations throughout the property.

SugarHouse designs and maintains 2,400 feet of riverfront walkway — a

landscaped, public walking and bike path on the banks of the Delaware River, which will be

extended by 400 feet.

SugarHouse’s anticipated investment in landscaping will total roughly $10 million across the property once the expansion

is complete.

SugarHouse will continue to be a strong economic engine for the city and commonwealth following the completion of expansion. Since opening in

September 2010, the casino has generated nearly $580 million in

tax revenue.

As part of the expansion project, SugarHouse has completed a $12.5 million upgrade of the

Laurel Street Combined Sewer Outfall, more than doubling

capacity of the more than 100-year old sewer and correct-

ing chronic flooding in Fishtown and Northern

Liberties.

D O L L A R SD O L L A R S S Q U A R E F E E T D O L L A R S D O L L A R S10,000,000 2,400 12,500,000 580,000,000 600,000

Here are some additional statistics and information about the new expansion at SugarHouse Casino, and how it affects the neighborhood and city.

potential significant crime increases either did not occur or were effectively controlled by a reassignment of exist-ing local police officers. Captain George Kappe is the commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Department’s 26th District. His district, which includes areas of Fishtown and Northern Liberties, is in charge of patrolling the areas surrounding SugarHouse. “There hasn’t been a significant increase or decrease in crime,” Kappe said. “It’s negligible either way. Having the casino has had no negative impact on the Fishtown area,

Northern Liberties, and so-on. [SugarHouse is] a great business partner to have here in the area — the new con-struction and the number of jobs going to community folks speaks for itself.” When asked if the 26th has gone through any specific measures to help keep crime rates down in the casino’s vi-cinity, Kappe told The Spirit, “We’re doing the same thing we’ve always done. We have a really good rapport with the casino. Our officers are constantly checking in with [the casino] and communicating back and forth. The casino doesn’t hesitate to give us a call whenever they have an is-sue.”

Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming, also recognized the Nutter administration and members of City Council for what he called a focus on Philly’s neighborhoods that has had a huge impact all over the city. “If you look at Fishtown, it’s had an incredible renais-sance over the past few years,” Carlin said. “It’s really amazing what’s going on in this neighborhood. From La Colombe’s new flagship store…to the new concert venue across the street, the Fillmore… Philadelphia Distilleries announced it’s going to be moving to Fishtown this Fall. It’s really been a transformation in this neighborhood and we’re really excited to be part of that and also to con-tribute to that as well.” City Councilman Mark Squilla, whose district stretches from the Naval Yard up the Delaware River into Fishtown before snaking into Frankford above Lehigh Avenue, has played a major role in the development of his district. While SugarHouse’s construction and continued de-velopment is a large, high-profile construction project, Squilla pointed out that there’s a lot of growth happening in his district. “Continued development throughout the entire water-front is really important,” Squilla said. “We have great private development coming to Festival Pier, the Live Nation venue across the street, the bowling alley and the distillery. We also have a lot of interest in the area north of here because of the vision that’s being put into action down here.” Squilla believes that within the next five years the water-front is going to be place with an “activated river,” that will provide countless attractions and activities to resi-dents of his district, old and new. At the ceremony’s conclusion, the expansion’s final beam was hoisted into the air by a crane and placed atop the lantern, which marks the highest elevation point of the expanded casino building. An evergreen tree, which is a long-standing construction tradition symbolizing a safe construction site during the building process, was at-tached to that final beam and raised along with an Ameri-can flag and a banner signed by SugarHouse executives, employees, and construction workers. •

Continued from Page 6.

GREG CARLIN, CEO AT RUSH STREET GAMING, PRAISES THE SUGARHOUSE TEAM

Page 8: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 8

clean plateSPAGHETTI WITH EGGPLANT SAUCE

WRITTEN BY CASEY ANN BECK

Cookbook authors make serious money creating catalogues of recipes that “hide” vegetables from picky palates. Though they mostly cater to parents who are trying to sneak healthy options to kids, there’s certainly a market of adults who need a little help getting their daily servings of fruits and veggies.

The huge, ripe eggplant I purchased at the produce market last week was an adventur-ous buy for me, but it wound up sitting in the refrigerator for three days –– practically glaring at me any time I grabbed something else for dinner. Then I figured out how I could use it in a way other than breading it, frying it in oil and topping it with cheese. As it turns out, eggplant is one of those vegetables you can mix into a sauce or dip without anyone knowing. A few minutes over high heat, with a little olive oil, and the eggplant caramelizes and be-comes rich and velvety. When cooked a little longer with tomatoes, it becomes the perfect consistency, transforming the dish from a mix of garden vegetables into a flavorful sauce. It tastes so good, no one would know it’s actually good for you.

Spaghetti with Eggplant Sauce½ cup olive oil1 large eggplant, cut into a ¾” dice1 small onion, diced3 cloves garlic, minced¼ cup fresh basil, minced1-28 oz. can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes1-12 oz. package whole-wheat spaghettiGrated parmesan cheese, for servingSalt and pepper, to taste

Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add eggplant and stir so pieces absorb oil. Cook for approximately seven minutes, stirring constantly, until eggplant be-comes golden brown and soft. With a wooden spoon, move eggplant to the side of the pan and add remainder of olive oil. Add onion and garlic and continue to stir as vegetables cook, for approximately five more minutes, until onions are soft. Mix in two tablespoons of fresh basil, then add a can of tomatoes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Bring sauce to a boil while breaking up tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Cover sauce and lower heat, simmering while pasta cooks to near done. Strain spaghetti and add to sauce. Allow to finish cooking in sauce until pasta is al dente. Top with remaining fresh basil and some parmesan cheese. •

Hi my name is Duce, and I was found as a stray. I’m 5 years old, neutered, and I have the goofiest personality! I know “sit” and I absolutely LOVE treats. I always say hello to all my canine friends through the gate, but I haven’t had any official meets yet. One thing that everyone’s knows is that I definitely disapprove of cats- other than that I am pretty much perfect! Duce has short, latte brown hair with white markings. If you have dogs of your own, you’ll need to bring at least one in to meet any potential dogs and make sure there is no major personality clash. Please also bring proof that you are allowed dogs/cats at your home if you rent.Duce is located at ACCT -- 111 W. Hunting Park Ave, Phila., PA 19140. 267-385-3800 (ask for the Lifesaving Department!)Email: [email protected]

ACCT Dog ID number - #A21869945

MEET duce!

Page 9: The Spirit – August 19

Page 9The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

MEET duce!

reputation that residents are well aware of. When asked what makes her neighborhood unique, Adel-la Hawthorne, Harrowgate Civic Association (HCA) mem-ber, jokingly responded, “It must be the quality of drugs because they all keep flocking here for them.” That is, if they even know what Harrowgate is. “I remember in 4th grade we had to fill out this thing that had our city and all that. I put Harrowgate for my neigh-borhood and the teacher tried to tell me I was wrong. I had to have my mother write me a note to tell the teacher that I was not wrong and that I lived in Harrowgate,” said Sean Farrell, HCA member and president of the Harrowgate Town Watch. For many Philadelphians, Harrowgate has simply been absorbed into the hazily-defined, opiate-ridden section of our city known as Kensington (unless, of course, the neighborhood is the subject of a rare, feel-good news piece, where it suddenly becomes Port Richmond). How much the media’s image of Kensington resembles the real Kensington and its inhabitants is questionable, but the stigma still makes the area appear dangerous and impen-etrable to outsiders. “I think until recently, the elected officials in the city haven’t put any energy into our area,” said Shannon Far-rell-Pakstis, president of the HCA. “And they haven’t for fifteen years,” agreed Regina Far-rell, another HCA member. Shannon, Sean, Adella and Regina are all long-time Har-rowgate residents who are part of a community movement working to return their home to its former glory. After a ten-year hiatus, the HCA has reformed with a new board and a rapidly-expanding membership. The same goes for Harrowgate Town Watch. With only 24 hours notice, over a dozen Harrowgate residents met with The Spirit at Heitzman Recreation Center on 3631 Amber Street on Au-gust 14 to talk about what they were doing to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. Reformed in January of this year, the HCA has been hard

at work improving what they can. They are renovating playgrounds, installing cameras and new equipment so that kids can play there and feel safe. They are reporting known crime hotspots to the 24th District, pushing crime out of their neighborhood. They also are working on longer term projects as well. They are hoping to change zoning in order to attract new residents and businesses to the neighborhood and work-ing with city agencies to create a plan for the future of their neighborhood. They are working on a wildly popular cam-paign to have trees planted on their streets — a campaign that has so far received more than 1000 applications. On a smaller level, the HCA has been encouraging neigh-bors to organize block clean-ups — something that they have seen become more and more common since they re-organized. They know what the community needs beyond this and are working toward ways of getting them. “Two things I see as lacking right now are green spaces, which we have built some of, and [grocery stores]. We live in a food desert. There have been a few farmers markets, but it’s still hard to find healthy food without traveling.” said Ben Carroll, treasurer of the HCA. Thus far, they’ve enjoyed some success. Even though they only formed about half a year ago, the HCA has seen meeting attendance grow from only ten in the beginning to now 65 at the last meeting. City Council members and other politicians are finally meeting with the community to talk about what they want for the future of Harrowgate. It may not seem like much, but for as briefly as the HCA has existed, they have accomplished a great deal. Much of the community’s effort goes towards reducing crime in the area. The HCA has been encouraging as many people as possible to call the police when something hap-pens, in order to elicit a faster police response, something that has become a problem in the community. They all agreed that it has gotten better as the meetings have in-creased in size; even still, waiting for hours of waiting at a time is not unheard of. The Harrowgate Town Watch patrols by foot, bike, and car and reports everything they see in an effort to make the 24th district aware of problem

spots and trends in the community. This is not to say that Harrowgate ignores those who are victims to the neighborhood’s unfortunate illegal econo-my. The HCA works to help those that are battling addic-tion become contributing members of the community. Any addict that needs help is referred to Trinity House on 3317 Kensington Ave. for help with their problem. HCA members in attendance agreed that Trinity is one of the better addiction recovery institutions in their area. One of the best parts of Trinity in the community’s eyes is that they offer recovered addicts a steady job, giving them a way to support themselves and a way to occupy their time outside of a drug habit. The small steps the HCA and other concerned citizens are taking now are all working towards a better and brighter future for the community. Most people in at-tendance had fond memories of the neighborhood from their childhood. “We used to be a neighborhood where everything was self-contained. We had a furniture store, a grocery store, a bakery, factories, mom-and-pop stores –– everything,” said HCA member Terry Martell. Ultimately this is what they are working towards, a Har-rowgate that resembles its former glory. A neighborhood where everything you need, including your job, is just a stroll away. A neighborhood occupied by hardworking folks that care about their neighbors. Someplace you’d be happy to raise a family. No one pretends that Harrowgate will be the exact same neighborhood it was half a century ago. The neighbor-hood is much more diverse today than it once was, al-though the HCA doesn’t see that as a problem. “We have hispanics, we have blacks, we have whites, we have some Asians but not many, but we all get along. It’s a very diverse community and everyone gets along, unless you’re a criminal,” said Regina Farrell. Whether the HCA can make Harrowgate a thriving neigh-borhood again remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: They’re off to a running start. •

Continued from Page 1.

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THESE ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF HARROWGATE PUT FORTH BY THE HARROWGATE CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Page 10: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 10

The Spirit is pleased to present a story of serialized fic-tion throughout the month of August. Each week, we’ll publish a new part in the developing story of William, a watchman in 19th century Northern Liberties, leading up to the dramatic conclusion. Last week left off with Wil-liam discovering a charred body lying in a smoldering building and finding his first clue in the murder mystery.

Smoke was quickly obscuring William’s vision. With no other exit William could only hope to face the flames. He grabbed as many work orders as he could and flung him-self against the office door. Nothing. He stepped back and tried again. Nothing. The air was getting thick and William began to cough. Again he stepped back and lunged toward the door with his shoulder. This time it cracked. William fell with it straight to the floor. Looking up, the fire had quickly spread through the tailor’s shop. Mr. Buckner was gone. Clutching the papers to his chest he ran and dove through a front window. Outside people were scurrying to put out the fire. He dashed back to the brothel in case whoever started it was still following him. Returning to Ellen’s room, he placed the documents on the floor. He only managed to save a fraction and flipped through them slowly now, as though the more delicately he did so the greater the odds the evi-dence would be there. And then, it was. “Winston Steel” at the top of a page. Four cloaks with the same insignia. He poured through for information more revealing than materials and thread counts and color profiles. There at

the bottom was a list of measurements each with a name. Comparing it to the one the suspect dropped there was a match. Mr. Winston’s son, Francis. William knocked on the front door of the Winston Estate and a servant girl answered. “I’m looking for Francis,” William said. “He’s sleeping.” “Could you wake him? This is urgent.” The girl invited him into the room and went to get Fran-cis. She quickly returned. “He’ll just be a moment.” “Was Francis out last night?” he asked. “I believe so, sir.” “Do you know when he came back in?” Just then Francis appeared in the door frame. “How can I help you?” he asked. He was short with dirty blond hair. Above the right knee there was a splotch of white wash where the color was scrubbed and faded. “I’m a watchman down on Sixth Street. There was a mur-der last night, I was hoping you could help answer some questions.” “I can’t possibly imagine what I would know in that re-gards,” Francis said. “You’re actually the prime suspect.” “Well then, happy to be of assistance.” William led Francis to the brothel and up to Ellen’s room. They passed Rosetta in the stairwell. “How could you?” Rosetta asked.Francis scoffed. “Do you think I would waste my brilliant

serialized fictionA RIVERWARDS MURDER MYSTERY (PART THREE OF FOUR)

WRITTEN BY KYLE ALBASI

prospects with such a reckless act?” William pushed Francis along to the room. Ellen’s body had now settled into its contorted shape. The pool of blood turning dark and congealed. With William inching him forward Francis stepped just short of the blood. He looked over the scene carefully. William took note of Fran-cis’ face searching for a twinge of familiarity, regret, an-ger, but it remained passive and unaffected. After a short moment Francis turned from the body. “Well, when you play with fire,” Francis said. The words barely left his mouth before William clocked him in his face. Francis stumbled back and clutched his nose, blood streaming between his fingers. “What in God’s name is going on here?” William turned to the door and saw his boss, Mr. Win-ston, standing with another man and Rosetta in tow. He stepped into the room, steering his gaze from Ellen and fixing them firmly on William. “Now, you’re a fine foundryman, but I believe you may be out of your element here.” “But, sir-,” William said. “Given my interest in this community I’ve taken it upon myself to hire a professional investigator.” “I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the investigator said. “This is a crime scene.” With his bloody hand Francis pushed William back into the hall and shut the door behind him. •

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NHS School St. Anne’s welcomes the community to join us for our OPEN HOUSE & RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 from 3:30 - 7:00 pm at 2343 E. Tucker St. Philadelphia, PA 19125.

Serving Autism and Emotional Support Needs, we’re proud to bring our services to the community. Light refreshments will be served.

OPEN HOUSE & RIBBONCUTTING CEREMONY

sHamPOO BaR’S

CUT-a-THONThe Shampoo Bar at 2651 Somerset Street in Port Rich-

mond will be holding a Cut-a-Thon on Sunday, August 30 from 11-3PM. It is $20 a cut for adults and $5-10 for children.

All proceeds will be going to Betty and Joe Becker to help pay for medical bills and living costs due to Joe’s cancer. If

you don’t need a cut, just stop by to support the family. The Beckers would like to thank the Shampoo Bar and every-

one else for their help and prayers.

Is there something going on a that’s a little funky in your neighborhood that you want us look into? Have something juicy you want to leak? Know of something fun or interesting going on that you think we should know

about?

We rely on sources like you for news that effects our neighborhoods. No tip is a bad tip. Drop us a line at [email protected].

Page 11: The Spirit – August 19

Page 11The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

FISHTOWN FAMILY FUN: THE SUMMER OF

25 FREE THINGSWRITTEN BY JENN PERRY

prospects with such a reckless act?” William pushed Francis along to the room. Ellen’s body had now settled into its contorted shape. The pool of blood turning dark and congealed. With William inching him forward Francis stepped just short of the blood. He looked over the scene carefully. William took note of Fran-cis’ face searching for a twinge of familiarity, regret, an-ger, but it remained passive and unaffected. After a short moment Francis turned from the body. “Well, when you play with fire,” Francis said. The words barely left his mouth before William clocked him in his face. Francis stumbled back and clutched his nose, blood streaming between his fingers. “What in God’s name is going on here?” William turned to the door and saw his boss, Mr. Win-ston, standing with another man and Rosetta in tow. He stepped into the room, steering his gaze from Ellen and fixing them firmly on William. “Now, you’re a fine foundryman, but I believe you may be out of your element here.” “But, sir-,” William said. “Given my interest in this community I’ve taken it upon myself to hire a professional investigator.” “I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the investigator said. “This is a crime scene.” With his bloody hand Francis pushed William back into the hall and shut the door behind him. •

Each summer, our family sets a goal for ourselves: 2013 was the summer of 25 playground visits while last summer we explored 25 different li-braries. Raising a large family on one income in-

spired us to call this year “The Summer of 25 Free Things!” You’d be surprised at how many things you can actually do at little-to-no cost. Both near and far, free activities are everywhere.

#1 - Sister Cities Park (210 N. 18th St.) - A city park by the Franklin Institute with a 10-geyser fountain, a Children’s Discovery Garden, and a toy boat pond. It’s our favorite spot to soak up the action of our city. #2 - Elfreth’s Alley (126 Elfreth’s Alley) - Found in Olde City, America’s oldest street is full of family-friendly (and free!) charm. #3 - Erie Lanes (1300 E. Erie Ave) - Thanks to Kids Bowl Free, we have enjoyed our fair share of strikes this sum-mer.#4 - 2nd Street Festival (2nd Street in Northern Liberties) - Arts and crafts, live music, and an endless amount of peo-ple watching created a superb afternoon for all. #5 - Richmond Library (2987 Almond St.) - An art program where the kids created beautiful Mandalas was a creative highlight for everyone.#6 - Pastorius Park (8434 Germantown Ave.) - A true urban oasis! Located in Chestnut Hill, this park is a must-see for all families. We brought along nets for scooping up min-nows.#7 - Shakespeare in the Park (1341 N. Delaware Ave.) - “The Tempest” was performed by Commonwealth Theater at Penn Treaty Park. Our kids first brush with Shakespeare was a wonderful one. #8 - Philadelphia Soul Game (3601 S. Broad St.) - Tickets to our arena football team were a reward for the completion of a Soul-sponsored parent/child bowling league that our family participated in.#9 - Palmyra Cove (1335 Route 73 South, Palmyra, NJ) - Right across the bridge in New Jersey, this cove perfect spot to get up close and personal with nature. #10 - Second Street Press (1400 N. American St. #103) - Second Saturdays, sponsored by PECO, were a highlight of our summer. Printmaking with various local artists in a stunning warehouse atmosphere was awesome. #11 - Ontario Street Comics (2235 E. Ontario St.) - Our fa-vorite comic shop is a great spot to visit on a rainy day. #12 - Lowe’s Build and Grow (3800 Aramingo Ave.) - Held on select Saturdays, the Avenger’s themed summer proj-ects were a great way to keep the kids busy.#13 - Christ Church (20 N. American St.) - Founded in 1695, the outdoor seating area is the perfect backdrop for a summer picnic. #14 - Chikara Wrestling - Chikara Pro wrestling is an af-fordable and entertaining way for fans to get their family-friendly wrestling fix.#15 - Fireman’s Hall Museum (147 N. 2nd St.) - A trip to this restored firehouse includes a chance to dress up in full firefighter gear. #16 - Hershey’s Chocolate World - We skipped the amuse-ment park and thoroughly enjoyed this tour of how Choc-olate is made (free samples, too!)#17 - Tall Ships Arrival - We set up camp on Columbus Boulevard and watched the magnificent ships roll in. #18 - Apple Camp - Apple Stores offer free iMovie camp for a few select weeks in the summer for kids 8+. #19 - Cione Pool (2600 Aramingo Ave.) - A quick dip in the neighborhood on a 95-degree day is just what we needed.#20 - Franklin Mint - Self-guided tours through the na-tion’s first coining press are free!#21 - Mann Music Center (5201 Parkside Ave.) - “The Three Kings” performance, part of the Young People Concert Se-ries, was so well done that we can’t wait for next year. #22 - Indigo Arts Gallery (1400 N. American St. #104) - Right in the ‘hood, a beautiful gallery showcasing folk and contemporary art.#23 - Movie in the Park (1341 N. Delaware Ave.) - Despi-cable Me 2 at Penn Treaty Park was a perfect family night. #24 - Palmer Cemetery - We remembered those who fought for our country by placing a flag on all of our Vet-eran’s graves.#25 - Six Flags Great Adventure (1 Six Flags Blvd, Jackson, NJ) - Six Flags Read to Succeed program rewards readers with a free pass to the park. This was a fabulous reward for all of us! •

questionPHOTOS AND WORDS BY HAYLEY MARKS

OF THE WEEK: WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN AND OUT, WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY POSITIVE?

“I JUST PUT ON A GOOD RECORD AND LISTEN TO MUSIC. THAT NORMALLY GETS ME FEELING GOOD IN NO TIME!” -ROB

“OPEN A BOTTLE OF BEER, AND HANG WITH MY PALS.” -DAVE

“I LIKE TO HANG OUT WITH MY KIDS. THEY LIFT MY SPIRITS.” -SHANNON

“I’M HAPPY WHEN I GO TO GYMNASTICS PRACTICE!” -MAYA

Page 12: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 12

MEETINGS

CALENDARNEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

COMMUNITY

EVENTS

NKCDC OPEN OFFICE HOURSNKCDC is hosting open office hours in the 1934 zip code at two locations! They will be at the Community Women’s Education Project (CWEP) on the corner of Frankford Ave. and Somerset St. the second Mon. of the month from 4-7PM and Firm Hope Baptist Church on Tulip and Au-burn Sts. every second Wed. of the month. They will assist you with signing up for benefits like SNAP, connecting to housing counselors for any housing needs, rent and prop-erty tax rebates, food referrals, health insurance and safe-ty or quality of life issues in your community. For further information Contact Tess at [email protected] or 215-427-0350 x 139

AL-ANON AT HOLY NAME CHURCH HALLMeetings are held every Mon. night from 7-8PM at Holy Name Church Hall, at 701 Gaul Street. Anything shared at a meeting stays there, and everyone is welcome to attend. Al-Anon meetings are free, anonymous and confidential.

Monday, September 14COMMUNITY MEETINGFACT will hold a community meeting on Monday Septem-ber 14th at 7PM at Holy Name of Jesus Church Hall. Our guest speakers will include Lena Smith, Regional Orga-nizer of Food & Water Watch who will speak on the plans to expand the Liquid Gas installation in Port Richmond--this expansion could have a huge impact on the Fishtown community. Also on the agenda Senator Larry Farnese.

BRIDES BURG FOOD PANTRYBrides burg Re cre ation Cen ter, 4625 Rich mond St., is col-lect ing non per ish able food and cloth ing for the needy in the neigh bor hood. Dona tions can be dropped off at the cen ter week days from 9AM to 9PM. The pro gram will fea-ture hands-on ex per i ments. For more in form a tion or to re gister, call 215-288-7505.

BOWS AND BAN NERSBrides burg Re cre ation Cen ter, 4625 Rich mond St., is of-fer ing pride ban ners and pat ri ot ic bows for $3 each. Pro-ceeds from the bows be ne fit the chil dren’s activ it ies at the cen ter. Bows and ban ners can be pur chased between 9AM and 9PM.

Mondays and ThursdaysADULT ZUMBABridesburg Recreation Center will host adult zumba class-es every Monday and Thursday. The cost is $4 per class and it takes place in an air conditioned room.For more information contact the Bridesburg Recreation Cen-ter at 215-685-1247.

Tuesdays and ThursdaysGIRLS FALL VOLLEYBALL PROGRAMThe Bridesburg Recreation Center will host a Girls Vol-leyball Program Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 6-7PM for ages 10 to 17. There is a $25 registration fee that includes a t-shirt and a medal. The program starts Sep-tember 15 and ends December 3. For more information call 215-685-1247.

Mondays and WednesdaysWOMENS FALL VOLLEYBALL PROGRAMThe Bridesburg Recreation Center will host a Women’s Volleyball Program Monday and Wednesday evenings, from 7-8PM for ages 18 and up. There is a $25 registration fee. For more information call 215-685-1247.

ThursdaysSNAP BOX PRO GRAM AT GREENS GROWDescription- Greens grow, 2501 E. Cum ber land St., will of fer SNAP Box, a weekly farm share for low-in come in di-vidu als, fam il ies and food stamp be ne fi ciar ies on Thurs-days, from Ju ly 9 to Sept. 3, from 5 to 7PM. There is a $26 fee for each four-week pro gram. To re gister, vis it greens grow.org or call Mon ica Mc Col lin at 267-496-0148.

WednesdaysEAST KENSINGTON PARK PLANNINGBe a part of East Kensington’s newest green space! Join every Wed. night from 6-7PM at the corner of Huntington and Emerald Street for cleaning, gardening and planning the future of this new community park.Call or email Jack with questions: 267-908-9038 or [email protected].

LADIES OF PORT RICHMOND BREAST CANCER SHIRTSThe Ladies of Port Richmond still have tee shirts available from the walk. The Ladies of Port Richmond raise funds to increase breast cancer awareness through education, and to help fund research to find a cure in our lifetime.Contact Marylou at 215-427-3222 to purchase one.

THE FRIENDS OF CAMPBELL SQUARE EVENTSAugust 20th, Thursday, 7-9-PM, rescheduled ELVIS tribute show featuring Johnny Tocco! Along with the line dancers from Miss Susan’s Entertainment and Dance!August 26th, Family Movie Night, Wednesday at dusk! Come out and enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy. Also perfor-mances by an all-star of Hula Hoops!September 9th, Wednesday, 7-9PM, Big band and swing music by the City Rhythm Orchestra!September 20th, Sunday, the Friends of Campbell Square Fall Flea Market! 8AM-1:30PM!October 24th, Saturday, Halloween! 1:30-3:00 PM Trick or treating for youngsters up to age 10 accompanied by a par-ent or a guardian. Small pumpkins will be available for a small donation! Still working on additional surprises at this time!

Thursday August 20FAMILY MOVIE NIGHTSFamily movie nights at First Presbyterian Church in Kens-ington concludes on Thursday, August 20 with a showing of “Lilo & Stitch” at 7PM. Free popcorn and snacks will be provided. All are welcome. For more information on other movie nights visit our website: www.1stpresbykensington.org or call the church: 215-739-5695.

Sunday, August 23PHILASOUP FUNDRAISERPhilaSoup is hosting its annual kick-off fundraiser Sun-day, Aug. 23, from 5:30-7:30PM at Keystone Mini Golf, 161 Cecil B. Moore Ave. All proceeds go directly toward sup-porting classroom grants for Philadelphia teachers. Tick-ets are $20 and include a round of golf and Philadelphia Brewing Company beers. For more information call Meagan Ingerson at 267-273-8124 or email [email protected].

Tuesday, August 25OUTDOOR MOVIE & CRAFT NIGHTThe Powers Park Conservancy is sponsoring a free show-ing of Monsters University at Powers Park (Ann & Almond Streets, behind the Richmond Library) on Tuesday, Au-gust 25 at dusk (approximately 7:30PM). In conjunction with the event, the Richmond Library is having a Back-To-School Craft Night at 6PM on the same evening. For more information visit www.facebook.com/powerspark-conservancy or email them at [email protected].

Tuesday, August 25KCFC’S POP-UP FARMERS’ MARKETWould you like to buy sustainable, fresh and locally grown food without having to venture to the supermar-ket? KCFC’s Marketplace is your monthly opportunity to stock up every 4th Tuesday at our pop-up farmers’ market (upstairs at Circle of Hope, 2009 Frankford Ave. at Norris St.) on Tuesday, August 25 from 6-8PM. Come meet your neighbors and support the effort to open a neighborhood food co-op!For more information visit: www.kcfc.coop or e-mail [email protected]

Wednesday, August 26DINNER FUNDRAISERFriends of Adaire is once again partnering with our friends and allies in the 19125 Parents Coalition -- the Friends of H.A. Brown and the Friends of Hackett -- to host a joint fundraiser/happy hour at Revolution House, the great res-

taurant at 2nd and Market (200 Market Street) in Old City. It’s going to be Wednesday, August 26th from 5-7PM. Tick-ets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door and will include light eats and one drink. We’ll also have a raffle chock full of awesome prizes from generous Friends of Adaire (and Brown, and Hackett!) in case you want to bid. And Friends of Adaire, there’s a drop down menu when you register to designate that you’re “supporting” Adaire, so make sure you let your Adaire support show!For tickets visit http://19125fundraiser.eventbrite.com

Sunday, August 30LEPRECHAUNS FAMILY FUN DAYLeprechaun Sports Association is having their 2nd An-nual Cow Chip Bingo & Family Fun Day. On Sun. Aug. 30th 12:00 PM at the Ukrainian Club (847 Franklin St). There will food, DJ, games, moonbounce, face painting, raffles, and much more! Tickets for The Cow Chip Bingo sold for $20 each. Only 1,000 blocks will be sold. If the cow plops in your square you could win up to $10,000 dollars. Need not to be present to win. To purchase tickets or for more info stop by the Leprechauns clubhouse located 2973 Gaul St.You can call the clubhouse at 215-423-6309, email [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

Sunday, August 30CUT-A-THONThe Shampoo Bar at (2651 Somerset St.) will be holding a Cut-A-Thon Sunday, August 30 from 11-3PM. It is $20 a cut for adults, $5-10 for children, and the proceeds will be going to my parents, Betty & Joe Becker. If you don’t need a cut, stop by and donate, or just stop by and show them support. This fundraiser is helping with the medical and living costs that are mounting due to my dad’s cancer. Our family would like to thank the Shampoo Bar and everyone else for their help and prayers. For more information call the Shampoo Bar at 215-739-5090.

Sunday, August 30BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS FESTIVALGrace Church and the Incarnation, 2645 E. Venango St. Bring your backpack to have it blessed, receive a bag of school supplies, and go outside to enjoy FREE food, games and block party activities! EVERYONE is invited. 3-6 PM

Wed nes day, September 9RESCHEDULED CON CERT IN CAMP BELL SQUAREThe City Rhythm Or ches tra con cert has been res ched uled from May 27 to Wed nes day, Sept. 9, from 7-9PMFor de tails, call Susan Ongirski at 215-426-3766.

Labor Day Weekend50TH ANNUAL POLISH AMERICAN FESTIVALThis year’s festival at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (Ferry Road, Doylestown, PA) takes place during Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, September 5th, Sunday, September 6th and Labor Day, Monday, Sep-tember 7th from 11AM until 8PM each day. The Festival will continue on Saturday, September 12th, and Sunday, September 13th. The Polish American Festival features carnival rides, live music and stage shows and ongoing entertainment on the main stage and in the Polish Village highlighting Polish traditions and customs, Polish Folk Dance Groups, along with a variety of Polish and American food and refreshments. The $12.00 admission includes all events and carnival rides. For more information, visit the Shrine’s site at PolishAmeri-canFestival.com or PolishShrine.com or call (215) 345-0600 or (215) 922-1700.

Sunday, September 13COMMUNION BREAKFASTPlease join us for a communion breakfast after the 11AM mass in the Holy Name church hall, 701 Gaul St. You can pick up your ticket in the rectory or in the back of the church after each Mass. Cost will be $13 per adult and $9 per child under 13 years old. The 11AM Mass will be cel-ebrated for Fr. Frank Gwiazda.For more info call Mary at 267-266-6910.

Sunday, September 13PAINT NITE FUNDRAISERYou’re invited to a Paint Night Fundraiser to benefit Au-tism Speaks on Sunday, September 13 at 3PM. The fun-draiser will take place at Dave & Buster’s, 1995 Franklin Mills Circle, Philadelphia, PA 19154. Sign up at www.

Page 13: The Spirit – August 19

Page 13The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

CHILDREN

SIGN UPS

SENIORS

TRIPS

MARKETS

GOT A CALENDAR EVENT? EMAIL US AT

[email protected]

FAITH

paintnite.com/pages/events/view/philadelphia/896828 or contact Billie Suarez at 215-796-5524 or [email protected]

Sunday, September 13ZOOT SUITSAmerican Legion Post 396 Presents: 2 Piece Band ZOOT SUITS. Sept. 13th, 3-7PM. $5 Cover Charge, Cash Bar, FREE FOOD. For further information contact Post 396 at (215) 744-5211.

Saturday, September 19PENNY PARTYThe Bethesda Methodist Church will host a Penny Party, from 1PM-3PM September 19. Doors open at 11:30AM. The cost is $5 for 60 tickets, tea, coffee and dessert. Soda, water, hot dogs and hoagies for sale. Have some fun, bring some friends!For more information call 215-739-7399.

Saturday, September 19POST 396 ANNUAL GOLF OUTINGJuniata Golf Course, September 19, 2015. 9AM tee time. All registration should be turned in by Sept. 12. The cost is $75 per golfer or $300 per foursome. This includes the green fee, carts, on course refreshments and a buffet back at Post 396 for the Awards Ceremony. There will be a cash bar back at Post. You should report to Juniata no later than 8:30AM.For further information contact Post 396 at (215) 744-5211.

Wednesday, October 7BREAST CANCER EDUCATION AND AWARENESS EVENT On Wednesday, October 7, Nazareth Hospital will present its 6th annual Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Event, funded by a grant from the Ladies of Port Rich-mond. The event will be held at Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein, located at 9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114. The event will include a buffet dinner, giveaways and raffle tables and resources from the American Cancer Society. Event check-in will begin at 5:00PM. Admission is $15. Space is limited, and registration is required. For tickets, please call the Community Outreach Department at 215.335.6236.

October 24KENSINGTON HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL LUN-CHEONAll years Annual Luncheon at Williamson’s Restaurant (Horsham, PA). Special Honorees this year are the “Gor-geous Ladies of the Class of 65.” For further information call Barbara Jones at 215-740-1776 or Barbara Jones at 215-927-5644.

WednesdaysPRESCHOOL STORYTIME AT RICHMOND LIBRARYThis program is intended for children ages 1-4 and their caregiver. Siblings are always welcome. Daycares should call for separate appointments. Richmond Branch of the Free Library, 2987 Almond St. For further information call 215-685-9992.

WednesdaysPRESCHOOL STORYTIME AT FISHTOWN LIBRARYThis program is intended for children ages 1-4 and their caregiver. Siblings are always welcome. Daycares should call for separate appointments. Fishtown Community Branch of the Free Library, 1217 E. Montgomery Ave.For more info call Miss Sheila at 215-685-9990.

Tuesday, September 1BRIDESBURG PRE SCHOOL Boys and Girls 2-3-4 as of Sep. 1, 2015. 2’ Mon. and Thurs., 3’s Thurs. and Fri., 4’s Mon. and Wed.Call Miss Jackie at 215-533-6448 or 685-1247

SaturdaysFREE MUSIC PROGRAM FOR GIRLSSister Cities Girlchoir invites girls in grades 1-8 to join our FREE choral academy in Northern Liberties at Wal-ter Palmer Charter School, 910 N. 6th St. SCG is the girl-empowerment choral academy serving over 250 girls in Philadelphia and Camden.Visit www.SisterCitiesGirlchoir.org.

REGISTRATION FOR CIONE TOT PROGRAMCione Tot Program (Aramingo and Lehigh Aves.) has a few openings for their 2015-2016 school year. Class is held each Tues., Wed., and Thurs from 9AM - Noon. Children

WednesdaysCAMPBELL SQUARE VOLUNTEERS AND NEW MEMBERSIf anyone in the Port Richmond community enjoys gar-dening, likes to dig in the dirt and likes to get involved in the community, please feel free to come out to Campbell Square park, located at Belgrade Street and Allegheny Av-enue, on Wed. evenings from 6:30-7:30PM. We are also looking for anyone who would like to become a member of the Friends Of Campbell Square or who would like to volunteer some time helping out at our seasonal events in the park. We welcome new members and volunteers.If you are interested in being part of a wonderful group and can spare some time, please contact Susan Ongirski at 215-426-3766 or John Rajca at 267-886-8799.

Tuesday, September 8RESURRECTION BOWLING LEAGUE Resurrection Bowling League is looking for male and fe-male bowlers, individuals and teams. Each team consists of four bowlers. The league bowls on Tuesday nights at 8:30 PM. League play begins Tuesday, September 8, 2015. Anyone interested in bowling, please call Joe Gessner, 215-725-3556 or Kathy Pearce, 215-802-6912.

SundaysSUNDAY BINGOSt. Anne Church will host bingo on Sundays in the So cial Hall, Mem ph is and Tuck er streets. Doors open at 4PM; bingo starts at 6PM. Cost is $10. Call 215-739-4590 for more de tails.

LUTHERAN SETTLEMENT HOME EVENTSLutheran Settlement House Senior Center, 1340 Frank-ford Ave. Computer Classes: Level 1: Mon. 9-10AM, Tues. 9-10AM, Thurs. 12-2PM; Level 2: Mon. 1-3PM, Thurs. 2-4PM. Dancercise with Rita, Mon. at 9AM, Tai Chi with Milt, Wed. at 12:30PM.For further information call 215-426-8610.

FridaysART WORK SHOP FOR SENI ORSSt. Anne’s Seni or Cen ter, 2607 E. Cum ber land St., is of-fer ing an art work shop for people age 50 and older. “Clay Cre ations” will meet weekly on Fri days, from 12:30-2 PM Par ti cipants will learn about the art of hand build ing to cre ate pots and oth er clay forms. Those in ter es ted should re gister in ad vance.For more de tails call 215-426-9799.

SENI OR EX ER CISE CLASSESEx er cise classes for people 50 and older will be offered at St. Anne’s Seni or Cen ter, 2607 E. Cum ber land St. Class sched ule will be En hance Fit ness on Mondays and Thurs-days at 9:30 AM, Chair Yoga on Tues days at 9:30 AM, Tai Chi on Wed nes days at 10 AM, and Line Dan cing on the first and third Fri day of every month. For more in form a tion call 215-426-9799.

Wednesdays FIRST PRESBYTERIAN BIBLE STUDY GROUPOn Wed. at 7PM a bible study group meets at First Presby-terian Church, 418 E. Girard Ave. Come and bring a friend for informative, exciting and lively open discussions. As always, everyone is welcome.

ThursdaysST. ANNE WEEKLY NOVENASt. Anne weekly Novena Thurs. evening service, 7:30PM Church of Saint Anne, Memphis St. and Lehigh Ave.

Saturday, August 22FLEA MARKET & BOOK SALEThe Friends of Rodriguez Library are hosting a flea mar-ket, book sale and raffle on Saturday, August 22 from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Rodriguez Library, 6th and Girard. (Rain Date is August 29.) If interested in renting flea market space ($10; bring your own table), email [email protected].

Saturday, August 29CHURCH FLEA MARKETThe Emanuel United Church of Christ, will hold a flea market on Saturday, August 29 from 9-3PM, at 2628 Fill-more Street.

Sunday, September 13LADIES OF PORT RICHMOND ATLANTIC CITY BUS TRIPThe Ladies of Port Richmond present a fantastic bus trip to Atlantic City on Sun., Sept. 13. Bus leaves at 11AM from Campbell Square. Resorts Casino, $30, get $25 back. Pro-ceeds benefit Breast Cancer Research.Call Mary Lou at 215-427-3222 or Marie at 215-287-5696 for more info.

Monday, December 7CAPE MAY CHRIST MAS TOURThe Pol ish Amer ic an Cul tur al Cen ter Mu seum Vo lun teers will spon sor a one day Cape May Christ mas Tour on Mon., Dec. 7th. The group will meet at St. Adal bert Church (2645 E. Al legheny Ave.) at 8AM and re turn at 6PM. The itiner-ary includes visiting the Emlen Physick Estate House Museum, lunch at the Lobster House Restaurant, visiting three festively decorated Inns and generally experiencing the feeling of Christmas in the Victorian Age. Total cost is $105. A de pos it is re quired to hold reservations.For de tails, call Theresa Ro manowski at 215-922-1700 or 215-813-2780.

Tuesday-Thursday, December 8-10COURT ST. FRANCIS DE SALES LANCASTER SHOW TRIPThere are only 17 seats left for Court St. Francis De Sales Lancaster Show Trip. 3 Days-2 Nights. Tues-Thu, Decem-ber 8-10, 2015. Cost $299 p/p double occupancy. $75.00 due on signing. Includes transportation, lodging, 2 con-tinental breakfasts, 2 dinners, Miracle of Christmas show at Sight and Sound Millennium Theater, guided tour of Amish Country, Kitchen Kettle Village, visits to Vanity Fair Outlet and Rockvale Outlets for Christmas shopping, and more. For more information call Tina Dambach at 215-779-2054.

April 26“SAMSON” SIGHT & SOUND TRIP WITH ST. ADALBERTThe sodality of Our Lady of Fatima from St. Adalbert Par-ish in Port Richmond is sponsoring a one day trip on Tues., Apr. 26, 2016, to see “Samson” at the Sight & Sound Millennium Theater in Lancaster, PA. The group will be departing from St. Adalbert Church, 2645 E. Allegheny Ave. at 8:30AM. The itinerary includes shopping at Kitch-en Kettle Village, Lunch at Shady Maple and the show. Ap-proximate time of arrival home will be 7PM. The total cost including gratuities is $110. A deposit is required to hold reservations.For reservations/info call Theresa Romanowski 215-922-1700 during the day or 215-813-2780.

need to be 3 1/2 years old to attend. Our program offers a wide variety of subjects, daily snacks and interactive programs. Our weekly school fee includes the price of the many trips we take throughout the school years. A $20 non-refundable registration fee is due at the time of registration. For more information call 215-685-9950 or 215-685-9880.

TuesdaysFIRST EMMANUEL PRAYER PARTNERS PRAYER MINISTRY First Emmanuel Prayer Partners Church, 711 W. Girard Ave. Prayer Ministry Looking for Prayer Partners. Everyone is Welcome to come pray with us.For further information call 215-456-9974.

Page 14: The Spirit – August 19

The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015Page 14

JUNK CARS WANTED

MAIL IT:EMAIL IT: CALL IT: FAX IT:

1428 E. SUSQUEHANNA [email protected]

Advertise With Us!By placing an advertisement in the Spirit, you con-nect with the residents of Fishtown, Northern Liber-ties, Port Richmond, and Kensington.

The deadline is Friday at 5pm for display ads, and Monday at 12pm for classifieds. All advertisements must be paid for in advance.

THE FINE PRINT:We reserve the right to edit, refuse or classify any advertisement. Advertising is a privilege which must be protected against misuse. All classified advertisements subject to pre-payment. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to check the advertisements each time it is published. No responsibility is assumed by the newspaper for errors. Errors will be rectified by reinsertion in the following issue only.

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JOBSPAY LESS

ROOFINGNEW RUBBER ROOFS

MINOR ROOF REPAIRSALUMINUM ROOF COATINGSHINGLES - GUTTERS - SPOUTS

215-743-8599FREE ESTIMATES - CALL GERRY

ROOSEVELT MALLFLEA MARKET AT COTTMAN AVE

IS BACK! Every Sunday

8AM til 4PMEarly Birds Are Welcome!

In The Mall Parking Lot Along Cottman Avenue

Free Parking & Free AdmissionATM, Handicap Accessible

215 – 625 – FLEA (3532)

MORE INFO:

More Than 100 Vendors Featuring Antiques, Collectibles, Vintage

Jewelry, Clothing, House Wares, Great Food

& Much More!

www.PhilaFleaMarkets.org

FOSTERPARENTS

PLEASECALL

Good, Loving homes needed

for children of all ages.

215-203-8733or

1-877-NFI4KIDor visit

nfi4kids.org

Room for rent: 25XX Frankford

Ave Furnished Kitchenette Clean Senior Preferred

$435/Month(215) 941-3000

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE –

OF PERSONAL PROPERTY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE UNDERSIGNED WILL SELL, TO SATISFY THE LIEN OF THE LANDLORD, AT PUBLIC SALE BY COMPETITIVE BIDDING. ON August 27, 2015 @ 2pm

LOCKER ROOM SELF STORAGE, INC. LOCATED AT 4391 ARAMINGO AVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19124. THE

PERSONAL GOODS STORED IN SPACE NO:

#1506 – Alexander, Jamila #1417 – Banks, Winston#137 – Barclay, Robert #1625 – Bibbs, Shanice

#1110 – Bradshaw, Lanier #1313 – Brown, Spencer#509 – Curran, John #606 – Davies, Kristine

#1703 – Gourdine, Eric #304 – Ollila III, Bernard#1241 – Udowenko, Michael

PURCHASE MUST BE MADE IN CASH ONLY AND PAID FOR AT THE TIME OF SALE, ALONG WITH A REFUND-

ABLE CASH DEPOSIT. ALL GOODS ARE SOLD AS IS AND MUST BE REMOVED AT TIME OF PURCHASE.

SALE IS SUBJECT TO ADJOURNMENT AND WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE AN OPENING

BID. LOCKER ROOM SELF-STORAGE, INC. (215) 535-8885.

LOOKING FOR NEW CLIENTS, EMPLOY-

EES, OR EMPLOYERS? LOOKING FOR A

HANDYMAN, FLEA MARKET OR A HOME?

ADVERTISE WITH THE SPIRIT AND GET NO-

TICED! [email protected]

215.423.6246

DRIVERS: Peddle/Delivery Routes. Most home daily out of Easton! $24/Hour Over-time after 8 Hours ($36/hr). Must have min 6mos CDL-A exp. w/Doubles. Call CPC Logistics:

855-420-0149

CARPENTER part time, year

round work. must be experienced, and have own tools and

truck.

215 840 8399

HANDYMANPLUMBING - WINDOWS

PAINTING - DOORSCARPENTRY - CEILINGS

CEMENT - FLOORS

215-743-8599

Apartment for Rent29XX block of Frankford Ave

3rd floor efficiency No smoking -credit check

Call 856-305-1556

Page 15: The Spirit – August 19

Page 15The Spirit of the Riverwards - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE –

OF PERSONAL PROPERTY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE UNDERSIGNED WILL SELL, TO SATISFY THE LIEN OF THE LANDLORD, AT PUBLIC SALE BY COMPETITIVE BIDDING. ON August 27, 2015 @ 2pm

LOCKER ROOM SELF STORAGE, INC. LOCATED AT 4391 ARAMINGO AVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19124. THE

PERSONAL GOODS STORED IN SPACE NO:

#1506 – Alexander, Jamila #1417 – Banks, Winston#137 – Barclay, Robert #1625 – Bibbs, Shanice

#1110 – Bradshaw, Lanier #1313 – Brown, Spencer#509 – Curran, John #606 – Davies, Kristine

#1703 – Gourdine, Eric #304 – Ollila III, Bernard#1241 – Udowenko, Michael

PURCHASE MUST BE MADE IN CASH ONLY AND PAID FOR AT THE TIME OF SALE, ALONG WITH A REFUND-

ABLE CASH DEPOSIT. ALL GOODS ARE SOLD AS IS AND MUST BE REMOVED AT TIME OF PURCHASE.

SALE IS SUBJECT TO ADJOURNMENT AND WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE AN OPENING

BID. LOCKER ROOM SELF-STORAGE, INC. (215) 535-8885.

CRIME26th District

Report

August 5 to august 11There were no homicides, rapes, point of gun robberies, and aggravated assaults with or without guns in this time span.

1ROBBERIES with other weapon

1residentialburglaries

4thefts

11thefts

from autos

8stolenautos

2300 Jasper - 8/7

900 Delaware - 8/81300 Front - 8/82600 Edgemont - 8/112200 Sepviva - 8/11

500 E. Girard - 8/62400 Huntingdon - 8/6900 Frankford - 8/82500 Miller - 8/72700 Huntingdon - 8/71000 Frankford - 8/8900 Canal - 8/81000 Palmer - 8/82000 Trenton - 8/92600 Emerald - 8/91000 Front - 8/9

2000 Susquehanna - 8/111400 Palmer - 8/62200 Emerald - 8/72100 Albert - 8/91400 Fletcher - 8/102000 Trenton - 8/102400 Tulip - 8/102500 Lee - 8/5

2200 Boston - 8/6

215-426-LOAN

PAWN SHOPPAWN SHOP

NEED A QUICK CASH LOAN?COME TO ADVANCED PAWN SHOP!

IMMEDIATE AND CONFIDENTIAL LOANS ON MOST ITEMS:

JEWELRY • WATCHES • ELECTRONICSMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

TOOLS AND MUCH MORE

2301 JASPER STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19125(CORNER OF YORK ST. & DAUPHIN ST.)

OVER 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS

OPEN: MON.-THUR 9-5 • FRI. 9-6 • SAT. 9-5

www.pawnshopnorthphila.com

Se Habla Español

BRING IN AD FOR SPECIAL PRICING

Page 16: The Spirit – August 19

Live better in a hotter Philadelphia.

LET’S TALK SWEATY ARMPITS. LET’S TALK CLIMATE CHANGE.

Take a sweaty selfie and tag it with

#MySweatuation on Instagram,

Twitter, or Vine to be entered

to win 1 of 2 new bikes.

THERE’S A RECORD

NUMBER OF SWARMPITS

THIS SUMMER.

THESWEATUATION.COM