PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. I No. 124 Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia December 24, 2010

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2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 22 DECEMBER, 2010

Higher Fines ForCigarette Sales ToMinorsMayor Michael Nutter signed a

new bill which increases the

penalty for merchants who illegally

sell tobacco to youth from $100 to

$250. The new bill also provides

Municipal Courts discretion to as-

sess a minimum fine of $300 to a

maximum of $2,000 for merchants

who default on the original $250

fine. The Mayor also detailed the

City’s new campaign to encourage

smokers to kick the habit.

Bill 100634, which was sponsored

by Councilwoman Marian Tasco

and approved by a 15-0 City Coun-

cil vote, requires merchants who

violate the new City Ordinance to

attend one-on-one information ses-

sions that will provide tips on

checking identification and how to

refuse sales to minors. The Ordi-

nance will also provide the City

authority to close a business for 48

hours if that merchant sells tobacco

to a minor three times in two years.

The City may assess on-the-spot

penalties to violating merchants

and will post the names of busi-

nesses that are cited for illegal to-

bacco sales to minors on the

Department of Public Health’s

website.

“This bill will expand the City’s

work of helping Philadelphians im-

prove their health and well-being,”

said Nutter. “More than 300,000

adults smoke in Philadelphia and

their habits influence many of our

youth to adopt similar unhealthy

habits. I hope Philadelphians will

utilize the available resources so

they can quit smoking and live a

better quality of life.

“Kids who smoke become adults

who smoke,” said Health Commis-

sioner and Deputy Mayor Donald

F. Schwarz. “The City will remain

vigilant in preventing illegal sales

of tobacco to youth who should

have access to healthier consump-

tion habits and opportunities.”

“This legislation will protect and

prevent our city’s young people

from starting a destructive habit

early in life,” said Councilwoman

Marian Tasco. “Retailers must act

responsibly and this bill encour-

ages them to do so.”

On Dec. 20, the City launched the

“Last Pack” campaign on 17 local

radio channels to provide informa-

tion on support, counseling and

other services that are available to

help residents quit smoking. The

City’s smoking cessation initiatives

are part of the Get Healthy Philly

campaign that encourages residents

to stop using tobacco and adopt

healthy eating habits. The Get

Healthy Philly campaign is being

funded with $25 million in federal

Recovery money, including $10.4

million for smoking cessation

work.

On Nov. 15, the Dept. of Public

Health launched its first ever nico-

22 DECEMBER, 2010 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

tine patch giveaway via the PA

Free Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW).

Over 3,300 Philadelphians have

called for free counseling and a

free one-month supply of nicotine

patches. On Jan. 1, 2011, the City

will provide insurance coverage for

smoking-cessation medications to

approximately 7,000 employees.

After a Dept. of Public Health out-

reach effort, three out of five large-

scale Medicaid Managed Care

Organizations in Philadelphia have

agreed to provide coverage for

most of these medications.

Smoking causes 2,500 deaths in

Philadelphia each year and results

in more than $800 million in pro-

ductivity losses. It’s estimated that

one in three minors illegally pur-

chase cigarettes in Philadelphia.

Those who witness illegal tobacco

sales to youth are asked to report it

by calling 1 (888) 99-SMOKE or

by logging on to www.smokefreep-

hilly.org.

At Last! Snow Disas-ter Money RelievesPhiladelphiaUS Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) ap-

plauded the decision by the Federal

Emergency Management Agency

to release federal funding to help

Philadelphia recover from winter

storms in February. Philadelphia

will receive $1,775,008.25 in fed-

eral grants for reimbursement for

snow-removal efforts.

“I wish to thank the Obama Ad-

ministration for providing this as-

sistance to help Philadelphia with

the great costs that were incurred

from the February storms,” said

Casey. “This funding will provide

much-needed relief to the commu-

nities that were affected.”

The City of Philadelphia will re-

ceive reimbursement for Feb. 6-7

snow removal efforts on airport fa-

cilities, grounds and roadways.

Force-account resources as well as

contractor services and materials

were used to provide these emer-

gency measures. There were addi-

tional costs associated with vehicle

and equipment repairs. For more

information on FEMA’s Public As-

sistance program, please visit

http://www.fema.gov/govern-

ment/grant/pa/index.shtm.

Christmas At Pacifico FordKERRY PACIFICO,

SR. not only annu-

ally gives scholar-

ship grants to scores

of high-school sen-

iors on their way to

college, he annually

holds a Christmas

Eve party for young-

sters from PAL and

other groups. Santa

Claus finds himself

surrounded by some

of them. Over 100

youngsters got pres-

ents.

4 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 24 DECEMBER, 2010

ZZZZZ MEMBERS of Darby Township Fire Dept. were all smiles yesterday as they received a turkey

from Marlene Henkin, 4th from left, and Ronda Liggins, foreground from office of State Sen. Anthony

Hardy Williams (D-W. Phila./Delaware. This Holiday season, Senator’s office presented turkeys to sev-

eral fire departments in eastern Delaware Co. including Ridley Park, Yeadon, Folcroft, Norwood, Sharon

Hill and Collingdale in appreciation of their bravery and service.

REGINA, left, and

one of her aides gave

Santa an opportunity

to do a lot of squeez-

ing as other elves set

up tables for arriving

youngsters in what

normally would be a

car- and truck-

crowded showroom

at Pacifico Ford at

Automall in South

Phila. Photos by

Kurt Shadduck

Firefighters Get A Roast From Sen. Williams

Jan. 27-

Edward J. Lowry, founder of Phila.

Veterans MultiService & Educa-

tion Ctr., will be honored on retire-

ment at Waterfall Rm. in Plumbers

Local 690 Union Hall, 2791

Southampton Rd., Cocktails 6-8

p.m., followed by Tribute Pro-

gram. Tickets $65. Order by phone

(215) 238-8050. Event Chair Ed

Keenan, Board Chair Jim Mc-

Nesby and Exec. Dir. Marsha Four.

24 DECEMBER, 2010 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 5

Washington To Introduce LegislationLimiting ‘Re-Stocking’ FeesState Sen. LeAnna M. Washington

(D-Northwest/Montgomery) an-

nounced yesterday she will intro-

duce legislation limiting the

amount of “re-stocking fees” that

retail stores may charge on re-

turned items.

“It is unfair consumers should be

punished for returning unwanted

items,” Washington said. “I plan to

limit this practice in Pennsylva-

nia.”

Certain retailers are now charging

their customers a 10% or 15% re-

stocking fee when merchandise is

returned in an opened box. Other

retailers are charging a re-stocking

fee even when the item is returned

unopened or unused.

Washington said her legislation

would limit the amount stores can

charge for re-stocking fees to 5%,

up to $50 maximum. Re-stocking

fees are imposed uniformly as a

percentage of the purchase price

and without regard to the actual

costs of re-stocking the merchan-

dise.

“I will introduce my legislation to

curb this questionable and punitive

business practice when the Senate

reconvenes in January,” Washing-

ton said. “It is important that con-

sumers are given the opportunity to

make informed purchasing deci-

sions.”

Washington added that re-stocking

fees are costing consumers tens of

millions of dollars each year.

“Retailers are well aware that with

the retail business comes the possi-

bility that items will be returned

for various reasons,” Washington

said. “Imposing these high re-

stocking fees is simply unfair to

consumers.”

6 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 24 DECEMBER, 2010

by Adam Taxin

A Jew Grows in Brooklyn, a one-man show featuring

writer/actor/musician Jake Ehrenreich, opened last night at

the Perelman Theater in the Kimmel Center for a six-perfor-

mance run through Tuesday, December 28.

The production is described as a “heartwarming true story,

Holocaust family, rock n’ roll comedy musical.” Ehrenreich

sings and tell stories, with the assistance of live musicians

and multimedia, in recounting his attempts, while growing

up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, to fit in as a “real American,”

despite having thickly-accented Poland-born parents.

Ehrenreich has appeared on Broadway in Dancin’, Barnum,

and They’re Playing Our Song, and toured internationally as

Ringo in Beatlemania. He has performed with such musical

luminaries as Greg Allman, Richie Havens, Whitney Hous-

ton, Tito Puente and many more.

What inspired Ehrenreich to make the show in the first place

was his wife’s suggestion that he share his story about “how

I learned to live, given the family circumstances that I had”

and “how I learned to focus on the more positive things.”

Ehrenreich’s parents survived the Holocaust only by means

of years in a work camp in Siberia. Numerous relatives of

his were murdered in Nazi extermination camps. Growing

up, Ehrenreich’s peers were for the most part not going

through similar immigrant/survivor experiences, and, later

on, his mother and two sisters all were stricken with

Alzheimer’s Disease at early ages.

According to Ehrenreich, whose father grew up as Chassidic

but who himself has never been religiously observant: “My

journey was growing up in the States as an American kid and

really wanting to be a regular kid, yet having sort of a shadow

over my family, who had heavy accents, their own history

and no extended family. As an adult, you think ‘big deal’,

but, as a kid, I wanted to be like everyone else. The kids I

grew up with in Brooklyn were not like us.”

What occurs on stage is wide-ranging. In a way that the NewYork Times compared to Billy Crystal’s Broadway hit 700Sundays, the show moves from performance of rock-and-roll

classics (e.g., “California Dreaming”) to reenactment of the

Borscht Belt comedy tradition to, appropriately enough giv-

ing the timing, a medley of Christmas songs, which Ehren-

reich cites as “more American music than religious music.”

He adds, “When I got older, I realized 85% of those songs

were written by Jews anyhow.”

Autobiographical and Often Musical, A JewGrows In Brooklyn Comes To Kimmel Ctr.

JAKE EHRENREICH draws joy out of tragic his-

tory, giving a Jewish twist to Christmas in his show

at Kimmel Center this weekend.

24 DECEMBER, 2010 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 7

In fact, Ehrenreich emphasizes the show’s potential appeal

to non-Jews (although he certainly expects Jews to comprise

the majority of the audience for his performances tonight and

tomorrow!): “First of all it is the American story, generally

speaking. Also, there’s a lot of humor in the show which tran-

scends the Jewish story. And most importantly, the overall

message of the show that I try to get out without saying so is

that we all have challenges. Everyone can tell a story about

the challenges that they or their family has, and the journey

that we share together is that we all have the same decisions

about what we focus on in life. And I hope that’s what people

take away from the show.”

Adam Taxin can be contacted via Facebook or atadamtaxin@gmail.com.

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