the spirit – january 6, 2015

HYPERLOCAL DONE DIFFERENTLY

FISHTOWN + KENSINGTON + NORTHERN LIBERTIES + PORT RICHMOND + BRIDESBURG

THIS

WEEKJANUARY 6, 2016

VOL. 13NO. 01

PRESS

HOTOFF THE

ACCU REGGIE

PORT RICHMOND MUMMERS

SEEKING JUSTICE

NEW SCHOOLYARD

A.D. CLUB RAZED

PHILLY STYLE BAGELS

CLEAN PLATE

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

THE LOCAL LENS

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Seven day forecast for the Riverwards.

Photos of a New Year’s Celebration.

Port Richmond family seeks answers in unsolved

murder.

Fishtown Rec and Adaire renovates property.

Olde Richmond residents rally against old building

Long awaited bagel shop to open in Fishtown.

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna.

Events and happeningsin the Riverwards

Thom discusses dining out with picky eaters.

Last November a rap video surfaced on YouTube that illustrated drug dealing, gun toting and firearm shooting in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia. The video was posted by a group who calls Jasper and Tioga Streets their home. Music, after all, often

offers a reflection of an artist’s reality. The comments below the video range from apparent former residents asking “WTF did you do to my neighborhood,” to other posts threatening the rappers with, “[Talk that] shit til we pop up at [your] crib [gun emoji].” But these posted warnings and threats are nothing compared to what res-idents who speak out against the drug dealers they face each day on their blocks. The witness intimidation on Jasper Street used to just be inferred. It ba-sically consisted of outloud, public conversations about what happens to people who talk to the cops and brief hard looks following handshake sales in open daylight. Occasionally, a dealer would pull up his shirt to reveal a handgun in his waistband. You all know the classic adage about snitches. But the main source of intimidation used to terrorize residents of this part of Harrowgate was the constant shootings: dealers shooting at other dealers on the corners, shooting at the houses of known dealers, running down the street and shooting at people who came into the neighborhood. It’s just guns-a-blazing, according to several neighbors who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. In one shooting scene, as described by Harrowgate Civic President Shan-non Farrell, a crowd of people at Jasper and Atlantic Streets started run-ning at the first sound of pops. Parents scooped their kids up and took cover, older folks ducked back into houses. It was a Saturday in Septem-ber at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Despite their fear, many of the senior citizens who live on the street have yelled at dealers to pick up their trash or to move along. Most of the time the dealers actually comply, but while they’ll pick up what they’d tossed, they usually don’t move far. Some neighbors, growing tired of being prisoners in the home they raised their families in, have started collectively pushing back against the dealers in recent months. One woman, after hearing from police and the District Attorney’s office that more pictures and information about any illegal operations would speed up assistance, took a picture of a dealer and said to him, “Say cheese, asshole, ‘cause I’m taking your picture.” Unfortunately, it led to a bit of an escalation to the “no snitchin’” tactics. “I’m gonna shoot you,” a dealer screamed from the middle of the street

at a long-time resident of 3500 Jasper Street. The peddler explained that he once scared a woman from Joyce Street so bad that “she moved to the Northeast.” In the days afterward another dealer threatened the Jasper Street resident’s dog. The 24th District police took that threat serious-ly enough to provide 24-hour police protection to the resident after she agreed to press charges. Much of this aggression came on the heels of frustration surrounding a publicized walk around the neighborhood by the District Attorney Seth Williams, Councilman Mark Squilla and officers for the 24th district (This was one of a handful of scheduled walks that Williams organized in several neighborhoods around the city). The local civic group put out a flyer that the visit would be on the upcoming Wednesday. So local dealers shut down operations for the day in anticipation of the extra attention. But the visit was changed to Thursday, causing another unprofitable off-day. The shooting threat occurred on Friday. The 24-7 police presence for the threatened resident caused even more business disruptions. A few weeks later, while the Harrowgate Civic Association led a clean up of Harrowgate Park at Jasper and Tioga, Farrell saw a known drug dealer in the park and told him to leave. He replied, “you know, you’re making it hard to make a living around here. Nobody ever cared before!” After a brief back-and-forth, Farrell went back to picking up used needles from the children’s play area. Last month, a special civic meeting was held to discuss the specific problem properties. In speaking with those in attendance, Assistant Dis-trict Attorney Angel Flores told the neighbors that “caring” will be what it takes to get back to the way things once were in the neighborhood, be-fore all the drug-dealing and related crime. He explained that “commu-nity-packed courtrooms” can have an impact on the judge when sentenc-ing time comes around. The most shocking thing for the long-time residents to wrap their minds around was how quickly things spiraled out of control in their communi-ty. While the dealing has slowly crept on to 3500 Jasper and surrounding blocks as a sort of overflow from the saturated drug sales on nearby Kens-ington Avenue, the number of peddlers was small. The dealers, being heavily outnumbered, basically kept a low profile and if you didn’t know any better, well, you wouldn’t know that there was any wrongdoing afoot. But as dealer numbers grew so did their brazenness.

Continued on Page 4.

The Spirit of the Riverwards – January 6, 2016

OBITUARY

HAMILTON, JUNE E. (nee Brown), on Dec. 27, 2015 at the age of 64. Wife of the late Harry P; devoted mother of Har-ry Phillip (Bridget), John O’Neil (Michelle) and June (the late Harold) Brown; loving Memom to Jessica, Monica, Christopher, John, Phillip, Benjamin, Bryan and Shane; great grandmother of Isabella; also survived by 2 sisters Joanne and Joyce and one brother Jerry.

THOM NICKELS

IS A PHILADELPHIA BASED AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, POET, FILM CRITIC &

FEATURE WRITER FOR SPIRIT NEWS.

local lensT H E

WEDNESDAY

COOL WITH SUNSHINE.

HIGH39

LOW27

THURSDAY

WARMER.

HIGH46

LOW31

FRIDAY

WARM WITH SHOWERSIN THE EVENING.

HIGH47

LOW39

SATURDAY

CLOUDY WITH SHOWERSIN THE MORNING.

HIGH51

LOW41

SUNDAY

HIGH50

LOW35

MONDAY

TURNING BRISK & COLDERCHANCE FOR FLURRIES.

ARCTIC CHILL!

HIGH45

LOW28

TUESDAY

HIGH33

LOW24

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCEFOR SHOWERS.

Throughout my recent travels to Israel with other journalists, one thing became apparent to me: most of the writers on the trip had food issues. I know people who are lactose intolerant and peo-

ple who hate mayo, peas, Brussels sprouts, lima beans, liver and onions and sour cream. But my experience with picky eaters on this trip was something of note. One writer claimed she could only eat gluten free food, another only ate kosher foods, while a third was a strict vegan. The food issues surfaced from our very first meal when the gluten free scribe began bombarding the waiter with questions. Would he list all the menu items that were gluten free? When the waiter rattled off a number of dish-es, my colleague then had our server go through appetizer and salad items until much of the menu was analyzed. Al-though this particular writer was one of the most delight-ful people on the trip, when it came to food she became the culinary version of Joseph Stalin. The vegan in our group also had a compelling personal-ity, but the moment we would place an order in a restau-rant she turned into a private investigator. “Is this really vegan or is it pescetarian, pollotarian or is it lacto-ovo-veg-etarian?” “Let me see,” the server would say, reaching for a Lacto vegetarian graph chart hidden in his/her serving apron. Okay, actually there was no such chart, although there should have been one because the server often had to run into the kitchen and check with one of the chefs. The in-terminable process kept the whole table waiting so that by the time the server took orders from the rest of the jour-nalists there was a feeling of real relief. “Well, that was nice and easy,” more than one server would remark after taking the “normal” food orders. Sometimes special calls had to be placed to restaurants in advance of our arrival to make sure that vegan and glu-ten-free dishes were ready and available when we walked through door. Our tour guide was not prepared for these elaborate food issue rituals, in fact she very nearly had a mild meltdown when things became especially taxing at a tiny sandwich shop in a small town outside Tel Aviv. All expectations of grabbing a quick bite on the patio of a charming restaurant before our tour bus headed to Ma-sada ended when the server began taking orders. Once again, the excruciating menu analysis among the me-ga-foodies became an ordeal comparable to dental sur-gery. The server, who did not understand what gluten-free was, had to be given an on-the-spot lesson and even then she struggled to understand the concept. “Let me check with the kitchen,” she finally said, taking a deep breath. As it turned out, the waitress wound up checking with the kitchen several times during the 25 minute order-ing process even as the picky eaters kept changing their minds the moment they spotted something better or “purer” on the menu. The exasperated server was pa-tient, but when my colleagues cancelled their orders be-cause they decided they really weren’t hungry after all, our tour guide had had it. “We spent twenty five minutes driving that poor server crazy and in the end we walked out,” she said, shaking her head. Perhaps if this had been the only restaurant debacle it wouldn’t have been so bad, but as the tour progressed, things concerning food got worse instead of better. The quest for culinary purity became so intense for these foodies that we couldn’t even stop for water ice or a bagel without the recitation of the gluten-vegan drill. Thank God the bottled water supply on the tour bus was not a problem. There was also some relief when we ate at restaurants that offered a buffet. I would watch as the foodies would go down the buffet line and quiz each cook or server about ingredients. But during one of our last big meals, our tour guide exploded when the questioning slipped into overdrive. “You Americans and your food issues,” she said, her voice rising two octaves. “I’ve never seen anything like it. No matter where we go to eat, it takes a half hour just to or-der. Where I grew up in Europe we were trained as chil-dren to eat a little of everything. Europeans do not have these issues! You just eat a little of everything and you stay healthy.” Our guide was a healthy, vibrant woman and in many ways she looked healthier than the picky eaters. I remember the first vegetarian I ever met. It was in Bos-ton, I was 20 years old. He was a tall, thin man with a very pallid complexion and for the longest time I thought he was battling a serious illness. After he told me he was a vegetarian, I proceeded to ask him countless questions. Is he a vegetarian for religious reasons? Is he not cool with killing animals? What about fish? Then I asked him

what he would do if it were discovered that vegetables had some kind of consciousness. Would eating a carrot be like killing a pig? Do mushrooms feel pain when they picked? I didn’t have the courage to ask him why the so called “healthier vegetarian diet” made him so unhealthy looking. Of course, there weren’t many vegetarians in the United States in 1974. Vegetarians at that time were as-sociated with India, Hinduism and the food in American Hare Krishna temples. Let me say upfront that while I enjoy vegetarian food and salads, I would not want to turn this diet into an obsessive culinary orthodoxy. That’s idolatry. After my trip to Israel, I thought a lot about the tour guide’s assertion that Europeans are much more sensible about food than picky Americans. I decided to check up on Euro-pean food consumption and discovered an article in The Independent that made the claim that French children are happy eaters because they are expected to eat like adults. In France, where vending machines and junk food are banned in schools, picky eating kids are stripped of their bizarre hab-its and turned into mini gourmets. In England, however, the opposite is true. The Daily Mail reports that British kids are the fussiest eaters in Europe and that “parents have to bribe them with unhealthy snacks to make them finish meals.” I came across a TIME Magazine article that weighed in on the gluten-free craze. It read: “Avoiding certain ingre-dients goes in cycles: Back in the 70s, it was sugar. Then it was fat, then saturated fat. Then fat was in, but carbs were out. Gluten is the pariah ingredient du jour and there are a lot of healthy people shelling out big bucks for gluten-free food they probably don’t need. “ The last time I was in Whole Foods I saw quite a lot of people ringing up $50 orders for mere handfuls of food. Since the people in the check-out line didn’t look anything like America’s infamous One Percent, I wondered where they got their limitless supply of money. Then I read an article penned by Roger Mason that calls Celiac disease, or gluten intolerance “a widely promoted myth, a mania.” Mason wrote that, “The truth of the mat-ter is that this is a very rare condition — if it exists at all. Dr. Peter Gibson, the ‘inventor’ of gluten intolerance, now says this condition is really IBS, is rarely due to gluten and only exists possibly in 1 in 200 people. Wheat allergies are probably non-existent. Almost no one in America eats rye and barley. All this talk about ‘gluten intolerance’ and ‘gluten free foods’ is ridiculous. Another scam to sell over-priced ‘gluten free’ junk foods.” Another food disorder haunting America is called Selec-tive Eating Disorder. Those suffering with SED feel there are very few foods that they can eat. Nancy Zucker of Duke University says that most people with SED avoid social events where there are food and drinks and that they even tell lies about an upset stomach to get out of attending them. SED is different from other kinds of eating disorders be-cause it’s not yet clear whether this sort of extreme picki-ness with food is biological or psychological. It has even been suggested that extreme fussy eating habits may be a sign of mental illness. In an even more startling article in pediatrics, research-ers concluded that even moderate picky eating habits in kids indicate trouble down the line. More than 900 chil-dren between the ages of two and six were interviewed regarding their eating habits. These same kids were fol-lowed for two years and researchers found that the kids who were the pickiest eaters were more than twice more likely to develop serious depression than the kids who were normal eaters. While I realize that studies and surveys can be padded to fit any bias, generally speaking when it comes to food the golden rule is best: “Everything in moderation.” Un-less you have a serious health condition and cannot eat certain foods, there’s no need to make a religion out of

food consumption. My great aunt lived to be 96 years old and was basically healthy throughout her long life, eating vegetables, fruit, salads, meat and even sausage and Spam on occasion. When she drank alcohol it was usually rum and Coke al-though she rarely exceeded two drinks at any given party. For most of her life she smoked one cigarette a day, usu-ally after the evening meal. This kind of steely discipline might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but her lifelong eating patterns certainly exemplified what the Israeli tour guide was getting at when she put her hand down on that restau-rant table and gave the Selective Eating Disorder journal-ists a piece of her mind. ·


accu reggieS E V E N D A Y F O R E C A S T F O R T H E R I V E R W A R D S

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WEDNESDAY

COOL WITH SUNSHINE.

HIGH39

LOW27

THURSDAY

WARMER.

HIGH46

LOW31

FRIDAY

WARM WITH SHOWERSIN THE EVENING.

HIGH47

LOW39

SATURDAY

CLOUDY WITH SHOWERSIN THE MORNING.

HIGH51

LOW41

SUNDAY

HIGH50

LOW35

MONDAY

TURNING BRISK & COLDERCHANCE FOR FLURRIES.

ARCTIC CHILL!

HIGH45

LOW28

TUESDAY

HIGH33

LOW24

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCEFOR SHOWERS.

What a difference a new year can make! Af-ter a warm surge heading into New Year’s Day, last week ended with a bitter bath of Arctic air. For one, winter is now here. For-

get the Christmas day warmth and the 70 degree weather we had in December. Old Man Winter is here to stay. Yes, we will have periods of warmth, but the dreaded Polar Vor-tex will get busy in the coming weeks. The Arctic air will relax a bit this week. We will have more seasonable temperatures, hit 50 degrees over the weekend and then return to cold, but not Arctic temperatures. Be warned: the Arctic cold will return with a vengeance next week and soon we will be talking about snow storms. I am getting excited about the pattern setting up — someone on the East Coast is going to get dumped on!

Snow chances this week: All the major storms this week look to bring rain. We could see some light flurries and snow showers on Monday, but nothing that will accumu-late. Snow chances increase after January 14th. Follow the daily forecast updates on Facebook and Twitter as winter weather hits us in the coming weeks. Wednesday begins our warming trend as temperatures get to near 40 degrees with plenty of sunshine. Thursday is warm and nice with sunshine. All the warm lovers out there know 46 degrees in January is a good day! Friday stays warm, but we introduce showers in the eve-ning after 5PM. Saturday is the warmest day of the week, but will fea-ture some morning showers. Saturday afternoon will be cloudy, but mostly dry. Watch for a light sprinkle around

town. No big deal, though. Sunday is a warm, cloudy day with showers possible lat-er in the day as a frontal boundary comes through in the evening. Monday will be a cold and windy day behind the front. Temperatures start in the 40s before falling into the 20s. We could see some flurries in the evening. Tuesday is when the new shot of Arctic air arrives. We will be back in the icebox for much of next week. The weather winner of the week is Thursday; the weather loser is Tuesday.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @TheSpiritNews for daily Riverwards weather and forecast updates. Face-book: Accu-Reggie, Twitter: AccuReggie. ·


Farrell points to several nearby Catholic school closings as being associated with a tipping point. “The closing of Ascension, Joan of Arc and North Catho-lic” led to a flight of long-time residents, Farrell explained. Even just “one or two houses on each block” was enough of an opportunity for investors to buy up property. The resident who is now under police protection said that the neighborhood was one you could “leave your door unlocked” while you slept and not had to worry about anything happening. She said things changed over the course of a year or so. Real estate agents swept in and started offering “quick sales” and “cash for homes.” Residents, seeing more and more dealers and limited school choices, took the deals and sold their properties. The agents quickly flipped the places for a profit, mainly to suburban and out-of-state LLC’s. According to Farrell and several of the neighbors, plenty of the landlords are proactive and their renters are a pos-itive addition to the community. But others “don’t care” and are “happy to just get their money” because “they don’t live here,” said one woman. One drug operation on 3500 Jasper uses one house as the “stash house” and sends a child to retrieve the drugs for the buyers when they show up. One neighbor who witnessed this concluded that it appeared as though dealers were using the juvenile as protective cover from law enforcement and that the dealers were paying rent for a separate building to store the product so they’d nev-er be caught with it. Another dealer, a female with two children, was removed from a property on 3500 Jasper. L&I boarded the property up, but the woman returned and kicked in the back door a few days later. The water and electricity was shut off in the home so she just dumps her sewage into the street. Data obtained by The Spirit from Philadelphia’s Narcot-ics Division shows heavy drug activity and arrests in the area around Jasper. There were 140 narcotics arrests made in the sector (PSA 1) that encompasses the 3200-3600 blocks of Jasper Street from July through December 15, according to a representative from Narcotics. There were 10 search warrants served on those specif-ic blocks for this year. Six were served by the Narcotics Field Unit, one by Homicide, two by East Detectives and one by Northeast Detectives. Many more neighbors, particularly the seniors, want to

leave now that quality-of-life is non-existent. But they’ll have little luck selling their homes due to the illegal activ-ity. According to one neighbor, the dealers hop on to the porches of the innocent to throw off police investigations. “How the hell can you sell the house with that going on?” one woman asked. “If [homeowners] really want to get out they’ll have to just leave and try to rent the place out. And who do you think’s gonna rent it, huh?” The neighbors also note that when the police are called the dealers are one step ahead: They listen to police scan-ners via cell phone apps. “They close up shop and hide,” one woman said. The tactics the dealers are using make things difficult

for law enforcement. The D.A.’s office can’t pressure the property owners without something actually happening on the property. “Even though everybody knows that people are selling from the home… sometimes where the actions take place is outside,” Flores told The Spirit. For action against the property owner to be successful “We need an arrest, and a charge and then a conviction,” Flores added. To that end, Narcotics confirmed that none of the search warrants executed this year were at the addresses The Spirit received from neighbors. He said he understands this can “be frustrating” to neighbors but the city can’t go around the laws involved. ·

port richmond family

PENN TREATY SSD TO DISTRIBUTE $38,500 AT JANUARY 2016 MEETING

Continued from Page 1.

3500 BLOCK OF JASPER STREET / THOMAS WEIR


for law enforcement. The D.A.’s office can’t pressure the property owners without something actually happening on the property. “Even though everybody knows that people are selling from the home… sometimes where the actions take place is outside,” Flores told The Spirit. For action against the property owner to be successful “We need an arrest, and a charge and then a conviction,” Flores added. To that end, Narcotics confirmed that none of the search warrants executed this year were at the addresses The Spirit received from neighbors. He said he understands this can “be frustrating” to neighbors but the city can’t go around the laws involved. ·

port richmond familyW R I T T E N B Y T H O M A S W E I R

S E E K S J U S T I C E F O R S O N ’ S K I L L E R S

According to FOX 29, a Port Richmond family that witnessed their own son’s murder has yet to bring the 21-year-old man’s assailants to justice even after the police released surveil-

lance video of the suspects. Ryan Kelly was shot to death on the 3500 block of Al-mond Street five weeks ago. The murder took place just one block from his family’s home. The Kelly’s are asking for help to find their son’s killers. “We have to get these people off the streets before they do it to someone else again,” Cathy Kelly, Ryan’s Mother, told FOX 29.

Penn Treaty Special Services District will be writing checks to the following organization at their January 20 meeting:Portside Arts Center will receive $10,000 for a promotion-al video featuring their ArtsMobile Project. The Project will deliver visual arts and character-building programs to local schools during the day in classrooms as well as after school hours. ArtWell will receive $25,000 to support on-site art programs that reach out to neighborhood schools giving youth a path to participate in their own education as well as in their community. St. Peter The Apostle School will be awarded a sponsorship of $3,500 to help pay for the 8th Grade School Trip and their 2016 Yearbook. For more information on the Penn Treaty SSD or to apply for a grant, visit www.penntreatyssd.com or find out about our grants on Facebook. Search there for PennTreaty SSD.

About Penn Treaty Special Services District (PTSSD)The PTSSD, a wholly independent organization led by an all-volunteer board, entered into a Community Benefits

Agreement with SugarHouse Casino when the gaming fa-cility opened in 2010. That commitment allowed for an escalated annual payment once the casino completed and opened its expansion. With the SugarHouse expansion currently underway, casino leaders decided to bump up the PTSSD contribution ahead of the timeline set forth in the Community Benefit Agreement. Contact: Katrina Man-sfield, Secretary (267-476-2757) or [email protected] See also www.penntreatyssd.com and PennTreaty SSD on Facebook.

About Portside Arts CenterBy building self-awareness, and appreciation of one’s own in-ner creativity and artistic skills, this non-profit aims to trans-form the lives of individuals, improve their academic and economic success and awaken a social and civic sense in or-der to raise the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Contact: Kim Creighton, Director at [email protected].

About ArtWellSince 2000, ArtWell programs have transformed the lives of more than 33,500 young people facing discrimination, poverty, violence, and the everyday challenges of growing up, in partnership with over 395 schools and community organizations. Through collaborations between local art-ists and young people, ArtWell fosters thriving, just and peaceful communities throughout the Philadelphia area.Contact: Shira Burcat at [email protected].

About St Peter the Apostle SchoolSt. Peter the Apostle School has proudly served the children of Northern Liberties and Fishtown since 1848! Pre-Kinder-garten through 8th grade students are educated in a close-knit community that combines academic excellence with traditional Catholic values. Our core curriculum integrates intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and physical elements as we strive to realize the potential of each child. Contact: Sr. Ro-salia Federici at [email protected]. ·

PENN TREATY SSD TO DISTRIBUTE $38,500 AT JANUARY 2016 MEETING

Police have reason to believe that the suspects are also behind multiple armed robberies in the area. A stolen Mazda 6 that was possibly connected to Kelly’s killing was found shortly after the incident. “I just wish he was here,” Cathy told FOX 29. “I miss him so much,” Ryan was described as full of life and a huge Flyers fan. He was very social and could often be found playing sports at the neighborhood recreation center. His family has had a rough holiday season and says that knowing Ryan’s killers are still out there makes every day more troubling.

“We’re hoping and praying they find ‘em quick because they don’t have no value for life,” Ryan’s father, Bill, said. Ryan Kelly’s family and friends are hosting a vigil at the Samuel Rec center on January 15th at 6:30PM. They are asking the community for help in bringing justice the kill-ers who are still at there. Homicide cases reward $20,000 to anyone that offers information that leads to an arrest and conviction. ·

To submit a tip about this crime, dial 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP or 773847.

RYAN KELLY


New SchoolyardW R I T T E N B Y W H I T N E Y J O H N S O N

A N D R E N O V A T E D R E C C E N T E R C O M I N G T O F I S H T O W N

Improvements are coming to Fishtown with the re-construction of two community hotspots.The Friends of Adaire, a registered nonprofit con-sisting of parents, educators and community mem-

bers who help provide additional resources and support for the faculty, staff and students of Alexander Adaire K-8, have announced that their school is getting a new school-yard. Thanks to the help of City Council President Darrell Clarke, The Trust for Public Land (TPL), The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and many others, the school will be getting a new schoolyard that will open for the public. In addition to the renovations at Adaire, the Fishtown Recre-ation Center will be getting a makeover as well. The area that will become the new Adaire schoolyard is currently a large black-top surface that shares the space with the school’s parking lot. Teachers must be parked by 8AM because the yard is locked shut during school hours, making parking for visitors difficult. Because the parking lot is also Adaire’s schoolyard, playground equipment gets thrown in the parking area, which can potentially cause damage to parked cars. Plans for a new schoolyard at Adaire have been in the works since before Denis Devine, President of Friends of Adaire, has been affiliated with the school. Discussions started when Council President Clarke promised money to the school in a private meeting about 3 years ago with Adaire’s then principal, Jeannette Oddo. Devine spent months calling Clarke’s office in hopes of getting that promise on record. It was not until Kate Micklow Harwan asked Clarke to attend a Fishtown Neighbors Association meeting in May 2014 and speak on the schoolyard issue that the promise of a new schoolyard was made publically. But Philadephia rules and regulations restricted Clarke from funding the schoolyard directly. When this informa-tion was released, a solution was necessary to make the promise happen. PWD and the School District of Phila-delphia contacted TLP about the dilemma. This is how the Fishtown Recreation Center came into the picture. The Rec has seen better days and much of the equipment there is either broken or not up to code. As a work around, Clarke promised money for renovations to the Fishtown Rec and TPL plans to match that amount to be used on renovations to the Adaire schoolyard. “It’s a brilliant solution. The School District gets what it wants and the neighborhood gets what it wants,” Devine said.

“I’m excited,” Program Manager of Trust for Public Land Danielle Denk said. “It’s really exciting coming into a community that is already on board.” PWD has previously used parking lots and giant school-yards as a way of helping the city drain water efficiently and effectively and has grant moneyto help fund the new Adaire schoolyard and help solve drainage problems that are polluting the Delaware River. Using modern drain-ing techniques PWD can capture the water and prevent it from flowing into the Delaware. This new drain system will run around the perimeter of Adaire’s blacktop space and into a water capture area at the corner of East Palm-er Street and East Thompson Street. Ian Smith, founder of Ian Smith Design Group, drafted designs for how the schoolyard could look once renova-tions are complete. The brainstorming began during the fall of 2014 when Smith and Friends of Adaire of-fered three different venues for people to come and

give their ideas — it was important to give the com-munity a voice in planning the new community space. Smith compiled various ideas that were discussed in these meetings as well as information taken from sur-veys conducted in classrooms and online. Smith lives just down the street from the school and is very proud of how the project is progressing. “[The design] is a natural fit for me to give back to Fish-town,” Smith said. The parking area will be shifted over away from the actu-al schoolyard areas and gated in the corner of the space. This is labeled as section 19 on the image belowW. “One of the things we wanted to do was separate that out, allow the kids play area that is not mingled with the park-ing lot.” Devine said. The giant fish outline will be a walking trail and sections

Continued on Page 7.

ADAIRE SCHOOL PARKING LOT

PROPOSED PLANS FOR NEW ADAIRE SCHOOLYARD/ IAN SMITH DESIGN GROUP


8-9 are going to be transformed into a sitting wall area. A nature-themed playground set is planned for section 3. Section 4 is going to be an outdoor classroom facing the tree in the yard for the older students. Over toward the big part of the fish the colorful ground is going to be a raised mound of grass for kids to run all over. Adaire is planning to have basketball, four square and other outdoor activi-ties in sections 11-17. Other elements of the design have been altered since this sketch was produced, so stay tuned for an updated ver-sion of the design and release from the Friends of Adaire coming soon. One of the coolest things about this project is the amount of volunteering that is taking place; folks like Nate Hom-mel, Director of Planning and Design for University City District, and Kate Zmich, Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse Director of Programs and Fun, Stepha-nie Chiorian and Erin Hughes from the Philadelphia Water Department, Francesco Cerrai from the City’s De-partment of Public Projects and, of course, The Friends of Adaire and their current principal, Anna Jenkins. All these volunteers, including Ian Smith, have offered their resources and time for free. “We are not just Adaire people, we are Fishtown people,” Devine said. The whole process is still in the works and since none of the money is coming out of the school budget, there are still a lot of things that need to be considered in terms of fundraising. Friends of Adaire is looking to try and start breaking ground on the project at the end of the school year. ·

Continued from Page 6.

FISHTOWN REC

DENIS DEVINE AND ADAIRE PRINCIPAL ANNA JENKINS POSE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE NEW SCHOOLYARD

FISHTOWN REC

ADAIRE SCHOOL


What is “Historic”?W R I T T E N B Y J O H N H E N R Y S C O T T

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

As 2015 came to a close, it took with it a dispute between the neighborhood of Olde Richmond and a 150-year-old church. In light of the Phila-delphia Historical Commission’s decision not

to add the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Messiah to its register of historic places, the building will be demol-ished over the coming weeks. It seems like the inverse of a TV Christmas special: the neighborhood banding togeth-er around the holidays to make sure the old church gets knocked down, urging the bulldozers on instead of stand-ing in front of them. But “church” describes this building in appearance only. According to information presented in its nomination to the register of historic places, although the building was constructed in 1848, 2646 E. Huntingdon hasn’t held a religious service since 1929. Instead, for most of the 20th century, the building functioned as a social club with bowling lanes, bocce courts and, perhaps most notably, bars. Right up until the 1990s, the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Messiah, known at this point as the Adriatic Club or A.D. Club, was a place where people drank. This aspect of the building’s history affected its reputation in the neigh-borhood. In the collective memory of Olde Richmond, it seems that the building is generally regarded not as a church, but as a “nuisance bar.” Though it was not the intended use of the building, the A.D. Club started out with the best of intentions. In Octo-ber of 1988, The Daily News ran a small piece on the histo-ry of the venue. It was founded in 1932 when the church building was purchased by the Austrian Seacoast Bene-ficial and Benevolent Society, a name that stuck around into the 1990s despite the fact that Austria hasn’t had a coast since World War I. It was a place for families of mem-bers to have dinner on Sunday evenings, to play bocce and bowl. The main function of the club was to provide afford-able insurance to members paid for by the monthly dues, a service that continued until the club closed in 1990. But in the last half of the 20th century the A.D. Club exist-ed mainly as an after-hours bar with patrons drinking late into the night and disturbing the peace. This incarnation of the church site is what built its unfavorable reputation among the neighborhood of Olde Richmond. This notori-

ety, coupled with years of neglect to the structural integri-ty of the property, has swayed the neighborhood against any repurposing of the existing structure. Chris Sawyer, zoning chairman for the Olde Richmond Civic Association (ORCA), asserts that the organization and neighborhood has been fighting nightclub/event space uses for the building for more than 20 years, ever since the A.D. Club closed its doors. Perhaps the most no-table evidence of this resistance can be found on a lengthy 2012 thread on Fishtown.us titled “Get Your Drink on at the ORCA Nightclub.” So, on December 11th, the Philadelphia Historical Com-mission voted unanimously against adding the church at Huntingdon and Thompson to the historic register. The decision was influenced by a recent ruling from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, which deemed the structure unsafe. Indeed, by the morning of the 11th, demolition of the church was already underway. Accord-ing to John Farnham, Director of the Historical Commis-sion, although the church met other criteria necessary to be considered for addition to the register, because the demolition was already in progress, the historical merit of the church was not considered in the ruling. These merits are that the church was designed by John Notman, a revered Philadelphia architect, in the Gothic Revival style. Notman is known for a number of Philadel-phia landmarks including the Laurel Hill Cemetery and St. Mark’s Church at 16th and Locust. These aspects of the church’s history satisfy two areas of the criteria for historic designation: (1) the church “Reflects the environ-ment in an era characterized by a distinctive architectural style” and (2) “Is the work of a designer, architect, land-scape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, eco-nomic, social, or cultural development of the City, Com-monwealth or Nation.” So, according to the criteria laid out by the Historical Commission, this is a historic building. But this seems to be a case of too little, too late. Years of neglect and in-appropriate repurposing pushed the Protestant Episco-pal Church of the Messiah beyond salvation. Indeed, the nomination authored by Andrew Fearon came only after talks of demolition had begun, which prompted Sawyer to

suggest the Registered Community Organizations such as ORCA be notified before nominations to the historic reg-ister are brought before the Historical Commission. It’s an interesting suggestion and it asks the question, who decides if a building is historic? It is the people who make up the neighborhood surrounding the historic building or is it the people who help govern the city around that build-ing? Can it be both? As development continues to change the face of these historic neighborhoods, it’s a question that deserves more and more attention. With the original building gone, this struggle to resist commercial use on this property becomes much easier for the residents. Only a small portion of the lot is zoned for commercial use (CMX-2) while the rest is zoned RSA-5, a designation that includes single family homes. Ori Fei-bush of OCF Realty is the expected buyer of the land and plans to develop it over the course of 2016. Feibush says that additional community input is needed before deter-mining exactly what gets built. Project ideas will be vetted at ORCA zoning meetings over the coming months. ·

WHAT IS LEFT OF THE A.D. CLUB, 2646 E. HUNTINGDON STREET


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Philly Style BagelsW R I T T E N B Y T H O M A S W E I R

A R E ( F I N A L L Y ! ! ) A L M O S T H E R E

Is there a bagel revival happening in Philly? If so, will Fishtown be its next epicenter with Philly Style Ba-gels (PSB) at the helm? Find out for yourself at their soft opening this weekend.

Philly.com reports that PSB will introduce their new store-front location (1451 E. Columbia Ave.) on January 9 and 10. The building is across from Steap & Grind and Palmer Park, just a short walk off Frankford Avenue. PSB will be open from 7AM to 2PM with a limited menu. The store’s grand opening weekend will be January 16 and 17, after which regular hours will resume on their days of operation, Thursday through Monday. PSB owners Collin Shapiro and Jonathon Zilber have practiced their bagel making craft at various shows and events over the past few years. According to Philly.com, PSB makes their bagels a little differently than other bak-eries. First off, they are fermented in small batches, then hand-rolled. The bagels are boiled in Philly’s own Yards beer mixed with water before being finished off in the oven. In contrast, New York’s bagels are baked with malt barley and Montreal’s are treated with honey. Even Craig LaBan of The Inquirer gave PSB an endorse-ment in Philly.com’s October 2015 round-up of newer ba-gel shops, saying “You can see the handmade nature of it. It has everything you want from a bagel: the texture and flavor, the crunch and chew.” Shapiro, a native of Cheltenham, and Zilber, originally from Detroit then Lower Merion, have worked together at the Foodery in Northern Liberties categorizing and selling beer. It was here they started exploring different culinary ventures, including brewing coffee together at Shot Tower Coffee in Queen Village. Local pizza demigod Joe Beddia met the two baristas and explained to them how he start-ed his own pizzeria.

While the duo was using Beddia’s oven during Sunday morning pop-ups, they launched an Indiegogo campaign that exceeded its $20,000 goal. That money provided them with an oven of their own, a gas-fired Montague Hearth-bake 25P-2, which is a little bigger than Beddia’s own oven. Bagels on the menu will range from $12 for a half-doz-

en to $20 for a dozen. Breakfast and lunch bagels will be available with an array of vegetarian options. The bagels aren’t gluten-free but they vegan. The owners will be brew-ing Counter Culture Coffee as well. ·


polish americanP H O T O S B Y S U S A N O N G I R S K I , M A R Y O N G I R S K I A N D M A R Y A N N T R O M B E T T A

S T R I N G B A N D , N E W Y E A R ’ S D A Y 2 0 1 6

Since 1933, The Polish American String Band — Port Richmond’s Mummers — has been making Mummers history by participating in and often winning awards at Philly’s annual New Year’s

Day. The String Band has taken home 11 first prizes and 14 second prizes. The organization chose its name due to the roots of its original members and is comprised of tradesmen, law-yers, doctors, businessmen and students. Many of the members are related to each other and many, if not most, were born and raised in Port Richmond. Back in 2008, the Polish American String Band (PASB) purchased the corner property at 2727 E. Westmore-land St., formerly an oil machine shop, from the owners of Byrne’s Tavern. “We stumbled upon it,” Dick Hagenbuch, former contrac-tor who is currently a Marshall for the band, said. “We gut-ted the whole place and [re]built it from the ground up.” Migrating to another neighborhood was never a viable option. “The Polish American String Band originated here,” Ha-genbuch said. “So it wouldn’t be wise to go to South Philly [or any other neighborhood.] The people of Port Rich-mond have always been supportive of [the band], so it was only fair they we stay here.” Here are photos from the Polish American String Band’s 2016 performance. Happy New Year! ·


MEETINGS

CHILDREN

CALENDARC O M M U N I T Y

N E W S @ S P I R I T N E W S . O R G • 1 4 2 8 E . S U S Q U E H A N N A A V E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6

EVENTS

NKCDC OPEN OFFICE HOURSNKCDC is hosting open office hours in the 19134 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 Monday of the month from 4-7PM and Firm Hope Baptist Church on Tulip and Au-burn Streets every second Wednesday of the month. They will assist you with signing up for benefits like SNAP, con-necting to housing counselors for any housing needs, rent and property tax rebates, food referrals, health insurance and safety 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 Monday 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.

Wednesday, January 13EKNA ZONING MEETINGThe meeting will take at 7:15PM at the Circle of Hope, 2007 Frankford Ave. It will be concerning 2036 York St (thru to Arizona St.) – application to relocate lot line to create two lots from one. Existing structure to remain. 1935 E Letter-ly Street – erection of a two-story addition to the rear of existing structure. Undersized rear yard and 2011 Amber Street – three-story addition to an existing structure with twelve dwelling units. Sit down restaurant on the ground floor with interior parking spaces. Relocation of lot lines to create 8 new lots with single-family homes. The agenda subject to change. Please bring proof of address.

Wednesday, January 20FNA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGThe FNA General Membership Meeting will take place the third Wednesday of each month, except for months when we have events and share the cancellation or change with the membership in advance. As always, the GMM will con-tinue to take place at the Fishtown Rec Center at 7PM. Thursday, Jan 14 ORCA ZONING MEETINGZoning meetings are held at Cione Recreation Center, at Aramingo and Lehigh from 6:30-7:30PM. This meeting will concern 2679 Aramingo Ave and 2573 Tulip Street (Fran-co’s Pizza). Parking is available on Lehigh, Aramingo, and Moyer Streets. Proof of residency will need to be presented in order to vote. We can accept any proof of residency in-cluding: a Pennsylvania ID card or driver’s license, student ID (only if it contains your home address), a voter registra-tion card, a recent utility bill with your name and residence address, copy of lease or deed or a Pennsylvania License to Carry a Firearm card. If you live in the area between York Street north to Lehigh Avenue, from Trenton Avenue east to the Delaware River, you are in ORCA and ORCA is the civic association that represents you.

Wednesday, January 6KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONJoin us at Allegheny Family Chiropractic at 7:15PM for an interactive workshop on keeping your New Year’s goals so that 2016 becomes your happiest, healthiest and most prosperous year yet! Space is limited so call to reserve your seat at 215-425-1110.

Saturday, January 9TREE-CYCLING EVENTKeep your Christmas tree out of a landfill and put it to good use right here in the neighborhood. Bring it in for chipping at the NLNA’s annual Treecycling event from 10AM-4PM, on the 3rd Street side of the dog park (900 block, across from Liberty Lands). Please remove lights, ornaments and tinsel. Optional $5 donation requested to help offset expenses. No early drop-offs, please.

Saturday, January 9RECYCLING EVENTGet your post-holiday cleaning done all at once! Bring your Christmas trees, old TVs, computers and other electronics to Kensington High School for the Creative and Perform-ing Arts between 10AM-2PM. There is a suggested dona-tion of $5 for trees and $10 for electronics. If you’d like to help with outreach or day-of volunteering, contact John Tracy at the NKCDC, at [email protected].

COMMUNITY PAINT DAYSAl-Aqsa together with ArtWell, Mural Arts and the commu-nity invite volunteers from across the region to share in a day of painting and reflection. The pieces created will be part of a new public mural adorning Al-Aqsa Islamic Soci-ety. This is a family friendly event. Be sure to wear painting appropriate clothing. Painting days are on Saturday, Janu-ary 9 and Saturday, January 30 at 4PM at the Al-Aqsa Islam-ic Society, 1501 Germantown Ave. ArtWell has been proud partners with Al-Aqsa since 2003 and we are honored and excited to be working together on this new mural.

Tuesday, January 12PHEAA QUESTION & ANSWERThe Fishtown Library will host a representative from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) for an information session to answer questions about the financial aid process, planning and paying for college and completing the FAFSA. The event starts at 6PM. For more information call 215-685-9990.

Saturday, January 16FREE FAMILY PORTRAITSProfessionals in the photography industry will be taking free family portraits. They will be provided to low income fami-lies to help preserve their family history. All families will leave with a framed family portrait. The event will take place at the Community Center at Visitation, 2646 Kensington Ave.Reserve your session by mailing [email protected] or calling 717-813-7488.

Saturday, January 16KCFC COFFEE KLATCH Have some casual conversation, project timeline Q&A, co-op business or whatever else you’d like to know about what the board’s up to these days from 10AM-12PM. Philly Fair Trade Roasters is supplying the fuel and we’ll have pastries, too. The klatch will take place at the KCFC Site, 2670 Coral Street, at Frankford and Lehigh. We’ll be host-ing these klatches quarterly to keep our membership and the community updated and in the loop on a regular basis.

Tuesday, January 19HOMEOWNERSHIP WORKSHOPEducating First Time Homebuyers Concilio will host a homeownership workshop to educate the community on how to become successful homeowners and prevent foreclosure. The topics include budgeting, credit re-pair, mortgage and the purchase process. Philadelphia residents who attend the workshop will be potentially eligible for a city grant that assists qualified purchasers with their closing costs.To register for the event and to learn more on Concilio’s Homeownership program, RSVPs should be sent to Irina at [email protected] or 215-627-3100.

Wednesday, January 20CASINO TRIPAmerican Legion Post 152 will host a Casino Trip on Jan-uary 20. Tickets $26 and you get $25 back. The trip leaves the club at 11:30AM and leave the casino at 7PM, back at the club by around 8:30PM. For more information call Walt at 215-426-1056

Saturday, January 23REPAIR FAIRBreak out of the winter doldrums and bring something to the Repair Fair! Our fixers will help you learn to trou-bleshoot and mend/fix anything you can carry in, free of charge. Spread the word; we want to help our community become more self-sufficient! The Fair will take place at the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym at 1834 Frankford Ave from 10AM-2PM.Visit the phillyfixersguild.org for more information.

Friday, January 29BIG TEXAS HOLD’EMThe Port Richmond Tigers’ present the Big Texas Hold’em and Monte Carlo Night at the Columbia Social Club at 3521 Almond Street. There is a $40 buy-in with big cash prizes to the winner. Other games of chance available, and free food and a cash bar. For more information call Tom at 215-275-8838 or the Ti-gers’ Clubhouse at 215-423-7611.

Sunday, January 31MYSTERY BINGOPort Richmond Tigers present a Mystery Bingo event at the Columbia Social Club, 3521 Almond St. Prizes include Coach bags, American Girl Dolls, personal electronics, home furnishings and more. Tickets are $30 and bin-go starts at 1PM. Tickets include homemade food and snacks, and there will be a cash bar. For more information call Tom at 215-275-8838 or the Ti-gers’ Clubhouse at 215-423-7611.

Monday, February 1GET YOUR TAX QUESTIONS ANSWEREDFishtown Action and FNA will have a joint meeting where Fishtown neighbors can get their tax concerns addressed. A representative from the Department of Revenue will be on hand, so bring your questions. Come to Holy Name Church Hall at 701 Gaul St from 7-9PM.

TuesdaysFISHTOWN LIBRARY EVENTSToddler Storytime – Join Miss Dana for stories, songs and silliness every Wednesday at 10:30AM.For more information call 215-685-9990.

WednesdayPRESCHOOL 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 Street.For further information call 215-685-9992. CHILDREN’S THEATER ARTS Come grow, play and explore with the Portside Arts Cen-ter. Students will use their imaginations and learn acting skills like speech, movement, improvisation and char-acter development through the use of theatre games, exercises and preparation for performance. Children will showcase their skills in a shared performance that will be presented at the end of the term. The class will be taught by Portside’s celebrity acting instructor Ange-la Goethals, an accomplished film, television and stage actress who has appeared in films such as Home Alone and Jerry Maguire.For information and to register, visit portsideartscenter.org.

DANCE PROGRAMMs. Jaclyn Scarborough will host hourly classes that take place on Tuesday evenings at 5:30PM for ages 3 and up. Also forming classes for 8 and older in jazz/Hip Hop from 7:30-8:30PM. Fee is $25 a month, with a $20 non-refund-able registration fee also required at sign up.

CIONE SIGNUPSChess Club – For beginner to advanced players of all ages. Meetings take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-8PM.Arts and Crafts for Kids – Meetings for 5-12 years old. Arts and crafts have no cost and takes place every Saturday from 12-1PM.Zumba – Adult classes are on Fridays from 7:30-8:30PM, and the cost is $5 per class.Tumbling – Class for ages 3 and up. Classes held on Mondays.Hip Hop Class – For ages 7 and up. Classes will be held on Mondays from 7-8PM.Both Tumbling and Hip Hop classes have a $20 Registra-tion Fee Non-Refundable and costs $25 per month. For more information call 215-685-9880.


FAITH

SENIORS

clean plateW R I T T E N B Y C A S E Y A N N B E C K

B U T T E R N U T S Q U A S H A N D S P I N A C H L A S A G N A

For 2016, I’m avoiding the pressure that comes from making a long list of New Year’s resolutions. Historically, I’ve never been able to follow the rules I set for myself on January 1st past February. Two weeks ago, I came across my list of “2015 Goals” and laughed at how high

a priority an ambition to become organized was, as the list itself was hidden in a pile of papers for an entire year. I do intend, however, to implement reasonable, positive changes, week by week. For starters, I will realistically define “organization” as it applies to my daily life: as a work-ing mom, I find I’m exhausted by the time I have a free minute or two to tidy up, but I’m planning to face my messes as they come. This year, I’ll also make it a point to get outside for a short walk, every day, despite the weather. And, finally, as a family we’re adopting “meatless Mondays.” Overall, going meatless at least once a week will save us money, cut some saturated fat from our diets and ever-so-slightly help the environment, as meat production depends on many other resources. Additionally, it will force me to focus on vegetables and other protein sources and might just inspire me to be more creative with our dinner menus. Our first go at meatless Monday was a colorful, make-ahead lasagna that was the perfect choice for our new routine.

Butternut Squash and Spinach LasagnaAdapted from Julia’s Album

Butternut Squash Filling1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into thin slices3 tablespoons olive oil1 cup ricotta cheese½ cup heavy cream¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Spinach Filling1 cup cooked spinach 1 cup ricotta cheese1 cup mozzarella cheese2 garlic cloves, minced¼ teaspoon saltpepper, to taste

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, for topping each layer

TuesdaysFISHTOWN LIBRARY EVENTSToddler Storytime – Join Miss Dana for stories, songs and silliness every Wednesday at 10:30AM.For more information call 215-685-9990.

WednesdayPRESCHOOL 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 Street.For further information call 215-685-9992. CHILDREN’S THEATER ARTS Come grow, play and explore with the Portside Arts Cen-ter. Students will use their imaginations and learn acting skills like speech, movement, improvisation and char-acter development through the use of theatre games, exercises and preparation for performance. Children will showcase their skills in a shared performance that will be presented at the end of the term. The class will be taught by Portside’s celebrity acting instructor Ange-la Goethals, an accomplished film, television and stage actress who has appeared in films such as Home Alone and Jerry Maguire.For information and to register, visit portsideartscenter.org.

DANCE PROGRAMMs. Jaclyn Scarborough will host hourly classes that take place on Tuesday evenings at 5:30PM for ages 3 and up. Also forming classes for 8 and older in jazz/Hip Hop from 7:30-8:30PM. Fee is $25 a month, with a $20 non-refund-able registration fee also required at sign up.

CIONE SIGNUPSChess Club – For beginner to advanced players of all ages. Meetings take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-8PM.Arts and Crafts for Kids – Meetings for 5-12 years old. Arts and crafts have no cost and takes place every Saturday from 12-1PM.Zumba – Adult classes are on Fridays from 7:30-8:30PM, and the cost is $5 per class.Tumbling – Class for ages 3 and up. Classes held on Mondays.Hip Hop Class – For ages 7 and up. Classes will be held on Mondays from 7-8PM.Both Tumbling and Hip Hop classes have a $20 Registra-tion Fee Non-Refundable and costs $25 per month. For more information call 215-685-9880.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash in olive oil and roast in a casserole dish for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. In a food processor, combine squash with cheese, cream, salt and nutmeg. Pu-ree until smooth and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine cooked spinach, cheeses, garlic and seasonings. Set aside. Brush the bottom of a 13”x9” baking dish with olive oil, then spread 1/3 of the squash mixture in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese and top with lasagna noodles (about three noodles will fit). Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles and top lightly with more mozzarella cheese. Top with noodles then spread over another 1/3 of the squash mixture, with a sprinkle of mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles, the repeat with a final layer of spinach, a sprinkle of cheese, a final layer of noodles, and then the remaining squash mixture. Sprinkle what’s left of the mozzarella on top, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and finish baking for another 10 minutes. ·

SundaysSUNDAY BINGOSt. Anne Church will host bingo on Sundays in the Social Hall, Memphis and Tucker streets. Doors open at 4PM; bingo starts at 6PM. Cost is $10. Call 215-739-4590 for more details.

LUTHERAN SETTLEMENT HOME EVENTSLutheran Settlement House Senior Center, 1340 Frank-ford Ave. Computer Classes: Level 1: Mondays from 9-10AM, Tuesdays from 9-10AM and Thursdays from 12-2PM. Level 2 Classes take place on Mondays from 1-3PM

Wednesdays FIRST PRESBYTERIAN BIBLE STUDY GROUPA Bible study group meets at First Presbyterian Church, 418 E. Girard Ave at 7PM . Come and bring a friend for in-formative, exciting and lively open discussions. As always, everyone is welcome.

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

TuesdaysPRAYER MINISTRY First Emmanuel Prayer Partners Church, 711 W. Girard Ave. Prayer Ministry is looking for Prayer Partners. Every-one is Welcome to come pray with us.For further information call 215-456-9974.

Saturday, January 23 ANNIVERSARY MASSSt. Michael Church, at 2nd & Jefferson Streets will hold a 40th Anniversary Mass in honor of Bonnie & Cynthia Cy-bulski & Claire Sanders. They died in a terrible fire at Penn Tavern (Crease & Girard) on January 18, 1976. All are wel-comed, the Mass begins at 5PM.

sign ups

PORTSIDE ARTS CLASSESPrivate Music Lessons for All Ages – Affordable and fun professional music instruction for children, teens, and adults. Drum lessons with Michael Arcata – learn rock, funk, and jazz style drumming. Voice lessons with Ariane Kolet – improve your vocal range and learn proper tech-nique while rehearsing songs of your choice.Adult Visual Arts Classes – Get creative! Learn how to use oil paint, glass, found objects, and recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind fine art. All materials are provided.Give the Gift of the Arts this Season – Portside Arts Center offers gift certificates for all of our art, theater, and music classes. To register go to portsideartscenter.org.

NOLIBS REC WINTER PROGRAMSThe Northern Liberties Recreation Center at 321 Fair-mount Ave will host many programs for those of all ages, including boxing, ceramics, chess, hoop dancing, improv comedy, karate, playwriting and more. For information and prices, visit nolibsrec.org.

and Thursdays 2-4PM. Dancercise with Rita, Mondays at 9AM and Tai Chi with Milt on Wednesdays at 12:30PM.For further information call 215-426-8610.

FridaysART WORKSHOP FOR SENIORSSt. Anne’s Senior Center, 2607 E. Cumberland St., is of-fering an art workshop for people age 50 and older. “Clay Creations” will meet weekly on Fridays, from 12:30-2 PM Participants will learn about the art of hand building to create pots and other clay forms. Those interested should register in advance.For more details call 215-426-9799.

SENIOR EXERCISE CLASSESExercise classes for people 50 and older will be offered at St. Anne’s Senior Center, 2607 E. Cumberland St. Class schedule will be Enhance Fitness on Mondays and Thurs-days at 9:30 AM, Chair Yoga on Tuesdays at 9:30AM, Tai Chi on Wednesdays at 10AM, and Line Dancing on the first and third Friday of every month. For more information call 215-426-9799.

Child, adolescent, and adult counseling; couples and family counseling. Specializes in anxiety, depression, anger

management and addiction (with at least one year sobriety). Licensed in PA, NJ & DE. 30+ Years of experience.

DAVID V. ROBINS, M.Ed., LPC, NCC

PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO SET UP YOUR FIRST CONSULTATION AT 215-808-0864

Master’s Level Licensed Professional Counselor Available for Consultation and Evaluation


[email protected] 1428 E. SUSQUEHANNA AVE

215.423.6246

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you connect with the residents of Fishtown, North-ern Liberties, 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.

CALENDARC O M M U N I T Y

N E W S @ S P I R I T N E W S . O R G • 1 4 2 8 E . S U S Q U E H A N N A A V E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6

25XX Frankford Ave - Furnished

Kitchenette. Clean, senior

preferred $450, 1 private bath

-$500 215-941-3000

32xx Frankford Ave - effeciency.

$550/mo. + electric; Immediate posses-

sion. No pets. 215-840-8399.

FOR RENT

Room for rent Kensington – safe, utilities included.

$250-320Per month

Call 267-475-3929or 267-235-9509

29XX block of Frankford Ave2 bedroom &

1 bedroom efficien-cy availablecredit check

Call 856-305-1556

PAY LESS

ROOFINGNEW RUBBER ROOFS

MINOR ROOF REPAIRSALUMINUM ROOF COATINGSHINGLES - GUTTERS - SPOUTS

215-743-8599FREE ESTIMATES - CALL GERRY

BARRY FISHER

House wiring, 100 amp circuit breakers, ceiling

fans & a/c lines.

OVER 27 YEARS EXPERIENCE

LICENSED & INSURED - LIC #PA040852/16493

ELECTRICIAN

215-327-3817

HOME REPAIR SERVICES

HANDYMANPLUMBING - WINDOWS

PAINTING - DOORSCARPENTRY - CEILINGS

CEMENT - FLOORS

215-743-8599

PARENTS

FOSTERPARENTS

PLEASECALL

Good, Loving homes needed

for children of all ages.

215-203-8733or

1-877-NFI4KIDor visit

nfi4kids.org

Up to $1,100 cash for cars or trucks with bad

engines or transmis-sions. $550 CASH for any complete junk car or

truck with or without title. Call 215-669-1000

JUNK CARS

BUYING HOUSES

We buy houses for cash. Fast settlement.Call John

215-740-4629

A DVA NC E D

& I N STA L L AT I O N S

ELECTRICREPAIRS

215-396-2206

L I C E N S E D

B O N D E D

I N S U R E D

S K I L L E D

“WE DO IT ALL”

100-200 AMP BREAKERSTROUBLESHOOT REPAIRS

OUTLETS - LIGHTS - SWITCHES

LOW RATESFAST SERVICE

UPFRONT PRICES

AFFORDABLEELECTRIC

2 1 5 -92 7- 1 1 0 0

FAST SERVICE & LOW RATESLIC. - INS. BONDED

215-588-1671

APPLIANCES

REPAIRS

B&AALL MAKES

ALL MODELS

WASHERSDRYERSSTOVES

REFRIGERATORS24-Hour

EmergencyService

$10 ChargeFor Estimate

No ChargeWith Repair

YOU HAVE A NICE SET OF WHEELS BUT CAN’T FIND A PLACE

TO PARK THEM.

FAIR HOUSING IS THE LAW!

610-604-4411 - FJCSP.COM

Landlords must allow you to make reasonable accommodations to ensure full use of your apart-ment. Telling you that you can’t install grab bars and ramps is against the law. You can fight back.

If you suspect unfair housing practices, contact HUD or your local Fair Housing Center. Everyone

deserves a fair chance.

REAL ESTATE SALES:

new or experienced; free training program. Call

Mike Dunphy at215-840-8399

JOBS

Drivers: NE Regional Run. $.44cpm. Monthly Bonus. Home Weekly.

Complete Benefit Pack-age. Rider Program Immediately. 100%

No-Touch. 70% D&H. 888-406-9046

Apt for Rent 28xx Frankford Ave 1 bedroom effeciency $515 plus electric,

heat included, 215-941-3000

Two Luxury Apartments for Rent - 1st floor - 2 bed-rooms- $1400/month large

2nd floor- 2 bedrooms- $1800/month. Both have hardwood floors, marble

bathrooms, washer/dryer, yard and attic access. Pet

friendly. For inquiries call Eddie- 215-800-5832

Apt for Rent: 31XX Frankford Ave

retired men preferred, $400 per month, plus one month security deposit.

All utilities included.

215-596-9076.

LARGEST INDOOR VINTAGE FLEA

MARKET IN THE CITY!

Over 100 Vendors 820 Spring Garden St (9th &

Spring Garden) Phila, PA 19123

---8AM til 4PM

---Every Sat, Jan 2nd thru

March 19th---

Free Parking / Free Admission / ATM / Food

Court / Heated / Handicap Accessible

---Antiques, Furniture,

Vintage Jewelry, Cloth-ing, Lighting, Primitives, Industrial, Great Food &

Much More!---

More Info: PhilaFleaMarkets.org

MARKETS

LEGAL

TIFFANY HARRISON IS DOING BUSINESS AS AGENT MOCKING

JAY


25XX Frankford Ave - Furnished

Kitchenette. Clean, senior

preferred $450, 1 private bath

-$500 215-941-3000

32xx Frankford Ave - effeciency.

$550/mo. + electric; Immediate posses-

sion. No pets. 215-840-8399.

AFFORDABLEELECTRIC INC

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL

FAST EMERGENCY SERVICE

State License #PA068325City of Philadelphia Electrical License #17027

We will BEAT ALL ESTIMATES!

LOWEST PRICES! “We Do It All”POLICE, FIRE & SENIOR DISCOUNTS

100 AMP • Breakers Lighting • Outlets • Fuse

Repair • Ceiling Fans Switches • Dryer Lines

Doorbell Repairs

215-722-5993

10% OFFWITH THIS AD

Apt for Rent 28xx Frankford Ave 1 bedroom effeciency $515 plus electric,

heat included, 215-941-3000

Hi, my name is Pepsi and I was found as a stray. I’m 5-10 years old, and I’m am pretty good at house-training. I’m already neutered, which means I can go home with you today. Do you have a dog at home already? Bring him/her down to meet me! I just want a nice warm home with a great family to call my own and lots of time to play. I am a Jack Russell / Parson terrier, so I have a high energy level and am very athletic. If you would like to make arrange-ments to meet Pepsi, call ACCT at 267-385-3800 or email [email protected].

ACCT ID NUMBER – A30086631

meetpepsi

Join us in January as we celebrate our Grand Opening!January 10Industry Night & Industry Quizzo

January 11Comedy Night with Bye Bye Liverfeaturing Rowhouse Spirits

January 12“Post Holiday Blues” with Blues Pianistfeaturing Kinsey Bourbon

January 13“Jazz Fest” with Philly Music Labfeaturing St. Benjamin Brewing Co.

January 14Karaoke Night with host Andrew Petruzellifeaturing Yards

January 15Irish Music with Philly Music LabFire Performers Lux Aratifeaturing Flying Fish

January 16Philly Music LabFire Performers Lux Aratifeaturing Commonwealth

January 17Jazz BrunchIndustry Night & Quizzofeaturing Art in the Age

at the corner of Front and Thompson Street1253 n. Front Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19122 215.515.3073 || www.frontstreetcafe.net

the spirit – january 6, 2015

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