The Spirit Newspaper

THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 PAGE 1

Inside Today’s

SPIRITTHE LOCAL LENS

with Thom Nickels

page 4

BRIDESBURGFISHTOWNKENSINGTONNORTHERN LIBERTIESPORT RICHMOND

1428 E. SUSQUEHANNA AVENUE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19125 • 215-423-6246 • www.spiritnewspapers.com

January 14, 2015 • Vol. 12 No. 2

Education: The Issue That May Make or Break The Future of Philadelphia (Part 2)

by Andrew Mark Corkery

Port Richmond Resident AOH/LAOH Member

[email protected]

patricia m. dugan

215-634-23552662 EAST ALLEGHENY AVENUE

Multi-Legal Services for Mature AdultsWILLS • ESTATES • ELDER LAW ISSUES

With a subpar education system in Philadelphia (outlined in Part 1 of this series in last week’s Spirit), the odds are stacked against some young families. They may not see the benefits of staying in Philadelphia much longer if the education crisis persists. This week, we look to see if charter school advances, which some view as positive and others see as controversial, are enough to keep young fami-lies with children in the city of Philadelphia and prevent them from moving to the suburbs in hopes of finding a more benefi-cial school system.

Two org an izat ions , American Paradigm and String Theory Schools, believe they have an an-swer to part of the com-plex Philadelphia School District problem. Both organizations are hoping their applications to open a new charter school in Port Richmond, due to overcrowding in the public schools of the 19134 zip code, will be approved by the School Reform Com-mission (SRC). In total, there have been two full applications for the one available charter in Port Richmond. Ameri-can Paradigm and String Theory Schools are those applicants and both have held public meetings in the neighborhood. Their stated goal is to show the community what they plan on offering eligible chil-dren. The School District of Philadelphia’s charter

Moving Forward, Charter Schools and Beyond

school office has told both applicants when their first hearing will be. Ameri-can Paradigm’s first hear-ing was on December 12, 2014. During the hearing each charter school applicant was allowed 15 minutes to formally present their application to the SRC,

the organization that will oversee and make the deci-sion on which application is approved. There was additional time allowed at the end of the hearing for members of the public to give their feedback in order to provide the SRC insight on how the com-munity views the opening

of a new school in their neighborhood. Members of the pub-lic presented arguments both for and against which charter school application should receive approval. Over 40 charter school firms were present in hopes of convincing the SRC to allow their firm to start a

new charter school at one of the few available spots throughout Philadelphia, according to Jim Stanton Director of Communica-tions for American Para-digm Schools. At the end of the day’s hearings, Stanton was not able to predict what direc-tion the SRC might be

leaning in their decision making process. Both American Para-digm and String Theory Schools feel as though they are qualified to open the one new charter school in Port Richmond, each tout-ing their success in other equally diverse areas of the city. Stanton believes that American Paradigm’s track record of turning around the old John Paul Jones public school into the Memphis Street Academy, an effort led by the school’s CEO Dr. Christine Borelli, shows they have merit based credentials to open another school in Port Richmond. “We are a renaissance charter school,” Borelli said. “Before we took over we were the bottom five percent of schools in the state, and we were [re-cently] recognized by The Philadelphia Inquirer as mak-ing the most improvement. Now that doesn’t mean now that our scores are really high now, that just means that we hit the im-provement and the growth targets that we needed to hit.” Borelli added: “To take students who were at nine percent stu-dent proficiency and to say at the end of this year they will be 80 percent– not a chance, you are setting yourself up to fail. But they can’t continue to stay at nine percent, so we went from nine percent to 18

American Paradigm Schools took Jones Middle School, a public school in the Philadelphia School District, and turned it into the Memphis Street Academy (2950 Memphis Street), a charter school. American Paradigm Schools is now hoping to build a new charter school in Port Richmond. /Photo: Joshua Albert

see SCHOOLS on page 5

“It’s important to have options for parents whose first and most impor-tant priority is that, one: their kids are safe, and second: their kids have educational opportunities...” ~ Jurate Krokys, CEO of American Paradigm Schools

St. John NeumannFEAST DAY

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JESUIS

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PAGE 2 THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

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Nazareth Hospital and Wesely Enhanced Liv-ing Pennypack Park have partnered up in order to present a new Adult Healthy Living educa-tion series in order to improve the health of the community. The first event takes place at the

Nazareth Hospital, Wesley Enhanced Living Pennypack Park

Partner for New Health Education Series

Wesely Enhanced Living building at 8401 Roos-evelt Blvd on Tues., Jan. 20 from 10AM-12 PM, and includes a lecture on nutrition and healthy vision, free vision, blood pressure, and BMI screen-ings, as well as the pres-ence of the Associated

Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, who supply adaptive devices and braille books to the community. Light refresh-ments will be provided by Wesley Enhanced Living Pennypack Park Culi-nary Department. If you are unable to attend this event there is an event planned monthly for the remainder of the year. Pre-registration is pre-ferred, for more informa-tion and registration con-tact Nazareth Hospital at 866-629-2738. “We at Nazareth Hos-pital are proud to partner with Wesley Enhanced Living on the Adult Healthy Living program. It aligns with our mis-sion to provide people-centered care to those we serve; and gives both organizations an oppor-tunity to work together to improve the health of our community through education and screening,” said Nancy Cherone, FACHE, executive direc-tor at Nazareth Hospital. “Both Nazareth Hospi-tal and Wesley Enhanced Living are dedicated to the comprehensive well-being of seniors, and this new collaboration is a natural outgrowth of that commitment. Together we provide a vital regional resource that seniors can look to and trust for excel-lence in healthcare educa-tion, disease prevention and management, and senior living options,” says Wesley Enhanced Living Pennypack Park Executive Director Su-zanne Lachman. If you miss our January event, you can still learn more about how to stay healthy during our future events:• February 17: Heart Health, Advance Health Care Planning• March 19: Nutrition and Healthy Eating• April 21: Physical Health and Wellness• May 19: Arthritis and Osteoporosis Presentation• June 13: Health and Wellness Fair (10AM– 2PM)• July 21: Medications…bring your meds for free consultation• August 18: Stress, De-mentia and Depression• September 15: Cancer Awareness and Preven-tion• October 20: Infection Prevention, Flu Vaccines• November 17: Living with Diabetes, Advance Health Care Planning• December 15: Home Safety Awareness •

Matthew Holmes SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Thank You and Good Luck!

The Matthew Holmes Scholarship Fund is prepar-ing to commence the distribution of their scholar-ships to students entering into High School in 2015.

Five $2,000.00 scholarships will be awarded to se-lect students based upon the criteria listed in the application along with essays submitted to the com-mittee by January 16, 2015.

To apply you must be an 8th grade student who is a Philadelphia resident, preparing to enter into your first year of high school at a Catholic archdiocese or a private high school that has a Catholic affiliation.

To apply or for more information, please visit our website at:

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TELL US WHAT YOU THINKSend your letters and opinions to The Spirit, 1428 E. Susquehanna Avenue, Phila., PA 19125 or email [email protected]. Letters will not be printed without a name and must have a phone number and address for verification.


THE LOCAL LENS with Thom NickelsThom Nickels

is a Philadelphia-based author/

journalist/poet,

film critic and

feature writer for the Spirit

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We are all Shane Mont-gomery. Why am I saying this? Let’s start at the begin-ning. Shane Montgomery dis-appeared after a night out with friends that in-cluded a stop at one of Manayunk’s most popu-lar hangouts, Kildare’s Irish Pub on Main Street. At 21, Shane Montgom-ery was still a kid, a boy with some “man growth” but essentially still in adult formation mode. At age 21, few of us have a firm grip on reality, even if many 21-year-olds pre-tend that the opposite is true. Being 21 is not easy. For instance, for most 21-year-olds the tendency is to judge the world, our friends and family, harshly. The twenties are a time when emotions and mental attitudes go up and down like an er-ratic seismograph. At that age we are on the hunt for

what mature philosophers call a centered personal equilibrium. I’m not saying that Shane Montgomery judged anybody, but at 21 he undoubtedly found himself in that “almost mature” formation space described above. When I was Shane’s age I was of-ten in hyper-critical over-drive. When I look back on those days I sometimes feel a little embarrassed. Was I really so critical and arrogant? Shane Montgomery lived in Roxborough, Manayunk’s next door neighbor, so Kildare’s on Main Street prob-ably had a home turf feel for him. When Shane’s friends (and cousin) left him alone at Kildare’s they probably thought nothing of it. Being alone in a bar is not necessarily a bad thing. People some-times go to bars alone to meet a special someone because that’s harder to

do in a group situation. Quite a number of people, upon hearing the news that Shane had drowned in the Schuylkill River, offered theories as to what they thought may have happened to him. Some suggested that he may have accidentally fallen into the river be-cause he was drunk, while others offered the bizarre theory that he was a vic-tim of a so-called Smiley Face serial killer. One off-the-wall theory even suggested suicide.

But what is significant for me is the love and loyalty shown by Shane Montgomery’s family as divers spent almost two months searching for his body. The television news reports were painful to watch, especially the clip of his mother speak-ing to reporters after his body was found near the Manayunk Brewery. The magnitude of his parents’ sorrow indicates that they felt only unconditional love for their 21 year old son.

Most of us have encoun-tered risky life situations in which we could have ended up as a fatality. It could happen when you stop your car on the side of a busy highway to change a flat tire and getting hit by a passing car, or as you wait for the 15 bus outside the Gold Club on West Girard Avenue in Fishtown as that January 3rd shooter fired a gun, wounding two men. It could have been you or I standing nearby that night. In some ways, we are all Shane Montgomery because unusual coinci-dences, like being at the wrong place at the wrong time, can alter our lives forever. This is true even for those of us who take great pains to avoid possible mishaps and disasters. Consider the following family story I heard over the holidays: My sister-in-law re-counted how her fear of flying got her to talk my brother into taking the train to Florida for a fam-ily trip. For my sister-in-law the train appeared to be a much safer mode of transportation despite the fact that the train ticket cost three times what it cost to fly. Feeling confident that she had life’s unexpected disasters minimized, she packed her husband and two kids into a south- bound Amtrak train, not in the least minding that the sleeping berths for the four of them were very small. While the f i r s t leg of their journey went smoothly, something hap-pened after the train left Baltimore and Washing-ton and headed further south. As the train crossed a highway, the road toll gates stopping traffic failed to go down and the train hit a car or two, kill-ing one of the drivers. My brother’s wife and kids were thrown out of their berths as smoke poured

into the train. For a time they had no idea what would happen to them. Would they live? Would they die? By avoiding the “danger-ous” airplane, my sister-in-law had experienced a possible loss of life by taking the safer (“I’m be-ing extra cautious”) train. People say about Shane: Why didn’t he go straight home? Why didn’t he leave Kildare’s with his friends? Why this and why that. But when we’re really living life or in the throes of a party with friends, we rarely think that one inconsequential choice made along the way will lead to tragedy or death. I remember the time I hitchhiked near Paoli when I was Shane’s age. With my thumb out, standing on the side of the road, I was happy when a Volkswagen stopped to pick me up. But no sooner was I inside the car when the driver looked at me and growled, “We’re go-ing straight to hell!” What a relief it was when I discovered that the threat was a joke, but what if it had been real? Suppose the driver had driven me to an isolated part of Chester County and disposed of me in se-rial killer fashion? Would my family and friends have asked why I went into a strange car? Why I couldn’t see that the driver was dangerous? And why I just didn’t walk home? When you’re 21 you don’t think of death as something that could re-ally happen to you. Death is an abstract idea, more remote than watching a Good Year blimp flying out over the ocean and into the horizon. Any number of things could have happened to Shane Montgomery that night– small inconse-quential choices, like tak-ing the train instead of a plane, somehow put him at the river’s edge and led to his untimely demise. •

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Schoolscontinued from page 1

percent student proficien-cy. Same thing in reading, we went from 14 percent to 25 percent. We made sure kids who were below basic standards moved up from below basic.” American Paradigm’s past success of obtaining and starting the Memphis Street Academy was done by competing against other educational management organizations. Prior to the charter take over and turn around, John Paul Jones Middle School was ranked one of the worst in the city, earning the nickname “Jones Jail.” Jones Middle School enrolled students from the center of an impover-ished neighborhood with a recorded history of in-jection drug users, street prostitution and high gun violence rates. The chil-dren attending Jones were subjected to heavy security and mandatory metal de-tecting scanners. All the school windows were pro-tected with metal grating and the computer room was guarded by thick iron prison bars. By the end of the first year that American Para-digm had taken over the old Jones school, the num-ber of serious incidents decreased by 90 percent,

with drug, weapons, assault and rape cases going from 138 total incidents for the previous year, before the charter take over, to 15 after the charter’s first year. According to Stanton, this statistic is only one of the reasons that make American Paradigm a great fit for the open char-ter school bid available in Port Richmond. “It was a challenge. It was a failing school, we took it over, turned it around and we are making it a success,” Stanton said. “So based on our experience with the Memphis Street Acad-emy, we are familiar with the neighborhood, we are familiar with the commu-nity and we are successful at turning around failing schools, as well as opening new charter schools and having them be success-ful.” String Theory Schools are also looking to obtain the new charter that is up for grabs in Port Richmond and look to fill it with one of their own schools. String Theory Schools traditionally focuses on educating kids in the areas of the arts but stresses they provide a compressive and holistic education that of-fers opportunities in the areas of science, technol-ogy, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). Currently, String Theory Schools has

four campuses as part of two main programs in Phil-adelphia– The Performing Arts Charter School of-fers grades K-10, and the String Theory School for the Arts & Sciences grades K-8. “What we hope to do in the Port Richmond area is to provide a school with more seats with high aca-demic standards,” said Mary D’Anella, spokes-woman for String Theory Schools. “Public schools are closing and schools in general are too in some cases, so we are looking to provide an option” To D’Anella’s point, some schools are in fact closing but the sustainability of the charter school option for parents has recently been called into question with the sudden closure of both Walter D. Palmer Lead-ership Partners Charter School campuses in North-ern Liberties and Frank-ford over winter break due to financial issues. The charter school had its budgets slashed by the district this year for fail-ing to make its payments required to the state teach-ers’ pension program. Ad-ditionally the school is still paying off a $1.5 million court judgment owed to the district for collecting money for students it was not authorized to enroll. The court stated that the

school enrolled 1,300 stu-dents, nearly twice the amount allowed in its char-ter agreement with the dis-trict, limited at a maximum of 675 students. School district officials place the blame squarely and in full on this particu-lar charter school for the closure that came about, something partly refuted in the press release put forth by those in charge of the Leadership Academy charter schools. “It was the SRC and [Philadelphia School Dis-trict Superintendent] Dr. Hite’s intentions to con-tinue to deduct our school’s funding each month until they forced the school with only the option to close.” said Dr. Walter D. Palmer in the press release. The press release state-ment adds: “We asked for a meeting in hopes that we could have met before the Thanksgiv-ing and winter holidays to address the School District of Philadelphia’s inten-tions. Dr. Hite, to date, has not responded to my writ-ten request to meet with the Leadership family and community.” Even with other char-ter schools closing, Jurate Krokys, CEO of American Paradigm Schools, notes the success rate of their charter schools in Philadel-phia, based on a number

of metrics. Like D’Anella of String Theory Schools, she agrees that charter schools provide an impor-tant option for choice to all parents who seek it. “It’s important to have options for parents whose first and most important priority is that, one: their kids are safe, and second: their kids have educa-tional opportunities,” said Krokys. “Philadelphia has to make important deci-sions. We feel that we are a school option that can provide opportunities for students.” Theresa Schleinkofer, a grandmother of two children enrolled at the String Theory Academy charter school, concures that charters can provide an important option for parents. Additionally she feels the time is now for a charter school to start in her neighborhood. “I think it’s about time that Por t R ichmond had a charter school be-cause there are none in our area right now”, said Schleinkofer. “Philadelphia schools are not good any-more, honestly.” While many traditional Philadelphia public schools continue to remain in a state of decay, charter schools may be the only viable option for some parents today. Schleinkofer says this is due to private

schools continuing to be-come more expensive and out of reach for most fami-lies and Catholic schools closing in some parts of the city. City Controller Alan But-kovitz is quite weary of jumping to this conclusion though and does not be-lieve that charter schools should be the only answer to fix a dysfunctional edu-cation system in Philadel-phia. “The answer can’t be that we are going to have an escape pod, and within that escape pod (charter schools) we continue to eliminate students that are problem students and we do all of these other things, and say look how good our escape pod is doing,” said Butkovitz. “[Charter schools] have to look at the overall conditions for all the kids that are educated in Philadelphia schools. And all the people have to look at everybody as being part of that community.” Another area where But-kovitz has been staunchly critical of charters schools is regarding the current funding formula for tu-ition reimbursements and special education, which according to his report published back in October has led to the charter sec-tor accumulating a $117

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MEETINGSCouncilman Squilla at FNA Meeting City Councilman Mark Squilla will join the Fish-town Neighbors Associa-tion (FNA) at their monthly meeting happening this Thurs., Jan. 15 at 7PM at the Fishtown Rec Cen-ter (1202 E. Montgomery Ave). They will also elect the 2015 Board of Direc-tors! FNA meetings take place on the third Thurs-day of every month. Join us at 6:45PM for refresh-ments. See you there!

Ladies AOH MeetingThe Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians meet every third Thursday of the month at Holy Name Church’s lower hall, E. Berks and Gaul Sts. at 7:30PM. This month the meeting will be Thurs., Jan. 15. If you are inter-ested in becoming a Hiber-nian, please contact Renee Shaw at [email protected]. New members are always welcomed.

Front and Girard MeetingsIn response the shooting that occurred at Front and Girard on Sat., Jan. 3, two community meetings have been scheduled.Fishtown Neighbors Association (FNA) has a general membership meeting on Thurs., Jan. 15 at 7PM at the Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 E. Mont-gomery Ave. Time will be dedicated at this meeting to discuss the shooting. Northern Liberties Neighbors Association (NLNA) has a meeting scheduled on Thurs., Jan. 22 at 7PM at the NL Com-munity Center, NW corner of 3rd & Fairmount. Each of these meetings will be attended by vari-ous community leaders who will be eager to hear everyone’s concerns about the Front and Girard in-tersection.

FNA Zoning Community MeetingFishtown Neighbors As-sociation (FNA) zoning meeting will take place at the Fishtown Rec Center at 1202 E. Montgomery Ave. on Tues., Jan. 20 at 7-8PM. The meeting is regarding a new mixed use building at 1142 Crease St. and a new roll down gate at 1107 Oxford St. All Fish-town residents are eligible to vote, please bring proof of residence or business ownership in the form of a driver’s license of a photo id and a lease, utility bill, or recent piece of mail ad-dressed to your home or business.

SKCP NAC MeetingThe South Kensington Communi ty Par tner s Neighborhood Advisory

Council committee will be holding a “Meet Your NAC Representative” night on Tues., Jan. 20 from 6:30 to 8PM at the Finanta Building, 1301 N. 2nd St. Come out and meet your neighbors and learn how you can get involved!

ORCA January General MeetingTues., Jan. 27, 7:30PM at Cione Playground, 2600 Aramingo Ave. PennDOT will be on hand to give an update about the I-95 revive project currently un-der construction on Rich-mond Street.

Al-Anon Meetings at Holy Name Church HallAl-Anon Meetings are held every Monday night from 7 to 8PM at Holy Name Church Hall, Berks and Gaul Sts. Members share their personal experi-ences and stories. Personal contact is an important element in the healing pro-cess. The meetings provide strength and hope for fami-lies and friends of addicts. If you are worried about a loved one with any type of addiction, this meeting will help you. Everyone is wel-come to attend. Anything that is shared at meetings stays there. Al-Anon Meet-ings are free, anonymous and confidential.

EVENTS

Tot BasketballLast call for Tot Basketball. Tues. & Thurs. 6-7PM at Cohox Gym, 2901 Cedar St. Girls and boys, ages 3-6. Call now to register. For more information, call Tom Mack at 215-275-8838 or Steph Kane at 215-617-0712.

Cione Playground ActivitiesCione Playground is offering a number of activities for people of all ages. ARTS AND CRAFTS CLASS will be held on Saturdays from 12:30-1:30PM. The class is open to children aged 5 to 13, and while there is no fee class sizes are limited. CHESS CLUB will be taking place on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-8PM at the park. All ages are welcome and there is no fee. TOT REC still has a few openings, which is offered to children aged 3½-5 and takes place Tues-day, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9AM-12PM. Cione Playground is located at the intersection of Aramingo and Lehigh, they can be contacted at the office Monday through Friday from 2-9PM or by phone at 215-685-9880.

St. Anne Regular Sunday BingoSt. Anne’s Bingo ev-ery Sunday! Memphis

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BINGO MON. & FRI. at 7PM& Tucker in Social Hall Doors open at 4PM. Bingo begins at 6PM. Cost at door - $10 package.

Portside’s Award Winning After School Arts ProgramHomework Help, Visual Arts, Theater Arts & Char-acter Education. Mon-day - Fridays 3-6PM. Ages: 5 - 11yrs - Cost: $15 per day. Portside provides bus service for the follow-ing schools: Our Lady of Port Richmond Catho-lic School, St. Laurentius Catholic School, Alexan-der Adaire Elementary, St. Peter’s The Apostle, Hack-ett Elementary, Kearny Elementary. More schools to be announced. Janu-ary Special - $10 per day! Coupon Code: APPLE for new After School Arts Program students only. Valid now until Jan. 30. Children from oth-er schools are welcomed into the program but they must provide their own transportation. This pro-gram is supported by: The Penn Treaty Special Ser-vices District, State Repre-sentative John Taylor, An-heuser Busch, The Dolfin-ger McMahon Foundation. To register visit Portside Arts Center website at www.portsideartscenter.org. Located at 2531 E. Lehigh Ave. 215-427-1514.

Local Children’s Soccer Program, Soccer Shots, Honored with #1Soccer Shots was recently named by Entrepreneur Magazine as the #1 Chil-dren’s Fitness Franchise in America. Its distinc-tions include caring and professionally-trained coaches, acclaimed and age-appropriate curricula, and meaningful character development lessons wo-ven through every lesson plan. More information about Soccer Shots can be found on their site at www.soccershots.org/philadel-phia.The winter season is running now and there still are open spots - visit their website at www.soc-cershots.org/philadelphia for more information and to register. They are of-fering classes in Fishtown and Northern Liberties this winter at these loca-tions: Atonement Lutheran Church with By My Side Parenting Group (1542 East Montgomery Ave) Thursdays, 3:30 pm- 5:15 pm (30 -40 mins per age group), ages 2-5, 8 weeks.

City Fitness Gym (2nd and Spring Garden) Sundays, 3:30-5:30PM (30-40 mins per age group), ages 2-5, 10 weeks.

LSH Senior Center EventsLutheran Set t lement House Senior Center, 1340 Frankford Ave. Dan-cercise with Rita Mon-days at 9AM, Tai Chi with Milt Wednesdays at 12:30PM. For more info call Jesse 215-426-8610.

First Emmanuel Prayer PartnersPrayer MinistryFirst Emmanuel Prayer Partners Church, 711 W. Girard Ave. Prayer Min-istry. Looking for Prayer Partners. Everyone is wel-come to come pray with us every Tuesday night at 8PM. 215-456-9974 or 267-746-0448.

First Presbyterian Bible Study GroupOn Wed. evenings at 7PM a Bible Study Group meets at First Presbyterian Church, 418 E. Girard Ave. Come and bring a friend for informative, exciting and lively open discussions. As always, everyone is welcome.

Richmond Library ProgramsPreschool Storytime is every Wed. at 10:30AM. This program is intended for children from one- to four-years of age and their caregivers. Siblings are always welcome. Daycares should call for separate appointments. Richmond Library, 2987 Almond St. 215-685-9992.

Storytime at Fishtown LibraryPreschool Storytime will be held on Wednesdays at 10:30AM. Fishtown Community Branch of the Free Library (1217 E. Montgomery Ave.). These programs are intended pri-marily for children through four-years of age and their caregivers. Siblings are always welcome. Daycares should call for separate appointments. For more in-formation, call Miss Sheila at 215-685-9990.

St. Anne Weekly NovenaSt. Anne weekly Novena Thurs. evening service, 7:30PM. Church of Saint Anne, Memphis St. and Lehigh Ave.

see CALENDAR on page 15610-604-4411 ◦ www.fhcsp.com

NKCDC wants you!The New Kensington Neighborhood Advisory Sub-committee (NAS) is seeking members. Work on neigh-borhood safety, sustainability and contribute ideas for community activities and programming. As a NAS member, you will serve a two-year term beginning in February 2015 and attend 10 monthly meetings per year, at 6PM on the third Monday of each month at NKCDC’s office, 2515 Frankford Ave. To nominate yourself or a neighbor, please contact Tess at 215-427-0350 x139, or [email protected] by Wed., Jan. 21.


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sylvania. This was the first national, peer-reviewed attempt to accurately and adequately portray a valid comparison between tra-ditional public school and publicly funded charter school performance. The report found that students from charter schools were not performing as well as their peers in traditional public schools, but that poor performance was not universal for all their char-ter school students. The study also drew at-tention to the first-year dip associated in other research that shows student performance for incoming charter students seems to be followed by significant improvement over time. The same study called attention to concerns ar-ticulated by both advocates and opponents of charter schools, as well as the Unit-ed States Department of Education, regarding the quality of charter schools. Dr. Margaret Raymond, director of the study at Stanford University, names “quality [as] the most pressing problem that the charter school movement faces… If the supporters of charter schools fail to address the quality chal-lenge, they run the risk of having it addressed for them.”•

million balance. While the charter sector’s balance was in the black in 2013, the Philadelphia School District was $68 million in arrears at the close of the same year, the report states. But Gerald Santilli, a principal of the Santilli and Thomson organiza-tion that works as business service provider for 17 charter schools in Philadel-phia, believes Butkovitz is not taking all factors into account when evaluat-ing charter schools in this manner. Prior to 1999, Santilli was the Chief Fi-nancial Officer for The School District of Phila-delphia. As he understands them, the figures show that charter schools in Philadel-phia receive only about 75 percent of the funding that traditional public schools receive. “Every charter school needs money to function and when you take $117 million dollars (the num-ber Butkovitz is claiming charter schools obtained in their positive fund bal-ance, based on the cur-rent funding formula) and divide it by 86 charters, the amount of charter schools in Philadelphia, that’s less

than $2 million dollars per charter,” said Santilli. “You have to be able to pay your bills.” Cost and funding are noted by many as primary concerns regarding the influx of charter schools nationwide. Funding strat-egies for charter schools around the country vary from state to state. In Penn-sylvania, charter schools are funded by the state and local governments, which allocate funding to each school district on the basis of a formula directly related to each school’s student enrollment. Like traditional public schools, educational fund-ing for charter students in Pennsylvania comes pri-marily from the student’s district of origin supported by property tax revenue paid by taxpayers in the town, city or municipality. Government officials typically regulate charter schools by way of having the group or organiza-tion running the school governed under a legisla-tive contract (or charter), signed in agreement and approval by a state, or local government jurisdic-tion. In Philadelphia, that governing body is the SRC, specifically the Charter School Oversight Office. Charter schools are ex-

empt from certain state or local rules and regula-tions in return for more autonomy and flexibility to function as those directly in control of the charter school see fit. In Philadelphia if any number of students de-cide to leave the regular public school setting for a charter school, the money allocated for that student by the district they live in follows the student to the charter school, continuing to fund their education. Recently charter schools have come under fire by many of their opponents for allegedly cherry pick-ing their student bodies. The factual basis behind either claim remains un-clear at this time, but what is known is that charter

schools have in fact expe-rienced changes in their demographic makeup. From the school year 1999–2000 to 2011–2012 the percentage of charter school students nationally who were Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander in-creased from 20 percent to 28 percent and from three percent to four percent, respectively. In contrast, the percentage of charter school students who were white decreased from 42 to 36 percent, and the per-centages who were Black and American Indian/Alaska Native decreased as well. The percentage of stu-dents attending high-poverty charter schools—schools defined by more than 75 percent of the

students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)— increased from 14 percent in school year 1999–2000 to 31 percent in school year 2011–12. Over the same period, the percentages of students attending charter schools with lower percentages of students qualifying for FRPL decreased. Whether or not charter schools have more eco-nomically disadvantaged children than traditional public schools is an area with somewhat conflicting research data. As articu-lated in a study conduct-ed by the Pennsylvania School Board Associa-tion’s Education Research and Policy Center, charter school student popula-tions initially seemed to be serving higher numbers of economically disad-vantaged students, but in recent years those previous percentages have declined to be relatively similar with the state average. There are other areas where charter schools and public schools starkly dif-fer in their performance ratings. Stanford Univer-sity issued a Report titled “Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States,” including Penn-

Chartercontinued from page 5 “T he School Dis -

trict needs to make accountability over charter schools a top priority. The existing Charter School Over-sight Office needs to be strengthened. Six employees to oversee 86 charter schools are not sufficient.”

~ Alan Butkovitz, Phila-delphia City Controller


On January 5, the Arch-diocese of Philadelphia and the World Meeting of Families – Philadel-phia 2015 celebrated the Feast of St. John Neumann at the Na-tional Shrine in North Philadelphia with Mayor Michael A. Nutter and Bishop John J. McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadel-phia. With a celebratory Mass and the official blessing of the Shrine’ new atrium and time

Archdiocese of Philadelphia and World Meeting of Families Celebrate The Feast Day of St. John Neumann with Mayor Michael A. Nutter

Mayor Nutter joined Bishop John McIntyre and other church of-ficials at the blessing of a new atrium at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann on Monday, January 5, 2015. Mayor Nutter provided a copy of a letter from Pope Fran-cis, confirming the Pontiff ’s participa-tion in the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, for inclusion in a time capsule at the atrium. /Photos courtesy of National Shrine of St. John Neumann

capsule, today’s event marked the completion of this landmark project for the historic shrine while also marking the beginning of the year in which the Archdiocese and the City of Philadel-phia will welcome Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families in September 2015. During the annual Feast day celebration, the con-gregation was treated to a choral performance of “Tu Scendi Dalle

Stelle,” Italy’s most be-loved Christmas Carol, in honor of Pope Francis, as the current Bishop of Rome, and St. Peter, namesake of the parish and the first Bishop of Rome. As homilist, Bish-op McIntyre addressed the congregation, in-cluding students from St. Peter the Apostle School, about the strong connection between the

life and work of St. John Neumann and the World Meeting of Families, no-tably how St. John Neu-mann’s legacy is not only tied to his establishment of the Catholic educa-tion system in the United States but his ministry to immigrant families in welcoming them into the Church – a mission that continues today world-wide. “St. John Neumann was a humble man of God whose focus on bringing immigrant families to the Church is as important and salient today as it was in the 1850’s,” said Bishop McIntyre. “As we prepare for the World Meeting of Families, it is appropriate that St. John Neumann’s home – Philadelphia – serve as host, especially as the issues of immigration and the manifestation of faith in global cultures remain critical to families around the world. I know that the spirit of St. John Neumann and his last-ing legacy will inspire our work as we continue to plan for this special event.” Following Mass, May-or Nutter joined with Bishop McIntyre for the blessing of the new atri-um at the St. John Neu-mann National Shrine. Following the blessing, which was read in Eng-lish, Spanish and Italian to honor the immigrant

ministry of St. John Neu-mann, students from St. Peter the Apostle School then placed flags rep-resenting the countries from which their own families had immigrated to the United States. Mayor Nutter and Bish-op McIntyre then placed an American Flag, a Pa-pal flag, an Argentinian flag, in honor of Pope Francis, and the flag of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania into the time capsule. Said Bishop McIntyre, “The Holy Father em-bodies St. John Neu-mann’s inviting mes-sage to pilgrims just as the World Meeting of Families does. We look forward to welcoming upwards of 1.5 million people from various cul-tures and faiths to share in this faithful gathering, which will be a once-in-a-generation event for our Archdiocese, our city and our state.” The World Meeting of Families is a triennial global event, sponsored by The Holy See’s Pon-tifical Council for the Family, which seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight its intrinsic value to the good of society. Being held in the United States for the first time ever, the official theme for the 2015 World Meeting of Families is “Love is our

mission: the family fully alive.” For more information regarding the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next Sep-tember, please visit www.WorldMeeting2015.org. For more information regarding The Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, which co-sponsors the World Meeting of Families with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please v i s i t h t t p : / / w w w.fami l i am.org/ fami -glia_eng/00002554_HOME_ENG.h tml . You can also engage the World Meeting of Fami-lies – Philadelphia on Facebook (World Meet-ing of Families 2015) (Encuentro Mundial de las Familias – Filadel-fia 2015), Twitter (@WMF2015) (@WM-F2015ES) and Instagram (WMF2015).•

About World Meetings of FamiliesBeginning with 1994, The Year of the Family, the Pontifi-cal Council for the Family has been responsible for organiz-ing the World Meetings of Families in Rome (1994); Rio de Janeiro (1997); Rome (2000); Manila (2003); Valencia (2006); Mexico City (2009); Milan (2012); and now, Philadelphia (2015). Since its inception by Saint John Paul II, the World Meet-ing of Families has sought to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe.

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To alleviate overcrowding in Northeast High School and Lincoln High School, our charter with the

School District requires that we accept High School applications for Ninth-Twelfth Grades with admissionpreferences for students who reside in the attendance

zones of the following elementary schools:CROSSAN, FARRELL, MOORE, RHAWNHURST,

SOLIS-COHEN, ETHAN ALLEN, DISSTON AND SPRUANCE

We are also accepting applications from those who live in the same above designated school areas

who have attended a Parochial School, Charter School or Private School.

(First enrollment open to all in those school areas)

THE LOTTERY WILL BE ON MONDAY, MARCH 19TH AT 6:30 PM

HIGHLIGHTS: National

Honors Society Advanced Placement

CoursesDual Enrollment

OpportunitiesStudent GovernmentTravel Opportunities

PIAA SportsService Learning BOYS AND GIRLS

SPORTSTrack & Field

BasketballBaseball & Softball

Tennis • Golf

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5THat 6:30 PM

EMPHASIS ON:INVENTIONS AND

INNOVATIONSHOLISTIC EDUCATIONCRITICAL THINKINGSCIENTIFIC METHOD

ANALYSIS

CREATIVE PROBLEMSOLVING

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS ISSATURDAYFEB. 28TH

BRAND NEW HIGH SCHOOL BEING BUILTKEYSTONE STREET AND ROBBINS

PHONE NUMBER - 267-388-8656

To alleviate overcrowding in Northeast High School and Lincoln High School, our charter with the

School District requires that we accept High School applications for Ninth-Twelfth Grades with admissionpreferences for students who reside in the attendance

zones of the following elementary schools:CROSSAN, FARRELL, MOORE, RHAWNHURST,

SOLIS-COHEN, ETHAN ALLEN, DISSTON AND SPRUANCE

We are also accepting applications from those who live in the same above designated school areas

who have attended a Parochial School, Charter School or Private School.

(First enrollment open to all in those school areas)

THE LOTTERY WILL BE ON THURSDAY, MARCH 19TH AT 6:30 PM

HIGHLIGHTS: National

Honors Society Advanced Placement

CoursesDual Enrollment

OpportunitiesStudent GovernmentTravel Opportunities

PIAA SportsService Learning BOYS AND GIRLS

SPORTSTrack & Field

BasketballBaseball & Softball

Tennis • Golf

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5THat 6:30 PM

EMPHASIS ON:INVENTIONS AND

INNOVATIONSHOLISTIC EDUCATIONCRITICAL THINKINGSCIENTIFIC METHOD

ANALYSIS

CREATIVE PROBLEMSOLVING

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS ISSATURDAYFEB. 28TH

Tacony Academy High School Open House and Lottery will be at the Tacony Academy Elementary School

1330 Rhawn Street, Philadelphia, PA 19111

Paper applications are available at the school office.

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONSFOR GRADES 9-10-11-12

FOR STUDENTS ENTERINGNINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH

& TWELFTH GRADES

WILL OPEN IN SEPTEMBER 2015

Information, application and procedures can be found on line at www.ap-schools.org

PHONE NUMBER – 267-388-8656

Information, application and procedures can be found on line at

EMPHASIS ON:

We are accepting applications with admission preferences for students who reside in the attendance zones

of the following schools:Crossan, Farrell, Moore,

Rhawnhurst, Solis-Cohen, Ethan Allen,

Disston and Spruance

We will also be accepting applications from those who live in the same above

designated school areas who have attended a Parochial School,

Charter School or Private School

OPEN HOUSEFOR STUDENTS ENTERINGKINDERGARTEN through

EIGHTH GRADE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 20136:00 PM

SMALLCLASS

SIZE

www.ap-schools.org PHONE NUMBER - 215-742-5100

LONGERSCHOOLDAY

TUITIONFREE

PUBLICSCHOOL

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL AVAILABLE

TACONY ACADEMY CHARTER 1330 Rhawn Street


LOTTERY DATE

TUESDAYMARCH 26TH

AT 7PM

New Applications

For The Lottery

Are Needed By All New

Students

CRITICAL THINKINGSCIENTIFIC METHOD

ANALYSISCREATIVE PROBLEM

SOLVINGEVALUATION

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

ALL SIBLINGS MUST ALSO APPLY ONLINE

According to the charter granted by the School District of Philadelphia, our charter

must help to alleviate overcrowding at specific neighborhood schools. We

accept Elementary School applications for Kindergarten-Eighth Grades with

admissionpreferences for students who reside in the attendance zones of the

following elementary schools: CROSSAN, FARRELL, MOORE, RHAWN-HURST, SOLLIS-COHEN, ETHAN ALLEN,

DISSTON AND SPRUANCE.

We are also accepting applications from those who live in the same above desig-nated school areas who have attended a

Parochial School, Charter School or Private School.

LOTTERY DATE

TUESDAYMARCH 25TH

at 6PM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH

at 6:00 PM


must help to alleviate overcrowding at specific neighborhood schools. We accept Elementary School

applications for Kindergarten-Eighth Grades with admissionpreferences for stu-dents who reside in the attendance zones

of the following elementary schools: CROSSAN, FARRELL, MOORE, RHAWNHURST, SOLLIS-COHEN, ETHAN ALLEN, DISSTON AND

SPRUANCE. We are also accepting applications from

those who live in the same above designated school areas who have

attended a Parochial School, Charter School or Private School.

LOTTERY DATE

THURSDAY MARCH 19THat 6:30 PM

New ApplicationsFor The Lottery

Are Needed By All

New Students

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

ISSATURDAY FEB. 28TH

Information, application and procedures can be found on line at

EMPHASIS ON:

We are accepting applications with admission preferences for students who reside in the attendance zones

of the following schools:Crossan, Farrell, Moore,

Rhawnhurst, Solis-Cohen, Ethan Allen,

Disston and Spruance

We will also be accepting applications from those who live in the same above

designated school areas who have attended a Parochial School,

Charter School or Private School

OPEN HOUSEFOR STUDENTS ENTERINGKINDERGARTEN through

EIGHTH GRADE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 20136:00 PM

SMALLCLASS

SIZE

www.ap-schools.org PHONE NUMBER - 215-742-5100

LONGERSCHOOLDAY

TUITIONFREE

PUBLICSCHOOL

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL AVAILABLE

TACONY ACADEMY CHARTER 1330 Rhawn Street


LOTTERY DATE

TUESDAYMARCH 26TH

AT 7PM

New Applications

For The Lottery

Are Needed By All New

Students

CRITICAL THINKINGSCIENTIFIC METHOD

ANALYSISCREATIVE PROBLEM

SOLVINGEVALUATION

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

ALL SIBLINGS MUST ALSO APPLY ONLINE


must help to alleviate overcrowding at specific neighborhood schools. We

accept Elementary School applications for Kindergarten-Eighth Grades with

admissionpreferences for students who reside in the attendance zones of the

following elementary schools: CROSSAN, FARRELL, MOORE, RHAWN-HURST, SOLLIS-COHEN, ETHAN ALLEN,

DISSTON AND SPRUANCE.

We are also accepting applications from those who live in the same above desig-nated school areas who have attended a

Parochial School, Charter School or Private School.

LOTTERY DATE

TUESDAYMARCH 25TH

at 6PM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH

at 6:00 PMTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH

at 6:30 PM

Paper applications are available at the school office.

“People meet me, and they’re like, ‘I thought you’d be a rockabilly guy!’” said Chris DiPinto, the

“Corporate Guitars Still Suck”

by Jake Detwiler

see GUITARS on page 10

DiPinto Guitars are known for their abstract flashiness, bubble-gum colors and campy angles, just like this 2014 Galaxie 4. /Photo: Matthew Albasi

soft-spoken namesake of DiPinto Guitars (407 E. Girard Ave). “But I’m not really a rockabilly guy.” We’re sitting on a pair of stools in the middle of the music shop’s comfortably

lit floorspace as the winter morning slowly warms, surrounded on all sides by decades’ worth of guitars, dust-ridden amplifiers and


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haphazard musical gear. Unlike so many of today’s chain stores, they’re instru-ments vividly laced with a history– with stories– wait-ing to pass to new genera-

Guitarscontinued from page 8

tions. It’s hard to reconcile the image of DiPinto with that of his guitars. His instruments live and die by their abstract flashiness, bubblegum colors and campy angles (just look at the recently released 2014

Chris DiPinto has managed to turn a taste for the unconventional into a thriving small business on Girard Avenue.

Galaxie 4 models). But their designer is something entirely different– long-haired, quiet, warm. Dur-ing our nearly hour-long conversation, he proved that his revered presence in Philadelphia music has been rightfully earned by

a winning personality that somehow both contrasts and complements his un-restrained creativity. As a ten-year-old in Bucks County, DiPinto was un-satisfied with what corpo-rate guitars had to offer. Restricted to the confines of playing left-handed in 1980, he began ripping his instruments apart, flipping them over and reinventing them to suit his own needs. A fan of Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, he quickly saw the benefit in making “custom” creations and tried to harmonize the general weirdness of 1960s foreign instruments with a more modern, metal-based sound. Describing the initial process as “terrifying,” DiPinto gathered up the courage to build his own guitar, despite being turned down for apprenticeships from several luthiers in the city– Bluebond and Zeidler included. He found inspiration in simple con-struction, citing the time his father was installing a hardwood floor, seeing patterns and possibilities in the wood. Spliced together from wood, plastic, and electronics from Home Depot and RadioShack, DiPinto was quick to de-fend the playability of his creations, which were used by himself and his bandmates. “Everyone was like, ‘how do I get one of these,’” he recalled wistfully. “I’ll quit my job and make you a guitar…if this is what people want. That would be my dream, to have a guitar factory.” It wouldn’t be a dream deferred. In the early 1990’s, Chris and his wife Sophy (the couple had played music together in various bands) rented a warehouse space with a storefront at 2nd and Market. At the time rent was cheap and the DiPintos found themselves in a location where they could spearhead a new business movement. The couple would rent out the space to bands and host self-described “very illegal” shows to make rent, docu-menting the events with disposable cameras bought from the neighborhood convenience store- all this

while DiPinto designed and made his guitars by hand. It wasn’t long before the area boomed and the busi-ness was ousted due to a sharp increase in property value. DiPinto relocated to an art space in Northern Liberties, which lasted four to five years before suc-cumbing to the same fate. DiPinto then knew he was headed to Fishtown. “That’s it, we’re going to Girard Avenue,” he re-called, “we don’t care what it is or where it is, just on Girard!” Surprised at the lack of property available on the strip, he was quick to make an offer on the current building without even tak-ing a full tour. The gamble paid off– nestled on the corner of Columbia and Girard, across the street from the Milkcrate Café, the shop is primed for commerce. This also helped begin the transition to large-scale manufacturing; DiPinto knew his designs were be-coming desired in a big way and he needed to shirk the time-consuming process of making his gui-tars by hand for something more cost-effective. Today, DiPinto guitars are sold worldwide via a large array of dealerships and web-based auction sites, such as Reverb.com, despite retaining a core four-person operation in Fishtown. A big hand in this expansion is a fac-tory in Korea, with whom DiPinto negotiated a deal. “They’re so great at mak-ing guitars, I’ll never leave (the Korean factory) as long as they will have me,” DiPinto raved. “With their quality, and my designs…and then me setting them up properly…it’s amaz-ing.”. You could easily expect the craftsman to rave about the number of high-profile musicians who have played his guitars; the ros-ter includes David Bow-ie, Conan O’Brien, Jack White, Elvis Costello, Kurt Vile, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Man Man, and Los Straightjackets, just to name a few. But, with a bashful smile, he instead recounts the experience of selling to the everyday

amateur: “People who I would expect to be shocked by my guitars buy the one I wouldn’t expect them to,” he said. “I thought I was kinda making guitars for artists, art rockers at the beginning, but now it’s like an everyday person who buys [my guitars]. An older guy who I just thought would never pick up a pink sparkle guitar will buy it… I think it’s amaz-ing, actually.” He has a right to be satis-fied. It’s a sense of humil-ity that even small-town celebrities can rarely come to terms with and, without a doubt, one that has lent itself to the “DIY” ethics of small business. 2014 has been quite the year for the recognition of Philly music. Countless articles from major-city publications have praised the growth and expanse of talent that has made its home here. DiPinto realizes how lucky he is to be planted firmly in the midst of that – espe-cially in a neighborhood that has reached a piv-otal point in the transition from “up-and-coming” to “flourishing.” From the humble beginnings in the Old City warehouse and into the hands of count-less musicians of every caliber, DiPinto has em-braced a community that wholeheartedly returns the affection. When I asked him for some insight on exactly what it was that contin-ues to draw musicians to his work, DiPinto readily shared his theories: “It has to be a little off, you know, for people to re-ally fall in love with it,” he said. “If you just romance the image of the guitar and you see one of my guitars, you’ll get it.” Don’t worry, Chris. Rock-abilly, metalhead, murder balladeer, or jazz aficio-nado– Fishtown certainly gets it. The DiPinto shop is lo-cated at 407 E. Girard Ave. You can visit their website at www.dipintoguitars.com for updates, events, direc-tions, and product galler-ies. DiPinto’s band, Creem Circus, can be followed via Facebook and listened to on SoundCloud. •

DiPinto originally launched his guitar store in Old City before relocating to an art space in Northern Liberties and against to East Girard in Fishtown. He has called the corner of Columbia and Girard his home ever since. /Photos: Matthew Albasi


Miss Know-It-All’s QUIZZO CHALLENGE:

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26th District Crime Report

January 1, 2015- January 6, 2014

Below is a break-down of crimes committed in the 26th District in the neighborhoods that make up PSA #3:

• Zero (0) homicides reported during this time

• One (1) rape re-ported during this time: 1600 Hewson (1/1)

• One (1) robbery-point of gun during this time: 2600 Potter (1/5)

• One (1) robbery other weapon dur-ing this time: 2000 Arizona (1/2)

• Two (2) aggravated assault with a gun during this time:100 W. Girard (1/3) x 2

• Two (2) aggravated assault other weap-on during this time: 1100 Frankford (1/1), 2300 Norris (1/2)

• One (1) residential burglary during this time: 1300 Oxford (1/6)

• Five (5) theft from autos during this time: 2100 Dauphin (1/1), 2300 Tulip (1/2), 2000 Boston (1/4), 1500 Philip (1/5), 2000 Letterly (1/6)

• Five (5) stolen ve-hicles during this time: 1900 Firth (1/2), 1000 Delaware (1/3), 2300 Hunt ingdon (1/3), 2500 Memphis (1/3), 1900 Front (1/6)

• Three (3) thefts during this time: 2500 Sepviva (1/1), 900 Frankford (1/1), 100 E Lehigh (1/4).•

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QUIZZO - Thursdays at 8:30 P.M.

TUESDAY NITE (6-11:30)MONDAY NITE (6-11:30)

1. In the 1963 hit song “South Street,” the lyrics describes South Street as the _________

street in town.

A.Coolest B. FinestC. Hippest D. Grooviest

2. On a standard map, which direction faces the left side of the map?

A.North B. East C. South D. West

3. Which talent show featured the five young men who formed the boy band “One Direc-tion”?

A. Britain’s Got Talent B. The VoiceC. American Idol D. British X Factor 4. On the TV show “South Park,” which smooth singer voiced the character of Chef?

A. Isaac Hayes B. Ike TurnerC. Barry White D. Lou Rawls

5. In North Korea watching Hollywood movies or possessing a bible are both crimi-nal offenses. What is the penalty if someone breaks either of those rules?

A. One year of hard physi-cal labor B. Deportation C. Ten years in jailD. Death

6. Which is the nick-name of North Caro-lina? A. The Show Me State B. The Tar Heel StateC. The VolunteerD. The Hurricane State 7. Which of the follow-ing live in the North Pole?

A. Polar bears B. BothC. Penguins D. Neither

8. “Up Where We Be-long” was a hit song from the film “An Offi-cer and a Gentleman.” It was duet recorded by the late Joe Cocker and who?

A. Linda Rondstat B. Jennifer WarrenC. Bonnie TylerD. Kim Carnes 9. Which film starring Bruce Willis featured scenes filmed in the in-famous Eastern State Penitentiary in Phila-delphia?

A. Twelve Monkeys B. Mercury RisingC. The Sixth Sense D. Witness 10. In the 1939 clas-sic film “The Wizard of Oz,” what was the first name of the Good Witch of the North?

A. Brenda B. Gladys

C. Gwen D. Glinda

11. Which actor played the president in the long running TV show “West Wing”?

A. Martin Sheen B. Gary SiniseC. Michael Douglas D. Kevin Spacey

12. Which author wrote the classic novel “East of Eden”?

A. Ernest Hemingway B. J.D. SalingerC. John SteinbeckD. John Grisham

See answers on page 13

Looking for something new and fun to do?

Come play Quizzo with me!There are always great prizes to be won!

Always fun!

We play four rounds of 10 questions, including video rounds and music rounds

all broadcast on the big screen.

Miss Know-It-All’s Quizzo Weekly Games

Wednesday Nights, 7:30 p.m. Elaina Marie’s Bar and Grill

3645 E. Thompson St., Philadelphia, PA 19134 (215) 634-4044

Wednesday Nights, 9:00 p.m. The Bada Bing Sports Bar and Grille 2372 Orthodox St. (267) 686-6719

Thursday Nights, 9 p.m.The Train Wreck Pizzeria and Pub

1966 Bridge St. (267) 538-3740


CROSSWORD PUZZLE

CLUES ACROSS 1. Mandela’s party 4. Gives up territory

9. Yellow edible Indian fruit 11. Storefront coverings

14. King of Huns 15. Atomic #18 16. Jive talk for ignored

18. D. Tartt’s third novel 23. Three-toed sloth 24. Gained through effort

25. Macaw’s genus 26. Helps little firms 27. A large group of pheasants 28. Baby bed 29. English dictionary (abbr.) 30. Yellow-fever mos-quitos 32. Liquify 34. Add a supplement 38. Insistence on tradi-tional correctness 39. Milk, butter & cheese 40. = to 10 amperes 43. Mined mineral 44. Greek god of war 45. Don’t know when yet 48. Fellow 49. Detailed criteria for a piece of work 50. Special Spanish dish 53. Atomic #46 54. CBS This Morning hostess 56. Rubber tree genus 58. Pa’s partner 59. A tiny bubble in glass 60. Lost light 63. Surface boundary 64. Islands 65. = to 1/100 yen

CLUES DOWN 1. Subside in intensity 2. __ Hale, Am. revolu-tionary 3. Leafstalk herbaceous plant 4. Price of a ride 5. 1/2 an em 6. Execute or perform 7. Narrative poems 8. Breathe deeply and heavily 10. 1/40 inch button measure

11. Morally reprehensible person 12. For instance 13. Members of U.S. Navy 17. Crown 19. Old English 20. Libyan dinar 21. Goddess of the rain-bow 22. Catch 26. Fern spore mass clus-ters 28. Music disc 30. All without specifica-tion 31. -__, denotes past 32. A young canine 33. Biblical Sumerian city 34. __ Hitler 35. Marched in a proces-sion 36. Patchy in color 37. Trauma center 38. Time after midday 40. The expanse of a surface 41. Develops into 42. Equally 44. 4th month (abbr.) 45. Nervous & taut 46. Emits blood 47. Assert without proof 49. Saturates in liquid 50. No. Italian river 51. Article 52. Mayflower cooper John 54. Filippo __, Saint 55. Begetter 57. Old Dominion state 61. Raised railroad track 62. Point midway be-tween N and E

See answers on page 15

Photo by Joshua Albert

by Spirit Editorial Staff

On January 7, 2015, two gunmen forced their way into and opened fire in the Paris headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical cartoon publication. The assault killed twelve people, including staff cartoonists Charb, Cabu, Honoré,Tignous and Wolinski, economist Bernard Maris and two police officers. Eleven more people were wounded in the attack. Since those heinous acts of violence, members of the media and advocates of free speech across the world have rallied together in support of the publication and freedom of expression, including a Philadelphia gathering at Love Park on January 9, 2015. The Spirit and its staff are advocates of free speech and our thoughts go out to our brothers and sisters in the French press and members of the media everywhere who are pushing the envelope in reporting, storytelling and the delivery of the truth. Je Suis Charlie.• /Photos: Joshua Albert


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by Casey Ann Beck

CLEAN PLATE: Sweet Potato Soup with Scallops and Bacon

Casey Ann is a local foodie and blogger.

Check out her recipes

and reviews at www.cleanpl8.com

Leo Needs A Home

Looking for an extra-sweet and extremely cute friend to enjoy the winter weather with? Meet hunky LEO! Leo’s a 1 year old terrier mix who LOVES to play. Leo weighs about 60 pounds and he is full grown. We’re convinced that Leo must have been someone’s loved pet as he knows sit and will give you his paw - its the cutest thing! He LOVES treats and will do anything for them. Leo is a well-behaved, playful, and an easy-going guy who is ready to go to his new home -- pick up a couple of toys and treats and Leo follow you anywhere! Stop by to meet Leo today! 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. Leo is located at ACCT -- 111 W. Hunting Park Ave, Phila., PA 19140. Phone: 267-385-3800 (ask for the Lifesaving Department!). Email: [email protected]. More about Leo: ACCT ID NUMBER: A24595127. Primary colors: Brown sugar with a little bit of white “scruff ”! Hair Length: Short. If you have any questions about leo please email [email protected].•

Photo by Joshua Albert

As i f I didn’t have enough kitchen appli-ances to take up all of my counter space, I’m now making baby food for my son, Joey, with what might now be my favorite device. The Baby Brezza not only purees fruit, veg-gies and meat into mush, it first steams any foods that need to be cooked. The all-in-one apparatus even comes with a recipe booklet, which includes instructions for every-thing from fruit and veg-gie combinations, such as carrots and pears or squash and peaches, to full-blown mashed meals, like a lamb feast with mil-let, peas and mint leaves. As Joey is now starting to eat “real” food, I can only hope his palate is diverse and his appetite is sub-stantial. I’ve been doing a good bit of research on how and when to intro-duce certain things and have encountered many passionate perspectives regarding feeding babies, so many so that I’ve de-cided to simply trust my gut. My food philosophy is: Joey eats what we eat. Of course, I follow reasonable guidelines: I wasn’t slipping the baby

bites of my burger when I ate at Sketch Burger over the weekend. But I do plan my homemade din-ners ahead of the week-nights and buy extras of their corresponding produce to puree in mass quantities. Though Joey’s a little too young for shell-fish and cured meats, it’s only a matter of time be-fore he’s old enough to sit at the dinner table and eat this soup with us. For now, though, he’s happy to eat just the sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Soup with Scallops and Bacon

4 large Sweet PotatoesOlive oil½ lb. thick cut bacon3 large shallots, chopped1 teaspoon garlic, minced½ teaspoon cinnamon½ teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon curry powder½ teaspoon red pepper flakes3 cups chicken broth1 cup half and halfsalt and pepper, to taste1 lb. jumbo scallops

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes, pierce the skins with a fork and cut in half lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet and

bake for 1½ hours, until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel off and discard skins; mash sweet potatoes in a large bowl and set aside. In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat

until crispy. Remove and set aside. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, add the shallots and garlic and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Mix in the spices until shallots and

garlic are coated. Add the sweet potatoes and chick-en broth and mix until combined. Whisk in the half and half and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook scallops, sear-ing each side for about 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle spoonfuls of soup into bowls, top with cooked scallops and crumbles of the cooked bacon. •

TRIVIA ANSWERSPart One:

5 points each1. C. hippest 2. D. West 3. D. British X Factor 4. A. Isaac Hayes

Part Two: 10 points each

5.D. death 6. B. The Tar Heel State 7. A. Polar bears 8. B. Jennifer War-ren

Part Three: 15 points each

9. A. Twelve Monkeys 10. D. Glinda 11. A. Mar-tin Sheen 12. C. John Steinbeck

ScoringUnder 50: Trivia Ama-teur; 50-85: Trivia Buff;

90-115: Trivia Whiz; 120: TRIVIA CHAMPION!

Want a daily fix of trivia? Visit www.missknowitall-squizzo.com. Feel free to send me your topic ideas, how you scored, feedback, or book me for your next quizzo party!


PLUMBING

• CLASSIFIED DEADLINES •DISPLAY AD –– FRIDAY - 5PM • LINE ADS –– MONDAY - 12 NOON

B&AAPPLIANCES

REPAIRSALL MAKES

AND MODELS• Washers

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Emergency Service$1000 ChargeFor EstimateNo ChargeWith Repair

215-588-1671

All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handi-cap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitation, or discrimination.” We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings are available on an equal opportunity basis. Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia, 866-540-FAIR (3247).

EQUAL HOUSING

PEST CONTROL

215-915-1240CERTIFIED • INSURED

[email protected]

REAL ESTATE SALES:

new or experienced;

excellent training

program; private office.

Call Mike Dunphy

at 215-840-8399

Produc t ion /Ware -house -1st & 2nd shifts. Great jobs for all and those who are bilingualSpanish. In-terviewing now to fill job openings. Must have good work histo-ry; pre-screening req’d and 2 forms of ID.

PLEASE CALL 215-423-2955

ext. 113Monday-Friday

8am-4pm

ACCU STAFFING SERVICE

HELP WANTED

APARTMENT FOR RENT

APPLIANCE REPAIR

29xx Blk. Frank-ford Ave. 2BR; 1 on 2nd flr., 1 on 3rd flr. Credit check. Call 856-305-1556.

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CLASSIFIEDS

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CEMENT WORK

Kensington - fully furnished, safe, utili-ties included. $300/mo. Call 215-200-2960.

ROOMFOR RENT

Ken si ng ton an d Port Richmond - fully furnished, safe, utilities included. $300/mo. Call 267-475-3929.

ELECTRICIANS

JUNK CARS WANTED

IT’S IN THE SPIRIT!PUBLIC NOTICE

Drivers: CDL-A Dedi-cated Regional Routes from Reading/Allen-town. $19.32/hr + $4.93 USPS Health & Welfare pay. 38-46 hrs/wk. Ap-ply: www.eagleexpresslines.com.

Purchase must be made in cash only and paid for at the time of sale, along with a refundable cash deposit. All goods are sold as is and must be removed at time of purchase. Sale is subject to adjournament and we reserve the right to determine an opening bid.

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

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE - OF PERSONAL PROPERTYNotice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell, to satisfy the lien of the landlord, at Public Sale by competitive bidding on Janu-ary 29, 2015 @ 2pm. Locker Room Self Storage, Inc. Located at 4391 Aramingo Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124. The personal goods stored in space No:

#137 – Barclay, Robert #1625 – Bibbs, Shanice#935 – Blecker, Erica #405 – Cristofalo, Cheryl#1243 – Hoffman, Ian #910 – Pierce, Joseph #931 – Udowenko, Michael #1241 – Udowenko, Michael#020 – Ward, Kevin #021 – Ward, Kevin

1BR apt in Port Richmond - lg rms, w/d, no smoking/pets, $720/mo. Near river & CC. 609-846-4928.


Burns Family Funeral HomesFamily Owned and Operated Since 1939

Martin J. Burns Funeral Home, Inc.1514 Woodbourne Road

Levittown, PA 19057Phone: 215-547-3040

Lisa Burns Campbell, Supv.

www.burnsfuneralhome.com

Burns Funeral Home, Inc.1428 E. Columbia AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19125Phone: 215-634-6858Robert J. Burns, Sr., Supv.

Burns Funeral Home, Inc.9708 Frankford AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19114Phone: 215-637-1414Gerard J. Burns, Supv.Joseph J. Burns, Supv. Gerard J. Burns, Supv.

Calendarcontinued from page 6

Free Music Program for GirlsSister Cities Girlchoir in-vites girls in grades 1-8 to join our FREE cho-ral academy in Northern Liberties. Rehearsals are every Saturday from 10AM -12PM at Walter Palmer Charter School( 910 N. 6th St.). SCG is the girl-empowerment choral academy serving over 250 girls in Philadelphia and Camden. Visit www.Sister-CitiesGirlchoir.org or call Alysia at 909-4-SISTER for more information.

Ministry Streams Church Services for the CommunityAlpha and Omega Fel-lowship now streams its church services for the community. For those per-sons who are disabled, homebound, no transpor-tation or just have a busy schedule. You can watch from any mobile device or computer. The stream-ing time is on Sundays at 4PM at the following link: new.livestream.com/alphaandomegafellowship. Viewers can also sign up for the text mobile club to receive service and event information. Visitors can come to our service loca-tion at 2341 N. 7th St. Call 215-792-6668 for more information.

Bridesburg Rec Center EventsREACH OUT AND READ: Bridesburg Rec-reation Center (4625 Rich-mond Street) is collect-ing new or gently used children’s books for the Reach Out and Read pro-gram. This program col-lects books for children who are patients at doc-tor’s offices associated with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Please bring your donation to Bridesburg Recreation Center, weekdays 9AM – 9PM. ZUMBA: Classes offered year-round. Mon. and Thurs from 7-8PM, Zum-ba toning on Wed. from 7 -8PM. $4 walk in. SCRAPBOOKING: Held year round on Wed. eve-nings from 6:30-9:30PM.

$5 each time you attend. All you need is your photos and a book, everything else will be provided.LADIES BOWLING LEAGUE: Tues. morn-ings, 9AM at Erie Lanes. All ladies are invite to join.Call Miss Jackie at 215-685-1247, 533-6448, or 331-9417 for more information.

Matthew Holmes Scholarship The Matthew Holmes Scholarship Fund is pre-paring to commence the distribution of their schol-arships to students entering into High School in 2015. Five $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to select students based upon the criteria listed in the ap-plication along with essays submitted to the committee by THIS Fri., Jan. 16. You must be an 8th grade student, a Philadelphia resident, preparing to enter into your first year of high school at a Catholic arch-diocese or a private high school that has a Catholic affiliation. To apply or for more information, visit our website at: http://mat-tyholmesscholarship.org/.

PROPAC Presents Designer Bag BingoSat., Jan. 17 at Bridesburg Boys & Girls Club, 2901 Bridge St. (at Garden St. Tickets $30. Doors open at 6:30PM (first game starts 7:15PM). Please bring your own dabbers. BYOB & Snacks. Refreshments and desserts for sale. 50-50 Raffles, Chinese Auction, 10 rounds of Bingo. Spon-sored by PROPAC (501C3, Non Profit). For tickets: [email protected] or call 215-380-9782.

AOH/LAOH Annual Communion Breakfast The AOH/LAOH will be hosting their annual Com-munion Breakfast on Sun., Jan. 18 after the 11AM mass in the church base-ment, E. Berks and Gaul Sts. Awards will be given to local businesses for their dedication and service to the community as well as other awards. All are wel-come! Great breakfast will be served. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Fishtown Rowdies

Applebee’s Fundraiser R o w d i e s U 8 B o y s Soccer Team are hosting their Annual F lapjack Fundra i ser on Sun. , Jan. 18 from 8-10AM at Applebee’s, 2535-37 Castor Ave. $7 per ticket. 50/50 raffle baskets, cool prizes. Get Rowdy!

Bowl With The TigersThe Por t Richmond Tigers will host a “Beef and Bowl” on Sat. night, Jan. 24 from 6-9PM at Thunderbird Lanes, 5830 Castor Ave. (Oxford Circle). Good food, cold beer, lots of bowling with good friends. Limited number of bowlers so call now to reserve a lane. For more info, call Tom Mack at 215-275-8838. First Presbyterian Community DinnerOn Sat., Jan. 24 the First Presbyterian Church in Kensington will be host-ing its monthly FREE community dinner. Dinner will be served from 4-6PM. Everyone is welcome. The meal is completely free, no strings attached. This is a time for all the neigh-bors to join each other at a dining table and be in fellowship. 418 E. Girard Ave (between Columbia Ave and Palmer St), 215-739-5695.

Repair Fair at Memphis Street AcademyThe Philly Fixers Guild will be holding a repair fair on Sat., Jan. 31 from 12-4PM at Memphis Street Academy in Port Rich-mond at 2950 Memphis St. Members of the com-munity are welcome to bring in any item that is broken or damaged. Near-ly anything you can think of is welcome, including clothing and jewelry. A volunteer fixer will guide you in the repair process so that you can learn how to troubleshoot and repair on your own. The Philly Fix-ers Guild holds Repair Fair events every 2-3 months at various locations around Phila. Sign up on website for Repair Fair announce-ments. PhillyFixersGuild.org.

Relic of St. John Paul II at St. Adalbert’s ChurchSt. Adalbert Church, Thompson St. & Allegh-eny Ave., in the Port Rich-mond section of Philadel-phia, is honored to have received a relic, a vial of blood, of St. John Paul II, who visited St. Adalbert Church as Cardinal Karol Woytyla in August, 1976. On Sun., Feb. 1, at the 10:30AM mass, the relic will be enshrined in St. Adalbert Church. The main celebrant of this special occasion will be Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadel-

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

phia. Everyone is invited to attend this special occasion with the parishioners of St. Adalbert Church. For addi-tional information, call the rectory at 215-739-3500.

Ladies AOH Famous Homemade Irish PotatoesFor Sale In February!The Ladies AOH will be selling their “famous homemade Irish potatoes” on Sat., Feb. 7, 14, and 21 in Holy Name’s Church Hall, E. Berks and Gaul Sts. from 12-3PM. Price is still $5/container. You can also purchase them from Kim’s Deli, located at Belgrade and Columbia or Anne’s Place located at Belgrade and Palmer Sts. The stores will begin selling after Sun., Feb. 8. Make a Resolution to Lose Weight in 2015 Attend Nazareth Hospital’s Bariatric Information Session If your weight is threaten-ing your health and limit-ing your life, the New Year is a great time to see if surgical weight loss options are right for you. Learn more about life-changing bariatric surgery options and support services at Nazareth Hospital during a free information session. Information sessions are held from 6-7PM on the second Monday of each month in the hospital’s Marian Conference Cen-ter. Nazareth Hospital is lo-cated at 2601 Holme Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19152. Be sure to attend another of the 2015 information sessions on the following Mondays: Feb. 9, Mar. 9, Apr. 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 14. Nazareth Hospital has relaunched its bariatrics program with the addition of Mercy Bar-iatrics surgeon E. Adam Goldenberg, MD, to its medical staff. A gradu-ate of Ponce School of Medicine, Dr. Goldenberg completed his graduate medical training at New York Hospital Queens and

a fellowship in endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery at the Emory University Endoscopic Unit in At-lanta, as well as a bariatric surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Goldenberg is board certified and specializes in laparoscopic bariatric surgery. He is interested in providing successful weight loss solutions to his patients and develops personal care plans for each of them. He is flu-ent in Spanish. Nazareth’s free information sessions offer an opportunity to ask Dr. Goldenberg questions about procedures, includ-ing how bariatric surgery can improve such condi-tions as diabetes, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal dis-tress, joint pain and high blood pressure. The session is free. To reserve your seat or for more information, please call 1-855-LESS-YOU (1-855-537-7968).

Valentine’s Day EventS a t . , Feb. 1 4 f ro m 7-11PM, American Legion Post 821, 4404 Salmon Street, (Bridesburg). Enter-tainment by Frank Sinatra ( Jack Dee) DJ and dancing. Buffet. Sweet Table. Price $25 per person. Contact Dolores at 215-288-4312.

NC Alumni Association Looking for Alumni for St. Patrick’s Day ParadeThe Northeast Catholic Alumni Association are looking for past alumni to participate in this coming years St. Patrick’s Day parade. The event will be held on Sun., Mar. 15. There will be transporta-tion to the parade, as well as a party at the parade conclusion. Call the office at 215-543-1051 for infor-mation.

Holy Name “50 ish” ReunionSat., April 11, 4-8PM, East Gaul & Berks Sts. Mass dedicated to mem-bers of Class of 1966. Mass will be preceded by hymns from our youth, with re-

ception and refreshments. Reception location to be announced soon. Cost: $20. Not limited to the Class of 1966 classmates; all alumni welcomed to attend. Please respond before April 1, 2015 to hunbun133@ comcast.net. You can also view event on Facebook page.

FLEA MARKET

Spring Garden Indoor Heated Antique & Vintage Flea Market Spring Garden Indoor Heated Antique & Vintage Flea Market will be held on these dates: Saturdays: Jan. 17, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, Mar. 7, Mar. 21. 8AM-4PM. Over 70 vendors fea-turing antique furniture, vintage jewelry, clothing & accessories, pottery, art work and much more! 820 Spring Garden St. 19123. Free parking, food court, free admission, handicap accessible. www.PhilaF-leaMarkets.org or call 215-625-FLEA (3532).•

ACCT PHILLY EVENTS Pet Adoption Half

Price on Snow Days Month of January

Half-price on Snow Days! All pets are 1/2 price when it snows in January 2015 - all month long!

Whisker Wonderland

Jan. 11-17 “Kitty Wonderland” cats are FREE and other cats and kittens are 1/2 off from Jan. 11 until Jan. 17.

Find a New Friend at the Shelter

Jan. 25-31 Half-price dog adoption fees from Jan. 25 until Jan. 31.

Visit Animal Care and Control (ACCT) Philly at 111 W. Hunt-ing Park Ave., www.actphilly.org. 267-385-3800. Email: [email protected]. Hours: Sat.-Sun: 10AM-6PM; Mon.-Fri: 1-8PM.•


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