The Spirit Newspaper

THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 PAGE 1BRIDESBURGFISHTOWNKENSINGTONNORTHERN LIBERTIESPORT RICHMOND

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

January 7, 2015 • Vol. 12 No. 1

Local Lens:..... p. 2Tax Answers: ........p. 5Calendar: ........p. 6Little Fish: ......p. 8Act II Previews - January:.........p. 10Quizzo:........... p. 11Clean Plate:....p. 13

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Inside Today’s

SPIRIT by Denise M. Krenski

If you happen to have been walking by the corner of Salmon and Westmo-reland in Port Richmond this season and thought you heard music from within– perhaps a banjo or an accordion or an alto sax– you were not imagin-ing it. You witnessed your new neighbors preparing for the New Year’s Day parade. Back in 2008, the Polish American String Band (PASB) purchased the cor-ner property at 2727 E. Westmoreland St., for-merly an oil machine shop, from the owners of Byrne’s Tavern. “We stumbled upon it,” noted Dick Hagenbuch, former contractor who is currently a Marshall for the band. “We gutted the whole place and [re]built it from the ground up.” The PASB spent years trying to find a permanent residence for their band.

It’s Nice to Have a Place to Call Home

see PASB on page 7

This two-part report looks at the current state of education in Philadelphia, the causes of those issues, and possible solutions. Education in Philadel-phia is broken. As budgets fall, classroom sizes rise and heated debates about school system funding con-tinue on, children in the school district become disenfranchised in their own learning process. With the odds stacked against them, parents may not see a long-term future in Philadelphia as problems

Education: The Issue That May Make or Break The Future of Philadelphia (Part 1)

by Andrew Mark Corkery for the city and its schools continue into the new year. The latest national as-sessment of Philadelphia’s school district success rate has shown to be below standards– just 14 percent of Philadelphia fourth-graders were proficient or better at reading, com-pared to 26 percent in oth-er big cities and 34 percent nationally. Of the 25 larg-est U.S. cities, Philadelphia ranks 22nd in college de-gree attainment with only about 10 percent of the School District of Philadel-phia’s alumni going on to earn college degrees.

According to Mark Kurp-erberg, a notable indepen-dent economist recently interviewed on PBS about Philadelphia’s education crisis, the way people frame their arguments when talk-ing about the school system is done in a way that overly simplifies the situation, while blaming only those in Philadelphia for the problem. “What you hear is, it’s Philadelphia’s problem. They spend too much money. They have a strong teachers union. The teach-ers’ salaries are too high. They need to get their

act together,” Kurperburg said. “What we concluded is, on the expenditure side, they’re not out of line at all. In fact, they’re low. It’s

the revenue side. We have a state that’s relatively miser-ly in terms of the amount of money it gives to any of the school districts. It’s the

ninth lowest state.” This sentiment is echoed by Philadelphia City Con-

Kensington High School for Creative and Performing Arts (1901 N. Front St.) is one of the Philadelphia School District public schools in the area. /Photo: Joshua Albert

see EDUCATION on page 12

“What the charter and choice movement has done is sell the line, ‘All you have to do is look out for your own child.’ So escape if you can and leave everyone else behind. Public education is a civic obligation...” ~ Historian Diane Ravitch

The Polish American String Band has participated in The Mummer’s Parade since 1933. /Photo: Polish American String Band Facebook

PAGE 2 THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE LOCAL LENS with Thom NickelsThom Nickels

is a Philadelphia-based author/

journalist/poet,

film critic and

feature writer for the Spirit

Newspapers.

by Thom Nickels

see LOCAL LENS on next page

As a sometime travel writer, one of the least favorite places I’ve visited was Dallas, Texas. Dallas, in my mind, has always been associated with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I first heard the news of the assassination when one of the nuns in my pa-rochial school announced that the president was dead. Classes were can-celled and we went home where we stayed glued to the television set for three or more days watch-ing replay after replay of the JFK motorcade passing the Texas School Book Depositary build-ing, where the president was shot. We watched in horror as the motor-cade rounded the bend at the Grassy Knoll and the First Lady, in a fren-zied panic, seemed to be climbing out of the back of the presidential con-vertible. It’s hard to imagine ten year old kids today crying over a dead US president, but in Novem-ber of 1963 there were

many distraught kids with bloodshot eyes. The Texas School Book Depositary became an evil place, and the whole of Dallas, in fact, became heavily tainted because of what happened there. It is said that many in the Kennedy family refused to travel to Dallas for many years after the as-sassination. Despite my reserve about traveling to Dallas, when the opportunity came up to visit with a group of travel writers for a five-day tour of the city, I signed up, eager to see Texas with its massive steak houses, ranches, women with big hair and all those millionaires in Levi’s and cowboy boots. One th ing on our scheduled sightseeing list caught my attention: a visit the old Texas School Book Depositary building where we would inspect the spot where Lee Har-vey Oswald took aim. Though very much aware of the conspira-cy theories surrounding Kennedy’s death— was it the CIA, James Earl Files, or the (Sam Giancana-

controlled) Mafia?– Os-wald was still an impor-tant factor, whether he actually killed Kennedy or not. “I’m going to Dallas,” I told friends. “But I’m not overly excited. Dallas, to me, has a bad vibe.” The flight into Dal-las was flawless, unlike the return flight from a press trip I took to Palm Springs, Calif., where, on a beautiful blue-sky sum-mer morning, the plane tilted slightly to the right and then to the left like a tightrope walker losing his balance. This was not air turbulence but seemed to spring from something

mechanical. When the pilot announced that the plane had lost its ‘auto pilot’ and had to make an emergency landing in Phoenix, it didn’t help matters any that I noticed fear in the eyes of the flight attendants. The descent into Phoenix was fast and furious and when we arrived safely on the runway a team of fire trucks and ambulances stood ready. At the Dallas airport, I was met by the tour coordinator, a pleasant man who introduced me to some of my peers. We were driven to our hotel and given a couple of

hours to get adjusted be-fore the opening dinner and reception. “Dallas isn’t so bad,” I murmured to myself, checking out the small gifts in the swag bag on the hotel bed. Swag bags are gift bags (compliments of the host city) for visiting travel writers. There are swag bags for Academy Award nominees that contain gifts worth hundreds, even thousands of dol-lars, but for writers the loot is often along the lines of stationary, spe-cialty cheeses, a baseball hat or a bottle of wine, pens, T-shirts, scarves and chocolate. If a host city has plenty of money (like Palm Springs), you might even find an original framed painting among the goodies. Opening press recep-tions are events where visiting writers not only get to meet other writers on the tour, but also city officials and local business owners. They usually in-clude a cocktail party and a large dinner. At the Dallas reception I felt a knot in my stom-ach, something tight and unpleasant. The pain increased slowly, building from my groin to my head until I felt feverish. I was unsuccessful in drown-ing my discomfort with a glass of Merlot. People would speak to me; their mouths would move but I only half heard the words. The sociable smile on my face collapsed as I entered the men’s room. I had begun to feel faint. “Getting sick at a press reception is not accept-able,” I thought. “I can’t miss the dinner.” Fainting in public has got to be one of life’s most humiliating experiences. Back at the reception, the faint feeling came on stronger, so the only thing to do was to sit on the floor. This was freakdom of the highest degree, sitting on the floor like Paramhansa Yogananda in Autobiography of a Yogi. The host asked me if I was okay. I did not reply, “This is Dallas, where they killed Kennedy,” but told him that I felt faint. An EMT crew was sum-moned and I was abruptly hauled out on a stretcher, visions of the press din-ner fading fast as another vision took its place: the cold, utilitarian world of the ER, where I’d be probed and tested for the next five hours only to be told that I probably had food poisoning but was otherwise okay.

Back at the hotel, I met my peers for breakfast only to discover that they had somehow gotten it into their heads that I had long ago disappeared into the vortex of intensive care. Talk about a lesson in how rumors get started. They started calling me the Bionic Man. Our first scheduled visit in Dallas was to the Goss Art Gallery on Cedar Springs Road to meet multiple Grammy Award nominee George Michael and his partner, Kenny Goss. Michael, as it turns out, wasn’t there but in his nearby studio recording a new song. Goss threw us an impromptu par-ty—shrimp, cheese and good French wine— but was called away suddenly when Michael telephoned and said he wanted him to run over to the studio and listen to a new song. It occurred to me that maybe Michael’s call about a new song might have been a staged ma-neuver to get the atten-tion of the press. The Texas School Book Depositary (now called The Sixth Floor Mu-seum at Dealey Plaza) was next on our list and, surprisingly, some jour-nalists opted not to go. The building was exactly as I remembered it from television news footage, although it is now a mu-seum that chronicles the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy. The spot where Oswald took aim from a window has been sectioned off and left exactly as it was in 1963, unlike the rest of the building which has been remodeled. This obscure corner still has the same rustic wooden floorboards, an unkempt window sill and (prob-ably) the same glass pan-els that Oswald saw when he waited for the Presi-dent’s car to come into view. One of the panes of glass seemed to be slightly cracked but it was hard to know if the crack was caused by Oswald or had another origin. There were stacks of boxed books in the cor-ner area and a small pile of unboxed books under the windowsill. The pile of unboxed books was arranged so that some of the books stuck out as if jarred out of place from the movements of some-body in a crouching posi-tion. Other things seemed to be on the floor, small articles that would have seemed perfectly natural

THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 PAGE 3

Local Lenscontinued from page 2

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in a real book warehouse. Nothing that I saw in Dallas affected me as much as this small corner space. From where we were standing we could look out the same window where Oswald watched the approach of the presi-dential motorcade. The years had not altered the look of the road below. I knew that I was not the only journalist who replayed the approach of the motorcade, imagining Oswald waiting patiently with his eye glued to the gun’s telescopic lens, his finger on the trigger. Outside on the Grassy Knoll, I experienced a similar effect. The famil-iar road signs from the old newsreels were in evi-dence. Missing were the shocked onlookers, many with their hands over their mouths as others sat on the grass embankment in shock. As I imagined the mo-torcade speeding toward the hospital, I wondered if the atmosphere around an important space where a great tragedy had oc-curred contains some ele-ment of the deed– some psychic signature, some invisible mark. Could most people standing in this spot long enough (with their eyes closed and their mind at rest) feel something rising up within them? That evening, with the 1963 assassination still on my mind, I stood in front of my hotel mirror and began to shave for the evening meal at a nearby restaurant. In the bathroom was an open window with its sky-wide view of the city below. Suddenly, like a sharp-shooter’s blast, I heard a breaking news weather report from the television in the other room: a tor-nado was headed towards this section of Dallas, and would hit at any moment. Just when I thought that life couldn’t get weirder, I looked out the bathroom window and saw the huge black funnel of smoke whirling insanely towards the hotel. “Dallas is really cursed,” I thought, putting away the razor and preparing to make my way to the hotel lobby after hearing a series of fire alarms. Guests were ushered cattle-like into the ho-tel basement where we stayed for the better part of an hour until the threat had passed. “So how was Dallas?” friends asked when I re-turned home. “On the floor in a dead faint,” I replied. •

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To advertise in The Spirit call 215-423-6246or email [email protected]

1428 E. SUSQUEHANNA AVENUE Philadelphia, PA 19125

215-423-6246 Fax: 215-423-6308www.spiritnewspapers.com

Editorial: [email protected] Advertisements: [email protected]

By placing your advertisement in The Spirit you are connecting to the communities of:

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OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY THRU FRIDAY - 9AM TO 5PM

The Spirit of the River Wards Community Newspaper is published Wednesdays.

Deadline for Display Ads is Friday at 5PM;Classified Ads is Monday at 12 Noon

No reproduction or use of material herein may be made without permission. The Spirit of the River Wards Community Newspaper will assume no obligation (other than cancellation of charges for the actual space occcupied) for accidental errors in advertisements, but will be glad to furnish a signed letter to the buying public.

Publishers/Editors ....Matthew Albasi and Max Pulcini Production/Ad Design ...................... Kathy WestfieldStaff Photographer ............................... Joshua AlbertEditorial Intern ..........................................Ben SmolinStaff Writer ................................ Patty-Pat KozlowskiCartoonist/Writer ..................................Jeff Kilpatrick

PAGE 4 THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011 PAGE 1

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There are lots of chang-es to this year’s tax code-46 to be exact-as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). What’s most important is to be aware if our taxes-and your annual refund-will be affected. Tax experts at KD Fi-nancial Services address common myths associ-ated with the ACA and how they may impact your taxes.Myth: If you chose not to have health insurance in 2014 and don’ qualify for an exemp-tion, you will have to pay a penalty of $95.Fact: The penalty for 2014 is calculated one of two ways. If you or members of your house-hold don’t have health insurance that qualifies as minimum essential cover-age, you’ll pay whichever amount is higher: • $47 dollars per child, $95 per adult, up to $285 per household • 1% of annual house-hold income less the filing threshold-In many cases this amount is actually higher and likely to be the

amount of the fine that you will face.Myth: If you have short-term medical coverage, accident or disability only, or travelers insurance, you don’t have to worry about the ACA.Fact: Under the Afford-able Care Act, almost ev-eryone is required o have health insurance that meets the requirement for “minimum essential cov-erage.” Plans that meet this requirement include a health insurance plan through your job, federal or state marketplace, CO-BRA or retirement plan, or a government plan like Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE or CHIP. If you don’t have one of these, you may face the ACA tax penalty.Myth: I got my health insur-ance plan from the Market-place and received a tax credit o help pay for my insurance premium. I know this won’t impact my taxes because I already calculated my 2014 estimated income and submit-ted it at the time of enrollment.Fact: If you and/or a member of your house-hold receive the Ad-

vanced Premium Tax Credit in 2014, the credit will need to be reconciled when you file your taxes. The Advanced premium Tax Credit amount that you received was based on an estimate of your household income and expected family size. So when you file your taxes, the amount of Advanced Premium Tax Credit that you received will be reconciled against what you were actually eligible for based on your actual household income. This could impact your tax refund or taxes due. For example, if you

signed up for health in-surance in the Market-place and estimated your income at $38,000, you could receive a tax credit of $2,700 o help pay for insurance. But let’s say you got a promotion and your actual income for the year came out to $46,000. In this scenario, your tax credit decreases to $1,500 and you will owe the difference at tax time, lowering your tax refund by $1,200.Myth: The Advanced Tax Credit I receive in 2014 is based on my 2013 income.Fact: Your 2014 tax credit is based on your

estimated income for 2014. If you provided an estimated Income at the time of enrollment, you will need to reconcile your taxes.Myth: I have two kids and neither my husband nr I have insurance from our employ-ers. I’m signing up for health insurance on the Marketplace because the government will give me a subsidy to help me pay for my monthly premium.Fact: Whether or not you receive a tax credit from the government for purchasing insurance on the Marketplace depends solely on your individual situation and your house-hold income. Your in-come must fall within cer-tain guidelines to qualify for a tax credit.Myth: A tax credit, subsidy and advances are all different.Fact: A tax credit, subsi-dy, and advance all mean the same thing- govern-ment assistance in paying for health insurance plan premiums. The ACA will have the biggest tax implications for those who received the Advanced Premium Tax

Credit (also known as a subsidy) or those who did not have health insurance coverage. One way to plan ahead this tax season is to learn more about how the ACA might affect your ax refund by visiting KD Financial Services on Jan. 8. KD Financial Services will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. - so you can come in without an ap-pointment and speak to an ACA Specialist who can provide you with a no-charge ACA Tax Impact Analysis- your personalized review of how your taxes may be affected by the Affordable Care Act. •

1700 Frankford AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19125

215.426.0100www.kdfinancial.com


215-634-9208Corner of Susquehanna & Girard Ave.Corner of Susquehanna & Girard Ave.Corner of Susquehanna & Girard Ave.Corner of Susquehanna & Girard Ave.Corner of Susquehanna & Girard Ave.

AUTHORIZED AGENT FOR:• PECO, VERIZON & PGW.................. $1.50 CHARGE

• COMCAST & PHILA. WATER ....... $1.50 CHARGE

• Money Orders - 89¢

• Check Cashing 1.4% • Cigarettes• SEPTA Tokens/Passes

• Rapid Refund Tax Service• PA Lottery Daily NumbersHours: Mon., Thurs., Fri. 8AM-7PM;

Tues. & Wed. 8:30AM-6:30PM; Sat. 8:30AM-3PM

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FULL VET SERVICEIN YOUR HOME

Dr. Thomas M. Pickard, V.M.D.GOOD RAGOOD RAGOOD RAGOOD RAGOOD RATESTESTESTESTES

215-843-1780

MEETINGSFNA Zoning Community MeetingThis meeting will take place on Tues., Jan. 13 at the Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 E. Mont-gomery Ave., regard-ing a proposal for an off-street parking space at 1237 Day St. All Fishtown residents and business owners are eligible to vote. Please bring proof of resi-dence or business own-ership in the form of a driver’s license or photo ID with a lease, utility bill, or recent piece of mail addressed to your home or business.

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 under 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 expe-riences and stories. Personal contact is an important element in the healing process. The meetings provide strength and hope for families and friends of addicts. If you are worried about a loved one with any type of addiction, this meeting will help you. Everyone is welcome to attend. Anything that is shared at meetings stays there. Al-Anon Meetings are free, anonymous and confidential.

EVENTS

St. Anne Regular Sunday BingoSt. Anne’s Bingo every Sunday! Memphis & Tucker in Social Hall Doors open at 4PM. Bingo begins at 6PM. Cost at door - $10 pack-age.

LSH Senior Center EventsLutheran Settlement House Senior Center, 1340 Frankford Ave.

Dancercise with Rita Mondays at 9AM, Tai Chi with Milt Wednes-days 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 Ministry. Looking for Prayer Partners. Ev-eryone is welcome to come pray with us ev-ery 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 Story-time is every Wed. at 10:30AM. This pro-gram is intended for children from one- to four-years of age and their caregivers. Sib-lings are always wel-come. Daycares should call for separate ap-pointments. Richmond Library, 2987 Almond St. 215-685-9992.

Storytime at Fishtown LibraryP r e s c h o o l S t o r y -time will be held on We d n e s d a y s a t 10:30AM. Fishtown Community Branch of the Free Library (1217 E. Montgomery Ave.).

St. Anne Weekly NovenaSt. Anne weekly No-vena Thurs. evening service, 7 :30PM. Church of Saint Anne, Memphis St. and Le-high Ave.

Free Music Program for GirlsSister Cities Girlchoir invites girls in grades 1-8 to join our FREE choral academy in Northern Liberties. Rehearsals are every Saturday from 10AM -12PM at Walter Palmer Charter School( 910 N. 6th St.). SCG is the girl-empow-erment choral academy serving over 250 girls

PIEROGIESPotato, Sauerkraut or

Cottage CheeseMade fresh in the kitchen of the UKRAINIAN CATHEDRAL

Corner of Franklin and Brown StreetsCALL AHEAD TO ORDER

215-829-4350

•••••••••••

•••••••••••215-829-8103

BINGO MON. & FRI. at 7PM

in Philadelphia and Camden. Visit www.SisterCitiesGirlchoir.org or call Alysia at 909-4-SISTER for more information.

Ministry Streams ChurchServices for the CommunityAlpha and Omega Fel-lowship now streams its church services for the community. For those persons who are dis-abled, homebound, no transportation 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 follow-ing link: new.livestream.com/alphaandomega-fellowship. Viewers can also sign up for the text mobile club to receive service and event in-formation. Visitors can come to our service location at 2341 N. 7th St. Call 215-792-6668 for more information.

Bridesburg Rec Center EventsREACH OUT AND READ: Bridesburg Recreat ion Center (4625 Richmond Street) is collecting new or gen-tly used children’s books for the Reach Out and Read program. This program collects books for children who are patients at doctor’s of-fices associated with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Please bring your do-nation to Bridesburg Recreation Center, weekdays 9AM – 9PM. ZUMBA: Classes of-f e red yea r- round . Mon. and Thurs from 7-8PM, Zumba toning on Wed. from 7 -8PM. $4 walk in. SCRAPBOOKING: Held year round on Wed. evenings from 6:30-9:30PM. $5 each time you attend. All you need is your photos and a book, everything else will be provided.L A D I E S B O W L -ING LEAGUE: Tues. mornings, 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.

Rizzo PAL Dance RegistrationTONIGHT -WED., JAN. 7!The Rizzo PAL Center will be holding it’s an-

nual Dance program registration for girls ages 10-17, on Wed. night, Jan. 7 at 7PM. There are a limited number of openings, so this will be the only reg-istration for this years program. For more in-formation, please con-tact Officer Ernie at 215-426-6583.

St. Anne’s Senior Center Creative WorkshopsSt. Anne’s Senior Cen-ter, 2607 E. Cumber-land St, is offering two creative art workshops for people 50 and over. Clay Creations meets weekly on Friday af-ternoons from 12:30-2PM beginning Jan. 9. Learn about the art of hand building to create pots and other clay forms. In Creating with the Color Wheel participants will mix paint to create a col-or wheel and use this technique to create an eye-catching design. Come and meet local artist Michael Secor for this informative work-shop. Participants are encouraged to register in advance for both classes, contact Karen Rouse at 215-426-9799 for more information.

Tree + Electronics RecyclingChristmas Tree and Electronics Recycling at 2670 Coral Street on Sat., Jan. 10 from 9:30AM to 12:30PM. Join us in making our community clean and green! Stop filling land-fills this season and drop off your holiday trees and broken elec-tronics. Trees will be chipped into mulch and used for community beautification projects, electronics will be recy-cled properly. $5 Dona-tion suggested. Please contact Michaela @ 215-427-0350 x125 for any questions.

Treecycling is ComingThe City of Philadel-phia does not recycle Christmas trees left out with curbside trash. On Sat., Jan. 10, from 10AM-4PM the NLNA will collect trees at the 3rd St. entrances to Orianna Hi l l Dog Park (900 block N 3rd St.). The trees will be chipped and reused at

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


Longer School Day and Year

Before and After School

Care Available

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

215-743-3100

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH

at 6:00 PM

We are accepting Elementary School

applications for Kindergarten-Eighth Grade. Our charter

with the School District requires that we provide admission preferences for students who reside in the attendance zones of the following schools:FRANKLIN, CARNELL,

JOHN MARSHALL, AND STEARNE

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.THE LOTTERY WILL BE ONMONDAY, MARCH 16TH

Focus on Literacy and Language

Small Class Size

NewApplications

For The LotteryAre Needed

Every Year For New Students

BRAND NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS ISSATURDAY FEB. 28TH

MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH7:00 PM

Paper applications are available at the school office.

“We were l ook ing throughout the neigh-borhood for a [home] for nearly four years,” Hagenbuch said. “We saw places and had big ideas but they just didn’t fit the band.” Since 1933, the PASB has been making Mum-mers history by partici-pating in, and often win-ning awards at, the an-nual Mummers’ Parade on New Year’s Day. But they went most of this time somewhat homeless, renting spaces for their different needs. Despite their lack of an official clubhouse they always knew Port Richmond was their official home. Migrating to another neighborhood, while con-sidered, was never a vi-able option. “The Polish American String Band originat-ed here,” Hagenbuch

said. “So it wouldn’t be wise to go to South Philly [or any other neighbor-hood]. The people of Port Richmond have al-ways been supportive of PASB, so it was only fair they we stay here.” Since the time of pur-chase, the members have been resurrecting the dilapidated building to ensure that they not only had a home but one for which locals could be proud. Within eight weeks of that purchase, the trades-men of PASB ripped up the floors and poured new concrete, sandblasted the bricks, retiled the bath-rooms and hung dry-wall. They replaced all of the electric, plumbing, gas, heat and air condi-tioning. They ensured that the exterior of the building continued to fit in with the surrounding buildings but made the interior user-friendly for their needs. And their needs are

plentiful. 2727 E. West-moreland is now a place of planning and plotting 12 months a year, every year. PASB has a place within which they can conceive theme ideas, like the one for this year’s pa-rade: Fifty Shades of Hay. They now have a second floor where their elabo-rate costumes are created and those from years past are stored, along with walls - high ones at that - to be adorned with years worth of visual memories of members, past and present, and memorabilia of their award winning performances. Also, ne-glecting to mention the building’s bar and kitchen would be a disservice– how could they get all of this done on an empty stomach? Finally, Polish regalia is everywhere and is a point of great pride for its members. The Polish American String Band is comprised of tradesmen, lawyers, doctors, businessmen and students. But more in-teresting is the familial component of this band. There are lots of broth-ers and cousins and sons and fathers and many, if not most, were born and raised in Port Richmond. For example, there’s Joe Leso, a banjo player and bass drummer (as well as publicity coordinator) and his brother, Lawrence Leso, a saxophonist. Law-rence’s son is also in the band. Then, there is Joe’s son in law, Dan Mizner, who happens to be the musical director. There’s also Nick Magenta, the band’s captain, and his father, Stan Magenta, former captain and band president who plays the accordion. Family is not something the band takes lightly and, in a place like Port Rich-mond, they are among like minds. But, as the senior Magenta noted, mummery is a dying art. “It’s tough to get young kids to join,” he said. Lucky for all of us, the Polish American String Band are not a bunch of quitters. They will con-tinue to convince millen-nials that playing accor-dion in a band of grown men wearing costumes is cool. They will continue to perform at Campbell Park and walk the streets strumming their banjos and engaging with the locals, even the new ones who are still wondering who these guys are. And they will continue to take great pride in their home on a special corner in their favorite neighbor-hood because they are not going anywhere. They are happy to be home!•

PASB coninued from page 1

Here’s one example of the masks that mem-bers of the Polish American String Band wear along with their colorful costumes.

Polish American String Band costumes are housed in the band’s new clubhouse in Port Richmond. /Photos courtesy of Denise M. Krenski


JANUARY 8TH9 AM TO 8 PM




















1700 Frankford Ave.Philadelphia, PA 215.426.0100www.kdfinancial.com

WARREN’S RED TIGERTAEKWON-DO TRAINING CENTER

Samuel Playground3539 Gaul Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134

Phone: 267-408-0905CHILDREN CLASSES

Mon., Thurs., Fri. - 6 to 7PMAge 6 years old and up.

ADULT CLASSES Mon. and Thurs. 7:15 to 8:15PM

HAPPY 2015, Philly dog lovers! Let’s start out the new year with our good friend, Drake. Drake is a Collie / Smooth Shepherd mix who is absolutely beautiful and would love to find a forever family for the new year and forever! Drake is medium-sized with beautiful markings and he is young, healthy, and ready to love his new family!Stop by at ACCT to meet him - you can even take him out into the yard to play and get acquainted one on one. Drake would love the chance to get to meet you and to show what a good boy he is! 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. Drake 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 Drake: ACCT ID NUMBER: 24672062Primary colors: Black, White, and Pecan Brown. Hair Length: Short to Medium. If you have any questions about Drake, please email [email protected].•

Drake Needs A Home


LESS YOU. MORE LIFE.It’s time to reveal a healthier, happier version of yourself. At Mercy, we’ve helped hundreds of patients discover the power within to improve their physical and emotional health with a holistic approach to weight loss for life. One of the region’s most experienced clinical teams leads Mercy Bariatrics—an award-winning weight-loss surgery program that has earned the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® designation for Mercy Fitzgerald. Your customized plan will include access to 24-hour support before, during and after surgery to ensure you’ll be loving the you within.

Please call 1.855.LESS.YOU for a personal consultation or visit us at MercyBariatrics.org.

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Soccer Shots was recently named by Entrepreneur Magazine as the #1 Children’s Fitness Fran-chise in America. Companies were honored based on their strength and system size, as well as stability and growth rate. Soccer Shots Philadelphia has been offering its unique Children’s Soccer Experience throughout Philadelphia County and in lower Bucks County for approximately four years. Its distinctions include caring and professionally-trained coaches, acclaimed and age-appropriate curricula, and meaningful character development lessons woven through every lesson plan. Soccer Shots Phila-delphia serves approximately 2,000 children and has grown by over 15% in 2014. Soccer Shots Philadelphia is part of Soccer Shots Franchising, a national system of 150+ fran-chises serving over 150,000 children across 30+ states. This is the second time in three years that Soccer Shots has been honored with this award. More information about Soccer Shots can be found on their site at www.soccershots.org/philadelphia.

The winter season is running now and there still are open spots: Visit www.soccershots.org/philadelphia for more information and to register.

They are offering classes in Fishtown and Northern Liberties this winter at these locations:

1. 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, starting January 8th2. City Fitness Gym (2nd and Spring Garden) Sundays, 3:30 pm- 5:30 pm (30-40 mins per age group), ages 2-5, 10 weeks- started in early December- prorated on website

LOCAL CHILDREN’S

SOCCER PROGRAM,

SOCCER SHOTS, HONORED WITH #1

Help to Keep Kids Warm This Winter

Many children lack enough warm clothing to stay protected thoughout winter and many parents lack the money to buy that clothing. The Spirit Newspaper is here to help to ensure that the children of the River Wards stay warm this winter. Please donate warm items such as hats, gloves, scarves and earmuffs to distribute to area children and teens most in need of winter attire. You can drop off items to the Spirit Newspaper office, 1428 E. Susquehanna Ave. •

HELP TO KEEP

this Winter!Many children lack enough warm clothing to stay protected throughout winter, and many parents lack the money to buy that clothing. The Spirit Newspaper is here to help to ensure that

the children of the River Wards stay warm this winter.

PLEASE DONATE WARM ITEMS SUCH AS HATS, GLOVES, SCARVES AND EARMUFFS

TO DISTRIBUTE TO AREA CHILDREN MOST IN NEED OF WINTER ATTIRE.

(ACCESSORIES NEEDED FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS)GIVE THE GIFT OF WARMTH THIS YEAR!

You can drop off items to the Spirit Newspaper office, 1428 E. Susquehanna Avenue at Gaul St. or if you can’t get out and

would like a pick-up, just give us a call. We will be happy to make arrangements for items to be picked up.

HELP TO KEEP

this Winter!Many children lack enough warm clothing to stay protected throughout winter, and many parents lack the money to buy that clothing. The Spirit Newspaper is here to help to ensure that

the children of the River Wards stay warm this winter.






HELP TO KEEP

this Winter!Many children lack enough warm clothing to stay protected throughout winter, and many parents lack the money to buy that clothing. The Spirit Newspaper is here to help to ensure that the children of the River Wards stay warm this winter.






HELP TO KEEP

this Winter!Many children lack enough warm clothing to stay protected throughout winter, and many parents lack the money to buy that clothing. The Spirit Newspaper is here to help to ensure that the children of the River Wards stay warm this winter.






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

our charter must help to alleviate overcrowding in Fels High School.

We are accepting High School applications for

Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Grades with admission preferences for students who

reside in the attendance zones of the following elementary schools:

Franklin, Carnell, John Marshall and Stearne

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.

THE LOTTERY WILL BE ONMONDAY, MARCH 16TH


by Sandy and Jack Jacobowitz

ACT II PREVIEWS for January 2015

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:

http://mattyholmesscholarship.org/

ARDEN THEATRE CO., 40 N. 2nd St. – We wonder if our readers know how lucky Philly is to have Michael Hol-linger. Michael is a local playwright and author of two-dozen plays, many premiering in Philly and almost all of them have re-ceived award after award from the critics. Now, once again, Philly gets to see the world premiere of Hol-

linger’s “UNDER THE SKIN” before anyone else sees it– eat your heart out, New Yorkers! Terry Nolan directs Juliana Zin-kel, Craig Stidle, Biko Eisen-Martin and Alice Gatling. A man dying of kidney failure wants his daughter to be his donor. Unfortunately, she can’t stand her father. Issues and secrets of inheritance, family and forgiveness are deeply explored especially when the daughter has a suitor. “What does it mean to give a part of yourself ?”

is the question explored by this new Hollinger hit. Remember almost every one of Michael’s plays have become favorites of theatre goers throughout the country and we expect this one to enjoy simi-lar kudo’s. January 15 to March 15. For more infor-mation, call 215.922.1122

HEDGEROW THE-ATRE, 64 Rose Valley Road, Rose Valley, Pa. (near Media) – Penny Reed is famous for her presentations of the kind of wonderfully wacky comedy that no one else seems to do. She is also admired in all the roles she plays in Hedgerow’s life. As executive director, she selected and directed Hedgerow’s production of “ON THE VERGE” by Eric Overmyer. Eric is known for his award win-ning TV dramas, like St. Elsewhere, The Wire, Homi-cide and Life On The Street. This wild comedy sends three Victorian “Lady Ex-plorers” on a worldwide trek to jungles and over mountains to deal with the most unusual characters on any stage; including a cannibal with a German accent and a Troll who re-cites poetry. Their journey includes traveling forward in time from their starting point in 1888 to their end point in modern times. Penny Reed plays Mary a traveling anthropolo-

gist, Jennifer Somerfield is Fanny the sole mar-ried member, Maryruth Stine portrays Mary (an aspiring Lyricist) who documents the adventure with her Kodak camera. Several other roles are handled by Brock Vickers. January 8 to February 8. For more information, call 610.565.4211

IDIOPATHIC RIDIC-ULOPATHY CON-SORTIUM, Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, 825 Walnut Street – When the playwright is both an Oscar and No-bel Prize Winner and his name is George Bernard Shaw almost anything he writes deserves serious at-tention by play goers. One of Shaw’s best is the com-edy “MISALLIANCE.” Why don’t we see more play productions like this one? It overflows with wit, brilliant ideas and insight. Dare we say it? Perhaps it takes a company like IRC, brilliant but a little bit off the usual track and unafraid of tackling almost anything. “MIS-ALLIANCE” is an ironic examination of the mat-ing instincts of a varied group of people gathered at a wealthy man’s coun-try home on a summer weekend. Most of the romantic interest centers on the host’s daughter, a typical Shaw heroine who

exemplifies his lifelong theory that in courtship, women are the relentless pursuers and men the apprehensively pursued. The performance team consists of David Bard-een, David Stanger, An-drew Carroll, Langston Darby, John D’Alonzo, Kate Graham, Paul McEl-wee and Kristen Nori-ne- all experienced IRC actors, plus newcomer Emily Schuman. This is one of Shaw’s discussion plays and, although it clearly stands on its own, it’s worth the trouble to read his preface before or after the play. Anyone who sees this play deserves, and receives, extra points from us.January 28 to February 22. For more information, call 215.285.0472

WALNUT STREET THEATRE, 825 Wal-nut Street – There are some playwrights whose works have achieved some kind of immortality. Noel Coward is one of those fortunate few. We would advise our best readers to run and see any of his productions especially when performed by the Walnut St. Theatre and the team of professionals that Bernard Havard has assembled. “PRIVATE LIVES” is arguably Cow-ard’s greatest comedy. In this witty masterpiece a rich and glamorous couple

who have been divorced for five years honeymoon with their new spouses at the same seaside resort. Of course their rooms have adjoining balconies which allows the couples to accidentally meet and rekindle their love and lust. Greg Wood and Lau-ren Sowa play one couple while Dan Hodge and Walnut newcomer Kath-leen Wallace play the sec-ond couple. Bob Carlton returns to the Walnut to direct. January 13 to March 1. For more infor-mation, call 215.574.3550

WILMA THEATER, 265 S. Broad St. – “THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN” by prize w i n n i n g p l ay w r i g h t Dan O’Brien is based on and inspired by the book “Where War Lives” by Paul Watson. During one of the never end-ing battles in places like Mogadishu, Watson took an extraordinary photo-graph of a dead American soldier whose body had been dragged through the streets. As he shot the picture, Watson be-lieves he heard the soldier say “if you do this, I will own you forever!” When Dan heard Paul’s story he reached out to him culminating in a meet-ing North of the Arctic Circle! Their story breaks through the usual bound-aries of convention, con-tent and form. Direction is by Michael John Garcis with Ian Merrill Peakes as Paul and Harry Smith as Dan. This is the kind of production Wilma was born to do! It’s complex, bold and unconventional. If those last three adjec-tives describe you, you will love this play!!! Janu-ary 7 to February 1. For more information, call 215.546.7824. http://wilmatheater.org/produc-tion/body-american#.•

“THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN” by prize winning playwright Dan O’Brien at WILMA THEATER. January 7 to February 1.

Noël Coward’s PRIVATE LIVES at WALNUT STREET THEATRE. January 13 to March 1.


Miss Know-It-All’s QUIZZO CHALLENGE:

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26th District Crime ReportDecember 24 -

December 30, 2014

Below is a breakdown of

crimes committed in the

26th District in the

neighborhoods that make up

PSA #3

• Zero (0) homicides reported during this time

• Zero (0) rapes re-ported during this time

• Zero (0) robberies-point of gun reported during this time

• Zero (0) robberies other weapon report-ed during this time

• One (1) aggravated assault with a gun during this time: 2500 Coral (12/25)

• One (1) aggravated assault other weapon during this time: 2600 Cumberland (12/24)

• Five (5) residential burglaries during this time: 800 Moyer (12/24), 1500 Frank-ford (12/25), 2500 Gaul (12/26), 2600 Sepviva (12/26), 2600 Emerald (12/29)

• Five (5) thefts from autos during this time: 1400 Palmer (12/24), 2500 Cedar (12/27), 2200 Belgrade (12/29 ) , 900 Penn (12/29), 2100 Dauphin (12/29)

• Three (3) stolen vehicles during this t ime: 2200 Cedar (12/24), 700 Thompson (12/26), 2200 Cumber-land (12/27)

• One (1) theft during this time: 2000 Martha (12/26).•

Famous Johns

1. Actor Jon Voight is the father of

which famous ac-tress?

A. Jennifer Aniston B. Jennifer GarnerC. Angelina JolieD. Jennifer Lawrence

2. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi is formerly the owner of which Philadelphia pro sports team?

A.Philadelphia Ea-gles B. Philadelphia SoulC. Philadelphia FlyersD. Philadelphia 76ers

3. Rock and Roll H a l l o f Fa m e r John Mellencamp ditched his for-mer stage name in favor of his real surname, Mellen-camp. What was his stage name?

A. John Puma B. Johnny PrideC. John CougarD. John Tiger 4. Musical legend Elton John’s real name is what?

A. Charles Brighton B. Reginald DwightC. Bernard Snowden D. Paul Smith

5. Actor John Ma-honey played the gruff talking fa-ther to the Crane brothers on the TV show “Fraiser.” You’d never know by his speaking voice but he was actually from an-other country and worked very hard to lose his accent.

10. There were two famous “Johns” in the musical film Grease– John Tra-volta and Olivia Newton John. What were their charac-ters names?

A. Danny and Sandy B. Johnny and Susie C. Danny and Sally D. Johnny and Sandy

11.The legendary musical duo Da-ryl Hall and John Oates both went to which local univer-sity?

A. Un ive r s i t y o f Penn B. Princeton Univer-sityC. Temple Univer-sity D. University of the Arts

12. What was the name of the maga-zine published by the late John F. Ken-nedy Jr.?

A. In Focus B. The Democratic Digest C. George D. Politics Today

See ANSWERS on page 15

Where is he from originally?

A. Australia B. GermanyC. England D. Greenland

6. John MacEnroe is a professional player of which sport? A. Tennis B. Swimming C. Golf D. Baseball

7. What was the name of the 2005 a ward winning film about the life of Countr y Mu-sic legend Johnny C a s h , s t a r r i n g Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Wither-spoon?

A. Walk the Line B. Johnny and JuneC. The Man in BlackD. Ring of Fire

8.There is an air-port named for John Lennon, the iconic musician from The Beatles. Where is it located?A. London B. BristolC. Liverpool D. Bath 9. Who did John Hinkley Jr. shoot in March of 1981?

A. J.R. on the TV show Dallas B. Elvis Presley C.President Ronald Reagan D. Musician John Len-non

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Educationcontinued from page 1

troller Alan Butkovitz in his recently published fi-nancial report. “One of the problems we have in the Philadelphia School District is the total level of funding for educa-tion needs to be greater than it is,” Butkovitz said. “I’m talking about increas-ing the level of support for schools so that the public schools also have the capacity to provide the amount of services that the charter schools credit with student performance.” University of Pennsyl-vania Historian and So-ciologist Dr. Tom Sugrue discussed the nature of the funding formula in an NPR article from last year, in which he had many critiques of the current money system that is still in place today. “The funding formula is, along with persistent racial segregation, a for-mula for disaster,” Sugrue said. “Concentrate poor, disadvantaged, minor-ity students together in school districts with crum-bling infrastructure, with large classes. And then give them less money to do the job.” Some looking for a so-lution to the education crisis have advocated for a greater role to be played by charter schools in the dis-trict. But Sugrue questions whether or not successful charters are actually scal-able and believes replicat-ing the kind of turnaround seen at some charters is simply too expensive and complicated a process to be expanded to all areas of the city. Meanwhile, Historian Diane Ravitch doesn’t believe it’s money well-spent. Ravitch points to national data that she be-lieves shows charters are proving to be no more innovative or academically successful than traditional public schools. “What the charter and choice movement has done is sell the line, ‘All you have to do is look out for your own child.’ So escape if you can and leave everyone else behind. Public educa-tion is a civic obligation,” said Ravitch. We’ll examine charter schools in greater detail in next week’s issue of The Spirit. Escaping from the cri-sis altogether is just what some young families in Philadelphia may be look-ing to do, seeing in their view that there may be no light at the end of the tun-nel when it comes to fixing the city’s school system. Jessica Richardson, a par-ent who lives in the city, posted her thoughts about the current school situation on Facebook. Richardson’s message explains who she instinctually feels are the real people affected by the

education crisis in Phila-delphia at the end of the day: “My older kids were for-tunate to have been able to attend a great school in their dad’s neighbor-hood five minutes from my house, but my plan for my youngest daughter is to apply to several of the better charter schools in my area, as the public elementary school in my neighborhood is among the worst in the city,” she said. “Should I feel guilty about this? I’d hate to be part of the problem, but I want my daughter to have the best education avail-able to her when she starts kindergarten next year. Other than voting, show-ing up at rallies or writing angry emails, what should a parent like me actually DO?” To help stopgap the edu-cation crisis freefall the Philadelphia School Dis-trict did actually receive more funding back in Sep-tember. After 11 months of hard-fought legislative battles, lawmakers in Har-risburg finally passed a cigarette tax. They expect the tax to close the neces-sary funding gaps for the Philadelphia school dis-trict and hold off another round of layoffs for the time being. But since the passage of the cigarette tax, even the legislative circumstances that allowed the additional funding to the schools has come under criticism by some in the press. According to The Note-book, an independent news outlet specifically focused on issues of educa-tion, the new cigarette tax came with some somewhat potentially controversial strings attached. The new tax was passed in part with a provision that has been less publicized requiring the school district to start accepting applications for new charter schools. Other school districts in cities similar to Philadel-phia are taking steps they believe will be constructive in terms of creating solu-tions to ongoing problems their schools are facing year after year. The City of New Ha-ven and New Haven Pub-lic Schools (NHPS) an-nounced a sweeping K–12 educational reform, New Haven School Change, in 2009. The district had three primary goals for School Change: (1) close the gap between the per-formance of NHPS stu-dents’ and Connecticut students’ averages on state tests, (2) cut the high school dropout rate in half, and (3) ensure that every graduating student has the academic ability and the fi-nancial resources to attend and succeed in college. As part of their solution to the problems stated

above, New Haven part-nered with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, NHPS and Yale University in 2010 to create New Haven Prom-ise. New Haven Promise is a scholarship program that aims to improve the graduation and college admission rates of NHPS graduates as a way to en-hance the city’s economic and social development, attract more residents to New Haven, reduce crime and incarceration and im-prove residents’ quality of life. While Philadelphia is a much more populated city then New Haven, many of the same demographics, poverty and crime issues similarly affect both cities in ways that some may consider to affect the out-come of how successful a child’s education may be long term. According to a Study on the Progress of New Haven School Change and New Haven Promise Education Reforms conducted by RAND (an organization that focuses on providing objective analysis and so-lutions on a wide range of professionally researched topics) in 2013, the schools of New Haven improved significantly. The findings on New Haven’s school improve-ment were that the aver-age scores on state tests improved in the first three years of the reform, which was comparable to districts across Connecticut with similar sociodemographic and achievement profiles. Students in the lowest-per-forming schools yielded the largest gains in test scores, in relation to forecasts RAND conducted based on performing trends. Dropout rates in the lowest-performing schools improved and were on par with dropout rates in districts across Connecticut with similar sociodemo-graphic and achievement profiles. The percentage of graduating high school students eligible for Prom-ise scholarships increased through time and college enrollment for all students slightly increased on aver-age regardless of whether students were eligible for the Promise program. There were still ongo-ing issues that RAND’s research suggested were areas that the New Ha-ven public school system is still in further need of improvement on. Students still lagged behind the rest of the state in state test scores. Promise Scholars noted changes in school climate when they were in high school but did not perceive specific changes in teachers’ instruction, learning environment, or school safety. Promise Scholars in RAND’s focus groups did

not feel fully prepared for college-level course-work, even after the School Change reform efforts had been put in place. Schol-ars specifically mentioned struggling with study skills, time management, and self-discipline. In terms of fixing systemic problems in Philadelphia’s schools there have been other specific solutions suggested and outlined by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association Policy Center for Education and Research. PSBA recommends the state should: • Provide local school dis-tricts with greater authorityto hold charter schools ac-countable based oncontinuous performance.• Look at the operations of one well-performingcyber charter and develop a model for cyber charteroperations.• Improve the state report card to show the perfor-manceof traditional public schools, “brick and mor-tar” charter schools and cyber charter schoolsrather than just a single statewide report.• Provide the home school district with performanceresults of students attend-ing charter andcyber charter schools. But regardless of what the possible solutions may be, Philadelphia’s education crisis still persists. Whether the problem is with fund-ing, miss-managed schools and resources, competition between charter and public schools, or any of the other multitude of factors people claim to be causing the school crisis, the end result is a burden left to bear for students. Their education is failing them and their future. Some students believe those involved in attempt-ing to fix the crisis remain mystified by the arguments, semantics and statistics of this highly contentious and complex issue. It’s the stu-dents, though, who are the

ones forced to live in its de-pressing and, often times, seemingly insurmountable reality when they wake up every morning. “You go to school to get taught and become the person you want to be, right... and as the years go by you just realize you are taught nothing, and [the people dealing with the school district, and society at large] accept it,” said Benny Ramos, a 17 year-old junior at Kensington CAPA High School. “When the hell did [the school crisis and state of the education system in Philadelphia] ever become, like, normal? This is just how society shows itself now.” According to Ramos, CAPA has a library full of books but no librarian to help students after that position was done away with last year due to fund-ing cuts. Other students at Kens-ington CAPA echoed the same sentiments expressed by Ramos. Deionni Mar-tinez, an 18 year-old ju-nior at CAPA, wants to let people knows it just makes her life and the lives of other students incredibly difficult. “We could sit here and say, we should do this, we should do that but nobody is taking us seriously. Or people are seeing it and just thinking I can’t do anything about it because I am going to get in trouble if [students] speak out against the system,” said Martinez. In spite of the risk of being reprimanded in their view for speaking out against their own educa-tion system, many students like Martinez and Ramos are still trying their best to take direct positive action to benefit the future of their education. Some of the students at Kensington CAPA, as well as students from other schools in the area, are a part of the group “Youth

United for Change” that focuses on fighting for pub-lic education and youth rights. While Martinez sees this group as a positive outlet she believes it becomes frustrating often times after putting so much energy into speaking out and be-ing peaceful in the way they conduct themselves, but still nothing is changing in her view. “You’re not doing any-thing crazy, you’re not rioting, you’re not cursing anyone out, not blowing up things, and not killing cops. You remain peaceful and you feel like you are start-ing to get somewhere be-cause you made some big thing about it, but then you feel like you are still getting nowhere,” Martinez said. “You get tired of doing that and its like, oh maybe if we got everybody to walk out of school, and if anyone got arrested it would be okay, rather than going to a peaceful protest.” Martinez feels like some-times students are starting to resort to other methods of getting their message across that are not always the most peaceful, or con-ductive to constructively helping the cause to benefit and change education for the better in Philadelphia. A similar message of last resort desperation in a quest to find answers for this complicated problem was also conveyed by Ra-mos. “My mom pays taxes for the school district and for the cops and for all that. Why are we not getting any benefits from my mom’s money and the money of over a million other people who pay taxes?,” said Ra-mos. “It makes no sense.”• Next week, we’ll look at the recent influx of charter school activity in our neighborhoods to examine the ways that the leaders of these schools see them-selves as one of the potential solutions to the education crisis facing Philadelphia.

“The Commonwealth and the School District need to examine funding formulas that other states and school districts have adopted which take into account demographics and student need. Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation without some sort of weighted formula.” ~ City Controller Alan Butkovitz /Photo: William Moree, taken from Butkovitz’s Facebook profile.


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by Casey Ann Beck

CLEAN PLATE: Honey Wheat Bread

Casey Ann is a local foodie and blogger.

Check out her recipes

and reviews at www.cleanpl8.com

Happy Birthday to MELISSA who celebrates on Mon., January 12, 2015! You looked gorgeous in the Santa outfit you wore on Christmas Eve. Happy Birthday from everyone at the Last Shot Bar in Port Richmond and from your drinking partner M.M.

When I’m searching for recipe ideas for the week and am lacking in-spiration from my stack of cookbooks and food magazines, I turn to my biggest fan and chief taste tester for suggestions: my husband, Joe. Last week, out of no-where, he suggested we try making our own bread– an idea timed perfectly with the arrival of the new year and a quest to try new things. I’ve never considered it an option, as most reci-pes that deal with yeast also require hours of ris-ing time and kneading. Overall, without a bread machine, making my own loaves simply seemed like too much time and energy to be worth it. With Joe’s recent request for fresh, homemade bread, I was willing to at least try making it once to assess if the effort was worthwhile. This healthy, hearty recipe models a bread we would typically buy and only requires a few specialty ingredients that can be found at any grocery store. Once it was baking and the aroma filled my house, I gave Joe a pat on the back for inspiring the idea.

Honey Wheat BreadFrom Loaves ‘N’ Dishes2 cups milk 1 cup rolled oats (plus a little more for sprinkling on the bread)½ cup plus 1 teaspoon honey¼ cup butter (½ stick), plus more softened butter to grease the loaf pans½ cup warm water, be-tween 105 and 115 de-grees2 tablespoons active dry yeast (3 packages)3 cups whole-wheat flour2 cups all-purpose flour⅓ cup flax seed meal1 tablespoon saltCanola or vegetable oil, to oil the bowl

1 egg, slightly beaten with a splash of water Heat the milk to scalding in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat– do not allow it to boil. When the milk is hot, add the oats, ¼ cup of butter and ½ cup of the honey. Stir until ingredients are combined and remove it from the heat to cool until it’s just warm. Once the milk has cooled a bit, stir together the warm water, the remaining teaspoon of honey, and the yeast in a small bowl. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy. In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together the whole wheat flour, one cup of the all-purpose flour, flax-seed meal and salt. Stir the yeast foam into the warm milk mixture, then pour into the bowl with the flour. Fit the dough hook onto the mixer and turn it to low speed until the flour and wet ingre-dients are incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl down, then speed mixer up and continue mixing until dough comes together in a ball. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, contin-ue mixing and add flour by the ½ cup until dough comes together. Transfer the dough into a large bowl that has been oiled. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, then a towel and leave it in a warm place to rise, until the dough has doubled in size, for 1 ½ hours. Grease two loaf pans with butter. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface; knead several times to remove the air. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf, then place each loaf into a loaf pan with the seam side down. Cover the pans with the towel and allow the dough to rise again, until doubled in size, about one hour. After the loaves have been rising for about 40 min-utes, preheat the oven

to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the tops of the risen loaves with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a little rolled oats. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are golden. Allow

the bread to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then remove the loaves from the pan and cool completely on a rack be-fore storing in an airtight container.

This was the perfect rec-ipe to foray into the world of making fresh bread. It’s not overly complicat-ed, save for using several pots and mixing bowls for the separate processes that occur before the dough is mixed. The only task that seemed to re-quire any precision was the temperature measure-ment of the warm water for proofing the yeast, and I managed to take a guess with the steam-ing hot water from my tap. While whole-wheat flour can be found in the standard baking aisle, flax meal is typically located with the gluten-free or

specialty organic items. With the appearance of a traditional wheat bread, the loaves (this recipe makes two!) aren’t overly gritty or dry. The honey provides a mild sweetness and the bread keeps its soft texture in an airtight container or plastic stor-age bag, even after a few days.•


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LETTER to the Editor

Blessing and

Greetings for 2015

Just a little note to wish all our relatives, friends, neighbors and parishioners of St. Annes Church a very blessed, safe, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year 2015. Special thanks to our awesome pastor Fa-ther Ed Brady who keeps us all together. Also to our 26th Dis-trict Police Officers and our Firefighters from Engine 11 - Lad-der 16 who in these very trying times help to keep our commu-nity safe and out of danger. In closing, may I say hopefully the year 2015 will bring our community closer to-gether to work for the good and well-being of all and that our good Lord will con-tinue to bless us all with an inner peace and an abundance of graces from above that only He can give.

Peace, love and happiness always,Candy DiPietro


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TRIVIA ANSWERS:Part One:

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2. B. Philadelphia Soul 3. C. John Cougar

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Calendarcontinued from page 6

OBITUARIES

the park. Please, no ear-ly drop-offs and remove all ornamentation. A $5 donation is requested to offset expenses. For questions or volunteer info contact Lara Kelly at [email protected].

Comedy Show To Benefit Palmer Cemetery Something funny is go-ing on in Fishtown. Comedy Show to ben-efit Palmer Cemetery on Sat., Jan. 10 from 7-11PM at Holy Name of Jesus Church Hall, 701 Gaul St. $35 per person. Buffet, beer, door prizes and Chi-nese Auction. For tick-ets, please contact Nan-cy Bartelle at 215-426-4010 or John Lonergan at 267-207-0169. Visit the Palmer Cemetery website: http://palmer-cemeteryfishtown.com.

Make a Resolution to Lose Weight in 2015 Attend Nazareth Hospital’s Bariatric Information Session If your weight is threat-ening your health and limiting your life, the New Year is a great time to see if surgical weight loss options are right for you. Learn more about life-chang-ing bariatric surgery options and support services at Nazareth Hospital during a free information session. Information sessions are held from 6-7PM on the second Mon-day of each month in the hospital’s Marian Conference Center. Nazareth Hospital is located at 2601 Holme Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19152. The next session takes place on Jan. 12. If you miss the January session be sure to attend another of the 2015 information sessions on the following Mon-days: 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 addi-

tion of Mercy Bariat-rics surgeon E. Adam Goldenberg, MD, to its medical staff. A gradu-ate of Ponce School of Medicine, Dr. Gold-enberg completed his graduate medical train-ing at New York Hos-pital Queens and a fel-lowship in endoscopic and laparoscopic sur-gery at the Emory Uni-versity Endoscopic Unit in Atlanta, as well as a bariatric surgery fellow-ship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Gold-enberg is board certi-fied and specializes in laparoscopic bariatric surgery. He is interested in providing successful weight loss solutions to his patients and de-velops personal care plans for each of them. He is fluent in Spanish. Nazareth’s free infor-mation sessions offer an opportunity to ask Dr. Goldenberg ques-tions about procedures, including how bariatric surgery can improve such conditions as dia-betes, sleep apnea, gas-trointestinal distress, joint pain and high blood pressure. The ses-sion is free. To reserve your seat or for more information, please call 1-855-LESS-YOU (1-855-537-7968).

Fishtown LibraryUpcoming EventSnake Party: Learn all about snake behavior and habitats. Scott Prior will let you get up-close-and-personal with some of his favorite live snakes. Tues., Jan. 14 at 4PM. Fishtown Community Branch, 1217 E. Montgomery Ave.

Matthew Holmes Scholarship The Matthew Holmes Scholarship Fund is preparing to com-mence the distribution of their scholarships to students entering into High School in 2015. Five $2,000 scholar-ships will be awarded to select students based upon the criteria listed in the application along with essays submitted to the committee by Jan. 16. You must be an 8th grade student, a

GIRARDRICHARD A., age 69, December 18, 2014; loving brother of Judith Preston (George), and Gregory (Carole); also survived by many nieces and nephews.

BURNS FUNERAL HOMES

With a heavy heart, we are deeply saddened to inform you that Barbara “Bonnie” Gustin passed away on December 13th, 2014. Bonnie was one of the most talkative, funniest and loving people you could ever know. She was full of jokes and loved to make people laugh. Bonnie has touched many people throughout her lifetime and will be sadly missed. We will be holding a Memorial Ser-vice on her birthday in March 2015 at McElvarr Funeral Home.

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, visit our website at: http://mat-tyholmesscholarship.org/.

PROPAC Presents Designer Bag BingoSat., Jan. 17 at Brides-burg Boys & Girls

Club, 2901 Bridge St. (at Garden St. Tick-ets $30. Doors open at 6:30PM (first game starts 7:15PM). Please bring your own dab-bers. BYOB & Snacks. Re f re shment s and desserts for sale. 50-50 Raffles, Chinese Auction, 10 rounds of Bingo. Sponsored by PROPAC (501C3, Non Profit). For tick-ets: [email protected] or call 215-380-9782.

First Presbyterian Community DinnerOn Sat., Jan. 24 the F i r s t Presby ter ian Church in Kensing-ton will be hosting its monthly FREE com-munity dinner. Din-ner 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 Co-lumbia Ave and Palmer St), 215-739-5695.

Repair Fair at Memphis Street AcademyAnnouncing Repair Fair #3 on Sat., Jan. 31 from 12-4PM at Memphis Street Acad-emy, 2950 Memphis St. The Philly Fixers Guild holds Repair Fair events every 2-3 months at various lo-cations around Phila. Members of the com-munity are welcome to bring in any item that is broken or damaged. This includes almost anything, even clothing and jewelry. A volun-

teer Fixer will guide you in how to repair or mend your item. You learn how to trouble-shoot and make repairs in the process. Sign up on website for Repair Fair announcements. PhillyFixersGuild.org.

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. Pat-rick’s Day parade. The event will be held on Sun., Mar. 15. There will be transportation to the parade, as well as a party at the parade conclusion. Call the of-fice at 215-543-1051 for

information.

FLEA MARKET

Spring Garden Indoor Heated Antique & Vintage Flea Market Spring Garden Indoor Heated Antique & Vin-tage 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 furni-ture, vintage jewelry, clothing & accessories, pottery, art work and much more! 820 Spring Garden St. 19123. Free parking, food court, free admission, handicap ac-cessible. www.PhilaF-leaMarkets.org or call 215-625-FLEA (3532).•

Barbara “Bonnie” Gustin

A notice will be placed as a reminder closer to the actual date.

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 num-ber and address for verification.


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Are you uninsured? If yes, you may be eligible for Keystone Connect, a Healthy PA private coverage option health plan offered by Blue Cross.KeystoneConnectoffersbroadbenefitsandabest-in-classnetworkofdoctorsandhospitalsallatanaffordablecost—$0.Yes,there’snopremiumin2015.*

Ifyoucan’taffordprivateinsurancepremiums,butearntoomuchtoqualifyforMedicalAssistance,KeystoneConnectmaybeforyou.

As a Keystone Connect member, you’ll be covered for the following:•Doctorvisits.

•Preventivecare.

•Diagnosticexams.

•Emergencymedicalcare.

•Mentalhealthservices.

•Prescriptiondrugs.

•Andanextrabenefit: agymmembership.

www.connect2keystone.com

The name you TrusT. The qualiTy you deserve.

*Apremiummayapplyin2016.

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