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Pot Is Super Popular Among My Fellow Boomers. So Why Can’t I Get on Board?

City

One of Philadelphia’s most celebrated novelists tries to rekindle the spark.

Turns out, plenty of Baby Boomers smoke marijuana. Photo illustration by C.J. Burton.

I’ve been doing the cha-cha with a novel I’m working on where the age-55-and-over main characters regularly smoke marijuana to get high. Really high. So much so that when I’m writing about them, whiffs of that unmistakable aroma akin to a rope on fire with a punch of wood and thyme rise from the page. I get giddy as I write, suddenly craving sweet ginger tea and crunchy carbohydrates as I pull down memories to authenticate the scenes, memories that have long lain dormant in the dusty attic of my brain.

I’m 14 or 15 again, riding up Montgomery Drive on a brilliant summer Sunday in the backseat of my father’s car, slightly nauseous from the smell of his cigar. Having been the victor in the tussle with my sisters for a coveted window seat, I lean my head out of the car as we curve around Montgomery and approach Belmont Plateau. I say I’m hanging out of the window to get relief from the cigar, but I’m really trying to catch a contact high from all that hippie hemp smoke (my mother’s term) informing the air around the plateau, which is already charged with the jolting sounds of electric guitars mixing with mellow vibes of Make love not war.

Or I land on that memory from 1973 when I went to see Pam Grier and her fabulous ’fro in the film Coffy. My date and I had gotten off the D bus, now the 21, at 18th and Chestnut and walked first through Rittenhouse Square to get a couple of hits of what we hoped would be “the killer,” our term for really potent weed. It did not disappoint. We laughed our way to 16th and Chestnut and into the movie theater. We settled in with butter-saturated popcorn and cherry Cokes that were heaven to the weed-altered palate and proceeded to tilt our heads in confusion as Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford commanded scene after scene. At what point would Pam Grier rush in and pull the weapons hidden in her enviable woolly hair and kill the drug dealers who’d messed up her sister? We wouldn’t be seeing it that night, because, high and discombobulated, we’d sauntered, not into the Duke, where Coffy was showing, but instead into The Way We Were, playing at the Regency next door.

That’s actually a timely recollection as I two-step through my novel-in-progress and consider my love affair with weed: how it changed as I did, and how the words to the title song of the movie I watched in reefer-fueled error — would we, could we referencing the chance to do it all again — shimmy in my head to the beat. The lyrics tantalize, as if egging me on to join the legions in my age group who would, could and are smoking, eating, sipping, spraying, rubbing on weed in any of its myriad forms. So many boomers, in fact, are getting high that according to recently released results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, marijuana consumption is as common among my generation as it is among teens! I would be in familiar company, then, should I decide to reintroduce a ganja-stuffed bowl to my recreational pursuits. But would I, could I, pull on a pipe, or joint, or bong, and hold it until I cough, and recapture the high-heady, floaty times of my youth?

•

I began smoking marijuana in earnest in the early ’70s. I was fresh on the University of Pennsylvania campus from my cloistered West Philadelphia neighborhood — where I’d been a glasses-wearing, youth-church-ushering, teacher’s-pet-type good girl — and smoking a joint was a way for me to dip my toe in the counterculture. My then-boyfriend knew people, and on Friday nights he’d bring me cheesesteaks from Jim’s, Boone’s Farm apple wine that his older brother procured at the state store on Market Street above 40th, and a precious plastic baggie filled with a half-ounce of the most beautiful mix of brownish-green buds and twigs and seeds. I say precious because the half-ounce bag cost $20, and if there were several of us putting in, that could amount to more than five entire dollars fished from my very shallow stream of disposable funds.

Mythology had it that weed was legal on campus; it was not, of course, but I’d never heard of anyone getting arrested for smoking in Penn’s high-rise dorm. Still, out of an abundance of caution, we’d stuff a blanket in the slip of space under the door to keep the smoke from selling us out. We’d burn apple-scented incense, insisted upon by my non-weed-smoking friends, and then get down to the business of moistening sheets of Top paper to envelop the stogies we rolled. We’d toke and pass and toke and pass to the rhythm of Bloodstone crooning “Take to the sky on a natural high” (irony noted) until the munchies hit and the cheesesteaks were devoured and the table got cleared for marathon pinochle games interspersed with chatter about world affairs and campus gossip and how generally effed up everything was; or funny, hysterically so; or deep, too deep to dig, maybe, because much of the commentary was followed by Can you dig it?

I, for one, dug the weed. I much preferred the giggly high to the sloppy buzz of the cheap fruity wine, more a bring-down than a laugh-maker. And although the 1936 propaganda film Reefer Madness would have one believe that marijuana is highly addictive, I was never so ensnared that I suffered withdrawal when I was without it. Nor did I need to smoke increasing amounts to get that pleasurable feel of pings melting in my head. That sweet joint or hit from the bong or pull from the pipe was sufficient, my reward for getting through the week — or the day, depending on the day I’d had. Penn was hard, and I’m not talking academically, because the “heavy booking” — our term for studying — had been expected, accepted. The real energy-sapper was the constant stroking and kicking to keep from drowning in the high-tide oceans of whiteness and privilege. It was exhausting. Weed made it less so and was certainly preferable to the tranquilizers Student Health had prescribed for the tension headaches that befell me.

In a similar way, all of the inhaling a couple of years after college softened, if only a little, the jags of heartbreak and grief as I watched my mother die from esophageal cancer. My father would prepare lavish Sunday dinners in the weeks after her death, and his house would be overflowing with food and people, and at some point those of us so inclined would look at one another with subtle raises of eyebrows and casually move in the direction of the back of the house and into the yard, where a joint or two or three got quickly smoked. We’d make our way back inside, red-eyed and thumb-burned, laughing as we piled plates high with Dad’s signature bread pudding, swooning over how good it was. He must have known that I’d just been out in the yard getting high, likely in view of the neighbors, who’d talk. He never acknowledged it, never discouraged it. He was probably relieved that for the moment I seemed to hurt less, and if it was the result of the weed, so be it.

Then I stopped smoking abruptly, in my late 20s: Pregnant with twins, I put away my bong, my array of pipes, the Top papers, and expressions like Who’s got the killer? and What you got for the head? I needed to adult with clarity. Caffeine was my new go-to. Also new was my shifting attitude about getting high. This was now the early ’80s, when crack cocaine was beginning to thrash and burn its way through black communities, bombing out families. My sister lost a college friend to the epidemic — rumor had it that someone laced her marijuana with crack, addicting her. I witnessed a cherished friend descend into a heroin swamp — he didn’t die physically, but his potential died, his spirit. This was before all classes of white people became casualties of the opioid epidemic. Back then, there was no push for addiction to be recognized as a brain disorder. People afflicted with addiction were at best considered weaklings incapable of just saying no; at worst, dregs.

I never grew so callous as to fail to see the humanity of a person suffering from addiction, but my attitude toward highness was becoming, dare I say, conservative. So much so that I confess to being somewhat affected by that PSA that began airing regularly in 1987 that showed a hot skillet sizzling with butter, and then a voice-over warning This is drugs; a raw egg is then plopped into the skillet, and as the egg begins to quickly fry, the voice further intones, This is your brain on drugs. Any questions? A decade earlier, I might have said to the television, “Yes, I’ve got questions: Can you sprinkle a little salt and pepper on that, maybe a side of bacon with some cheese melted over the top, and slip it between two slices of pumpernickel?” The ad would have been worthy of such jokes to anyone who smoked as I did yet still moved through life with brain intact, synapses still firing. Also, the PSA didn’t distinguish the wide range of detrimental effects that lay between puffing on a marijuana-stuffed pipe and injecting heroin. Amazingly, I had begun to do the same thing. I lumped them all, weed, crack, heroin, LSD, speed; they were all tools the devil him/herself employed to establish a bona fide hell on earth. I was in good (horrible) company. The Controlled Substances Act signed into law by Richard Nixon had classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, right up there with heroin, meaning that at the time, it was thought to be highly addictive and to have no medical value.

By the time my twins crossed over into adolescence, I had completely exchanged my laid-back attitude toward marijuana for mom pants and zero tolerance. I’d convinced myself that should my kids smoke weed, the results would be abysmal SAT scores, lackluster college admissions essays, the death of motivation. Forget inhaling; merely walking around with reefer might jeopardize their freedom. Especially my son’s, given that young black men were routinely being stopped and searched and, even when in possession of just tiny amounts of marijuana, finding themselves on the periphery of the modern-day slavery that is the criminal justice system. And I’m not being hyperbolic with the slavery reference; I watched Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th.

•

Fast-forward to today: My kids didn’t go to jail, and my attitude toward marijuana has become nuanced once again, helped by all the related headlines that have managed to grab my attention from the horror show that is national politics: marijuana’s availability in the dispensaries that are popping up in the Philadelphia area like, well, weeds; its inchworm moves toward legalization here, where Mayor Kenney has called for green-lighting adult recreational use and having it sold in state stores; its medicinal use by people in my generation, who are increasingly lighting up or eating or rubbing on oils or swallowing pills containing weed derivatives to treat the chronic pain of rheumatoid arthritis or the nausea from cancer treatment, or to mitigate the symptoms of glaucoma or multiple sclerosis, or to reverse cognitive decline. Cognitive decline? I’d assumed that THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, caused that very condition. But an NIH-supported study found that cannabinoids may remove plaque-forming Alzheimer’s proteins from brain cells. And a headline in Scientific American blares out to me: “Marijuana May Boost, Rather Than Dull, the Elderly Brain.” Apparently, senior-citizen mice treated with THC improve on learning and memory tests — perhaps another reason the National Survey on Drug Use found that boomers are using as much pot as teens.

I’ve been fortunate so far in not needing medical marijuana for the host of maladies proponents claim it will help ease. But since I’m a writer, boosting the brain is something I’m definitely open to — even as I talk back to those “The Way We Were” lyrics stuck in my head and struggle with my reluctance to light up for the sole purpose of getting high.

Part of my resistance has to do with the inequity of it all — who benefits, who suffers. Take the hoopla over Elon Musk, billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, puffing on a joint on a live podcast. That’s some rich-white-male privilege on display, because even though recreational weed is legal in California, where he lit up, imagine the likes of rapper and criminal-justice-reform advocate Meek Mill, a black man, doing a similar thing. (By the way, Meek, please don’t try that here at home.) And then there’s former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s lightning-rod tweet months ago announcing that he was joining the board of Acreage Holdings, formerly (cutely) known as High Street Capital Partners, a marijuana processing and dispensing operation currently licensed to operate in 14 states and with plans to expand. He’d once famously said he was unalterably opposed to the legalization of marijuana. Now he claims that his thinking on marijuana has evolved. Sadly, his evolution can do nothing to evolve the criminal records of the countless young black men caught up in the system because they were stopped and frisked and found to be carrying maybe a single marijuana cigarette. I know a woman who had to shell out hundreds of dollars for legal representation for her college-student son, who was caught with paraphernalia that had trace amounts of weed. Trace amounts!

Another part of my resistance to getting high has to do with the learning curve. There are so many new-to-me ways to use marijuana now — edibles and oils and mists and capsules and tinctures and patches and creams. One can spray it like a breath freshener or consume it on a dissolvable strip. I shudder to think I might end up like New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who ingested a cannabis chocolate in a hotel room in Denver in 2014 and ended up curled on the bed for hours in a state that sounds more like a bad LSD trip. Do they still smoke plain old joints? Yes, according to a man I know who asked to remain anonymous — the only person who would even talk to me about still getting high once I disclosed that I was writing about my marijuana journey. He cautioned against buying it on the street the way he did years ago: “There’s nothing but crap out there,” he said, adding that his bud in New Jersey uses medical marijuana and the quality is much better than it used to be. He rushed to add that he himself, of course, would have no way of knowing other than what his “friend” has told him. Apparently his “friend’s” assessment would be correct. Generally, marijuana today is much more potent than it was when I was puffing away. Most of the weed that found its way to Penn’s Superblock in the ’70s had made a long, hot trek from places like Colombia, causing its potency to decline. Back then, the THC level might have been three percent. Today, it could be upward of 12. That sounds much stronger than the “killer” of years ago that sent me into the wrong movie.

A while back, I attended a dinner with people I knew from decades ago. Somewhere around dessert and coffee, a few of them disappeared from the table, but not before giving that slight raise of the eyebrow I’d used myself during my father’s back-in-the-day dinners. They met up with the rest of us later as we milled around outside; they were giddy with the type of laughter that scrunches the eyes practically shut. But it wasn’t just the laughter fusing their eyes. I joked that they smelled like 1975, even as I felt a swath of regret that I hadn’t joined them. Why didn’t I? I’m still asking myself.

I could validly claim any or all of the reasons my contemporaries have expressed for why they choose not to smoke weed: They stopped because of the children and never looked back; they live with or very close to someone recovering from addiction; they’re afraid of an adverse physical reaction; it feels immature at this age; wine is legal, and they’re not trying to break the law at this point in life. When I asked, “What if it was legal?” my sister Paula said, “If it’s legal, I mean, well, yeah, but only if it’s legal, not just decriminalized — fully legal at both the state and federal levels.”

And yet, the illegality is what enticed me all those years ago when I stuck my head out of the car window to gulp in the weed-tinged breeze moving through the be-in on Belmont Plateau. I got high on the anticipatory thrill of it before I ever smoked a joint. I was on the precipice of young adulthood. Marijuana wasn’t just about getting my head right, as we used to say about a good high. Marijuana also represented the revolution that was all around me, growing me up. I was doing this absolutely taboo thing — good-girl me — and that enhanced the pings firing and melting in my brain, getting me higher still. Smoking again would feel like desperately chasing a thrill that’s long gone because it should be gone, because it no longer serves a purpose.

So, for now, since the lyrics from “The Way We Were” are stuck in my head anyway, I’ll hum the part about memories lighting the corners of my mind, grateful to know that should those memories grow too dim from age-related cognitive decline, there will be the medically sanctioned option to swaddle crumpled buds of weed inside sheets of moistened Top paper and toke away.

Published as “Joint of No Return” in the February 2019 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/01/26/baby-boomers-smoke-marijuana/

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Fairmount Park Conservancy leader to challenge Blackwell for Philly Council seat

Former Fairmount Park Conservancy executive director Jamie Gauthier will challenge longtime City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell for control of West Philadelphia’s 3rd District.

Gauthier took the reins at the conservancy, a fundraising nonprofit that supports the city’s park system, two years ago. Before joining the conservancy, she served as executive director of the Sustainable Business Network and as a program officer at Philadelphia Local Initiative Support Coalition, a major funder of affordable housing and economic development projects.

“Yes, I’m running to be councilwoman in the 3rd District,” Gauthier told PlanPhilly. “I’ve done a lot of work in the district to bring affordable housing, improve commercial corridors and parks. Now I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned in the nonprofit sector and bring it to work towards a future vision for West Philly and Southwest Philly.”

Gauthier said she stepped down from her position at the conservancy Tuesday. An official campaign announcement is expected Wednesday.

Gauthier, who was born and spent part of her childhood in the district she now seeks to represent, returned as an adult to earn a master's degree in city planning at the University of Pennsylvania and raise her two sons.

She said she would run on a platform of supporting more equitable economic development across the district, which encompasses row house neighborhoods of many people living below the poverty line and booming University City.

“The universities in West Philadelphia are often seen as sources of gentrification, but I think there are ways to work with those institutions to create more local jobs and more procurement opportunities,” she said. “We want the area to be equitable for everyone.”

Gauthier said she met with representatives of Philly 3.0, a PAC that’s supported non-incumbent council candidates and does not have to disclose its donors. The political action committee was formed by Parkway Corp. principals Joseph and Robert Zuritsky –– who have made millions developing commercial real estate and operating parking facilities –– to elect reform-minded, pro-business candidates.

“[The discussions] were about the political realm in general, nothing specific,” she said. “These are people that I connect with directly through the urbanist world.”

Gauthier said she hasn’t received money or commitments of support from the group.

The Blackwell family has represented West Philadelphia in City Council since 1974. Jannie Blackwell assumed power after her husband, Lucien Blackwell, vacated the seat to run for Congress in 1991.

Jannie Blackwell is well-known to ward leaders and community groups in the district, many of whom regard her as a champion of educational and affordable housing issues. Blackwell has drawn criticism for maintaining uncomfortably close ties to some of the same groups that support her, channeling public dollars and other support to these organizations, including at least one run by a former staffer.

In recent years, she has also openly feuded with Mayor Jim Kenney over a variety of legislative items – from the reuse of the former Provident Mutual building, to parking ticket amnesty legislation to a fire damper bill that many said was a needless handout to a specific union.

Blackwell has not faced a serious political challenger in over a decade – in her past two primary elections, the incumbent took over 90 percent of the vote.

“Councilwoman Blackwell has served the district for a long time,” Gauthier said. “She certainly has a lot of respect in the community, and I respect her. But I do think it’s time for new vision, new ideas.”

Council candidates must file to run by March 13. The primary election is May 21.

Correction: This article was corrected to identify Gauthier as the former executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy.

Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/01/30/fairmount-park-conservancy-leader-to-challenge-blackwell-for-philly-council-seat

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In Los Angeles, Team Reclaims Key Part of Identity

Man, was it nice to see a first half the likes of which the 76ers put together Tuesday in Tinseltown.

Of course, the return of Joel Embiid was big, and welcomed. All he did was score 15 points in the first quarter, en route to racking up 19 by the break.

Then, there were the 76 points the Sixers exploded for through the first 24 minutes of play. The total was a season-high for the team in any half this season, and marked just the fourth time in 25 years the club registered that many points before intermission.

The numbers, though, that interested Brett Brown the most from the first half of the Sixers’ 119-113 victory over the LA Clippers was that his squad assisted on 20 of its 28 field goals, good for 71 percent.

Two days earlier, in a rough loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Sixers generated just 18 assists on 34 baskets, an uncharacteristically low rate for a group that tops the Eastern Conference in assist percentage (65.1).

That the Sixers bounced back quickly from the Portland game was obviously important, and refreshing. That they did so by reclaiming a crucial part of their identity seemed to hearten the head coach the most.

“What is most - by a mile - lately on my mind is the growth of a team, and the cohesion and the ability to share in somebody else’s success, the ability to communicate candidly, and coexist,” Brown told reporters following Tuesday’s win at STAPLES Center. “That’s all I care about that.”

Well, then. What metric is better suited to quantify the essence of a team’s continuity and togetherness than its effectiveness sharing the basketball?

The concept of the “pass is king,” which Brown so often references both internally with his players and publicly when speaking with the media, represents the aorta of his coaching philosophy.

He is especially vigilant of this tenet these days, as the Sixers, despite their overall success, work through an ongoing personnel reboot of sorts on the heels of the Jimmy Butler trade.

Brown takes a high assist percentage performance as further evidence of the roster coming together.

“You don’t just click your heels, throw Jimmy Butler in, and everybody’s going to be playing the same way and style. It doesn’t work like that,” he said. “My job is to grow a team. Playing together is always, by a longshot, what’s most on my mind.”

The parts, the Sixers feel, are there. It’s just a matter of smoothing certain things out.

“That’s why the 20 passes was king,” Brown said. “That’s what interests me - playing together, sharing the ball, acknowledging an assist, lifting somebody off the floor, sharing in somebody else’s success. That’s what makes coaching enjoyable also.”

As Brown put it Tuesday in Los Angeles, in the coaching profession, the fight for the “soul” of a team is real, and constant.

Sure, moving the ball is critical to the design of the Sixers’ offensive style of play, but the significance Brown attaches to passing clearly goes way deeper than that.

It’s a cultural pillar he’s clung to since his earliest days with the franchise, and believes it will continue to serve the Sixers’ best interests.

“We’ve come from great depths to arrive here,” Brown said, alluding to the Sixers’ ascent the past three seasons, “and we want more. We do not want to disrespect the effort and work that many people have shared in trying to grow something.”

Source: https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/los-angeles-team-reclaims-key-part-identity

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'Alexa, wake me up for camp!': Philly summer writing program bursting at the seams

Applications to Mighty Writers surged more than 1000%.

Courtesy Tim Whitaker

Billy Penn is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on economic mobility. Read more at brokeinphilly.org or follow at @brokeinphilly.

Philly kids have a strong desire to learn about their neighborhoods. After Mighty Writers tailored summer courses to match interest at its various locations — think immigration themed storytelling in the Italian Market, or girl power workshops at the 15th and Christian outpost — enrollment in the programs skyrocketed.

The surge brought in over 1,300 applications this year for the camp, which offered more free slots than ever before. Still, 600 children were turned away. There just wasn’t enough room.

Demand has steadily increased over the decade the educational nonprofit has been open.  Mighty Writers has multiplied its summer camp capacity by nearly seven, but that’s still not enough to keep pace.

“It feels like the numbers are exploding on us all of a sudden,” executive director Tim Whitaker told Billy Penn. “It has us really thinking here, how do we get even bigger than we’ve been getting, and faster?”

Latrisha Brown, a preschool teacher in South Philly, is relieved she made the cut. For the third summer in a row, she’s squeezed all her three children into the day camp at 15th and Christian — and she’s seen a marked improvement in their literacy skills.

“When September comes and they get tested in their classes, their teacher says their reading levels do go up,” Brown said. “It’s such a plus.”

Plus, Brown said her kids actually enjoy it. When she told her 12-year-old son he’d be back at writing camp this summer, he started planning out what snacks he’d bring. He then yelled out to Alexa to set an alarm and wake him up in time.

Brown encouraged a friend from North Philadelphia to enroll her son, too — but the Mighty Writers at 16th and Norris was already full.

“I’m not surprised there’s a long waiting list,” she said. “I think they’re doing a wonderful job. I’m very pleased they were able to give us a spot.”

Courtesy Tim Whitaker

Whitaker has a few ideas for what’s behind the recent spike in applications. First and most obvious: It’s a free program with a solid track record in the poorest big city in the country.

Then there’s the relatively new idea to customize lesson plans for each of the seven learning centers, creating hyperlocal programming that appeals to both parents and their children. (Two locations are currently under construction.)

Another big driver in signups: Mighty Writers recently moved its West Philly location inside the Philadelphia Housing Authority property at 3500 Fairmount Ave — and families living there have signed their kids up in droves.

“There are just a ton of kids there,” Whitaker said. “Those kids are in great need, and they’re showing up.”

He believes the organization is at a crucial moment. “We’re looking at our infrastructure really closely now with these numbers coming in like this,” he said. “We have to grow not just programming, but the administrative side of it all.”

More volunteers would help — recruitment efforts are slated to ramp up — as would more donations and financial support, to pay the teachers and hire more staff to keep an expanded roster running smoothly.

“When you’re in a city with the deepest poverty in the country, that’s a lot of kids who can’t afford to go to summer camp,” Whitaker said. “The need is really deep.”

Source: https://billypenn.com/2019/07/22/alexa-wake-me-up-for-camp-philly-summer-writing-program-bursting-at-the-seams/

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10 Philly holiday photos from history -- and what those exact spots look like today

Is there a more emotional time of year than the holiday season? 

There is the warmth that comes from a family reunion, the joy that arises when you see a child open their first present, the sadness and regret when reflecting about a lost loved one.

And nostalgia for what once was.

Psychologists tell us this is the season people take account and make resolutions for a better future as the new year approaches. But no look forward can ever escape the need to take a glance back, if for no other reason than to measure the passage of time, to see what was gained and, possibly, lost. 

In that spirit for this holiday season, we offer this trip down Philadelphia's memory lane as we celebrate our, hopefully, brighter futures by looking at our past. 

PhillyVoice photographer Thom Carroll scoured the archives and selected 10 images of Philadelphia celebrating the holiday season in past years, and re-photographed the exact locations this December. The images show how much has and has not changed in the city over the past several decades.

LIT BROTHERS, EIGHTH AND MARKET STREETS

GIMBELS, NINTH AND MARKET STREETS

ARCHWAY, PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL

1000 BLOCK OF CHESTNUT STREET

RITTENHOUSE SQUARE

COURTYARD, PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL

OLD FIRST REFORMED UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

WANAMAKER'S HOLIDAY DISPLAY / MACY'S LIGHT SHOW

11TH AND WOLF STREETS, SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

Source: https://www.phillyvoice.com/photos-then-and-now-philadelphia-during-holidays/

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Thousands Turn Out For Patriotic Philly Pops Performance At Independence Hall

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There’s no better place to celebrate the Fourth of July than at the place where it all started. Independence Hall was the backdrop for a patriotic performance by the Philly Pops Wednesday night.

For so many, it’s a tradition that can’t be missed.

Americana, in all its glory, resounded through the mall. Thousands of fans soaked in the sound of the Philly Pops continuing their 40-year history of performing in front of Independence Hall.

“It’s just such an amazing setting, being in such a historical part of the city,” one woman said.

Philadelphia Police, SEPTA Outline Safety Protocols For Wawa’s Welcome America Festival, Fourth Of July Celebrations

Last year, the Independence Day kickoff event had to be cancelled due to bad weather. With that in mind, a select song was performed.

“Don’t bring around the cloud to rain on my parade,” Susan Eagen sang.

This year, the Pops were joined by Eagen, a Broadway singer.

“Sitting here with the Philly Pops, it’s the most incredible feeling in the world,” one woman said.

It’s a tradition that welcomes both visitors and long-time Pops lovers.

“We pack food and drinks and we come over and listen to the Pops and to be with friends,” one man said.

Best 4th Of July Fireworks In Philadelphia Region

“I just like all the decorates,” one little girl said.

Decorations, celebration and admiration in the place where our grand declaration was so bravely made.

As always, the event was free and open to all.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/07/03/thousands-turn-out-for-patriotic-fourth-july-philly-pops-performance-at-independence-hall/

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Point of View: Pa Attorney General's Defensive Reaction

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro™s reaction to the league™s lawsuit:

On September 21, attorneys for the Catholic League filed an Application for Leave amicus curiae brief in the Western District of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania regarding the political machinations of the state™s attorney general, Josh Shapiro. His decision to target the Catholic Church in a grand jury investigation of the sexual abuse of minors”giving a pass to all other private and public institutions”warranted the filing. Shapiro™s defensive reaction to the brief is problematic on several levels.

An article in the September 23 edition of The Morning Call, an Allentown newspaper, says that Shapiro™s spokesman, Joe Grace, is contending that the attorney general™s office investigates œchild sexual abuse and all sexual abuse wherever they find it in Pennsylvania, without fear or favor.”

In fact, Shapiro™s office has not conducted a grand jury investigation of the clergy of any religion, save for Catholicism. Nor has he launched a probe of the public schools. No one can maintain that sexual abuse does not exist in any of these entities.

According to the reporter, Christine Schiavo, the attorney general™s office argues that it has filed charges against œa police chief, a deputy coroner and seven Lackawanna County prison guards, and has secured the convictions of Penn State officials” related to the investigation of Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant football coach who was convicted in 2012 for sexually assaulting 10 boys.

In any of these cases, did Shapiro tell the defendants they should give up their rights to defend themselves? Did he say that their right to present a defense was evidence of their guilt or an attempt to cover-up their guilt? Or does he just tell this to priests? Why were there no press conferences attendant to any of these cases? Why does he save his grandstanding for the Catholic community?

Regarding the prison guards, why didn™t Shapiro launch a grand jury investigation into every prison in the state? How could he possibly know if other prison guards were assaulting prisoners without a probe? He didn™t have to go after six Catholic dioceses because of an offender at one Catholic high school, but he did. Why? Why the double standard?

The Penn State University matter is laughable. The grand jury investigation of Penn State began in 2009 under Attorney General Tom Corbett. It concluded on November 4, 2011 when the report was released. Shapiro had nothing to do with any of it”he took office on January 17, 2017.

If this is the best Shapiro can do, it is a pitiful showing. This is hardly the end of this issue. Bet on it. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights 450 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10123

Source: http://ucreview.com/point-of-view-pa-attorney-generals-defensive-reaction-p7975-1.htm

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Eagles have freed up over $19 million in cap space so far this week

Heading into this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles were projected to have the fewest amount of cap space in the league. Over The Cap had the Eagles at $12.1 million OVER the spending limit.

This figure was never a huge concern, though, as the Eagles had some moves they could make to clear up space.

In the past week, Howie Roseman has reportedly freed up around $19.2 million. That figure comes from the combination of Jason Kelce’s new contract ($4 million created), Timmy Jernigan’s 2019 option not being picked up ($7 million created), and Lane Johnson restructuring his contract ($8.2 million created).

So, how much cap space do the Eagles currently have? Over The Cap has them at just over $18.8 million and that figure DOES include Jernigan’s declined option and Johnson’s restructure but it doesn’t account for the Kelce updates. If you include that, the Eagles should have around $22.8 million. But then you also have to account for the fact that Brandon Graham and Isaac Seumalo received contract extensions. In other words, Philly actually has less than that $22.8 million.

The Eagles still have some moves they can make to clear even more cap space. If Jason Peters’ option isn’t picked up, that’ll save another $10.5 million. Trading Michael Bennett, which has been rumored as a possibility, would clear up $7.2 million. Nelson Agholor’s name has also come up in trade rumors and moving on from him would generate nearly $9.4 million. If the Eagles make all those moves in addition to what they’ve already done, they’d probably have around $40-something million in cap space. Of course, they’d also be losing some key contributors in the process.

When it comes to spending that money, the Eagles have lots of options available to them. They could look to retain some of their own free agents; there’s been a somewhat surprising sense they have interest in retaining Ronald Darby. If Agholor isn’t back, maybe they make a stronger effort to retain Golden Tate. Jay Ajayi could be kept. Alternatively, Roseman could be looking to spend in free agency. Le’Veon Bell has long been rumored as an Eagles target. Then you have rumors that the Eagles are interested in trading for Duke Johnson.

Free agency signings and trades can’t become official until 4:00 PM ET next Wednesday, March 13, so that’s when the action will really take off. In the meantime, we’ll still see some interesting reports and rumors. Remember that news of the Eagles trading for Michael Bennett broke the week before free agency last year.

Ever since the Eagles’ 2018 campaign ended, we’ve been saying that this team has a lot of questions to answer this offseason. It won’t be long before we see the Eagles making some more critical decisions.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/3/6/18253516/eagles-cap-space-update-philadelphia-nfl-free-agency-2019-howie-roseman-nfl-news-lane-johnson-kelce

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1 In 3 Has Done Something They Regret At Company Holiday Party, Study Finds

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – As the holiday season ramps up, so do those work parties.

A new study has found that one in three office workers admit that they have done something they regret at their company party.

The study was conducted by research marketing firm OnePoll, commissioned by Evite and published on studyfinds.org.

Of the 2,000 workers polled, researchers say 40 percent of respondents say they’ve watched drama unfold by coworkers at the party.

The study also found that 35 percent of people have watched a quiet coworker shock everyone by being the life of the party.

And be careful when it comes to romance!

Thirty-seven percent of respondents say they’ve seen an office hookup at a holiday gathering.

“Anything can happen at an office holiday party, which is why it’s no surprise that the majority of employees look forward to it every year,” Julian Clark, Evite’s In-House Party Specialist tells Study Finds.

According to the study, 27 percent of those polled said they never miss the yearly company party.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/12/11/1-in-3-has-done-something-they-regret-at-company-holiday-party-study-finds/

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12 Essential Rittenhouse Restaurants for Lunch

Luke’s Lobster on 17th Street is known for its lobster rolls

| Photo by Luke’s

Rittenhouse is one of Philly’s densest neighborhoods in terms of residents and offices. That means it’s also full of restaurants offering everything from fast food to fine dining. Luckily for the lunch crowd, as fast-casual eateries have grown in popularity, Rittenhouse is often their first landing spot. International flavors — Southeast Asian, Italian, Israeli — abound, as do vegan and vegetarian menu items. Throw away the sad desk salads and break out of the lunch rut with these 12 fast and tasty restaurants.

Read More

Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

Source: https://philly.eater.com/maps/best-rittenhouse-square-neighborhood-restaurants-philadelphia

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Girls Who Code founder and CEO: ‘Girls need to be taught to be brave, not perfect’

Access

Dec. 17, 2018 1:15 pm

Technical.ly, Generocity and Karin Copeland Presents are excited to bring you a special speaker event with Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. Join us this coming February.

Girls Who Code founder and CEO: ‘Girls need to be taught to be brave, not perfect’

Source: https://technical.ly/philly/2018/12/17/girls-who-code-founder-and-ceo-girls-need-to-be-taught-to-be-brave-not-perfect/

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Where to Go Food Shopping for Thanksgiving in Philly

Food & Drink

Where to get the goods for your turkey day table, from the bird to the cranberries to the pumpkin pie.

Devoted foodies and restaurant newbies love Foobooz. Sign-up now for our twice weekly newsletter.

Essen | Facebook

Sure, you can source ingredients for a serviceable Thanksgiving feast from Acme or Trader Joe’s — but for us, the biggest food holiday of the year is the perfect time to spend a little more time and effort on ingredients from Philly institutions, local farmers, and specialty spots. Here’s our guide to the best places to shop for your Thanksgiving ingredients in Philadelphia.

The Turkey

First things first: the bird. It’s the centerpiece of your meal, quite possibly the priciest item on your table come dinnertime next Thursday, and the metric by which your friends and family will judge your holiday feast. As for technique, we like to spatchcock and dry brine our turkey for a few days before roasting — or, if you’ve got the equipment and the outdoor space, try smoking your bird on the grill.

Though the Fair Food Farmstand, long the discerning home cook’s one-stop shop for local and heirloom birds, is no longer in business, you still have some great options. Be Well Philly outlined some local sources for organic birds here — but we also love the pasture-raised local options offered by Kensington Quarters and Primal Supply Meats.

Pre-order your Primal bird (raised on pasture on non-GMO feed by Gobbler’s Ridge Farm in Lancaster County) by Wednesday, November 14th to pick it up at their East Passyunk shop between Monday the 19th and Wednesday the 21st. You can also ask to pick up your Primal bird from Riverwards Produce in Fishtown on Tuesday the 20th.

At KQ, they’re taking pre-orders for pasture-raised birds sourced from Keiser’s Pheasantry in York County through Sunday, November 18th (unless they sell out first — so get those orders in). Pick up your bird at their Frankford Avenue shop on Monday, November 19th, with farmer Earl Keiser and executive chef Matt Harper on hand with recipes and cooking tips. You can also arrange to get your turkey custom cut (they’ll spatchcock it for you!) or for an early pickup by calling 267-314-5086.

Looking for a heritage breed bird with richer, more flavorful meat? They’re tough to find around here, but the extra effort and cost are worth it. You can preorder pasture-raised Red Bourbon turkeys from Princeton’s Griggstown Farm (plus extras like sides, breads, and their ultra-flaky pies) to pick up at their Headhouse Square Farmers’ Market stand at 2nd and Lombard on Wednesday, November 20th.

Riverwards | Facebook

Fruits and Veggies

You can’t go wrong with Iovine’s, the produce institution at the southeast corner of Reading Terminal Market. With their wide selection, good prices, and towering mountain of collard greens, it’s a great place to check things off your shopping list. Problem is, literally everyone in Philadelphia descends on Reading Terminal in the days before Thanksgiving — it’s not for the faint of heart. To beat the crowds, order through Instacart or get there early — like before 10 a.m. — and try to do your shopping on Sunday or Monday when the crowds are a little lighter.

Riverwards Produce in Fishtown has done a pretty decent job of filling the void left after Fair Food, sourcing lots of local along with an extensive mix of well-priced produce along with a solid selection of pantry goods, snacks, bulk items, breads, dairy, cheeses, and meats from local farms and makers. Proprietor Vince Finazzo totally reworks the store layout for the holiday. He’ll have all your fall favorites, plus local cranberries, cool heirloom squash and pumpkin varieties like the great-for-soup Thai Kang Kob, and a literal ton (as in 2,000 pounds) of organic sweet potatoes in white, garnet, and purple.

And finally, two of the best farmers’ markets in Philly are still going strong, despite the cold: the Clark Park Farmers’ Market in West Philly will be held on Saturday the 17th and Wednesday the 20th, and Headhouse Square Farmers’ Market in Society Hill has their usual market on Sunday and a special Thanksgiving market on Wednesday.

Valley Milk House | Facebook

The Cheese Board

While traditional sides like stuffing, green bean casserole, baked mac ‘n’ cheese, and Brussels sprouts are all well and good, there’s something to be said for glamming up your holiday table a bit with some special, nontraditional goodies. One of our favorite ways to add variety, impress your guests, and (most importantly) save valuable prep time and stove space is to kick things off with a cheese board. Just select a few choice wedges and accompaniments like olives, pickles, honeys, and jams, give your cheeses an hour to relax unwrapped at room temperature before serving, and voila — your first course or cocktail snacks are taken care of.

Di Bruno Bros. is a great place to go for cheeses from all over the globe. But for local wedges from the likes of Birchrun Hills Farm, Valley Milkhouse, Conebella Farm (they make the best raw milk cheddar), and goat cheeses from Shellbark Hollow Farm, hit up the fridges at Riverwards, Primal Supply, Mariposa, or Weaver’s Way Co-op, or visit the aforementioned farmers’ markets.

Lost Bread | Official

Breads, Baked Goods, and Sweets

Philly is full of amazing bakeries, but Lost Bread Co. is the one that makes us swoon with just about everything that comes out of their ovens. Stock up on their loaves, rolls, and pastries at these retailers and farmers’ markets and at their Kensington retail space. They’re also making blue corn preserved lemon and a Three Sisters pie (that’s a blue corn crust with spiced sweet bean and pumpkin layers) plus chocolate cherry panettone special for the holiday. Preorder on their new website, which is set to go live this weekend, or email your order to info@lostbreadco.com.

Our city is truly #blessed to have an entire restaurant turning out amazing sweet and savory pies all year round. South Street’s fantastic Magpie is offering pre-ordered pies in pumpkin, caramel apple, chocolate coffee cinnamon pecan, and butterscotch bourbon. Order yours here for pickup by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21st.

Li’l Pop Shop is a sleeper hit amongst Philly’s pie spots, with a pastry program that amped up last year. Pre-order pies or their decadent piecaken, a Morello cherry pie baked into a chocolate ganache cake, here (use the code MOREPIE for 10 percent off an order of two or more). The deadline is Sunday, November 18th to pick up at their shop in West Philly or Rittenhouse on Wednesday the 21st.

For a dessert that’s a little different (or for something sweet the morning after), we love Wild Flour Bakery’s pumpkin eclairs, flaky pastry filled with pumpkin custard and topped with a cream cheese icing. Pre-order their pastries, pies, or loaves to pick up at one of their farmers’ markets (details and instructions here).  Essen Bakery’s gorgeous fresh fruit tarts and babka in cinnamon hazelnut or chocolate halva can also seamlessly transition from dessert to breakfast. Call them at 215-271-2299 to preorder with at least three days’ notice.

There’s no wrong season for ice cream — something the good folks at Weckerly’s know well. That’s why they make a special line of Thanksgiving-themed mini ice cream sandwiches and pints in your favorite fall flavors, with cute-as-hell ice cream tarts in apple à la mode and pumpkin pecan new this year. Order yours here and specify your pickup date at checkout — you can grab your goodies at their scoop shop in Fishtown before the holiday.

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2018/11/12/thanksgiving-turkey-ingredients-philadelphia/

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Check Out This Adaptive Reuse Candidate on College Ave.

Check Out This Adaptive Reuse Candidate on College Ave. - OCF Realty

"); if ($(window).width() > 767) $('.sidebar').width($('.sidebar').width()); $(window).resize(function() $('.sidebar').width($('#primary').width()); calculate(); ); //get page height and footer height to see where to stop the fixed sidebar var sidebar_height = $('.sidebar').height(); var page_height = $(document).height(); var footer_height = $('footer').height(); var window_height = $(window).height(); var max_sticky = ((page_height - footer_height) - sidebar_height - 85); function calculate() sidebar_height = $('.sidebar').height(); page_height = $(document).height(); footer_height = $('footer').height(); window_height = $(window).height(); max_sticky = ((page_height - footer_height) - sidebar_height - 85); function sticky_relocate() var window_top = $(window).scrollTop(); var div_top = $('.widget-area').offset().top; calculate(); if( sidebar_height > window_height ) $('.sidebar').removeClass('stick').css('position','static'); else if (window_top > div_top && window_top = max_sticky ) $('.sidebar').css('top', 'initial').css('bottom', '0').css('position', 'absolute'); else $('.sidebar').removeClass('stick').css('position','static'); //$('.widget-area').height(0); if( sidebar_height

Source: http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/brewerytown/check-adaptive-reuse-candidate-college-ave

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Cost-Cruncher and Pricing Videos

Please excuse the brief the brief interruption in wedding photos. We’re just pretty excited to share this new thing we’ve been working on for the past few months.

As many of you know, there are lots of folks out there getting into (and out of) photography all the time. So, since Tony is a YouTuber now, we decided to make some videos. Specifically, we wanted to address the biggest issue we see most self-employed people run into: Pricing.

But we couldn’t stop there. Along with our friends Mike and Kari, we decided to take it to the next level. So, we created a pricing calculator unlike anything the world has ever seen… and it’s awesome. It’s called Cost-Cruncher. It helps self-employed people figure out their pricing. Completely. Easily. Fast.

Here’s a quick video of what Cost-Cruncher is all about:

And here’s Tony’s two pricing videos:

Part 2:

Check out Cost-Cruncher if you’re a photographer or self-employed person that needs some help getting your numbers in order. It rocks.

Source: https://hofferphotography.com/2019/05/06/cost-cruncher-and-pricing-videos/

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Nick Foles missed out on $1 million by four snaps, the Eagles may give it to him anyway

Nick Foles’ ribs weren’t the only thing to take a beating during the Philadelphia Eagles season finale against Washington. His bank account suffered dearly, too.

Arguably the NFL’s most important backup quarterback — and continually the savior of Eagles’ seasons — Foles was due to pocket a $1 million bonus so long as Philadelphia made the playoffs with him taking 33 percent of the team’s snaps. The injury to his rib cage, and subsequent exit from the game, left him four plays shy of hitting that mark.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that might not stop the Eagles from paying out Foles’ bonus.

Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles celebrates as he runs off the field after an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 32-30. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

More

With starting quarterback Carson Wentz injured again towards the end of the season, Foles was very much expected to finish out the year as the offensive signal-caller for the Eagles. He started five games, passed for 1,413 yards with seven touchdowns on four interceptions and led Philadelphia back into the playoffs. By all accounts, he would’ve hit both accomplishments needed to trigger the bonus if not for being pulled late in Week 17’s 24-0 victory to keep him from further injury.

It’s easy to see why the Eagles would want to pay the man his money, though it doesn’t make it any less admirable in a league where cost-cutting has become a significant part of the business.

That being said, it’s not uncommon for teams to find a way to compensate their players when extenuating circumstances cause them to miss out on a major payday.

The closest comparison in recent memory is the case of C.C. Sabathia at the end of the 2018 MLB season. The Yankees starter had a clause in his contract that triggered a $500,000 bonus if he pitched 155 innings total. He missed that mark by two innings after getting ejected in his final outing for throwing at his opponent in retaliation for a previous beanball thrown at his teammate.

The Yankees paid Sabathia anyways. It was the right call, too, even if it wasn’t an obligated one. The same goes for the Eagles.

– – – – – –

Blake Schuster is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

More from Yahoo Sports: • Cowboys lose WR Hurns to gruesome injury • Cowboys defense shines in win vs. Seahawks • Colts have big challenge ahead after wild-card win • Forde: Don’t be salty about Clemson-Alabama IV

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-foles-missed-1-million-four-snaps-eagles-may-give-anyways-174207151.html?src=rss

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New York City bound Amtrak train ends up in Philadelphia suburbs

An Amtrak train headed to New York City ended up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Train #644 missed a signal after leaving Philadelphia's 30th Street station. 

Source: http://amtraktrack.blogspot.com/2013/11/new-york-city-bound-amtrak-train-ends.html

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Super important Eagles jersey number analytics

I ask this without exaggeration ...

Are you ready to hear the most important discussion of your lifetime?

If YES —> Great! You’ll enjoy this ridiculously in-depth analysis of every single jersey number on the Eagles’ 90-man roster from Benjamin Solak and myself. We use super important jersey number analytics to determine which players are primed for breakout seasons, which players are bound to get cut, and much more. This is science, folks. [CLICK HERE] OR STREAM BELOW:

If NO —> You’re probably a sane, rational person who has much better things to do with your time and I don’t blame you. (But please support BGN Radio by downloading the podcast anyway.)

For the non-podcast people out there, you can [click here] to read some of my takes on Eagles jersey numbers.

Some players to feel good about:

Some players that are in major jeopardy:

Don’t miss an episode - SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

Reminder: Since we were forced to create an entirely new podcast feed, we could really use your support. We kindly ask that you SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW! Doing so helps us accomplish cool things like becoming a top five podcast in the Apple Podcast store. And that helps us reach more Eagles fans out there in the world.

Up next: Stay tuned for more Eagles coverage!

Also: please follow @BGN_Radio on Twitter.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/5/14/18622892/eagles-jersey-number-analytics-super-important-podcast-bgn-radio-philadelphia-2019-nfl-season-silly