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Independent
Voice
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reform government, with no
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Germantown Newspapers
November 4-18, 2014 • Volume 6, Number 13 • germantownnewspapers.com • Philadelphia, PA 19119
It’s the
Time to
Give
Thanks
Health Care Act Fraud ... page 5
Also
Gas Pains ... page 3 • Governor’s Office Changes, City Regresses... page 6
Honoring Gun Victims ... page 8 • Rockland Neighbors Cite Boarding Home... page 13
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Page 2
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Abbottsford-Falls Staff Can Help You Understand
Obamacare and Get Health Insurance
What is “Obamacare”? What is the Affordable Care Act? We’ve all heard these
phrases a lot over the past few years but
many of us aren’t exactly sure what they
are or how they can help us or our families.
Basically, the Affordable Care Act (ACA
– also nicknamed “Obamacare”) has made
it easier for more people in the United
States to get the health insurance.
Navigating the health insurance world
can be overwhelming and confusing. Staff
at Abbottsford-Falls Family Practice specialize in helping people sign up for insurance. Call Paula, Deanna or Chris at
215-843-9720 to make your appointment
today. The time to sign up for insurance in
the Marketplace is Nov. 15-Feb. 15.
Also, starting December 1st, hundreds of
thousands of Pennsylvanians will be able
to sign up for health insurance through the
expanded Medicaid, ‘Healthy PA.’
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The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Page 3 a
Council Blockage Creates Gas Pains
by Brett Mandel
In a move that is an embarrassment to the legislative process itself, Philadelphia City Council
Leadership announced -- after no
public deliberation whatsoever -that Council has rejected the proposed deal to sell the Philadelphia
Gas Works. Yet, for City Council
to reject this deal without public
testimony or input is gutless and
possibly a violation of Pennsylvania's "Sunshine Act."
As a utility that transports explosive material, PGW gives us
wise counsel on what to do in situations like this: if we smell
something rotten, we are to sound
an alarm. Well, this just plain
stinks.
Cut the Mustard?
I have written about this issue
in the past (http://brettmandel
.com/content/will-philadelphiagas-works-sale-cut-mustard-orcheese) and I firmly believe that
robust debate about the terms of
this potential deal is essential. No
other large, cold-weather city
owns a gas utility and Philadelphia's history of municipal ownership is unsatisfying. City gas
rates are too high, customer satisfaction is too low, and the utility's
inability to maintain and upgrade
the miles of pipeline that carry
explosive material throughout the
city is troubling.
A sale could dramatically improve utility service in Philadelphia and save lives by better
maintaining the city's gas infrastructure. Proceeds from the sale
could help protect the pensions of
city workers, provide capital investments for city facilities, and
free up resources in future city
budgets that could allow for expanded city services. Of course,
the sale would directly impact gas
workers and gas customers and
ripple throughout the city economy. Each of these factors
should be considered by the city's
elected legislature in a public debate so that we all understand the
pros and cons.
Cut The Cheese?
Of course, It could be that the
proposed deal between the Nutter
Administration on behalf of the
City of Philadelphia and Connecticut-based UIL Holdings is
not the best one possible. Perhaps the price isn't right, the protections for employees or
consumers aren't sufficient, or
maybe the deal is flawed in a fundamental way that hearings could
illuminate.
Council invested significant
public money to commission an
independent analysis of the proposed deal, but instead of debat-
ing the merits of the proposed
sale or the concerns raised by the
analysis, we only get the terse announcement that it's a done deal
that the deal is done.
The Best Of Disinfectants
The public's business is to be
conducted in public so we can all
collectively scrutinize the decision making and its process. The
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act requires that
any time a government body
holds a meeting in which deliberation or official action by a quorum of its members occurs, that
meeting must be open to the public and subject to public notification requirements. If Council
members decided to reject the
proposed deal to sell PGW, that
deliberation and action did not
occur at an open public meeting.
Proper authorities should review
these actions to determine if
penalties and sanctions are appropriate.
If members of City Council
have objections to the proposed
sale, they should be aired publicly
and debated. Perhaps they could
help improve the agreement or
shape new negotiations in a way
to benefit Philadelphians. If
members of City Council do not
want to conduct the public's business in public, they should find
another job.
www.brettmandel.com
Building Blocks
Child Development Center
on Lasalle University Campus
is now enrolling children
between 12 months to 5 years.
We are Keystone Star 4 and
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We serve all meals and accept all subsidies.
Please call
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Page 4
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Rockland St. Neighbors Cite Illegal Group Home
Germantown group fights
back
With plenty of negative performance in the past to support
it, Germantown has been
plagued with all manner of substandard and illegally operated
boarding and so called personal
care homes for at least 25 years.
Rockland Street Neighbors,
an activist and well recognized
community group with awards
and accolades to prove it, has
made efforts to get an explanation why what appears to have
been rented as private home,
has all of sudden become a
boarding home for a significant
number of men who come and
go in groups, in vans and on
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Cinderella
foot in what they claim cannot
possibly be a family home.
The property is located at 46
W. Rockland Street and is apparently owned by Bill Lublin,
an individual who owns multiple properties in this area.
City records show no license
or permits for a group home at
this location and the practice of
operating them outside of those
laws is fairly common according to Aine R. Doley of the
community group. This property was reportedly a former
Section 8 property.
Landlord Lublin did return a
call to this newspaper and verified that he does own that property among others in the city,
but did not know the tenants in
that particular house personally.
He explained that he did contact
his property manager after
being contacted by Ms. Doley
of Rockland Street Neighbors
and had learned that in fact the
tenant had been using the property as an unlicensed boarding
home recently. He promised
that they would be off the property by Saturday. My Lublin in-
Dec. 17 to 30, Jan. 13 to 17
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The Frog Prince
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March 10 to March 22, 2015
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May 5 to 9, May 26 to 31
and July 7 to 18, 2015
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dicated a willingness to work
with the community and promised that he would seek a family
tenant for the property.
Rockland Street Neighbors
and other activist groups and individuals in Germantown have
been in contact with The Independent Voice in recent months
as multiple development and
property issues have been cause
for concern at several locations.
They have plans for coordinated
efforts to take issues of this type
to the public and this newspaper
will assist in that effort. They
can be reached at 215-580TOWN (8696) or at [email protected]
Resolution
Recognizes Judge
Frazier-Lyde
The Pennsylvania House of
Representatives
this week unanFor Brochure & Info: 215-659-8550
imously adopted H.R. 860, introduced by state Rep. Vanessa
Lowery
Brown, which recogStart Anytime!
nizes
the
achievements of the
No classes Dec. 22, 29
Honorable Judge Jacquelyn FraSt. Michael’s Lutheran Church
zier-Lyde.
Germantown Papers
6671 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19119
Frazier-Lyde, the daughter of
October 16, 2014
Philadelphia
boxing legend and
2 col X 3 in.
former world heavyweight boxFOR MORE INFORMATION:
ing champion “Smokin’ Joe”
215-240-0241
Frazier, was inducted earlier this
[email protected]
year as the first woman in the
www.PhillyTappersUnite.com
Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of
Fame.
During her boxing career, she
earned a record of 13 wins, including nine by knockout, one
loss and one draw.
Her only defeat came at the
hands of the daughter of another
boxing legend, Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali.
“Frazier-Lyde came to the
world of boxing very late, making her professional debut at the
age of 38, but her skills and her
famous bloodline led her to the
peak of her profession,” Brown
said. “The success and interest
in the career of Laila Ali encouraged her to enter the ring, and
her battle with Ali in 2001 became the first pay-per-view boxing card to be headlined by
women.”
Frazier-Lyde earned an undergraduate degree from American
University in Washington, D.C.
law degree from Vil # 0 " 3 % 8 " - , " 5 - " / 5 * $ $ * 5 : and
her/J.D+
lanova University in 1987. She
became a member of the bar in
1989.
She was elected to the position
of judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court in 2007 and was
retained following her reelection
in 2013.
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The Independent Voice
Nation Rebels
November 4-18, 2014
Page 5 a
Health Care Act Fraud Surfaces
It seems like only months ago that most
of the national media and pundits of most
stripes were telling us that unless the Republican Party changed its ways that it
was following the path of the dinosaur into
extinction.
Ongoing investigations in the House of
Representatives stalled as the Senate and
the attorney general looked the other way
or stonewalled in most situations. With
the exception of a one or two cable channels, the news was generally sanitized in
the favor of the administration and the so
called minor setback in the last midterm
election was written off as an aberration.
Predictions that the Republican Party
would retake the Senate were mostly reported as the fantasies of some analysts
who themselves were lumped in as throwbacks to a primitive political culture and
generally a ho-hum election was predicted.
Most of the mainstream is still in denial
of what took place on November 4th
across the country and as this is written
damaging disclosures regarding how the
Affordable Care Act was manipulated into
law are being accompanied by major restructuring that is taking place in just
about every statehouse; while some are
still in shock and blaming low turnout.
Yes, it is apparently true that the turnout
is the lowest it has been since 1942, but it
is who turned out and why that should be
sending shock waves through those who
believed they had been successful in converting us to a one party government that
“knew best” for everyone.
Major discontent ruled as 34% of voters
reported they were voting in opposition to
President Obama and at the same time
61% were dissatisfied with the Congress.
Despite that dissatisfaction they gave the
Republicans full control of the Senate with
an unexpected extra margin and further increased Republican control of the House
of Representatives. Equally unexpected
was the fact that many incumbent Governors who were considered “safe” in Democratic states were thrown out giving the
Republicans control of 31 states to the Democrats 17. No one saw this major rebuke
coming and frankly I think that includes
the Republicans themselves.
I am not so sure the electorate saw the
Republicans as strongly unified and standing for the remedies they sought, but were
so disgusted with the administration and
the Democrats that they decided to give
the Republicans a shot at full congressional control and see if they could stop
the fiscal bleeding and do some triage
work on a still fragmented economy in
many aspects and some national and international polices that were increasingly
making us look like a banana republic.
Those that voted were led by those over
65 that made up 26% while 18-29 group
that had a lot to do with the Obama wave
slipped down from 19% in 2012 to 12%
last week. As has been the case in recent
years, Independents of various types
greatly impacted the outcome as their
votes are unpredictable. 34% of those
who voted were registered Republicans
and 37% Democrats but clearly those Democrats did not vote the party line.
Some serious analysis by the more seasoned veterans of Washington politics are
reporting all of sudden that it is the Democratic Party that is in big trouble and that
the last two midterms have cost them so
dearly that the future of the younger politicians in that party has been sacrificed
while younger and minority Republicans
are on the move in much larger numbers.
All of sudden the reversal of fortune once
we get past President Obama is a Democratic Old Guard with just about everyone
standing in weakness many steps below
the already anointed Hillary Clinton.
However, denial still rules with the
largely Democratic sympathy in the mainstream press who just about ignored the
success of Tim Scott of South Carolina,
who is now the first African American to
have been elected to both the House and
Senate since Reconstruction. Both he and
Mia Love, who was elected to the House
from Idaho, were not even mentioned by
the NAACP as they had the misfortune of
being Republicans elected with large
turnout of voters of all races.
Control in the state houses is even more
of tragedy for Democrats as Republicans
HARMONY
Whether you’ve reviving a long-forgotten artistic outlet, continuing
a life-long pursuit, or experimenting with a form of self-expression
you’ve always been keen to try, Cathedral Village is the ideal place
to do it. Here you will find a diverse, thriving artistic environment
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That’s especially true of music. The Cathedral Village musical
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A premier continuing care
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control the governor’s office and legislature in 23 states while the Democrats have
that position in only 7. While Pennsylvania changed to a Democratic Governor in
Tom Wolf, the legislature is just as Republican as it has been in recent years. Democratic rising star in Governor O’Malley
in Maryland suffered a severe setback
when that state turned Republican in a
most unexpected outcome.
If there is anything we have learned
from this unexpected poitical shit, is that
the support for the Obama referendum
may have been a mile wide, but only an
inch deep. It did not take too long for the
runoff from extremist utopian agendas and
policy failures to send the base into apathy
to the point they just did not bother voting.
On the other hand, seniors and serious political watchers with the benefit of experience and vision turned out and reset the
table.
Now it is up to the Republicans and conservatives to do the people’s business first
and foremost and realize that the days of
partisan control and guaranteed incumbency are over.
With nearly 40% of the voters claiming
they are Independents first and foremost,
the old handicapping tools can’t be
counted on. The question they ask most
frequently is: “What have you done for us
– lately?”
Jim Foster
Editor
Page 6
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Opinions & Commentary
Affordable Care Act was a Fraud, Says
Expert as Court Challenge Proceeds
Jonathan Gruber, technical advisor to
President Obama in crafting the Affordable Care Act during its structure and
planning went on the record in a taped
session that transparency would have
killed it and then amplified his outrageous
statement by making the case that it only
passed because of the stupidity of the
American voter, and that was their intent
in the first place.
Add to that just released film clip the fact
that there is some genuine belief that the
Supreme Court will strike down the ACA
due to the fact that there is no uniformity
in the state insurance exchanges and
therefore federal subsidies for the uninsured would be denied. The administration has already announced that the
number of newly insured this year may
only be about half of what was promised.
If you are a reader of these pages, you
may recall that I took the entire process
of how the Affordable Car Act was
planned, sold and then implemened to
task and made the case several times over
that standing federal law that created and
supported only state exchanges, and state
regulation prevented the creation of a national system without repeal and creation
of uniform standards.
We left standing an archaic system that
does not allow buying insurance across
state lines and on top of that, 37 states did
not even have operating exchanges for the
purchase of insurance in a competitive
marketplace. To this day I cannot understand how seasoned veterans in Washington failed to bring to the floor that the
McCarran Ferguson Act of 1945 had to
be first repealed and national standards
created before you could call it national
health care.
Personally I would rename McCarran
Ferguson as the “Insurance Industry Protection Act”, for that is essentially what it
does, and would anyone be surprised to
learn that the insurance industry and trial
lawyers association funded and support
the tactics used by the Obama administration to dupe the “stupid public” and craft
the Act in such a way that even the independent Congressional Budget Office that
analyzes federal spending would not see
how the plan mandated taxes.
what many have cried from the sidelines
all along. What we do know so far is that
the Affordable Care Act as presently
structured is not going to create the coverage for the uninsured that it claimed and
on top of that is far from “affordable”. In
point of fact the massive misuse of federal
dollars used to create it has brought us a
system in complete disarray that will not
only cause a significant increase in premium for many, the deductible on most
policies before you even see coverage has
multiplied many times over itself.
It seems the public has been duped by design and I think this past election is only
the beginning of the backlash.
Mr. Gruber has said from his very much
insider position with the administration
Jim Foster
Editor
State Gets New Governor, City Regresses Further
The expected victory of Tom Wolf has changed the
Pennsylvania Office of the Governor from Republican
to Democrat in an election that ran in the reverse direction from the rest of the nation; however the Republicans retain a strong hold on the state legislature.
We have outlined the challenges facing this state in
prior commentaries, but suffice it to say that Mr. Wolf
has his work cut out for him in handling state finances,
multiple cities that are in or near bankruptcy, and then
there is Philadelphia. Our city is in much worse financial shape than we have been told with the school system in critical condition and major battles ongoing
between the mayor and city council over selling assets
and dealing with critical shortfalls in our pension fund
being only some of the pending problems.
But there is much more trouble that emanates from this
city and spills over to our state government. Starting
with a new Democrat Attorney General in Kathleen
Kane, whose tactics seem so politically charged and
often sophomoric as to make one wonder how well she
will work with the new governor in prioritizing. City
District Attorney Seth Williams has taken on prosecution of cases she rejected involving illegal payments to
serving state political leaders from this city and has already brought one guilty plea forward with promises
of more to come.
entity Sallie Mae. The money was lent to him for his
failed mayoral campaign a few years back and done in
a way to skirt reporting requirements.
A serving state judge resigns over computer exchanges
of pornography while a battle with his Chief Judge
makes regular headlines. Well known Shamus McCaffery steps down after he and Ron Castile trade barbs
with regularity.
Maybe, just maybe, we can finally see the onion peeled
on the long standing misuse of power and money in this
city, and particularly the Northwest sector, by not only
Fattah, but a number of serving elected officials. They
have knowingly and willingly approved public money
flowing to nonprofits and CDCs that operate way outside of compliance and are often run by insiders with
standing political connections. Some of these entities
do file reports that on the surface seem to verify they
comply, but close reading often finds a significant portion of the funding goes to the officers and administrative expenses and very little to the project.
Pending investigations into misuse of charter school
contracts and federal charges are surfacing, and who
would be surprised as we learn of another example of
the misuse of public money in continuous funding
streams that operate outside of compliance?
Waiting for a major disclosure on federal charges we
have the case of long serving Congressman Chaka Fattah. Although just re-elected in the usual Democratic
robo-voting process, two of his close associates have
pled guilty to helping him run a money laundering
scheme that moved $1 million in federal funds that
looked like it was going to do remedial work through
nonprofits, but instead was twice laundered and repaid
a loan to Fattah from the Director of federal mortgage
Possibly the day will come when the public finds out
how their elected officials intend to spend their tax dollars with their close friends and contributors before the
contracts are signed and zoning and permits are engineered in the dark - - not after.
Jim Foster
Editor
Germantown Newspapers, Inc.
6661 Germantown Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19119
Office: 215-438-4000 • fax: 215-754-4245 •www.germantownnewspapers.com
Jim Foster, publisher@germantownnewspapers.com................................................................................Publisher
Scott Alloway, [email protected] ...................................Associate Editor, Production
Sales Staff
Paula Moore, paulamoore925@gmail.com................................................................................Sales Representative
Meredith Sonderskov, msonderskov@germantownnewspapers.com...............................Sales Representative
Francine Ferrell, classifieds@germantownnewspapers.com............................................................Administrator
The Independent Voice, incorporating the Northwest Independent and the Germantown Chronicle, is owned and operated by Germantown Newspapers, Inc., and has offices at 6661
Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119. The Independent Voice has a press run of 38,000 copies and is circulated
door-to-door throughout Northwest Philadelphia and at selected sites through Philadelphia. The publisher reserves the
right to refuse any advertising. All content ©2014 Germantown
Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Opinions &
Commentary
On the Election Results
Editor:
Over the weekend, a friend asked me what I thought of the general
election results from last week. Limiting my remarks to local and
state contests, I quipped “that wasn't an election - it was a hanging!”
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Philadelphia has been
suffering the effects of one party, machine politics for decades. In
spite of what a few would have you believe, our city's future is a
bleak one if we continue down our present path. Every tangible indicator puts Philadelphia right along aside of Detroit in Bankruptcy
Court - high poverty rate, severely underfunded municipal pension
fund, a failed public school system, seemingly endless corruption
and jailing of public officials and most of all, our do nothing/status
quo city council and gutless mayor. Our greatest enemy is the apathy
that exists here, the acceptance of the notion that we cannot solve
our problems, better our lot in life, and do big and bold things.
Our city needs real elections, with real candidates who actually
give voters choices. This will never happen until the so called minority party here resolves to offer real leadership, viable candidates
who take their message and ideas directly to the people, and challenges the malaise that this city is fueled on. The current path we as
a city are on will lead us further backward at a time when we should
be pushing forward.
Lou Lanni, Realtor
Philadelphia PA 19107
Kudos to Zeigler Elementary
School, Olitsky Foundation
Editor:
The Zeigler School, located here in our 179th Legislative District,
along with the Andrew Jackson Elementary School in South
Philadelphia, is the proud recipient of a reading and writing program
funded by the Olitsky Foundation and the Wasserman family. The
program, known as the Integrated Literacy Module, will expose K3 students to technology, including iPads and MacBooks, to help
them learn to read. The program also includes an interactive history
component and science kits.
I and the parents and residents of the 179th Legislative District, as
well as the citizens of all our communities, should applaud this effort
to enrich the skill set of our youth through the additional contact with
reading, writing and science via this essential programming. These
are the kinds of things I am proud to see members of the Philadelphia
community step up to do at a time when resources are lacking yet
the need for education is at an all-time high. Kudos again to providing these inner-city youth with this fantastic opportunity to elevate
their educational experience!
James Clay, Jr.
State Representative, 179th Legislative District
G’town Man Murdered Near Home
Wayne Robert Ellington Sr.,
father of the Lo Angeles Lakers
basketball player Wayne Ellington, Jr., was found mortally
wounded in his car on Marion
Street near Hansberry Street this
past Sunday evening. Ellington
Sr. was apparently shot in the
head. His car struck two other
vehicles before stopping in the
street.
A $20,000 reward is offered by
the city for information leading
to an arrest and conviction in the
killing. The police tip line is 215686-3334.
Sadly, this is not the first execution style murder at this exact
location in recent years. The cor-
ner of Hansberry and Marion
Streets in Germantown is actually in the shadow of the Germantown Post Office and one of
the most dangerous locations in
the Northwest.
Drug dealing is rampant on
Hansberry Street and nearby locations. Police are fully aware
and this newspaper has been on
record that the split responsibility
between the 14th and 39th Districts for this troubled section of
Germantown actually creates a
“corridor of opportuinty.”
We have repeatedly asked the
Philadelphia Police Department
to return this entire area to the
14th District as it once was.
Jim Foster, Editor
Page 7 a
Veterans Not Worth the Dollars?
Editor
The elections are over, back to
business with Congress as they
have many unsettled issues in
need of attention. The VA scandal
is still a priority for Congress to
settle. Although the VA has made
some progress toward veterans
care and benefits improvements,
it is not yet 100% thought out.
Our Congress needs transparency in bipartisanship and
held accountable. A quote by
Theodore Roosevelt, "A man who
is good enough to shed his blood
for the Country is good enough to
be given a square deal afterwards". We veterans need a
square deal for survival and better
quality of life, is it not too much
to ask for? Many thousands of
veterans are sick with PTSD and
Severe Illnesses with little to no
resolve.
The most critical of our veterans groups is the Vietnam war
veteran. Tens of thousands continue to combat illnesses associated with the herbicide Agent
Orange.
The group of veterans mostly
ignored by the VA are those who
served at sea in that war known as
Blue Water Navy, many are infected with Agent Orange. House
Bill HR-543 is still active in Congress with over 55% Congressional support it is stalled in the
Veterans Affairs Committee. Financial support for this Bill
amounts to approx. 7 to 9 billion
dollars spread out over 7 to 10
years, after that there will be none
of us left. We give hundreds of
billions to foreign Countries some
of which hate us, yet not a dime
to our veterans, what is wrong
with this picture. It goes to show
veterans are low priority.
Americans call your members
of Congress demand they pass
HR-543.
John J. Bury
US Navy retired
Vietnam veteran
Media, PA
Election 2014: The Good News and Bad
by Sheldon Richman
The 2014 midterm election
delivered both good news and
bad. The good news is that the
losers lost. The bad news is that
the winners won.
Journalist Mike Barnicle says
he’s never seen an election in
which the people feel so distant
from the government. I wish his
diagnosis were right, but I suspect it is not. True, voter turnout
likely set no records for a
midterm, but this doesn’t indicate alienation as much as disgust with the particular cast of
incumbents. Who wouldn’t be
disgusted?
Despite what the voters may
think, however, this isn’t really
about personality and character.
It’s about the limits of human nature. No one is qualified to govern us, considering how
“govern” is defined today. The
national, state, and local governments attempt to manage all aspects of our lives. In various
ways, they undertake to “get the
economy moving” and keep it
“humming.” On top of that, the
national government maintains a
global empire in the service of
which the national-security apparatus presumes to manage foreign societies.
Even if doing these things
were morally proper—which it
assuredly is not—it would be beyond the capability of human beings. No person or group could
possibly possess the knowledge
that would be required to manage a society—this one or one in
a foreign land. Any “leader” who
presents himself as fit for that
job is a poser. No one is qualified
to do what politicians today aspire to do.
That goes for Republicans as
well as Democrats. Republicans
talk about shrinking government, but don’t believe it. They
certainly have no intention of
shrinking the American empire,
much less dismantling it. Quite
the contrary. And while they talk
about freeing the economy, that
usually means removing restrictions on privileged economic interests without also eliminating
the privileges. Republicans give
the free market a bad name, because too often their policies
amount to unabashed corporatism. But, then, the Democrats
are no different. Both parties
have a vested interest in the essential status quo, whatever their
differences at the margin.
The election season is when
we most often hear hosannas to
democracy. Every public figure,
including supposedly hardboiled
news people, urges us to vote.
“Every vote counts,” they say.
Balderdash.
As the late Gordon Tullock explains, “It’s more likely that
you’ll get killed driving to the
polling booth, than it is that your
vote will change the outcome of
the election.” Think about the
elections you voted in. Not one
would have turned out differently had you done something
else that day.
Since no one vote is decisive,
most people have no incentive to
invest time and money acquiring
the knowledge necessary to act
responsibly on election day. (The
responsible thing could be to
stay home.) Government at all
levels imposes burdens on our
economic activities—the socalled economy is just people
and their pursuits. How many
voters study economics so they
can competently judge what candidates promise to do? And how
many study moral philosophy to
better decide whether existing
and promised policies are moral
or immoral? The great American
social critic H.L. Mencken said,
“Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen
goods.” How would we decide if
he is right or wrong?
To really become an informed
voter, you would have to do
nothing but study these and
other subjects. But since your
one vote won’t be decisive, why
would you take time away from
your family, friends, work, and
voluntary community activities,
where your choices are decisive?
You wouldn’t, and you don’t.
Moreover, the costs and benefits associated with electing the
candidates you vote for are dispersed among the multitude, so
even if your choice wins, your
share is minuscule.
Thus your vote has virtually
no personal material consequences and no influence on the
outcome. So remaining ignorant
and voting your biases and feelings turns out to be the rational
thing to do.
In other words, voting rewards
irresponsibility. That’s just one
problem with democracy.
In the end, democratic representation—the opiate of the
masses—is just a way to stop us
from complaining. The people
in Washington aren’t our representatives. They are our rulers.
But fear not. The alternative
isn’t dictatorship. It’s individual
freedom, responsibility, contract, and voluntary mutual aid.
Sheldon Richman is vice president editor at The Future of
Freedom Foundation in Fairfax, Va. (www.fff.org).
Page 8
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Heart-stopping Street-side Display at LTSP
Honors Memory of Victims Slain by Illegal Guns
Thanksgiving Eve
Germantown Community Church Worship Service
Wednesday, November 26, 2014 ~ 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Grace Baptist Church of Germantown
Dr. Quintin L. Robertson, Interim Pastor and Presiding Minister
25 W. Johnson Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Preacher
Rev. George Smith, Pastor
Second Baptist Church of Nicetown
Participating Pastors & Churches
Rev. Dr. Bruce N. Alick, Pastor
Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Germantown
Rev. Derick Brennan, Pastor
Canaan Baptist Church
Rev. Ernest R. Flores, Pastor
Second Baptist Church of Germantown
Rev. Dr. Andrew Foster, Pastor
Janes Memorial United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Ronald King Hill, Pastor
Corinthian Baptist Church of Germantown
Rev. Dr. Melvin McAllister, Pastor
Mt. Tabor Baptist Church
Dr. Quintin L. Robertson, Interim Pastor
Grace Baptist Church of Germantown
Rev. George A. Smith,
Second Baptist Church of Nicetown
Dr. Alyn E. Waller, Pastor
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
Mission Gift offering will assist those affected by the Ebola crisis via the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission
Convention. This offering is given in loving memory of Mrs. Geraldine S. Jones, the former First Lady of
Grace Baptist Church of Germantown.
Make checks payable to: Lott Carey BFM Convention, Inc.
For more information call 215-438-3215
It was a heart-stopping, captivating memorial display along Germantown Avenue in Mt.
Airy in front of The Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) during election week.
The street-side display featured 201
mounted shirts, each lettered with the name,
age and date of death of someone killed during
2013 by illegal guns on the streets of Philadelphia.
The traveling display came to the seminary
after a two-week stint outside St. Michael’s
Lutheran Church down the street. Later it is
moving to St. Martin in the Fields Church in
Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill.
Voters showing up November 4 at the
polling place on the seminary campus were
visibly moved by the display, which had been
set up the day before by LTSP professor Katie
Day and volunteer seminarians. “People at the
polls are actually thrilled with the installation,”
Day said. Day has been an energetic part of
movements in the city to halt gun violence.
Day is part of Heeding God’s Call, which has
done memorials like the one outside the seminary in Washington, DC, Harrisburg and
Chester. In October, the group did a display in
North Philadelphia with hoodies, representing
those just from North Philadelphia who had
been killed by guns this year. That number was
54.
Members of the Northwest Philadelphia
community have also visited the memorial.
One mother, visiting the display, replaced the
shirt memorializing her son with one she had
marked with his birth date rather than date of
death and a personal note on the back. “She
didn't want him remembered by his murder,”
Day explained.
At the eucharist held during the All Saints
Day chapel service at the seminary November
5, the shirts were incorporated into the service,
and afterward congregants assembled outside
to pray for the individuals represented.
In her eucharist sermon, Day noted that at
displays, loved ones have found their family
member’s shirt and left flowers or other mementos. “Philadelphia has had more gun murders,” she said in her sermon message, “than
they had last year in the whole country of
Canada, as well as Germany. We (in Philadelphia) had more than the combined total of gun
deaths in the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Spain and Finland. Can you imagine?
We have come to accept the unacceptable. It
doesn’t have to be this way…”
The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Page 9 a
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Page 10
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Philadelphia Teacher’s Students Inspire Animated Tale
Bridging Gap Between Picture and Chapter Books
Mystical Island
Adventure, a book by
Susan Love
Philadelphia public schoolteacher Susan Love’s animated ebook adventure shows and tells
the story of four pre-teens who
must save a magical, earth-protecting orchid from both a massive hurricane and greedy rulers
who want to steal the island’s
power source.
Selected for a trip to the orchid’s island, Sabrina, Arthur,
Miguel, and Lucy thought they
were in for the science lesson of
a lifetime. Fate requires them to
also help the island’s magical
caretakers solve riddles and puzzles that lead to hidden petals of a
crystal flower. Only if the crystal
petals are reassembled can the orchid–and the planet–be saved.
As they scramble over treacherous cliffs, explore caves and
evade the power-hungry Rivals,
the four adventurers make the
biggest discovery of all: Each
possesses their own special
power, derived from unique talents they didn’t realize they had.
Ms. Love’s Mystical Island Adventure was written not only to
entertain, but also to bridge the
gap between the elaborately illustrated picture books children first
read and the chapter books of
mostly text to which they transition, around age 8.
“Many of my middle school
students are visual learners with
great imagination. I realized they
weren’t ready yet to let go of illustrations that embellish the
story line and assist in comprehension,” says Ms. Love.
Since are now living in an electronic age, the teacher decided to
create a state-of-the-art bridge between picture and chapter books
by digitally animating customized
illustrations. Response to the
book, which is now available on
all major eBook readers, is beyond her wildest expectations.
Both kids and adults love it.
Susan Love isn’t the only one
noticing this need for bridge
books. They seem to be a trend.
Writes The Guardian’s children’s
literature columnist Imogen Russell Williams: “Lately, there's
been a crop of titles bridging the
gap between picture and chapter
books that I've found surprisingly
appealing… to me, the best
[bridge books] offer the same intoxicating, seamless interaction
between text and image that a
good picture book does, with an
additional sense of challenge and
excitement imparted by a more
sustained, developed narrative.”
[theguardian.com, March 14,
2014]
The genesis of Susan Love’s
bridge book was her own island
adventure. She was on a restorative summer vacation in the
Caribbean, lamenting to a
stranger about the struggle of
reaching students who lived with
the stress of high-crime neighborhoods and whose parents had no
time to get involved at school.
The stranger remarked that unlike
Love, most of her students’ couldn’t escape their circumstances on
an island vacation. Her classroom
had to be their island.
“She was speaking metaphorically, but I literally transformed
my classroom into an island,” Ms.
Love said. That fall, her students
returned to a large, thatched umbrella inviting them to sit at the
table and chairs beneath. On the
walls were tropical scenes, with
island flowers and festive rainbow-colored streamers everywhere, and even had a real rock
waterfall.
Beneath the umbrella the students wrote island adventures featuring themselves and their
teacher.
“My students inspired me to
write my own island story that
would include all of us,” says
Love.
JOIN US FOR
FO
OR
AN
A
N OPEN
OPEN HO
HOUSE!
USE!
WHO
W
HO iiss iinvited?
nvited?
Our
O
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WHAT
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usic, ttours,
our s,
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and
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WHEN
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IFE G
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ermantown C
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PA
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hiladelphia, P
A1
9119
WHY
WH
Y iiss tthe
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IFE h
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The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Intercultural Communication
CERTIFIED DOCUMENT TRANSLATION
INS Documents, Patents, Contracts, Academic Transcripts, etc
Spanish, German, French, Indonesian,
Portuguese, Russian, Haitian Creole ...
All Languages
24 Hour Fax 215-438-1958
Interpretation
Arbitrations, Workers Comp Hearings, Conventions, Business Meetings, etc.
SI Wireless Systems and Booths • Audience Response Service
Text Translation & Interpreting Services • 215-520-0031
Mailing Address: PO Box 12349, Philadelphia, PA 19119
[email protected]
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Page 11 a
Page 12
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Classifieds –
Buy, Sell, Rent, Look for Work.
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The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Page 13 a
Arts & Culture
Germantown Jewish Centre
400 W. Ellet Street
Torah Yoga for Kids at Germantown Jewish Centre
Saturdays at 10 AM Through
Nov. 22
We offer Shabbat morning
Torah Yoga for children between the ages of 6 and 12. Our
teacher, Dove, brings together
Jewish learning and yoga postures to awaken the body, heart
and soul. For more information,
contact [email protected] or 215-8441507 X 19.
Reading the Bible through a
Woman's Eyes: CSI Meets
Gloria Steinem with Ellen
Frankel at Germantown Jewish Centre
Begins Wednesday, November 5
How sexist is the Hebrew
Bible? Is it fair to judge this ancient text by our modern values?
Are we guilty of apologetics if
we don't? How does feminism
inform our reading of these old
stories? Does it alienate us further from traditional Judaism?
Or does it bring us closer? How
can we hear the silent or silenced voices of women in these
ancient words? In this course,
we will examine a few of the
most problematic texts in the
Tanakh, such as the rape of
Dinah, the Bridegroom of
Blood, the Ordeal of the Sotah
(the wife suspected of adultery),
and the sacrifice of Jephthah's
Daughter, as well as biblical
laws about women's bodies and
rights, bringing to our study insights from feminist scholarship,
techniques
from
contemporary midrash and literary criticism, and our own close
reading in order to expand our
understanding and challenge our
assumptions about our most sacred scripture. Texts will be
studied in English. No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary.
Four Sessions: Wed 7:30-9 pm*
Nov 5, 12, 19; Dec 3
GJC Members $50 / Non-Members $65
For more info or to register contact [email protected] or 215-844-1507
Ext 19.
Sacred Cross-Cultural Music
of the Near East for PEACE
A Concert by the Qadim Ensemble at Germantown Jewish Centre
Tuesday, November 18 at 7:30
PM
Join us in welcoming the Qadim
Ensemble, musicians from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Arabic
and Persian traditions, celebrating the common musical and
spiritual heritage of the region's
cultures, while honoring the
great diversity found within
them. They have been featured
on NPR and their most recent
CD, Eastern Wind, received
rave reviews worldwide, reaching #7 on Billboard's World
Music charts!$10-$25 sliding
scale. . For more information,
contact [email protected] or 215-8441507 X 19.
Mussar Shabbat: A Path to
Holiness with Rabbi Ira Stone
November 21-22
Join us in welcoming Rabbi Ira
Stone, Mussar scholar and rabbi
at Beth Zion Beth Israel in Center City Philadelphia. Together
we will learn about the philosophy, practice and literature of
Mussar, an ethical movement of
self-improvement. Programming will begin on Friday night,
continue in the Charry Service
on Saturday morning and conclude with an offsite Havdallah
gathering on Saturday night.
Contact
[email protected] or 215844-1507 X 19, for more details
or to register.
Israeli Dancing at Germantown Jewish Centre
Sundays at 10 AM in November (except 11/30)
The Germantown Jewish Centre
Israeli dance group meets on
Sunday mornings throughout
the school year. Our repertoire
consists mainly of intermediate
dances, though we always begin
with easier, older dances. There
is an emphasis on instruction
and review in the earlier part of
the session. We are an informal,
friendly group, and always welcome new dancers! $5 per session. We meet each Sunday in
October. For more info contact
[email protected] or 215-844-1507 Ext
19.
Ongoing
Awbury Aboretum
Nature Exploration Lunch
and Learn Classes for homeschooled children ages 6 to 12.
Page 14
November 4-18, 2014
State Crossword:
Thanksgiving
Arts & Culture
Continued from previious page
children 8 and older. Cost:
$100.00
To register or for questions. email [email protected]
rg
From Happy Hollow
4th Annual “Cookin’ With
WHO?” Chef Competition
Thursday, Nov. 6, 6:30 till
8:30
Brossman Center, Lutheran
Theological Seminary Campus
7301 Germantown Avenue.
(Free off-street parking available!)
10 community chefs will present favorite recipes & compete
for your vote in this fun competition for the “Mt. Airy Platinum
Spatula” & the “People’s
Choice” award. There will also
r’s
Wednesdays 12 - 2 pm.
Through Nov. 19. Bring a
brown bag lunch to the Arboretum to socialize and then spend
time exploring microecosystems
at Awbury. Each week features a
different subject for young naturalists to investigate.
Cost: $120 for 10 sessions
Awbury 4H Archery Club
Fridays 2:00 to 3:30 PM. 8 sessions starting Oct. 3. Learn to
use a bow and arrow. For children 8 and older. Cost: $ 80
Kids’ Cooking Series
Fridays 11:00am to 1 pm. 5
sessions starting Sept. 26.
Around the World Tour of Cuisine and Cultures of Foreign
Lands. Hands-on cooking, eating and recipe critiquing for
ill
e
Home Repair Service
& General Remodeling
M
Bathrooms and Kitchens from $3550+
Designs & Problem Solving by Engineer
30 years experience
Carpentry, Plumbing, Tile
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Electrical, Masonry, Drywall
License #99113
(ask to see everyone’s)
Decks, Shed, Window, Door
267-225-0050
Quality, Honest, Friendly Service
Real Estate Investing Financial Partner
The Independent Voice
be a raffle & a silent auction.
Many generous local businesses
& restaurants have donated
valuable prizes.
Before you ask………………
We have addressed the food volume problem we had last year,
& there will be plenty this year,
Come & sample the dishes &
vote.
EMAN’s chefs this year are:
Larry Daniels, EMAN’s Board
President
Laura Siena, former E.D. of
WMAN & wonderful community activist
David Young, E.D. of the historic Cliveden of the National
Trust
This fun, informal event highlights the diversity of the neighborhood………… I’ve seen all
the recipes, & it’s an eclectic assortment (including vegetarian
dishes). It might be hard to
choose your favorite & vote, but
we hope you’ll come & try!
It also raises funds for 3 worthy
nonprofit organizations here in
Northwest Philly: EMAN, Awbury Arboretum & the Lutheran
Seminary. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door.
You can get tickets, learn more
about all the chefs, support a
chef with a donation, & get lots
of
details
at
www.ltsp.edu/CookinWithWho/
Storybook Theater
Storybook Musical Theatre, one
of the Greater Philadelphia
area’s premiere children’s theater companies will present its
23rd season of three original
musicals for family audiences
on December 17th . The musicals are based on stories from
Charles Perrault, the Grimm
Brothers’ and Carlo Collodi.
The Abington-based, non-profit,
professional Equity children’s
theatre will present performances at two locations in the
Greater Philadelphia area; the
Gratz College Theater in Melrose Park and the Bluett Theater
of St. Joseph’s University in
Philadelphia.
Storybook’s season opener will
be “Cinderella.” This original
adaptation by Patricia Goldberg,
Storybook’s Artistic Director, is
based on the classic tale by
Charles Perrault. Kevin Arruda
composed its original music.
“Cinderella” will be performed
from December 17 to 30 at the
Gratz College Theater, 7605 Old
York Rd., Melrose Park, Pa. and
will conclude its run from January 13 to 17, 2015 at the Bluett
Theater at St. Joseph’s University, 54th & Overbrook Av,
Philadelphia.
ACROSS
1. Bullying, e.g.
6. Brown of “Back to
the Future”
9. Choir member
13. Brick worker
14. Bruin legend
Bobby ___
15. Show contempt
16. At right angle to a
ship
17. Actress ___
Michele of “Glee”
18. These lips sink
ships
19. *Reason to celebrate Thanksgiving
21. *Pilgrim helper
23. “C’___ la vie!”
24. Chopped fish bait
25. “Casablanca” pianist
28. Maui dance
30. Horrify
35. All over again
37. Oily freshwater
fish, native to Asia
and Europe
39. Red Sea peninsula
40. Beehive State
41. Aussie “bear”
43. *Baste the turkey
or set the table, e.g.
44. *Cornucopia’s
shape
46. Ill-gotten gains
47. Yemeni port
48. Frame or trap
50. *Marshmallows are
placed ____ the
sweet potatoes
52. European Nuclear
Society
53. Very curious
55. To nail, as in criminal
57. *Distinctly orange
fruit
61. Product-selling
scheme
65. Sleeping noise
66. “___ to Joy”
68. Rome’s Colosseum
69. Step
70. Galley tool
71. Vertebrae cushions
72. Secret association
of Chinese
73. Flammable toxic
derivative of
toluene
74. Electronic money
DOWN
1. Wet nurse
2. “Ali ____ and the 40
Thieves”
3. ____-friendly
4. Dry white Italian
wine
5. Catch in a net
6. Airhead
7. Bonanza find
8. “_____ into Me” by
Dave Matthews
Band
9. Dwarf buffalo
10. *____ Lett’s famous Thanksgiving
football blunder
11. Reason to cram
12. Three-layer cookie
15. Sinks into a couch,
e.g.
20. Between rock and
a hard place?
22. In so far as, conjunction
24. Popular rye bread
addition
25. *Cranberry _____
26. Playwright
Chekhov
27. Had in mind
29. Cambodia’s neighbor
31. Falafel bread
32. Battery terminal
33. Burdened
34. *NFL hosts
36. Helicopter sound
38. Surveyor’s map
42. Extreme suffering
45. Mouth sore
49. Hawaiian dish
51. *Macy’s tradition
54. Arrogant person
56. Relating to barium
57. “Hey ... over here!”
58. “Do ____ others
as...”
59. Express complaint
60. Synonym to #54
Down
61. Chipper
62. Phoenix neighbor
63. Cyan and magenta
in printer, e.g.
64. 100-meter race
67. “Da Vinci Code” by
___ Brown
Answer on page 16
The Independent Voice
Tinseltown
Talks
by Nick Thomas
Despite roles in over 50 feature films spanning five
decades, including big screen
classics such as “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939),
“Miracle on 34th Street”
(1947), and the original “The
Parent Trap” (1961), 94-yearold screen legend Maureen
O’Hara was never nominated
for a competitive Oscar.
But last Saturday, November
8, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized the fiery, redheaded, Irish
actress’s lifetime achievement
in film with an Honorary Oscar
during the 6th Annual Governors Awards.
“It was very exciting news
and I’m so proud to be recognized by my peers,” said
O’Hara several days before the
ceremony from Boise, Idaho,
where she has lived with family
since 2012.
O’Hara remains one of the
most beloved classic film actresses, noted for playing feisty
females and often alongside
John Wayne in five films such
as “McLintock!” (1963), and
John Ford’s “Rio Grande”
(1950) and “The Quiet Man”
(1952).
Though she referred to him as
a “kind, wonderful man,”
Wayne could be rough on
screen.
He dragged her across the
Irish countryside in “The Quiet
Man,” then repeated the harsh
treatment a decade later in a
chase through the Arizona Territory’s dusty streets in “McLintock!”
Left bruised after both ordeals, O’Hara didn’t object. In
fact, throughout her career, she
performed most of her own
stunts, including a dangerous
fall backwards from a ladder
into a horse trough in “McLintock!”
“During filming, John Wayne
was actually concerned when I
was up on the ladder and yelled
‘Get down you damn fool,
you’re going to kill yourself!’
But I did the stunt anyway. It
was rather silly risking permanent injury or death for the sake
of a movie, but there was a thrill
in it. I did some dangerous
November 4-18, 2014
And the Oscar Went to
…. Maureen O’Hara!
things in my career, and usually
prayed that I would come
through safe and sound.”
Deeply religious, O’Hara has
remained delightfully down to
earth.
In a scene from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” after
being rescued from the gallows
by Charles Laughton, his stunt
double lifts O’Hara high over
his head atop the church tower.
“It scared the hell out of me,”
she recalled. “With no protective netting and I would have
been killed if I’d fallen. But I’m
pretty tough, and probably
would have cracked the cement!”
That tough, strong-willed,
fearless character was evident
even in her first major role, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939’s “Jamaica Inn” and set the stage for
the strong female characters she
would play throughout her career.
“It would have been hard for
me to be anything else because
I am close in character to the
women I played,” said O’Hara.
“While I love being sentimental, I am a hardheaded woman,
too!”
“Jamaica Inn” was Hitchcock’s last film before leaving
the UK for Hollywood. Although critics slammed it, audiences flocked to theaters.
“It was a tremendous success
in Canada, England and the
US,” noted O’Hara. “Hitchcock
was fabulous to work with. But
he couldn’t help it. He had the
gift of genius from the heavens
and gave the world wonderful
stories and movies.”
“Jamaica Inn” also starred
Laughton, who discovered
O’Hara during a screen test and
was enamored by her beauty,
especially her expressive, green
eyes.
“I hope he also saw a talented
actress in me with the potential
for a long career, even though I
was a real smartarse Irish
woman!” she said.
Stefanie Powers recognized
that talent when, at age 20, she
joined the cast of “McLintock!”
as O’Hara’s daughter.
“I was beginning my career,”
recalled Powers., who starred in
the ‘80s TV series “Hart to
Hart.” “Maureen’s instinctive
timing made her the perfect
John Ford heroine. The chemistry she had with John Wayne
was so extraordinary, she made
acting look easy. Ensemble acting like that is often overlooked
at Oscar time.
“She stayed consistent with
the roles she played, and didn’t
really have that single dramatic
role that gets the Academy’s attention. Had she played against
type, she probably would have
won an Oscar long ago.”
O'Hara published her autobiography, “'Tis Herself,” with
John Nicoletti in 2005, and says
she’s now enjoying retirement
surrounded by family. “It’s nice
to get awards, but they don’t
compare to the award God gives
you when he gave you a family.”
Though age has left her frail
and largely wheelchair bound
today, O’Hara enjoys watching
movies and listening to music in
her home, surrounded not only
by family, but numerous framed
photographs of her leading men
– including John Wayne, Tyrone Power, and John Payne.
But she feels there’s still room
on her fireplace mantle to enjoy
one more new man in her life.
A rather diminutive goldplated fellow, she says, “My
Oscar!”
Page 15 a
Business Services
Directory
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Maureen O’Hara in an early publicity still.
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Yard Sales,
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215-438-4000
Financing Available • Free Estimates • Fully Insured
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All Types of Roofing
Siding • Windows
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Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn
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with features, columns, and interviews in over 450 magazines
and newspapers.
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Page 16
November 4-18, 2014
White’s
Business
Wines
Services
Directory
215-438-4000
by David White
Do It Right
Drain & Plumbing
BERNIE
The Small Job
Specialist
Is Your Toilet Leaking?
• We install BATHROOMS
• DRAIN CLEANING
• Repair or Replace BROkEN pIpES
We’ll beat anybody’s price
or we’ll take 10% off!
Cell: 267-586-2809
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• City Violations Corrected
• Hot Water Heaters Replaced
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The Independent Voice on the Air
With JIM FOSTER & CO-HOST CANADA BROWN
900amwurd.com/index.php?page=the-independent-voice
Join the Conversation with Jim Foster and Canada Brown
866-361-0900 or 215-634-8065• Sunday 7:00 - 8:00pm • Host: Jim Foster
“No one needs a new wine
brand,” explained Craig Becker,
a veteran Napa Valley winegrower, over breakfast one recent morning.
We were discussing the market
for expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. Even though Napa Valley
produces less wine than most
people realize – it accounts for
just 4 percent of California's
yield – the region produces
plenty of high-end offerings.
Napa Valley is home to more
than 500 wineries, and the average price for a bottle of “Napa
Cab” shipped directly to consumers exceeds $80.
Yet Becker is betting that one
of his latest projects, Priest
Ranch, will thrive. His blueprint
is simple – it relies on good
grapes and honesty. Considering
Becker's track record, his plan
will almost certainly succeed.
Becker grew up in Southern
California and always loved the
outdoors. When it came time for
college, he headed north, mainly
in search of great mountain biking. After a stint at a junior college in Santa Rosa, Becker
enrolled at the University of California, Davis, to study soil science and plant physiology.
In 1996, during his final year
at school, Becker landed a harvest internship at Robert Mondavi Winery. He stayed on
through graduation, and the next
year, he was hired as the assistant winemaker at Spring Mountain Vineyard, one of Napa
Valley's most historic properties.
At the conclusion of harvest,
however, Spring Mountain's
head winemaker departed to
launch his own brand. So even
though Becker was just 23, he
was put in charge.
Fortunately, Spring Mountain
Vineyard had two of the wine industry's smartest consultants on
retainer -- Daniel Roberts, an accomplished soil scientist, and
David Ramey, a legendary vintner. Becker credits both for his
obsession with quality fruit.
“Everyone says this, but it's all
about the grapes,” Becker explained. Thanks to Ramey,
Becker learned that with good
fruit, he could ignore much of
what he learned in college and
instead rely on ancient wine-
The Independent Voice
With Priest Ranch,
Craig Becker Is
Betting On Honesty
making techniques. Becker
began to see himself as a grower
first and a winemaker second.
“Viticulture is the art of bonsai,” he continued, sharing one
particular lesson. “You shrink a
weed, over and over again, to see
if you can get it to produce great
wine.”
Many people began taking notice of Becker's work. In 1999,
he decided to take on a few other
projects as a consultant. Within
five years, he had accumulated
nearly a dozen clients, helped
launch several wine projects,
and created his own brand,
Highflyer.
In 2004, Becker visited Priest
Ranch – a 638-acre property in
the eastern mountains of Napa
Valley – to source Grenache for
Highflyer. He fell in love with
Priest Ranch's fruit and became
fast friends with the owner,
Allan Chapman. The following
year, Chapman purchased an adjoining 990-acre property and
hired Becker to make some
wine. Their families also hit it
off, so in 2008, Becker and
Chapman formally merged their
brands.
Today, Priest Ranch produces
about 10,000 cases of wine, a
quarter of which is Cabernet
Sauvignon. Becker hopes to
double Priest Ranch's output
over the next decade. Considering the market's reception of his
wines thus far, that goal seems
reasonable.
“My message to wine buyers
is, 'you can trust Priest Ranch,”
Becker explained. “We'll always
use estate fruit, so we'll always
deliver value when you consider
the quality and price.”
With this declaration, Becker
was not so subtly criticizing the
many brands that have sacrificed
quality to keep up with demand.
With 215 acres under vine – and
plenty of room to grow – Priest
Ranch will never have to look
outside its own estate for fruit.
“We're focusing on trust,”
Becker continued. “In a world of
so many choices, that's what will
lead to brand recognition and
loyalty from buyers.”
Becker's price point is also
smart. Priest Ranch's Cabernet
retails for $42, so on restaurant
wine lists, sommeliers can easily
offer the wine for under $100.
Becker just finished his 18th
harvest. Success breeds success,
so his optimism about Priest
Ranch isn't surprising. What is
surprising, though, is just how
obvious his plan seems.
David White is the founder and
editor of Terroirist.com, which
was named “Best Overall Wine
Blog” at the 2013 Wine Blog
Awards. His columns are housed
at Grape Collective.
The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Page 17 a
Classified Advertising
Real Estate
One Bedroom Apt.
16xx East Duval St.
Newly Renovated , Near Transportation
$700 .00 dollars monthly plus utilities
215-247-1210
_________________________________
262 E Cliveden Street
Spacious layouts, updated windows, off
street parking, w/d on site, gas included!
*Ask about our move in specials! *
$725.00 +electric
$825.00 +electric
M.E. INC
215-844-1200
www.elfantre.com
_________________________________
Cozy 2 bdr house w/ hrdwd flrs, dishwasher, washer & dryer, ultra modern
kitchen and large fenced bck yd.
895.00 per mo. Plus util
Call 215 868-2047
_________________________________
Furnished Rooms
Clean & quiet, no drugs
private entrance
Call 267-988-5890
_________________________________
Garden Style
Apartment Complex
in Mt. Airy. Nice 1 & 2 Bedrooms
Utilities included except for electric.
Leave message for
Court Rentals.
215-842-2500
_________________________________
Want to Buy Real Estate
I BUY HOUSES;
I PAY CASH
Any Condition
Private, Professional,
Personal Services.
Call Brennan Properties
215-990-4137
_________________________________
House for Sale
Rent to Buy
71xxx Woolston Ave.
3 Bedrooms & 1 Bath
$ 90,000 • Need $5,000 To Move In.
Newly Renovated
215-740-4629
_________________________________
Germantown Area
64xx Musgrave St.
Spacious straight-through.
EIK, porch, more.
$66,900.
Call Marlene
Prudential Prime Real Estate
215-338-3200
_________________________________
Germantown Area
Rooms for rent.
Non smoking environment.
$400 a month,
50 and older welcome.
Legal Notice
NOTICE ARTICLES OF DISSOLUTION
NOTICE is hereby given to all persons interested or who may be affected that
TERRY CONSTRUCTION, INC. a Pennsylvania Corporation, having a registered
address at 414 Randall Road, Wyncote,
PA 19095 is about to file Articles of Dissolution with the Department of State of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and that
its Board of Directors is now engaged in
winding up and settling the affairs of the
corporation so that its corporate existence
shall be ended by the issuance of a Certificate of Dissolution under the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988.
_________________________________
2xx Berkley
2-bedroom 2nd fl.
$700 plus utilities.
51xx Wakefield
1st fl, private entrance.
$650 plus utilities, section 8 and VA welcome.
Call 215-432-9369
_________________________________
CLIVEDEN STREET
Newly Decorated One Bedroom Apartment w/w carpet,
tiled bathroom, garbage disposal.
Off street parking, No Pets.
$595 plus utilities
215-782-8030 EXT. 2
_________________________________
Legal Notice
Family Court of Delaware
Notice of Family Court Action
To: Carlton James, Respondent(s)
Petitioner: Lisa Durant has filed a guardianship petition against you in the Family Court
of the State of Delaware for Kent County
on Sept. 12, 2014. If you do not file an answer with the Family Court within 20 days
after publication of this notice, exclusive of
the date of publication as required by
statute, this action will be heard in Family
Court without further notice. Petition #1425544.
ºº
IF YOU WISH TO BE REPRESENTED BY
AN ATTORNEY IN THIS MATTER BUT
CANNOT AFFORD ONE, YOU MAY BE
ENTITED TO HAVE THE COURT APPOINT AND ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT
YOU FOR FREE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE CLERK OF THE
COURT AT FAMILY COURT.
_________________________________
Church Programs
Sanctuary of Praise and
Worship International
26 W. Queen Lane Philadelphia
215-843-9030 or 215-843-9031
Service Line Up
Sunday Morning Worship Experience: 10: 00
Tuesday Prayer
12:00 Noon
Wednesday Night Prayer & Bible study
6:45
Friday Night youth Explosion
Every other Friday
_________________________________
Antiques
OLD FURNITURE & ANTIQUES
(Also: paintings, crafts, coins,
gold, oriental rugs,
dolls, pottery,
clocks & jewelry)
We Buy The Unusual!
Call Tyler’s at
215-920-7310 (cell) or
215-844-9272 (store
_________________________________
Fran The Handiman
* General Contracting
* Cement Work
* Stone Pointing
* Pressure Washing
* Stucco & Concrete
215-739-1820 or 267-242-8118
1986 BUICK REGAL LIMITED COUPE
Maintained two-owner local car with no winter use.
V-8 Automatic, power steering, power brakes, power
windows, split power seats, power door locks, tilt
wheel, cruise control. Factory AM/FM cassette radio.
Never modified or altered, recent transmission rebuild.
Original grey leather interior, just turned 100,000 miles
Two senior citizen owners, never abused.
$14,500
Call Jim 215-438-5171
FOXY DIVAS HAIR SALON
5705 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, Pa. 19144
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
5% OFF
ALL STYLES
CALL 215-848 -3288
Legal Notice
Notice: 2014-2015 Germantown Special
Services District Board of Directors will
meet as outlined below. All meetings will
be held at The Flying Horse, 5534 Pulaski
Ave, Philadelphia unless otherwise indicated. The public is invited to attend.
Friday, October 17, 8:30AM
Tuesday, November 11, Annual Meeting,
6PM @ Treasure's at 5549 Germantown
Ave.
Friday, December 12, 8:30AM
Tuesday, January 13, 8:30AM
Friday, February 13, 8:30AM
Tuesday, March 10, 8:30AM
Friday, April 10, 8:30AM
Tuesday, May 12, 8:30AM
Friday, June 12, 8:30AM
Call 215-840-3473
_________________________________
1974 MGB ROADSTER
Beautifully maintained garage kept MGB. Last year for chrome bumpers.
Excellent condition inside and out.
Needs nothing. $9500 • Call Jim 215-438-5171
1966 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD FOR SALE
Magnificent garage kept original Cadillac with 70,000 miles All power
accessories with factory climate control air conditioning. This car is
unrestored and always maintained in mint condition with limited use.
$12,500
Call Jim 215-438-5171
1974 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Solid rust free condition.
Runs well, very nice interior and top. Garage Kept
$6900 Shown by Appointment
Call Jim 215-438-5171
Page 18
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
Recollections on a Veterans Day:
Equal Rights Triumphs in South Carolina
68 Recruits from Platoon 304 United States Marine Corps graduates from over four months of boot camp training at Parris Island South Carolina on April 5, 1963.
Who would have thought that
a very basic lesson in how the
level playing field can actually
work to reverse generations of
racism would be the first order
of business in a Marine Corps
enlisted training platoon in of
all places, South Carolina a full
two years before we even
passed a Civil Rights Amendment to the Constitution.
But that is what actually unfolded in December of 1962
when 73 recruits from all over
the United States were herded
into their barracks for the first
time and the process of “breaking them down” and “building
them up” began in one of the
most authoritarian organizations one can image. I am witness as I was one of that ragtag
group unofficially known as
“Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children” (USMC).
It was literally only seconds
after we were run into the barracks for the first time and were
lined up in front of the double
bunks standing at some form of
attention in pants and T shifts
when one of the three drill instructors bellowed in very
Southern accent: “I don’t see
two men in front of every bunk,
so get me a man down here”.
There was silence and no movement. He screamed the “order”
even more loudly and after the
third time I looked to my right
and suddenly knew what it was
all about.
You see we started that training platoon with 73 recruits that
included 72 white and 1 black
man. With 73 and double bunks
there was going to be one odd
bunk, but this moment was
going to be Lesson One in Civil
Rights Training before the 13
plus weeks of sheer hell began.
Now it would have been very
easy for the junior drill instructor (there were 3 of them) to
leave it alone and move on. But
this 22 year old Southern born
Marine Corporal from of all
places, Alabama, wanted to
make an example right up front
as to what was and was not permitted in his unit. I ran and took
that place and, needless to say,
not without challenges.
Remembering that we still
had a mandatory military draft
in 1962, many volunteered for
service under programs of various durations and terms of service. Officially the Marine Corps
was an all-volunteer force at the
time, but then there was the unofficial “judicial exception”
where judges finding some repeat offenders before them who
had not yet crossed the line to
serious crime, gave them an option that sounded like this:
“Son, either join the Marines by
Friday or start serving your jail
sentence Monday”. I don’t
know for sure, but I would
guess somewhere between 25
and 35 percent of the platoon
might have had to make the
choice.
This was no group of social
workers and they crossed all
economic and social strata. A
member of the family of Senator Stuart Symington was one of
them. All those aspects of civilian life were soon forgotten and
getting through the day under
constant harassment and exhaustion became the only things
you thought about.
But the most rewarding part
of the experience was yet to
come. The only time anything
close to Democracy unfolded
during my time in the Marine
Corps was when we were only
a few days from graduation in
April of 1963, when the above
photo was taken. You see the
drill instructor actually allowed
his platoon members to vote for
the “Most Outstanding Marine”
and that man would become the
Platoon Guide and carry the
flag (guideon) as we marched
past the reviewing stand on
graduation day.
Believe it or not, but that formerly ragtag group of misfits,
still virtually all white men (we
did pick up one more black
transfer recruit) just about unanimously voted my bunk mate
Tommy Jones from Greensboro, North Carolina, as the one
they most respected. So much
for being three fifths of a man.
I am pretty sure this was the
first time a black man led an allwhite platoon in the Marine
Corps. Prior to 1950 black
Marines were not even trained
in the same state, let alone the
same facility.
The level playing field works
as long as there is no politics in-
volved.
Jim Foster
Editor
Former Cpl USMC
Editor’s note: It was long
known that the Marine Corps
was the least welcoming of all
military services to black men.
In fact there were no black
Marines who had ever served
before a Presidential Order
from Franklin Roosevelt in
1942. Some claim that individuals who “passed” did serve in
World War I. Eleanor Roosevelt
pressured the President and his
own son was Marine Officer.
During my enlistment from
1962 through 1967 I saw very
few black men and there was
only one in my reserve unit.
I wrote this story several
years back and it saw print in a
previous issue of our newspaper, but it was only recently that
I found that color photos of platoon graduations were available.
Jim Foster
The Independent Voice
November 4-18, 2014
Page 19 a
Make Sure Your Company is in the
BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTORY
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DISSOLUTION NOTICE
Notice is hereby given to all creditors and
claimants of Today's Woman Health Center
Inc a business corporation, that the shareholders have approved a proposal that the
corporation dissolve voluntarily and that the
board of directors is now engaged in winding up and settling the affairs of the corporation under the provisions of Section 1975
of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation
Law of 1988.
_________________________________
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Page 20
November 4-18, 2014
The Independent Voice
19 Y
ears
in
Bus
ines
s
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