[UC] Infrequently asked questions

[Kirk Wattles]

Why do certain districts need "special" services?

What services does UCD provide (would a BID/CID/NID provide?) in 
University City that simply aren't available to residents in other 
parts of the city?


Is the City of Philadelphia ultimately responsible for providing the 
services offered by UCD?


If the city was well governed, could we be satisfied with what our 
municipal government could provide?


What would be our part -- as individuals, households, communities, 
institutions -- in supporting municipal services?  (E.g., not 
littering, putting trash out for collection properly, and on up from 
there...)


Does such an approach actually work in thousands of towns and cities 
across the country and around the world, and/or is the model assumed 
for our area really the more viable approach?


--
Kirk Wattles
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>



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[UC] Undiscovered Hey Jude

[Glenn]

On the back of an old love letter to Dr. Rodent, this lost beginning of Paul's 
classic was recently discovered. History turns up some interesting twists.  I 
had heard Paul was messing with some sleazy people when the Beatles were here.



Hey Jude



Hey, Jude, Don't tell the truth

Take a sad lie, and make it bigger

Remember, that you're, the queen, of the land

Then you can start, to take it over.



Hey Jude, Don't have honor

You were made tooo, go out and rule themmm

The minute, you lose, integg-rrity

Then you begin, to make them, serfs.

Serfs, serrffs, serrffs, seerrfffss, yaaah

NA, NA, NA, NANANA

NANANA, Hey Jude...

Re: [UC] Infrequently asked questions

[Glenn]

Very important questions!

I think this is partly the result of the growing takeover of representative 
government by corporate America, corporate China, University of 
Pennsylvania.  We have insisted upon a bankrupt government and of course the 
corporate world has an easy answer.


Secondly, in my opinion, we have a growing separation in society between a 
small upper class and everyone else.  The ruling elite are trying to divide 
an ignorant and fear filled middle class and make the most disadvantaged 
citizens the villains whom cause all of societies' ills.


What is taking place in UCD is simply the physical manifestation of this 
class division.  Cities will be divided so that the elite can have all 
resources concentrated for their benefit and other city neighborhoods will 
shape up like any ghetto with no services at all.  I saw a DP article about 
a year ago and a Penn city planning expert essentially laid out this need to 
bust up Philadelphia.  This is the direction that I see our society and city 
moving towards.


It's almost an intrinsic part of the name:  Special services for special 
people.


Great questions,
Glenn
- Original Message - 
From: "Kirk Wattles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

To: "UC List" 
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 7:39 AM
Subject: [UC] Infrequently asked questions



Why do certain districts need "special" services?

What services does UCD provide (would a BID/CID/NID provide?) in 
University City that simply aren't available to residents in other parts 
of the city?


Is the City of Philadelphia ultimately responsible for providing the 
services offered by UCD?


If the city was well governed, could we be satisfied with what our 
municipal government could provide?


What would be our part -- as individuals, households, communities, 
institutions -- in supporting municipal services?  (E.g., not littering, 
putting trash out for collection properly, and on up from there...)


Does such an approach actually work in thousands of towns and cities 
across the country and around the world, and/or is the model assumed for 
our area really the more viable approach?


--
Kirk Wattles
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>



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.


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Fwd: [UC] Infrequently asked questions

[pmuyehara]

? I think the question is not who needs the services, but who can have them 
or is able to pay for them.? Special services districts suggest in part a 
failure of city services, to the extent that they provide for simple benefits 
like street cleaning, graffiti removal, and safety patrols.? There's also a 
part which is local institutions or businesses that want to promote themselves 
and increase business via marketing, physical improvements, planning or design 
and the like and are willing to donate money to the effort.? 
?? On the other hand, I'm not sure that reducing government inefficiency 
alone would solve the problem.? Increased services have to be paid for, and 
collecting more taxes may be unpopular and even counterproductive.? So the 
existence of the districts also relates to some political realities that make 
it easier to increase services in a smaller area with separate financing.

Paul


 


 

-Original Message-
From: Kirk Wattles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: UC List 
Sent: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 7:39 am
Subject: [UC] Infrequently asked questions









Why do certain districts need "special" services??
?

What services does UCD provide (would a BID/CID/NID provide?) in 
University City that simply aren't available to residents in other 
parts of the city??
?

Is the City of Philadelphia ultimately responsible for providing the 
services offered by UCD??
?

If the city was well governed, could we be satisfied with what our 
municipal government could provide??
?

What would be our part -- as individuals, households, communities, 
institutions -- in supporting municipal services?  (E.g., not 
littering, putting trash out for collection properly, and on up from 
there...)?
?

Does such an approach actually work in thousands of towns and cities 
across the country and around the world, and/or is the model assumed 
for our area really the more viable approach??
?

--?

Kirk Wattles?

<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>?
?


?

You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the?

list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see?

.?



 



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AOL at AOL.com.

Re: [UC] Infrequently asked questions

[Kirk Wattles]

So how would *you* answer each of them?  Not rhetorically, but 
practically?


On Jun 11, 2007, at 8:14 AM, Glenn wrote:


Very important questions!

From: "Kirk Wattles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Why do certain districts need "special" services?



What services does UCD provide (would a BID/CID/NID provide?) in 
University City that simply aren't available to residents in other 
parts of the city?



Is the City of Philadelphia ultimately responsible for providing the 
services offered by UCD?



If the city was well governed, could we be satisfied with what our 
municipal government could provide?



What would be our part -- as individuals, households, communities, 
institutions -- in supporting municipal services?  (E.g., not 
littering, putting trash out for collection properly, and on up from 
there...)



Does such an approach actually work in thousands of towns and cities 
across the country and around the world, and/or is the model assumed 
for our area really the more viable approach?


--
Kirk Wattles
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>



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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[KAREN ALLEN]

Back when the John Fenton mess hit the fan, I had an offlist conversation 
with someone in which I said that I opposed UCD obtaining the power of 
taxation because it would make UCD an unelected government answerable only 
to the University of Pennsylvania.  The other person roundly criticised my 
opinion, stating that it wasn't true and that they could not see where I was 
getting that from.


This is where I'm getting that from:


back in march 2004, just months before her departure in june 2004, 
president judith rodin delivered an address, 'the university and the city'. 
this was the address in which she famously said clark park was 
drug-infested. in this address she also announced the formation of a penn 
urban research institute:


http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/v50/n27/rodin.html


excerpt:


Now, let me take you back to the real-world crisis, and
how we intervened. To make the neighborhood cleaner and
safer, we strengthened our Division of Public Safety by
hiring more police officers and investing in
state-of-the-art technology. We also opened a new police
station further west beyond campus, co-locating it with the
Philadelphia police precinct substation and the
special-services district that we took the lead in
launching. We did this to signal Penn's commitment to the
safety of our students and our neighbors.

At the same time, this newly created University City
special-services district, which you all know as the UCD,
employed both safety ambassadors who walked the streets and
supported campus and city police, and trash collectors who
supplemented city units and helped remove graffiti. These
were welfare-to-work participants, thus contributing to
another social action goal.

In addition, we partnered with neighborhood residents, the
electricians' union, and the local electric company to
install fixtures to uniformly light the sidewalks of 1,200
neighborhood properties. Not only did these efforts create a
brighter and cleaner neighborhood, which attracted more and
more foot traffic, but by requiring whole blocks, rather
than individual homeowners, to commit, we encouraged a
revival of community associations, block by block.

This, in turn, led to greening projects--such as the
planting of 450 trees and 10,000 spring bulbs and the
creation of four public and three children's gardens--which
set the stage for the dramatic transformation of Clark Park
from a dangerous drug-infested space into a thriving
recreational venue for children and the locale for a weekly
farmer's market.
 Along with making University City cleaner and safer, Penn
had a huge initial impact on housing, which itself had
become a clean and safe issue.
 We began by acquiring twenty abandoned properties in
strategic spots throughout the neighborhood, rehabbed them,
and sold them to the public. We weren't seeking a profit on
these homes. Rather, we were seeking to build capacity by
stabilizing blocks and promoting home ownership.

We also stepped up our efforts to encourage more Penn
affiliates to move into the neighborhood. But to make the
neighborhood more attractive to residents, students, and
visitors alike, we needed to provide retail and cultural
amenities and engineer radical improvements in the public
schools.
 Here is where we really rolled the dice. We resolved to
plan and build a public school, and we chose to undertake
two large-scale mixed-use retail development projects in
hopes that major anchors would bring other shops,
restaurants, theaters, private investment, and private
development to University City. [...]



All told, scores of new shops that run the gamut are opening
throughout the neighborhood. And a commercial corridor given
up for dead now bustles with art galleries, performance
spaces, and an international restaurant row that reflects
the dynamic cultural diversity of University City. Thousands
of people--from the Penn community, from the neighborhood,
from all over the region--are flocking to shops,
restaurants, and cultural venues that came into being as a
direct result of Penn's decision to redevelop a dying
commercial core into a thriving, productive asset.


- - - - - - -


..
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
[aka laserbeam®]
[aka ray]
SERIAL LIAR. CALL FOR RATES.
  "It is very clear on this listserve who
   these people are. Ray has admitted being
   connected to this forger."  -- Tony West








































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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Ross Bender]

When I arrived in Ye Olde UC Village in 1985, there were SE Asian refugees
warehoused in buildings up and down 48th St. I taught English in Admiral
Court, which at the time was half abandoned. The other wing was full of some
Vietnamese but primarily Cambodians. A few years later, after I had moved on
to other things, the building was totally rehabbed, as were similar
buildings which had been refugee holding tanks, like the one at the NE
corner of 48th and Osage.

The story I heard, which may not be accurate, was that Willard Rouse had
purchased some of these properties and was responsible for the upgrading. I
can't remember when this was, but it was certainly long before Judy's advent
at Penn.

Do any of you old real estate heads remember the facts about this? To be
fair, I suppose one must admit that Penn and Judy made a difference in the
hood, but to give her all the credit seems a little unrealistic and mythic,
to say the least.

On 6/11/07, KAREN ALLEN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:


Back when the John Fenton mess hit the fan, I had an offlist conversation
with someone in which I said that I opposed UCD obtaining the power of
taxation because it would make UCD an unelected government answerable only
to the University of Pennsylvania.  The other person roundly criticised my
opinion, stating that it wasn't true and that they could not see where I
was
getting that from.

This is where I'm getting that from:





--
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org

Re: Fwd: [UC] Infrequently asked questions

[Brian Siano]

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  I think the question is not who needs the services, but who can 
have them or is able to pay for them.  Special services districts 
suggest in part a failure of city services, to the extent that they 
provide for simple benefits like street cleaning, graffiti removal, 
and safety patrols.  There's also a part which is local institutions 
or businesses that want to promote themselves and increase business 
via marketing, physical improvements, planning or design and the like 
and are willing to donate money to the effort. 
   On the other hand, I'm not sure that reducing government 
inefficiency alone would solve the problem.  Increased services have 
to be paid for, and collecting more taxes may be unpopular and even 
counterproductive.  So the existence of the districts also relates to 
some political realities that make it easier to increase services in a 
smaller area with separate financing.
That's pretty accurate. Over the past thirty years or so, we've seen a 
massive reduction in the availability of tax money from federal and 
state offices. So local governments have had to cut back on a lot of 
city support efforts. Yes, this may have had the effect of making city 
services more "efficient," but only in the same sense that someone who's 
out of work has to use food stamps and strategize the coupons is more 
"efficient."


One of these efforts has been the establishment of local organizational 
efforts to do exactly what you've mentioned. provide for improved local 
support services, like policing and trash pickup and the like, and to 
plan for the future.


We've seen some complaints about these institutions being 
anti-democratic, and unaccountable to public concerns. That's true, but 
it's not _necessarily_ true: it's perfectly possible to create an NID 
that is responsive and accountable. Might even be easier, since it's 
dealing with a smaller geographic region than a city, which means that 
the interests of the people involved are narrower. (In other words, if 
we had a NID here, it wouldn't have to be concerned with excluding the 
concerns of Lithuanians who live in the northeast.)



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Re: [UC] FS: Casablanca ceiling fan

[Ross Bender]

On 6/10/07, Jeff Abrahamson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:


I have a Casablanca ceiling fan I need to pass on to someone else.



I was sitting in the Green Line Mennonite Coffee Shop and Gin Joint the
other night drowning my sorrows in a double Vanilla Chai Latte Con Molto
Passionato, with a cigarette glued to my lower lip. Unfortunately the Green
Line has adopted a no-smoking policy, so my Gaulois wasn't even lit, which
deepened my depression even more, which was already pretty deep after
observing the funky Village specimens drifting in and out, or, more
frequently, plopping themselves down at a table and busily pecking away at
their laptops. Don't know how those nice Goshen kids can turn a profit, with
all of these writers taking up table space for the price of a 3-buck
fairtrade cocktail or a hemp power bar.

At any rate, I was wallowing in gloomy thoughts of times past and feeling
pretty darn cynical when in walked this skinny blonde chick, must have been
all of 60 years old, but still there was something smart and stylish about
her. Despite the fact that she looked like just another wealthy real estate
agent or university president slumming it in the Village, there was
something familiar about her. Then it hit me.

"Of all the Mennonite coffee shops in all the towns in all the world, you
had to walk into mine," I remarked with an aching heart, but with all the
brio I could muster.

She pulled up a chair at my fake-marble topped table.

"Rosso, you've gotta help me. My son's bar mitzvah is scheduled for next
week, and the rebbe has just cancelled due to a leg which he broke skiing in
Aspen."

"Amy, do I look like a rabbi to you? You know I converted to Mennonitism in
sorrow after you left me for that schlemiel." I pointed my cigarette
meaningfully at the putz she had dragged in with her who was hovering
uncertainly at the bar.

She tried to gaze meaningfully into my eyes. I looked out the window at the
whores and drug addicts across the street in the park.

I sipped at my chai. Time went by. Finally, Amy got up and went to the bar
and spoke to the barrista, Sam.

"Play it Sam. Play "As Time Goes By".

The atrocious coffee shop muzak ground to a halt, and the old familiar
strains filled the air:

"You must remember this, a bris is just a bris"

Disconcerted and considerably less than soigne, I abruptly knocked over my
table and carefronted the crusty barrista.

"Dammit, Sam, you know I told you never to play "As Time Goes By" again!"

Just then a bunch of Conservative Mennonites marched in, stood on the
tables, and began singing "Gott ist Die Liebe" in excruciating four-part
harmony.

I hustled Amy out onto the sidewalk and lit my Gaulois.

"OK kid. There's a new synagogue in town called Kol Tzedek. Can't vouch for
their theology, and they've got a lady rabbi, but maybe she can do the job
for you."

Just then a west-bound 34 trolley came looming out of the fog. I gave Amy a
token, and one for her schlemiel.

"48th and Baltimore. Tell em Rosso sent you."

She gave me that soulful gaze, and my heart broke into little pieces again.

I drained my chai. "Here's lookin at you, kid."



--
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org

Re: [UC] Infrequently asked questions

[Glenn]

Yes.  I'll try.  I may need to get back to some later.
- Original Message - 
From: "Kirk Wattles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

To: "UC List" 
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: [UC] Infrequently asked questions


So how would *you* answer each of them?  Not rhetorically, but 
practically?


On Jun 11, 2007, at 8:14 AM, Glenn wrote:


Very important questions!

From: "Kirk Wattles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Why do certain districts need "special" services?


They do not.  Any of the worthwhile services like Mr. Fenton's trash 
cleaning, should be provided to the entire city.  This UCD is simply the 
first step in developing a separate structure for the "good areas" or 
wealthy areas first.  I believe that once the good areas have separate 
service districts, the budgets for less powerful, less wealthy neighborhoods 
will be slashed.


I gave a good example of this with our local sprayground.  While Clark Park 
is about to have enormous resources including city resources lavished on it, 
the swimming pool so important to the kids that can't afford all of the 
private privleges was paved over at 47th south of Woodland.  That Rec. 
center is on the wrong side of the tracks.


I am completely opposed to this direction for society and our city.  There 
is simply no need for these districts.  I am a citizen that believes in a 
government for all Philadelphians






What services does UCD provide (would a BID/CID/NID provide?) in 
University City that simply aren't available to residents in other parts 
of the city?


Cronyism.  It is at the heart of the UCD policy that has never been fair to 
Mr. Fenton.  These special services, like special leaf pick up for special 
friends, were always a policy to increase the power of UCD and the gratitude 
of UCD anointed "community leaders."  If you are not a special friend, the 
special services become increased Land I inspections as was revealed on 
Baltimore Ave or the trash tickets.


UCD is accountable to Penn and its corporate partners.  Penn has not been 
truthful about its agenda.  These services are simply a carrot dangling in 
front of the neighborhood.  The real message behind the spin is that this 
community is now designed for the wealthy only.  That is the true marketing 
message if that appeals to rich people.






Is the City of Philadelphia ultimately responsible for providing the 
services offered by UCD?


The only service of value is the street cleaning that transfers street trash 
to the city in bulk.  People are probably not aware that UCD simply takes 
the trash to the city.  So the answer is yes.


All other UCD services are about increasing power through cronyism and they 
should not be viewed as vital services.



Kirk, as I look at the complexity of your last 3 questions, I don't have 
time right now, but would be happy to share my opinions later.


Sincerely,
Glenn





If the city was well governed, could we be satisfied with what our 
municipal government could provide?



What would be our part -- as individuals, households, communities, 
institutions -- in supporting municipal services?  (E.g., not littering, 
putting trash out for collection properly, and on up from there...)



Does such an approach actually work in thousands of towns and cities 
across the country and around the world, and/or is the model assumed for 
our area really the more viable approach?


--
Kirk Wattles
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>



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Re: [UC] Funding special services (Was: which bad thing?)

[MLamond]

In a message dated 6/11/07 12:03:59 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>  In a message dated 6/9/07 1:44:53 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> 
> ucd also:
> markets us,
> brands us,
> kicks businesses out and installs others,
> programs our entertainments,
> occupies our public spaces,
> populates our public buildings,
> puts their agendas into our neighborhood associations,
> steps between our relationship with our elected governing
> mechanisms,
> etc. etc.
> 
Ray, I'd really appreciate it if you can give us an example of all or some of 
the above, with an explanation of how each has affected the neighborhood.

Thanks,
Melani
> 
> hi melani. excellent question -- and you know what? I think
> it would be much more useful and illuminating if your
> question was opened up to the list, and so I'll leave the
> mic open and allow others to provide examples and
> explanations, if they can.
> 
Ray, when you make such broad accusations but refuse to back them up with 
examples, you give the impression that your words may be exaggerated or 
misleading.   I am having a hard time thinking of examples.   If what you say 
is 
accurate, and I'm just not seeing these major mistakes, I'd like you to help me 
to 
understand better what the UCD has done - so I can join you in asking them not 
to repeat it.   Maybe we could put together a list as a talking point for 
Sharrieff's meeting.

Ray, please give us examples.   (It's okay if others give examples also - 
please do - but I really do want to hear from Ray, who made the original 
sweeping 
statement.)

Thank you,

Melani Lamond




Melani Lamond, Associate Broker
Urban & Bye, Realtor
3529 Lancaster Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
cell phone 215-356-7266
office phone 215-222-4800, ext. 113
office fax 215-222-1101
2006 recipient of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors awards:
- Diamond award for over $8 million in sales, and
ALL SIX of the West Philadelphia awards:
- Top Lister
- Top Seller
- Top Overall Combined Volume
- Top Listing Units by Area
- Top Selling Units by Area
- Top Overall Combined Units by Area



**
 See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Re: [UC] Funding special services (Was: which bad thing?)

[Brian Siano]

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

/
//*In a message dated 6/11/07 12:03:59 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
writes:*


/

/[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In a message dated 6/9/07 1:44:53 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

ucd also:
markets us,
brands us,
kicks businesses out and installs others,
programs our entertainments,
occupies our public spaces,
populates our public buildings,
puts their agendas into our neighborhood associations,
steps between our relationship with our elected governing
mechanisms,
etc. etc./

/
/

/Left out "eats puppies."


/

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[UC] Earthlink WiFi -- anyone use?

[[EMAIL PROTECTED] The Other]

Good Afternoon,

I'm wondering if anyone uses Earthlink wifi as your internet service 
provider and if so can you let me know how your experience has been (or was 
- if you had and got rid of it).

Does it seem slow?
Does it ever go off line?
How is their customer service?

Thinking of switching from Comcast because of the difference in price.

You can reply to the list or directly to me.  Thanks in advance.

Jennifer Chapman

_
Don’t miss your chance to WIN $10,000 and other great prizes from Microsoft 
Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/aub0540003042mrt/direct/01/



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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[MLamond]

In a message dated 6/11/07 10:29:25 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> To be fair, I suppose one must admit that Penn and Judy made a difference 
> in the hood, but to give her all the credit seems a little unrealistic and 
> mythic, to say the least.
> 
Yes, there is a history in UC of groups / organizations claiming credit for 
things they didn't do.   The "best" thing Penn did under Judith Rodin was to 
stop BADMOUTHING the neighborhood.   That allowed University City to grow and 
prosper naturally.   It had always been a special place to live; it was great, 
once Judith Rodin took over, to see more people REALIZING this.   

Once those of us who were active back then, no longer had to convince 
potential newcomers, one at a time, that they were unlikely to get killed if 
they 
lived here; no longer had to persuade them that having a diverse neighborhood 
was 
an asset, not a liability, then the activists finally had time to move on to 
other projects.   Like park clean ups, graffiti removal, community fairs, 
block clean ups, etc.   

Melani Lamond




Melani Lamond, Associate Broker
Urban & Bye, Realtor
3529 Lancaster Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
cell phone 215-356-7266
office phone 215-222-4800, ext. 113
office fax 215-222-1101


**
 See what's free 
at http://www.aol.com.

[UC] Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD

[S. Sharrieff Ali]

Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD
 
 
Date:  Wednesday June 13th 2007
 
Time: 6PM
 
Location: Walnut West Library Community Room 40th and Walnut Street
 
Duration: 1 ½ hours
 
Agenda: Hear from community stakeholders RE: UCD, plan a process 
 
Attendees: Current Committee and New Members
 
OPEN TO PUBLIC
 
 
Questions?  Respond to this e-mail

Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Elizabeth F Campion]

I am not into book burning, but if I were, I can think of a few texts to
torch that would hold precedence over the new JR work.

So, List neighbors if you were to burn your least favorite book, 

What Author?
What Book?
Is When part of the context?
(e.g. Hysterical romance or High School assignment)
Where would you burn it?
Why choose flame?

I'd probably start with a few of my appointment calenders, saved against
Tax Audits, but collecting dust and if examined, reading as an indictment
of the times that work has taken precedence over family, friends or even
self protection.  :-)


On Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:25:11 -0400 "Ross Bender" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
writes:
...
Anybody want to go in with me to buy the book so we can have a public
burning at the Turtle in Clark Park? If ten of us chip in, that'll only
be about 3 and a half bucks apiece. If twenty of us chip in, even less. 
...
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org/gentrification.html 

Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Elizabeth F Campion]

Melani,

This post may be your most twisted perspective on reality, yet.


IMHO, John Fry and Judy Rodin managed our neighborhood as if it were an 8
second Bull-ride.
Life was a Quid Pro Quo Caberet and rule by the aesthetically fussy (with
or without mitigating competence) was endorsed.
Flackettes and Flackers were paid to write unfavorable comparisons to the
'bad old days'.

Sad (and bad) neighborhood news was cherry picked, exaggerated and than
the hyperbole highlighted until fear and false economies won PENN the
Civic Center Properties and Schuylkill Lands as values plummeted area
wide.  Once PENN had gathered all the land they could manage through
years of future development, PENN realized that the collateral damage to
the neighborhood was harming their admissions statistics and began a
drive to jump-start logical improvements.  By granting (only their own
employees) seed money they helped many long term neighbors leave.  The
investments totalled an average of 5% of the improvements while Buyers
(Penn only need apply) and Lenders carried responsibilities for the
balance.

Even though we (West Philly) started this century as the POSH side of
Schuylkill living, and still have the better built houses, more genteel
space, more convenient conveniences and the Lion's share of art,
cultural, educational and employment opportunities, we are still valued
beneath inferior CC properties.  I suspect the PENN spin, which is
cumulatively negative, has something to do with that.

The latest UCD fund Raising letter continues the theme.
I don't have it in front of me, but a paragraph about the slum we were
"just ten years ago" resonates in a rage inducing way.
Those of us who grew up at on blocks where Town meets Gown, get tired of
Gown's supercilious low points.

A counter reality is how many people truly love this neighborhood and
their homes.
Folks try hard to stay in their houses even after age or disability make
moving on a logical choice.
I do not see the churning of properties that is apparent down town.

Well enough rant,
Let other voices battle the merits of our wildly different opinions on
this matter,
TTFN

Liz



On Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:13:34 EDT [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

In a message dated 6/11/07 10:29:25 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

To be fair, I suppose one must admit that Penn and Judy made a difference
in the hood, but to give her all the credit seems a little unrealistic
and mythic, to say the least.


Yes, there is a history in UC of groups / organizations claiming credit
for things they didn't do.  The "best" thing Penn did under Judith Rodin
was to stop BADMOUTHING the neighborhood.  That allowed University City
to grow and prosper naturally.  It had always been a special place to
live; it was great, once Judith Rodin took over, to see more people
REALIZING this.  

Once those of us who were active back then, no longer had to convince
potential newcomers, one at a time, that they were unlikely to get killed
if they lived here; no longer had to persuade them that having a diverse
neighborhood was an asset, not a liability, then the activists finally
had time to move on to other projects.  Like park clean ups, graffiti
removal, community fairs, block clean ups, etc.  

Melani Lamond

Re: [UC] Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD

[Brian Siano]

S. Sharrieff Ali wrote:


_Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD_

_ _

_ _

Date:  Wednesday June 13^th 2007

 


Time: 6PM

 


Location: Walnut West Library Community Room 40^th and Walnut Street

 


Duration: 1 ½ hours


Want me to videotape the meeting and get it onto the Web?

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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[MLamond]

In a message dated 6/11/07 2:19:57 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> This post may be your most twisted perspective on reality, yet.
> 

Not sure where we disagree here, Liz.   I agreed with Ross that people (in 
this case, Penn) claiming credit for things they hadn't done has always been a 
problem in UC, and then I said that the best thing Judith Rodin did was stop 
Penn from badmouthing the neighborhood in a way that had been making people 
afraid to live here.   What part of that do you disagree with?   Do you think 
she 
did something better?   

Melani



Melani Lamond, Associate Broker
Urban & Bye, Realtor
3529 Lancaster Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
cell phone 215-356-7266
office phone 215-222-4800, ext. 113
office fax 215-222-1101
2006 recipient of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors awards:
- Diamond award for over $8 million in sales, and
ALL SIX of the West Philadelphia awards:
- Top Lister
- Top Seller
- Top Overall Combined Volume
- Top Listing Units by Area
- Top Selling Units by Area
- Top Overall Combined Units by Area



**
 See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[UC] Warning : Damage to porch to Steal a bike

[Elizabeth F Campion]

I do not have all the details yet, but a bike was stolen from a porch on
the 4700 block of Baltimore.
The wooden Porch Railing that it was chained to was severely damaged.

It seems clear that a serial thief is in our midst and we need to
exercise greater precautions until the thief is caught and stopped (if
necessary via lengthy detention).  I hope you and your property are and
remain safe.


Meanwhile, this bike was the primary form of transportation for a
eco-friendly, female grad student.
So if anyone has an obsoleted or extra bicycle that (must be functioning,
or within just a few dollars of working) that they can donate (or sell
cheaply) that could suit a young woman about 5'7" tall, please let me
know off list.


Other spare bikes, including kids bikes, helmets and parts, might be
welcome donations at the Neighborhood Bike Works.
NBW is a good organization that helps people, especially kids, learn to
respect and repair equipment, appreciate the environment, gain better
understanding of cost versus value, and learn and follow rules in a
cooperative environment.  
I just checked out their site and saw a notice about summer camps.

http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/
ATTENTION:
Neighborhood Bike Works is offering 4 Earn-a-Bike Summer Camps. Spaces
are limited! Click here to download the application. Feel free to contact
us should you have any questions or concerns.


Best!
Liz

Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Elizabeth F Campion]

In a message dated 6/11/07 2:19:57 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

This post may be your most twisted perspective on reality, yet.



Not sure where we disagree here, Liz.  
Melani


Your statement,
"The "best" thing Penn did under Judith Rodin was to stop BADMOUTHING the
neighborhood. ...
 it was great, once Judith Rodin took over, to see more people REALIZING
this.",
runs totally counter to the my perception of the early years of Rodin's
rescue.

JR's 'successes' were based on the false recording of you, me and our
neighbors as a disproportionately dangerous collection of low-income,
criminal types.

Even when Penn was 'good' it were discouraging.
In the first year of the 'new' PENN housing initiatives, Penn made a big
deal out of defining 'low income' as a number just high enough (I think
it was $42 K or $60 K)  to make every one with less feel bad or
unqualified, and anyone with more prepared to run from the risk of being
labeled unsuccessful.

[UC] It's Legal to Say the F- Word Now, Thanks to Bush and Cheney

[Ross Bender]

President George W. Bush has not exactly been a hero to civil libertarians,
what with the data mining, wiretapping and library snooping. But he may just
have redeemed himself. Thanks in part to the efforts of Bush and Vice
President Dick Cheney, it is now safe for Nicole Richie to drop the F bomb
on broadcast TV.
  Related How Bush Became the Curser in
Chief

A court strikes down FCC fines, citing Administration vulgarities. Thank
you, President Pottymouth!

 On June 4, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of
broadcasters in a challenge against Federal Communications Commission
sanctions for indecent and profane language. Among the penalized quotes was
Richie's discussing her Simple Life experience on a live Fox awards show in
2003: "Have you ever tried to get cow s___ out of a Prada purse? It's not so
f___ing simple."

The court argued, among other things, that the FCC's enforcement was
"arbitrary and capricious." But the reason that stood out most was the
court's assessment of the national indecency climate: "In recent times, even
the top leaders of our government have used variants of these expletives in
a manner that no reasonable person would believe referenced 'sexual or
excretory organs or activities'"--the definition of indecency that the FCC
and the courts have used. The decision cited Bush's remark to British Prime
Minister Tony Blair last summer, in front of a live mike, that Syria needed
to "get Hizballah to stop doing this s___," as well as Cheney's hearty
invitation to Senator Patrick Leahy, "Go f___ yourself." (The court could
have cited Bush's remark, later reported by TIME, from March 2002 when war
in Iraq was allegedly still a last resort: "F___ Saddam. We're taking him
out.")


--
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org/mqrtoc.html

Re: [UC] FS: Casablanca ceiling fan

[Dan Widyono]

> >I have a Casablanca ceiling fan I need to pass on to someone else.
> [blah blah blah]
> I drained my chai. "Here's lookin at you, kid."

I must admit, Ross, I'm not much of a fan of Casablanca.

Dan W.

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RE: [UC] Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD

[S. Sharrieff Ali]

Brian writes: 
"Want me to videotape the meeting and get it onto the Web?"


My opinion is no. I think people will be challenged
enough sharing their views with the committee let
alone the "entire world' via the internet!

However, I think it would be a great idea for a 
larger public meeting which could happen as a result
of the planning process.

But feel free to stop by regardless, and thanks...

S

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Siano
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 2:25 PM
To: S. Sharrieff Ali
Cc: univcity@list.purple.com
Subject: Re: [UC] Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD

S. Sharrieff Ali wrote:
>
> _Planning Committee Meeting RE: UCD_
>
> _ _
>
> _ _
>
> Date:  Wednesday June 13^th 2007
>
>  
>
> Time: 6PM
>
>  
>
> Location: Walnut West Library Community Room 40^th and Walnut Street
>
>  
>
> Duration: 1 ½ hours
>
Want me to videotape the meeting and get it onto the Web?

You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the
list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see
.






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Re: [UC] Hauling service recommendations?

[Cappy Harrison]

The guys at Mambo Movers recommended this guy, who hauled a bunch of stuff out 
of my basement very quickly for a reasonable price:

Chris at "Move It"
215-783-9732

Good luck!

--Cappy


- Original Message 
From: SKnight <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Stephanie M. Strassel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; UnivCity@list.purple.com
Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 8:51:57 AM
Subject: Re: [UC] Hauling service recommendations?


Please send this info to the list so others will have it.
Thanks,
Sande Knight
- Original Message - 
From: Stephanie M. Strassel 
To: UnivCity@list.purple.com 
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 10:48 AM
Subject: [UC] Hauling service recommendations?


Does anyone have recommendations for a local service to help me carry 
some very heavy furniture from the second floor to the basement and vice 
versa, and to haul away some junk cluttering up my garage?

Thanks,
Steph

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Re: [UC] FS: Casablanca ceiling fan

[UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN]

Ross Bender wrote:

I hustled Amy out onto the sidewalk and lit my Gaulois.
"OK kid. There's a new synagogue in town called Kol Tzedek.




amy probably already knows this. kol tzadek's that place at 
calvary center, where curio theater also lives. (remember 
calvary? the place that richard kirk wrote about in the 
newspaper? telling us how much we owe to ucd for making 
calvary a community hub?)


anyway, looks like kol tzadek's the synagog at calvary that 
andrew zitcer helped found. (remember andrew zitcer? the 
penn real estate\culture asset manager? who wrote the piece 
in the city paper  denying that 
university city was a marketing scheme?)


well, turns out zitcer's also a poet. here's one of his 
poems, maybe it fits in with your whole casablanca theme:




What a century for hands!
What usury!  I hate, (I realize)
all forms of trade

One must...enter politics, be saved.
I could reel it off--
I have the whole thing by heart.

Up late nothing!
Nothing of the logic of madness--
the madness that gets
locked up

Go to it, demon!
Go to the palm fronds.
Go to the wind in 'em.

What, is he doing it?
One or two-more?

No, now I am cursed,
I'm in trouble I hate my country!

Better to sleep it off
on the beach, dead drunk
like a carrot-toter,
like a dirty rat.



http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~wh/zitcermindofwinter.html

- - - - - - -


..
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
[aka laserbeam®]
[aka ray]
SERIAL LIAR. CALL FOR RATES.
  "It is very clear on this listserve who
   these people are. Ray has admitted being
   connected to this forger."  -- Tony West



































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[UC] Lost cat -- 42ND AND SPRUCE

[Mike V.]

Forwarded for a friend, because she's having trouble sending listmail.
A picture of the cat in question can be found at
http://flickr.com/photos/addien/281490969/
 
- Mike V.
 
-Original Message-
From: Jessica Haralson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 


Hi UC Listserv

Just wanted to report  a missing pet -- a gray, Russian-blue colored
kitty wearing a flea collar who responds to the name "Orchard". She was
lost around 42nd and Spruce and should stay pretty close to the area.
She escaped from 322 S 42nd around 4 PM and we are desperate to find
her, so if you spot her please let me know! 

You can reach me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 956.433.9985.

Thank you. 

-- 
--- 

Re: [UC] Lost cat -- 42ND AND SPRUCE

[Ross Bender]

Who's Kate Spade?

On 6/11/07, Mike V. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:


 Forwarded for a friend, because she's having trouble sending listmail.  A
picture of the cat in question can be found at
http://flickr.com/photos/addien/281490969/

- Mike V.

 -Original Message-
*From:* Jessica Haralson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Hi UC Listserv

Just wanted to report  a missing pet -- a gray, Russian-blue colored kitty
wearing a flea collar who responds to the name "Orchard". She was lost
around 42nd and Spruce and should stay pretty close to the area. She escaped
from 322 S 42nd around 4 PM and we are desperate to find her, so if you spot
her please let me know!

You can reach me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 956.433.9985.

Thank you.

--
---





--
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org

[UC] Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb'

[Ross Bender]

Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb' [image: Image]

Hank Plante 
Reporting

*(CBS 5)* *BERKELEY* A Berkeley watchdog organization that tracks military
spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a
hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and
make them more interested in sex than fighting.

Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS 5 that military leaders had
considered, and then subsquently rejected, building the so-called "Gay
Bomb."

**
Edward Hammond, of Berkeley's Sunshine Project, had used the Freedom of
Information Act to obtain a copy of the proposal from the Air Force's Wright
Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio.

As part of a military effort to develop non-lethal weapons, the proposal
suggested, "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be
strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual
behavior."

The documents show the Air Force lab asked for $7.5 million to develop such
a chemical weapon.

"The Ohio Air Force lab proposed that a bomb be developed that contained a
chemical that would cause enemy soliders to become gay, and to have their
units break down because all their soldiers became irresistably attractive
to one another," Hammond said after reviwing the documents.

"The notion was that a chemical that would probably be pleasant in the human
body in low quantities could be identified, and by virtue of either
breathing or having their skin exposed to this chemical, the notion was that
soliders would become gay," explained Hammond.

The Pentagon told CBS 5 that the proposal was made by the Air Force in 1994.

"The Department of Defense is committed to identifying, researching and
developing non-lethal weapons that will support our men and women in
uniform," said a DOD spokesperson, who indicated that the "gay bomb" idea
was quickly dismissed.



http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_159222541.html

--
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org

Re: [UC] FS: Casablanca ceiling fan - Escape from Sheol

[Craigsolve]

In a message dated 6/11/2007 5:59:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

andrew  zitcer ... the 
penn real estate\culture asset manager? ...
_http://tinyurl.com/ypez5j_ (http://tinyurl.com/ypez5j) 
denying that  university city was a marketing scheme?)

well, turns out zitcer's also  a poet. ...:
 
 
Zitcer's poetry creates some apprehension about free roaming UCD  Disciples.
 
When this guy sobered-up, Mother Penn let him manage real estate?
 
Perhaps, had Zitcer spent more time in Temple Calvary, a  sometimes shrine to 
UCD free-market real estate development instead of drunk on  the beach, he 
may not have missed this multi-thousand year old  classic:

 
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, 
and you have  healed me. 
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, 
restored me to  life from among those gone down to the Pit.
 
Stiffening my faith Rosso and Melani, can be pulled from the  Pit.
 
Ciao,
 
Craig


>  What a century for hands!
> What usury!  I hate, (I  realize)
> all forms of trade
> 
> One must...enter  politics, be saved.
> I could reel it off--
> I have the whole  thing by heart.
> 
> Up late nothing!
> Nothing of the logic  of madness--
> the madness that gets
> locked up
> 
>  Go to it, demon!
> Go to the palm fronds.
> Go to the wind in  'em.
> 
> What, is he doing it?
> One or two-more?
>  
> No, now I am cursed,
> I'm in trouble I hate my  country!
> 
> Better to sleep it off
> on the beach, dead  drunk
> like a carrot-toter,
> like a dirty  rat.


http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~wh/zitcermindofwinter.html






** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[UC] Re: Warning : Damage to porch to Steal a bike and recent entry in the day

[Vivianne T. Nachmias]

and I am told by my husband that a house on 400 block of 47th St. was  
broken into (window, first floor) during the day. the burglar was  
seen by some  one and scared him away a member of the househo0ld  
was on the 3rd floor and did not hear the peerson so maybe it  
happened fasst.

do be sure windows are locked.
Vivianne
On Jun 11, 2007, at 2:43 PM, Elizabeth F Campion wrote:



I do not have all the details yet, but a bike was stolen from a  
porch on the 4700 block of Baltimore.

The wooden Porch Railing that it was chained to was severely damaged.

It seems clear that a serial thief is in our midst and we need to  
exercise greater precautions until the thief is caught and stopped  
(if necessary via lengthy detention).  I hope you and your property  
are and remain safe.



Meanwhile, this bike was the primary form of transportation for a  
eco-friendly, female grad student.
So if anyone has an obsoleted or extra bicycle that (must be  
functioning, or within just a few dollars of working) that they can  
donate (or sell cheaply) that could suit a young woman about 5'7"  
tall, please let me know off list.



Other spare bikes, including kids bikes, helmets and parts, might  
be welcome donations at the Neighborhood Bike Works.
NBW is a good organization that helps people, especially kids,  
learn to respect and repair equipment, appreciate the environment,  
gain better understanding of cost versus value, and learn and  
follow rules in a cooperative environment.

I just checked out their site and saw a notice about summer camps.

http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/
ATTENTION:

Neighborhood Bike Works is offering 4 Earn-a-Bike Summer Camps.  
Spaces are limited! Click here to download the application. Feel  
free to contact us should you have any questions or concerns.



Best!
Liz

Re: [UC] Infrequently asked questions

[Anthony West]

This notion betrays an unfamiliarity with budgeting for Recreation 
facilities in neighborhoods beyond our own.


The city has been drifting away from swimming pools across the city. Pools 
are increasingly costly to maintain and since Rec budget has been frozen for 
many years now, and since the user population of the city is falling, Rec 
has been looking for ways to reduce the number of pools. But I see no class 
or income pattern to Rec's pool distribution. A new indoor swimming pool was 
opened up in North Philadelphia within the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the 
only new pool I've seen in Clark Park are the increasingly flooded patches 
caused by drastic soil compaction.


Across West Philadelphia in recent years, parks and recreation centers in 
working-class neighbors such as Kingsessing Rec and Carroll Park have 
received substantial infrastructure investment. Since Clark Park may be the 
most intensively used community park in the entire city, and is large in 
acreage, it may even be lagging in City investment relative to its user 
base.


In general, the "wrong side of the tracks" has received ample infrastructure 
goodies from City Government over the last eight years. The electoral base 
of the Street Administration owes little or nothing to "wealthy 
neighborhoods". And one of the striking feature of University City is how 
little political power it wields, compared to more typical Philadelphia 
neighborhoods.


In general, neighborhoods that unite politically, whether rich or poor, are 
the ones that get the juice. Neighborhoods that squabble and bicker are the 
ones that get cut out of the game.


-- Tony West

I believe that once the good areas have separate service districts, the 
budgets for less powerful, less wealthy neighborhoods will be slashed.


I gave a good example of this with our local sprayground.  While Clark 
Park is about to have enormous resources including city resources lavished 
on it, the swimming pool so important to the kids that can't afford all of 
the private privleges was paved over at 47th south of Woodland.  That Rec. 
center is on the wrong side of the tracks.




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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Anthony West]

Which of course it was. Parents who used the playground during the 1990s 
often told of picking up crack vials from the playground in the mornings. 
One local artist even made sculptures out of recovered crack paraphernalia. 
On Town Watch patrols 1996-99, we did ample surveillance on the occupied 
vans that parked beside the park into the wee hours. There was coordinated 
activity between Town Watch, the 18th Police Dist. and UCD patrols for a 
long time to encourage them to move on.


I won't say there is no illegal drug activity in Clark Park now -- 0% rates 
of anything are an impossible goal -- but it's much, much better in 2007 
than it was 10 years ago. So Rodin, like it or not, was right.


-- Tony West

back in march 2004, just months before her departure in june 2004, 
president judith rodin delivered an address, 'the university and the 
city'. this was the address in which she famously said clark park was 
drug-infested. 




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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Ross Bender]

On 6/11/07, Anthony West <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:


Which of course it was. Parents who used the playground during the 1990s
often told of picking up crack vials from the playground in the mornings.
One local artist even made sculptures out of recovered crack
paraphernalia.
On Town Watch patrols 1996-99, we did ample surveillance on the occupied
vans that parked beside the park into the wee hours. There was coordinated
activity between Town Watch, the 18th Police Dist. and UCD patrols for a
long time to encourage them to move on.



Judy's full florid quote re the park is below:


This, in turn, led to greening projects--such as the
planting of 450 trees and 10,000 spring bulbs and the
creation of four public and three children's gardens--which
set the stage for the dramatic transformation of Clark Park
from a dangerous drug-infested space into a thriving
recreational venue for children and the locale for a weekly
farmer's market.


Funny. Maybe my memory is giving out, but I'm almost positive that my son,
born in 1987, spent a good portion of his tender years in that dangerous
drug-infested space, and as I recall, really enjoyed it. Not the drugs, but
the old low-rent playground in the north park, which, while certainly not as
fancy as the new playgrounds they've got in the south park these days,
provided lots of fun for a wee toddler. There was a low wall which he
enjoyed learning to walk on, an old fashioned slide, a couple of crude
dinosaurs, and the turtle. I spent about a year with him as a stay-at-home
dad, and remember meeting lots of other (friendly) parents and their
toddlers in Clark Park. Don't remember running into any whores, but maybe I
was just too naive to recognize them.

I do recall the crack vials, with their multicolored lids, but basically I
remember finding them on the 4700 block of Cedar, which was almost as tony
then as it is now. Crack, if y'all can think back through that cocaine haze,
was not a peculiar affliction of nasty ghetto West Philly, but a national
urban curse. Of course at the same time, powder cocaine was extraordinarily
popular with the white upper classes (and future presidents), although they
never seemed to go to jail for it.

So Judy's claim to fame as the Good White Fairy or Goddess or whatever she
believes herself to have been, is quite overblown on the face of it. I'm not
saying she didn't do some good things in cooperation with Fast Eddie, but
puh-lease!! OK, she was the first lady Ivy League prexy, and of course she
was a Columbia Ph.D., which speaks volumes in her favor. But she was also
the first million dollar a year Ivy League president, and thus more of a
corporate CEO than an old-style academic. Her salary was umpteen bazillion
times that of the humblest Penn employee; if you think that's a good trend,
well, that's your opinion. IMHO it's part of the Banana Republicization of
the USA.

What really bugs me about her razzamatazz is the fact that while I've lived
here 22 years as of June 2, I didn't notice any sudden magical
transformation when she blew into town. As other long and longer-term
residents have been witnessing on this list, this has always been a pretty
fine place to live, and lots of people have made it that way. A
million-dollar flackette waving her wand and puffing herself apparently has
made a big impression on some gullible folks, but I just don't see it that
way.
--
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org

[UC] Baltimore Ave shops

[Mark Bowerman]

All,

Perhaps this is old news, but I'm not always so observant:

Does anyone know whether Joe's, the grocery store on the 4500 block of 
Baltimore, is closed, at least temporarily? We don't patronize often but 
when we do need one or two ingredients, it was the closest, half-way 
reliable source. Things looked a bit disassembled in there on Sunday 
evening...


Also, there was talk of a Rita's Water Ice going into one of the stores on 
the 4600 block. Does anyone know the latest on that?


Thanks,
Mark Bowerman



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Re: [UC] Baltimore Ave shops

[John Ellingsworth]

Sorry I don't have the answer to your question about Joe's; I myself 
noticed that it looked like Joe's had completely shut down as I biked by 
recently.  The owners were really nice and I patronized them when I 
lived closer ...


I think it an interesting contrast, the mention of Rita's water ice 
opening on B Ave.  I remember visiting the water ice/coffee shop that 
was on the 4600 block in the summer of '04; it suddenly shut down, no 
one seemed to notice ... now a chain might be moving in.


Do you have any more info on this potential move-in of Rita's?

It is timely; there was an article in the Sunday paper about how an 
out-of-towner is doing so well marketing Philly water ice along the East 
Coast:


Rita's CEO has lofty dreams for water ice
Rudolph wants 1,500 stores, each earning $500,000 a season.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20070610_Lofty_dreams_for_water_ice.html

For what it's worth, I find it amazing that anyone would pay so much for 
flavored ice . . .


Regards,

John Ellingsworth

Mark Bowerman wrote:

All,

Perhaps this is old news, but I'm not always so observant:

Does anyone know whether Joe's, the grocery store on the 4500 block of 
Baltimore, is closed, at least temporarily? We don't patronize often but 
when we do need one or two ingredients, it was the closest, half-way 
reliable source. Things looked a bit disassembled in there on Sunday 
evening...


Also, there was talk of a Rita's Water Ice going into one of the stores 
on the 4600 block. Does anyone know the latest on that?


Thanks,
Mark Bowerman



You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the
list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see
.



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Re: [UC] Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets

[Anthony West]

I can't speak to how "dangerous" Clark Park was during the '90s. The 
neighborhood as a whole saw more scary activity then than now, I'd say. I was 
never afraid in the park, although I knew others were afraid of it. But I was 
often cautious about crossing it at night, because the after-dark set seemed to 
be an elevated-risk set, even though my sole low-level hassle there in that era 
took place around 6:00 pm. And I seldom saw, for instance, women venturing 
across it after dusk, which suggests about half the citizenry wasn't really 
getting full use of their tax dollars.

That the park was drug-infested didn't trouble me that much either, and I could 
hardly afford whores in that decade. Still, crack-vial litter isn't everybody's 
cup of tea and people have a right to find it disturbing, even if some of us 
found it merely outré.

I don't think Judith Rodin fixed it, not all by her thumpin' self. I will be 
otherwise engaged on the night of her book-signing. But a large part of success 
in life consists of being seen standing there when the rain happens to stop. 
People will assume you made the rain stop and you should be able to cash in on 
a book deal. I don't begrudge her that. And for sure, she did far more right by 
our neighborhood than her odious predecessor, who really went out of his way to 
hurt us all.

-- Tony West
  - Original Message - 
  From: Ross Bender 

  Judy's full florid quote re the park is below:

  >>This, in turn, led to greening projects--such as the 
  >>planting of 450 trees and 10,000 spring bulbs and the
  >>creation of four public and three children's gardens--which
  >>set the stage for the dramatic transformation of Clark Park
  >>from a dangerous drug-infested space into a thriving 
  >>recreational venue for children and the locale for a weekly
  >>farmer's market. 

  Funny. Maybe my memory is giving out, but I'm almost positive that my son, 
born in 1987, spent a good portion of his tender years in that dangerous 
drug-infested space, and as I recall, really enjoyed it. Not the drugs, but the 
old low-rent playground in the north park, which, while certainly not as fancy 
as the new playgrounds they've got in the south park these days, provided lots 
of fun for a wee toddler. There was a low wall which he enjoyed learning to 
walk on, an old fashioned slide, a couple of crude dinosaurs, and the turtle. I 
spent about a year with him as a stay-at-home dad, and remember meeting lots of 
other (friendly) parents and their toddlers in Clark Park. Don't remember 
running into any whores, but maybe I was just too naive to recognize them. 

  I do recall the crack vials, with their multicolored lids, but basically I 
remember finding them on the 4700 block of Cedar, which was almost as tony then 
as it is now. Crack, if y'all can think back through that cocaine haze, was not 
a peculiar affliction of nasty ghetto West Philly, but a national urban curse. 
Of course at the same time, powder cocaine was extraordinarily popular with the 
white upper classes (and future presidents), although they never seemed to go 
to jail for it. 

  So Judy's claim to fame as the Good White Fairy or Goddess or whatever she 
believes herself to have been, is quite overblown on the face of it. I'm not 
saying she didn't do some good things in cooperation with Fast Eddie, but 
puh-lease!! OK, she was the first lady Ivy League prexy, and of course she was 
a Columbia Ph.D., which speaks volumes in her favor. But she was also the first 
million dollar a year Ivy League president, and thus more of a corporate CEO 
than an old-style academic. Her salary was umpteen bazillion times that of the 
humblest Penn employee; if you think that's a good trend, well, that's your 
opinion. IMHO it's part of the Banana Republicization of the USA. 

  What really bugs me about her razzamatazz is the fact that while I've lived 
here 22 years as of June 2, I didn't notice any sudden magical transformation 
when she blew into town. As other long and longer-term residents have been 
witnessing on this list, this has always been a pretty fine place to live, and 
lots of people have made it that way. A million-dollar flackette waving her 
wand and puffing herself apparently has made a big impression on some gullible 
folks, but I just don't see it that way. 

[UC] mother cat and 2 kittens need a home

[BTILLEY1]

As if we don't have enough needy cats and kittens right here in U.CityI  
got this note today, and hope that someone knows somebody who knows someone,  
etc.
 
 Barbara Tilley
 
 Dear Family and Friends,

Today I rescued a stray mother cat  and her two kittens. The kittens are 
already eating solid food, so they will  be ready to be weaned within 
the next week.  I need to find good homes  for the adult mother cat and 
the two kittens.  (I don't feel the need  to keep the cats together, but 
of course if someone would like more than  one, that would be great.)


If you live outside Philadelphia, I'm  sending you this email because 
I'm happy to drive the cats to a good  home.

I won't be able to keep the cats long in my house AND stay married,  so 
I really need to find home for these kitties quickly! : (no  joke)


Please feel free to pass on this email to anyone who'd like to  give 
them a good home.  They are very cute.

My contact  info:
215.525.5518 - home
212.865.7997 -  mobile




[EMAIL PROTECTED]


all best  wishes,
Liz



--
[EMAIL PROTECTED]




** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.