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Pennypack’s trails
need barriers
I like to walk Pennypack Park. I keep to the right because I know bikes will be whizzing by. But imagine my surprise one day last week while I was walking on the trail near Verree Road when I heard a vehicle coming up behind me.
Yes, someone did not want to park in the lot or on the street, but had to drive up the trail to where the field is (near the restrooms) and park on the trail.
Of course, people were running on the trail and a young mother was pushing a baby carriage. If one person starts doing this, many more will follow.
Any thought of increasing the barriers so this will be prevented?
Gerald Daskilewicz
Castor Gardens
If you see evil,
you need to report it
Recently, I’ve noticed a change in my neighborhood. The corner store now sells blunts to teenagers. Now the corner is a hangout. Residents of the two houses adjacent to the store are blatantly selling drugs from their rented porches. I’ve called the D.A. and 911 and guess what? Nothing. What is going on?!
This is how working-class neighborhoods fall. Let’s not take it anymore. I urge all you working-class heroes out there to take a stand! If you see kids getting stoned outside your steps, tell them to walk! If you see drugs being sold, call the police.
We need to be heard in numbers to make change. Sometimes I feel like the only voice out there.
Lisa Henry
Mayfair
Council resolution
hurts the Boy Scouts
I am writing to inform all of a resolution that City Council has passed on the Boys Scouts that affects our community as a whole as well as our children.
A vote was taken on May 31 wherein City Council has decided they want to force the Boys Scouts to change their hiring polices to include gays and atheists even though the U.S. Supreme Court has decided in favor of the Boy Scouts.
Basically City Council, through a bill sponsored by Councilman Darrell Clarke, is telling the Boy Scouts that unless they change their hiring policies, they are going to take away their rent-free headquarters even though they had made more than $1 million in improvements to same.
It should be noted that the only councilman who stood by the Boy Scouts is Brian O’Neill. Where is everyone else? Council representatives, Kenney, Kelly, Rizzo, Krajewski, etc., all sided with Councilman Clarke. The vote was 16-1.
The Boy Scouts is a private organization that does so much good for our community and our children, especially. Do we really want to make it harder for them to help our kids?
If you make them purchase a new building or pay fair-market value, etc., this will take funds away from our kids.
I think it is about high time that people stop trying to jam down social acceptance/political correctness for every issue.
Our Northeast Council members, at-large or district, please know that you are making a grave mistake in thinking people will not stick up for what is right.
I ask all who support the Boy Scouts to call your Council representatives and inform them of your position. Remember, most are up for re-election in November. We put them in office, we can take them out of office. Their vote on this issue was totally wrong. They know it, and yet voted for it. We need to stand up for our kids.
Daniele McDevitt
Parkwood
Frustration, gratitude
at Rhawnhurst A.A.
As a board member of the Rhawnhurst Athletic Association, I would like to thank Jeanne Dearden for her letter to the Times regarding the situation at George Pelbano Recreation Center (Rhawnhurst has been waiting long enough, May 24 edition).
This project has been plagued with delays since its onset in 1999 when then-state Rep. Alan Butkovitz secured state funds along with funds from then-Councilman Rick Mariano, getting us the gym we had so longed for. Finally, a gym right in Rhawnhurst!
Now it is 2007, the delays go on and on ….the blame shifts from the city to the contractor to the weather, and around and around it goes. The situation at this point is ridiculous. The Department of Recreation has taken away the staff, and because "it’s a construction site," we have been denied access to the building. We are maintaining our own fields. It is a complete mess.
I just wanted to take the time to publicly acknowledge the parents of our Raiders and thank them for their patience, understanding and unrelenting support. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank City Controller Butkovitz for his ongoing support and to say that Councilman Dan Savage has done such a GREAT job for us! He will always be a winner with us! I can only hope that we will receive that same great firsthand service from whoever we wind up with come next year. Go, Raiders!
Matthew Smith
Rhawnhurst
Three cheers for the
Raptures and coaches
On May 26 and 27, the Philadelphia Soccer Club’s under-8 Raptures traveled to Burlington Township, N.J., to participate in a holiday weekend tournament. They played well and never gave up. The team consists of 12 8-year-old boys who have played and practiced hard together for the majority of two years. The team does not have any superstars.
Five of the players are moving to another team in the fall because the parents are not happy with the progress of their children, but you must crawl before you walk. The parents should take a long, hard, look at themselves in the mirror.
I want to thank the four dedicated coaches who give up their time because of the love of the game and the players. John, Bill, Larry and John, I salute you.
Thanks to the boys also — Big John, Little John, Anthony, Hunter, Adam, Kiri, Brendan, Mikey, Pat, Kevin, Billy and Kyle. Success to all of you as you grow and move to under-9 in the fall. Also, special thanks to all of the parents. Looking forward to watching you again in the fall.
Steve West
Somerton
Words of wisdom
from Our Lady of Ransom
The annual tradition continues: Students in Mrs. Cole’s sixth-grade class at Our Lady of Ransom School in Oxford Circle are giving our readers pieces of their minds on the hot topics of the day. Here’s what they have to say:
Snuff out smoking
You’ve probably heard that smoking is bad for you. I’m writing to tell you that being around a smoker is just as corrupting to your lungs.
I’m concerned about smoking in public places like playgrounds, skate parks and especially restaurants. In the park where parents take their children for walks and exercise, they are exposed to secondhand smoke that can cause a lot of damage to their young lungs. It is especially dangerous in restaurants, where you cannot escape the smoke as it fills the room.
I believe secondhand smoke unfairly affects the people who choose not to smoke.
Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking (276,000 men and 142,000 women). One in 5 deaths in the United States is smoking related. This ratio needs to be lowered dramatically.
Jared Rand
• • •
I am sick and tired of people smoking in public places. It is really bad for your lungs. A lot of people die from smoking. I know people who smoke, and I worry about them. When I walk or go past restaurants, I hate smelling the smoke from people inside.
In this country, an estimated 25.1 million men and 20.9 million women are smokers. About 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily — or 10 million every minute. Every eight seconds someone dies from tobacco use. Smokers are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
Would you like to die from smoking or lung cancer? Then stop!
Shannon M.
Love thy animal
Why must animal abuse continue? People continue to abuse animals by kicking, hitting, yelling in their ears, and throwing them across the room.
People have also been training animals to be mean by attacking them so they attack other people. Then they get put to sleep.
Animals have feelings too, you know. They don’t deserve to get hurt, killed by other animals in fights, or put to sleep.
Animals have also been used to test new products to see if they are safe for humans. The scientists don’t even care if it kills the animal they are testing.
Some people don’t think they are abusing animals, but they are. When people throw trash into the ocean, it gets into the fishes’ gills and throats and they die. A lot of animals are going to be extinct if this is allowed to continue.
In 2005, nearly 35,000 animals did not get proper veterinary care. So, put your skin in their fur and see how you would like to be treated.
Michael Lavanga
• • •
I am sick of animals being abused by their owners. My dog was abused before I owned him. Some dogs get traumatized from the experience.
This year alone there are 10,581 cases of animal abuse. Animals that get abused will be paranoid for the rest of their lives.
The next time you see an animal, make sure you don’t abuse it, because you will either get a fine or do jail time.
Anthony J.
• • •
How would you feel if you were being tested by people? Scientists have been testing products on animals, including hair products, makeup products and a lot of other products that people use every day. Millions of products are tested on animals every day.
More than 38,000 animals are used to test cosmetics and toiletries like toothpaste, shampoo and household detergents and cleaners. More than 115 million animals are experimented on and killed by people every year.
Some companies that do not use animals use human volunteers to test their products. This makes more sense, because rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats and other small animals are not like people at all, so there’s no guarantee that their reactions will be similar. More than 500 companies have already given up animal testing.
I know and you know that animals deserve better than this.
N.D.
• • •
I think animal testing for research should be illegal. It is cruel and endangering to animals. Animal lovers and pet owners probably feel the same.
How would you like to be an animal in a testing lab waiting for your life to be completely changed by acids, chemicals and certain instruments all for a product that might not even work out?
Lee Dandelias
• • •
Animal abuse is a problem. The fact is animals are being killed. Some owners of dogs hit their dog for no reason at all. Other people hit their dogs too hard because they did something bad.
Hundreds of animals are dying year after year because of abuse. Please take care of your animals and treat them right.
Nickolaii Rodriguez
Protect our environment
In recognition of Earth Day, people everywhere make an effort to care about the environment. They plant trees, clean up parks or recycle. This is great, but it is only one day out of the year.
I think the one thing people should do every day is to commit to not littering. If everyone stopped littering, our streets and parks would be clean. Our sewers would not get clogged when it rains and our whole neighborhood would look better. People in cars should stop throwing trash out their windows. It is a very simple, easy and no-cost way to help the environment and beautify our city, too.
Parents must tell their children not to litter and then set an example by not littering themselves. People think it’s only a gum wrapper, but those gum wrappers add up when millions of people drop them on the ground every day.
Are you up to the challenge? I am.
Gabrielle Chermak
• • •
Why are factories polluting our air? I am sick and tired of riding by factories and seeing big clouds of black smoke smothering our clear blue skies. Breathing in these pollutants makes me sick.
Many factories spit out manganese, which is harmful to a human’s nervous system. All of this pollution is destroying our ozone layer. This layer of the earth protects us from harmful UV rays from the sun.
If all of this pollution continues, the ozone will fall apart and we will be put into much danger. I want all of this extra pollution to stop being put into our air!
Many people with asthma have a hard time breathing around factories. Pollution from power plants kills nearly 30,000 people a year in the United States alone. It has been proved that more people die from the pollutants than from drunken-driving accidents and homicides. Besides the annual 30,000 deaths, they cause 603,000 asthma attacks every year.
Please think about it. Do you want to die or become sick from pollution? If not, do something about it!
Robert W.
• • •
Did you notice that during the winter of 2006 we barely received any snow? During the past three months of 2007 we received record-breaking amounts of rain and snow — all because we do not care.
During the coming decades, we will notice many changes in climate, landscapes and the rise of seawater as polar ice caps melt. Polar bears will die because there will be no land for them to rest on. Coastal areas, including parts of the northeast United States, Florida, parts of Europe, West Africa, Japan, and so forth will be under water.
Many creatures that rely on cold weather will die because of the massive climate shift. Because of the heat, ski resorts and other businesses that rely on snow will be desperate. They could try to use snowmaking machines that will cost millions and pay people to run them.
I believe we have to do something. It does not matter if you can find a box full of ideas to replace petroleum, or just watch how you use electrical appliances and gas heat.
We can all make a difference.
Panashe Mutombo
Nix the X-rated movies
Should X-rated movies be allowed? Is there any point to this kind of movie?
People should ask these questions before making the decision to see an X-rated movie. Maybe the violence in the world today is caused from these viewings.
X-rated movies are packed with extreme violence and are inappropriate viewing. Is this the kind of movie you or your children want to see?
Think about it.
Jessica Breuning
Fear vs. disease
How many of you have been worried about yourself or your family catching bird flu, also known as avian flu?
On the news there are reports of bird flu being the "next big pandemic." Of the 6.7 billion people on this planet, only 34,000 people have caught avian flu, but 20,000 of these people made a full recovery.
I understand that if this disease isn’t given a second thought, many people will die. But, the disease won’t be stopped by scaring people.
Alexander M.
Blame the parents
I feel so bad for teens whose parents don’t care about them at all. People wonder how these kids grew up to do so many wrong things as teenagers.
Parents should definitely take some of the blame. Parents are supposed to know who their child’s friends are, where they go, what they listen to, and how they are doing in school.
I hear of teens who have gotten pregnant, robbed a store, did drugs, vandalized property and the list goes on. Parents should care about what their kid is doing. Parents really need to be more strict.
I see teens all the time with no cares in the world. They are rude and don’t care about anyone but themselves. They do wrong things because discipline wasn’t enforced enough.
Some teens end up permanently injuring someone else, getting into fights or hurting themselves. In some cases, they end up killing people.
If they act like this as teens, how will they act when they are adults?
Shiza Francis
Just say no
How can anyone just sit there and do drugs, or maybe even watch a friend or loved one hurt themselves? They might say it helps make them feel good, but I guarantee you, they won’t feel too good when they are in the hospital, ready to die from drugs.
Statistics show that among the graduating class of 1996, 50.8 percent of students had used an illicit drug by the time they reached their senior year in high school.
I have had to cope with the deaths of loved ones from drug use. You wish you could have helped them when they were in trouble, but you were too late.
So, if you know someone taking drugs, help them stop, because if you don’t, you might lose a very special person.
How would you feel? Think about it!
Brittany Kellenberger
Don’t drink and drive
In 2004, there were 16,694 alcohol-related fatalities, and 39 percent of the total were traffic related.
I am so tired of drunken drivers getting off so easy. If you know you are going to drive somewhere, you shouldn’t drink. But if you do, get a designated driver. Drunken driving is unacceptable whether you can handle the alcohol or not.
My advice is never ride with someone who is drunk, and never drive drunk.
How would you like it if you had a friend or relative that was killed by a drunken driver and the only punishment for the driver was a couple of months in prison? I would feel disgusted.
People should be more careful about drinking and driving. I hope you feel the same way.
Christopher A.
• • •
Did you ever drive drunk and survive? If you did you’re lucky, because people are injured in alcohol-related crashes every 32 seconds. In 1999 alone, 15,786 people were killed in alcohol-related car accidents. Of those, 2,238 were young people — that’s about 42 young people a week. Almost 40 percent of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related.
People who drive after drinking are irresponsible and have little regard for themselves and the lives of others. I don’t think that people know how serious drinking and driving is, because it is still happening and people are still dying. Many people are losing their lives even if they are not drunk, because drunken drivers are crashing into people who don’t deserve to die.
I think that laws should be tougher on drunken drivers. What do you think?
Alexandra Chermak
Be a good sport
We should have more sports offered at elementary schools. It would help with school funds. It would let kids be more physically active instead of being lazy. It would also be good for social growth development.
I feel sad because a lot of schools don’t have many or any sports teams. Because of this, a lot of kids are not physically active, because not a lot of sports teams are offered at elementary schools.
Don’t you want your kid or kids to be physically active?
John Harkins
Passions are high
following Wasserman letter
I have never read a letter to the editor that angered me as much as Anita Wasserman’s in last week’s Northeast Times (She has a few questions for black people).
I am embarrassed as not only a white female but as a human being by the content of this article. I want other people to know that this is not representative of white people, and, as in the words of Mrs. Wasserman, is not, "what is on the mind of so many people these days."
This article is representative of an obviously racist woman who has no background knowledge of American history, culture or facts. Mrs. Wasserman boasts that she has sometimes shut her eyes to the obvious. However, her contradictory statements support the fact that she continually closes her eyes to the obvious.
And so, I would like to address this to Anita Wasserman. What is typical African-American fashion in regards to graffiti? Did you know that graffiti dates back to European immigrants who left graffiti on Ellis Island?
Did you know that white corporate America steals more money and commits more crimes than "black" Americans? Did you know that white people purchase more rap music and spend more money on rap concerts than any other group of people? And finally, why didn’t you just approach a black person and ask them these questions if you really wanted to know the answer? I assume that you have a relationship with at least one black person since you have a full understanding of black culture and what black people do.
Education is the greatest contributor to ridding these stereotypes. We must know where we come from before we ask how we got here. I suggest that Mrs. Wasserman pick up a history book and attempt to answer her own questions.
I am embarrassed that people still hold these uneducated stereotypes to be true.
Jessica Culp
Fishtown
• • •
To Anita Wasserman: I am overwhelmed by your blatant generalizations and extremely ignorant and ranting letter. It grieved me to know that Caucasians like you are still around.
My husband is a major in the U.S. Air Force and I have a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry. Our children attend a great public school here in the Northeast. We have been stationed here for over eight years. By the way, we are not leaving. My family has lived and traveled all over the world and I have never experienced such hate and ignorance.
I want you to know that all African-Americans are not baby daddies, welfare moms, Section 8 recipients, vandals or criminals. Your letter was written with so many generalizations and so much hate that it transcended any intelligent comprehension.
How dare you say you are not a racist. By your sheer thoughts and actions of daring this mess to be printed, you actually illuminated your racism.
Ms. Anita, I feel very sorry for you, because you get your information from the news and you swear it is true for everyone who’s African-American. Allow your Caucasian children to grow up to have love and tolerance, not to be arrogant, egotistical little racist pigs. Try not to view my race through your single-vision eyes.
Please be informed. Caucasians are not the only ones in the Northeast. There are many proud, Christian homeowners living and prospering. We raise our children to be proud, loving and filled with Christian values.
You should save all your demeaning generalizations for a race paper, not my Northeast Times. We are not leaving. This is our home, too, so if you don’t like it, get used to it, or white flight it to Bucks County. By the way, we are there, too.
Simonia O. Carter
Bustleton
• • •
I was appalled at Anita Wasserman’s letter in which she makes a prejudicial statement in which she pegs black people (and for the record, I’m white) as being responsible for crimes and "changing" the neighborhoods in the Northeast.
She is a Jew, so I would think she would be a little more sensitive regarding making statements about minorities. She said that the "change" also happened in South Philly.
According to the 2000 Census, the racial makeup of South Philly is 51.5 percent white, 33.0 percent black, 8.8 percent Asian, 3.6 percent Hispanic, 2.7 percent multiracial, and 0.2 percent American Indian.
Do you really believe that all the crime in South Philly is done only by the 33.0 percent of blacks? This may come as a shock to you, but white kids have been known to spray graffiti and vandalize, too! You claim your kids "see the truth" when they ask you about why news reports about crime show so many black faces.
Plenty of bigoted groups (like the KKK) claim to "see the truth" and cite news reports too, when they want to make a case against blacks and the Jews. Do you really want your kids to subscribe to that brand of the "truth?"
Stacey Carmody
Somerton
• • •
I am African-American. Philadelphia has been my home for nine years. I do not like to see the graffiti on walls or the trash on the street. It brings down my property value. Plus, it just looks horrible. If you come to my home you will see it well kept both inside and out.
The graffiti problem is not just a "black" thing. Just ask Bucks and Montgomery counties. We are not the only people who speak slang or write a certain way. And what in the world is writing in African-American fashion? I’ve taken college English and not once was that mentioned. I have seen many races defacing property and littering. On Easter someone spray-painted my car. I didn’t cry out, "It’s the white people, they’re jealous that I have a nice house and two cars."
And yes, I am married. I got married at 16 and never received any welfare, not even free lunch. I don’t have a "baby’s daddy," I have a husband and best friend. My husband and I pride ourselves on being good citizens. We have lived in various parts of the country. My husband has defended his country in the U.S. Army Infantry for 21 years.
I have just completed my degree and have a great career. The only government money we get is earned from a government job.
Surprisingly, there are plenty of white kids getting pregnant young, unwed, using drugs and running to the store buying rap music. I pay close attention to what my kids watch and listen to. My children are well spoken, hard-working students and have never been in trouble. I have children in Washington, Swenson Tech and Carnell.
I would love to sit down with you and your kids so they can see that we are not criminals, thugs, unwed mothers and low-lifes. If not I hope you will take them to different places so that they may see the good in all races.
Unlike you, I don’t judge a race by one person’s actions or allow my kids to do this. I told my children not to look at the skin, just listen to the ignorance. I teach my children to have pride in themselves so people like you will not bring them down.
Enlighten your children and yourself. Look at the white and black soldiers who have died together. Do you think they thought of each other as black or white? I cry tears for them all. And that goes for anyone who (no matter what race) wants to blame a whole race for one person’s actions.
One last question I want to ask. Would you think of me as less than black if I cleaned my street, spoke properly and listened to Tim McGraw? Because I do and I have.
My offer still stands to meet you. We might become good friends. Only thing I ask for is a clear mind and open heart.
E. Leigh Morando Young
Castor Gardens
• • •
It should not be a struggle for any thinking person to avoid being a racist. It is simply a matter of looking beyond a person’s skin color. After having lived in most of the western world courtesy of the U.S. Army, I have lived in Northeast Philadelphia for 49 years. I have traveled extensively throughout the United States, courtesy of my employer, and I have not found a place I would rather live.
I do know who defaces houses of worship. Those children who have dropped cans or trash on our property are white. I have been an African-American all of my life and I know no black person who is involved in even petty crime.
I know graffiti when I see it but do not know what is "typically African-American style." How can the writer tell? I never hear the type of music described in the letter, as my radios have dials and off buttons.
Parenting problems are universal and not restricted to any race. Ask Timothy McVeigh and the students who shot up the school in Colorado and many, many others.
I trust that thinking people will see Anita Wasserman’s letter for what it is: Terribly off center and racist at the core.
Frank C. Moore
Bustleton
• • •
Congratulations to Anita Wasserman — finally, someone who’s not afraid to speak the truth.
Anita, it’s a shame, but you are 100 percent right. The blacks ruin neighborhoods then move to a new one and ruin that one and so on and so forth. They also are always crying racism and prejudice when they are the worst racists in the country!
If you need proof just look at neighborhoods back in the ’60s and ’70s, then look at them now and who resides in them. Question answered. Seeing is believing. In five years, the Northeast will look like every other bad section.
Mike Ingram
Millbrook
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