August 31, 2006 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Online Editor Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2006 Chestnut Hill Local Winner of One |
From our readers...Good reporting on Corner Deli series We deeply appreciate the careful, comprehensive reporting by Jennifer Katz in the two-part series on the Corner Deli which appeared in the August 17 and 24 editions of the Chestnut Hill Local. Your staff should all be proud of such a great story. The Corner Deli has brought together an extraordinary coalition of groups to work on ridding our community of this nuisance establishment. At the 6-hour hearing where the community groups spoke about the need to deny the Corner Deli a license to sell take-out beer, no fewer than 17 witnesses spoke on behalf of these groups: West Mt. Airy Neighbors; East Mt. Airy Neighbors; Mt. Airy USA; 14th District Police; St. Michael’s Lutheran Church; Project Learn School; Philadelphia Sunday Sun newspaper; Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller; and several members of the Pelham Town Watch. This testimony was the longest and most compelling of any of the protestants’ testimonies in the city, and was strengthened immeasurably by the careful records kept by the Pelham Town Watch — literally a day-by-day log of nuisance behavior observed by their members. Throughout this process, we have had the strong support of Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and her staff. Since then, through her efforts, parts of Mt. Airy have been designated a Local Nuisance Business Task Force area. This will allow us to draw upon the coordinated efforts of a broad range of city and state agencies in holding businesses accountable for being good neighbors. While it’s frustrating that the denial of a take-out license did not immediately stop the problems, and it is evident that illegal behavior continues, the Corner Deli story demonstrates the power of community groups when they come together to fight for the good of their neighbors. Jarma J. Frisby Foster full of hot air I found Jim Foster’s remarks in “Accepting the unacceptable” [CHL, August 24, 2006] to be totally unfounded. Because he learned of the plight of Malak Ghorbany “on a very conservative web site,” Mr. Foster assumes that normal people have no interest in an Iranian woman who received the death sentence for adultery. Of course, that’s not true. I urge your more sensible readers to take a look at the web sites for International Campaign Against Honour Killings www.stophonourkillings.com, Human Rights Iran www.hriran.org, or Association for Women’s Rights in Development www.whrnet.org. These web sites not only protest Ms. Ghorbany’s distressing situation, but also direct their readers to protest all kinds of fundamentalism and conservatism, oppressing women even here in the U.S.A. Mr. Foster also forgot to tell your readers about the international petition campaign to save the life of Malak Ghorbany, which can be signed at www.petitiononline.com/Malak/petition.html. I was signer number 10,752. What was your number, Mr. Foster? Or is your right-wing rhetoric just hotair? Chris Robinson Outraged in all the right places I was outraged by your lead story of last week [“Local men break up late night assault of jogger,” Aug. 24], and not just about the assault itself. Why didn’t anybody call the police? Why didn’t the victim report the incident? How can police do their job unless they have the cooperation of the people they are trying to protect, and how can crimes like this be prevented unless the criminals are caught — by the police? Linda Thomson Artful in Mt. Airy I went into Amoeba Art for the first time today (Aug. 28). I’ve seen the colorful façade on my way to McMenimans and I’ve seen their ads in the Local. I had been meaning to go there when I started my flamingo for the AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill project but I never did. Instead, I spent my money at Pearl Arts & Crafts on South Street since it was closer to where I live. Today I needed to buy a canvas for a future project and stopped in. I walked through the periwinkle doorway and my ears were greeted with the sound of jazz music and some people in conversation. I quickly found what I needed and was on my way. I thought to myself after I left what a pleasant experience I had and that Amoeba Art is quite possibly the best art store in the city. Its small and colorful and friendly, which a lot of the arts store in Philly are not. Not only that, but their prices are affordable and actually quite delightful considering most art supplies cost an arm, leg and a kidney. I will go there from now on for all my creative needs and will make that suggestion to anyone who asks.
Robyn John |
