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The student pedestrians

are disgraceful

Trying to pass Bustleton Avenue and Verree Road at George Washington High School at 2:30 to 3 p.m. is a disgrace.
The students have no respect for adults driving or walking. They cross the streets at any place at any time, and even though we go the school speed limit, they walk right in front of the cars and expect us to stop on a dime.
They scream obscenities because we have to jam on our brakes or beep the horns so we don’t hit them. They are playing a game, and one day someone will lose.
The police on duty as well as the school principal need to enforce that these kids have to cross where it is safe for everyone. What a disgrace!!!
Joan Howard
Bustleton




Rescue team

did a fine job

This writing is in praise and appreciation to the men of our fire department.
Early Easter, I had to call 911 for my brother in Northeast Philadelphia. He was in great distress because of his heart. He could not breathe or walk around.
The medics were on their way before I hung up with 911. These men took one look at him and put him into the rescue truck, where they worked on him with oxygen and intravenous before they took him to Frankford Hospital — in the rescue truck for 20 minutes. They stayed around until the hospital admitted him.
Sadly, I did not get their names, but I am sure they are representatives of this remarkable rescue department. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks.
Loretta M. Humphries
Wissinoming




Pondering the

meaning of ‘law’

I would like to thank Patricia Smith, Sarah McGinley’s grandmother, for saying in last week’s Letters to the Editor the words of appreciation we all feel but are too consumed with grief to express.
An underaged driver senselessly killed Sarah on that beautiful Sunday, April 17.
I would still like to know how the D.A. can let this go as an "unfortunate accident" as opposed to vehicular homicide or at least some form of negligence.
As the editor so eloquently phrased it (What’s in a law? May 5 Editorial), when is the law not a law? When it is not enforced.
If the law is left to interpretation by the powers-that-be (the D.A.), then they aren’t laws at all, they’re more like rules that can be bent and shaped to fit the individual circumstances.
I urge the D.A. to do her job. After all, THE LAW IS THE LAW, right? And again, thank you, Mrs. Smith.
Sharon Hoensch
Sarah McGinley’s paternal aunt

• • •

Regarding the May 5 editorial, thank you, and kudos. I was beginning to feel as if I was the only one who thought that "right is right."
I truly believe that the April 17 mishap was a tragic accident that is tearing all parties involved apart. But a rule is a rule. And the law clearly states that no one is to be behind the wheel of a car before their 16th birthday, and not without a permit.
I had my son, three months shy of his 17th birthday, in the parking lot on the opposite side of the school after I drove him there when he passed his test. He earned that right to be behind that wheel.
There was a police officer sitting in the parking lot when we arrived. I instructed my son to relax, and drive. He had nothing to fear, as he was wearing his seat belt and proudly sporting a driver’s permit. The police officer left the parking lot after about four minutes.
Folks wonder how chaos happens. It happens when everyone starts disregarding rules and lowering their standards and principles. They then call out for law and order, when all we had to do was follow the rules in the first place.
The law is the law, or at least should be. Right?
If we had parents out there acting and/or behaving (whichever they choose) more responsibly than their teenagers, we would avoid a lot of troubles and heartache.
Kathleen Wilson
Holmesburg




Shane was loved

by many

In case there is a person out there who did not know Shane Pomfret, the 15-year-old kid that was shot and killed in the house in Bustleton, let me start by saying what an awesome, kind, caring, loving kid that Shane was.
He had a great talent and love for skateboarding, his smile was infectious, and his small frame held the biggest heart, and that was evident from the hundreds who attended his funeral.
It was the saddest day in my life, and this senseless killing changed my family’s life forever.
Shane was a great friend to my 15-year-old son Brian and my 17-year-old son Justin. I have no answers as to why this happened, and I try and find the right words to comfort not only my children but their friends as well.
Shane left behind two brothers, Carl and Rich, and I can’t even imagine the pain and suffering they are going through, since they always looked out for their little brother.
Thank you, Carl, for putting Brian’s glove in Shane’s hand. I will never forget.
Rich, we will always remember the comforting words you spoke at your brother’s funeral.
Mr. and Mrs. Pomfret, we are deeply sorry for this great loss. If there is any comfort, know that your wonderful son was loved by many.
The Malaszecki family and friends




Abortion is the

death penalty

I have been asked several times how can I support the death penalty and be against abortion. Usually the one posing the question acts like there cannot be an answer.
Well, I am for the death penalty for those who themselves have brought the death penalty to someone else.
An unborn child is guilty of nothing and should not be subject to the death penalty.
Tom Finnegan
Somerton




Church graffiti is a stain

on the community

Recent acts of graffiti vandalism have occurred at Trinity Church, Oxford, (located at Oxford Avenue at Longshore Street) and we are in need of help from our neighbors and the entire community.
Our church doors and other church property have been "marked" repeatedly by these acts of vandalism. Ours is a historic church and we take pride in maintaining this aspect of our property. Spray painting public and private property without permission is an act of vandalism that hurts everyone — businesses, homeowners, schools, churches and, actually, the vandals, also.
We have photos of the graffiti that have been turned over to the anti-graffiti network and the police, and we are in the process of speaking with local school administrators who may know the identity of these vandals.
We are not publishing these photos because it’s a highly desirable achievement within the graffiti subculture for a graffiti vandal to have his or her tag or work appear anywhere in the media, and we will not give any more "fame" to the persons who do this. Notice we do not call them "artists." An artist creates works of beauty, not works of destruction.
What we are asking our neighbors and others in our community is this — if you see any group of people loitering around our church and/or the surrounding cemetery during hours that the church is not holding a function, please notify the police.
Not only have the church grounds been marked by graffiti, reports of other non-desirable acts have occurred as well. If these vandals have no conscience about attacking a church, they will have no conscience about doing the same to your property.
Let’s reclaim the beauty and pride that makes this a great community by putting a stop to this activity now. Let’s teach those involved to have a conscience and to redirect their activity to a more productive one that could be an asset to their own lives and to our community.
Elizabeth Kostic
Deacon at Trinity Church, Oxford




A note for smokers

and the obese

Regarding the proposed ban on smoking, while not quitting smoking is indeed a choice, non-smokers must not be annoyed and possibly made ill by that choice. I was taught that every right is accompanied by a responsibility.
Let’s change the topic to a closely related matter of our overweight and obese population —again the choice of those individuals. But studies have pointed out that the smoking and obese problems contribute heavily to the increased costs of health care to be borne by the taxpayers.
As one of those taxpayers, I resent the callous disregard of the smoking and overweight population. Their choice is now and will continue to place an unfair burden on innocent taxpayers who will have no choice!
Both problems can be overcome with proper discipline and willpower. How about making those choices?
Thanks for listening
David W. Campbell
Rhawnhurst




Mayor’s behavior at theater

gets bad reviews

After listening to the news on Friday, I found myself compelled to write this letter. Apparently our mayor visited the AMC Theater in the Franklin Mills mall and caused quite a stir when a worker, doing his job, requested that the mayor open a bag that he was holding, as a security measure.
The mayor was insulted by this request and asked for a manager. Oh, how my mind wonders with things to say! First of all, Mr. Mayor, might I ask what you were doing in the Northeast looking for entertainment? You never patrol our streets — hell, you don’t think we deserve safe streets — you never come to a community meeting that you are invited to regarding crime here in the Northeast, and you consistently take away from the Northeast residents — the very ones who work and pay their taxes.
Oh, but let’s not forget you successfully pushed every drug dealing, prostitute and welfare-abuser scum into our neighborhood. Must be nice to drive a Lexus, wear jewelry and Tommy Hilfiger pants, carry a Coach bag and walk up to a cash register with two carts of groceries and pay on an ACCESS card! This is what you have pushed into the Northeast. Why work? I’ll just utilize, or should I say abuse, one of YOUR programs; after all, I’ll never get caught. Difference is that I and the true Northeast people born and bred here have respect and pride!
Secondly, you have made every effort to destroy our part of the neighborhood (City of Brotherly Love). Inside the four Northeast police districts (oh, in case you didn’t know, they are the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 15th) you have virtually killed life as we once knew it, and you don’t even feel we need more police! Mr. Mayor, wake up and take a look at the COMSTATs and compare the amount of police reports written here in the Northeast since your reign as mayor! Thanks for all your hard work!
Thirdly, what about homeland security? Did you actually think you were beyond the very security measures that people and businesses are being advised to take due to our days of terrorism?
Last but not least, Mr. Mayor, might I say bluntly, why in the world did you make the statement indicating that the very employee, who has cerebral palsy and is white, zeroed you out because you are a man of color? Could you stoop any lower? Give up the race card, Mr. Mayor.
If you felt like that coming to the Northeast, why didn’t you go to a theater in North Philadelphia where you may have been more respected and comfortable in your own element?
It’s funny — you were insulted because the young man did not recognize you, well why in the world should he? You are never here in the Northeast, you never do anything for us and quite frankly, what have you done for him?
Give us a break here in the Northeast and do us all a favor and stay away unless you are going to do something good for us! We in the Northeast know when to respect and we would never pay to play!
As for the young man, you did your job and a great one at that. I commend you for working hard and having a job. But don’t hold your breath — the mayor thinks he did nothing wrong (always his answer) and he is too good for the Northeast people to apologize.
Hell, I am even surprised he knew how to get here!
Angelique Cianci-Hartman
President, Tacony Town Watch

• • •

I am deeply concerned about the issue of Mayor Street and the AMC movie theater. How can he possibly think that he is above the searching of a bag policy that they have? His statement that any "public" place doesn’t have the right to search a person’s bag is ridiculous.
The security of America is the most important thing these days. I have been to many sporting events, and they all have searching policies. These are "public" places, also.
Any building owners/managers that may at any time have the general public entering should have the right to be able to know what is inside the building at any time.
I am sure that if I, as a regular citizen, would deny a search of my bag, I would probably be detained and denied access to any place I was trying to enter.
I don’t think Mayor Street has the right to make an issue of this. An apology is required, since the employee was only doing his job as directed by the theater policy.
Thomas Lesher
Castor Gardens




A few more words on

the Krajewski editorial:


Joan doesn’t care

for Mike . . .

I was appalled by your open letter to City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski (April 28 Editorial).
Isn’t it bad enough you suggested she retire because of her age? Worse yet, you suggest she do it to let state Rep. Mike McGeehan run for her seat. Are you kidding me? Joan Krajewski has done more by accident than McGeehan has done on purpose. I’ll bet Joan got more work accomplished from her hospital bed than McGeehan did during that same time period.
In your next issue please list all of McGeehan’s career accomplishments — like all the community improvement projects he’s been involved in (prior to MARC). Don’t worry, it won’t take up much space in your paper.
This explains why he has suddenly gotten busy and formed the MARC organization. He’s had his eye on Joan’s seat and knew he wouldn’t have a prayer of getting it with his dismal record. The neighborhoods in his district have steadily declined since 1991, with record numbers of people moving out.
He took credit for getting Torresdale Avenue repaved, when in reality, the only reason he got involved is because a frustrated Tacony resident went to state House Speaker John Perzel asking for his help to get it done. When McGeehan got wind that Perzel was going to help, he then jumped in and did what he should have done years ago. Instead he let Torresdale Avenue deteriorate.
Joan, don’t listen to them. Everyone knows you’ve worked tirelessly for your constituents and I have no doubt you will have many more accomplishments during the rest of your term. And when your successor takes office in January 2008, let’s pray it’s not Mike McGeehan. He could never fill your shoes!
Joan Nowak
Tacony




. . . and Mike doesn’t

care for Mike

As a Tacony resident, a former employee of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative and long-time volunteer in my neighborhood, I am very offended by your blind endorsement of Mike McGeehan to fill the giant shoes of Councilwoman Krajewski.
Mr. McGeehan serves only his beloved political and personal friends, forming new organizations to help "buy" votes by giving grants.
CLIP was formed because L&I couldn’t enforce laws that already existed. Now we have our state tax dollars paying for MARC, which does the same thing.
Then we see a letter in your paper from MARC president Tom Conway, who by no coincidence also heads up the CLIP program for the city, telling us how neighborhood strategic plans are meaningless and how vinyl fencing and wooden boxes are "revitalizing our major arteries." What urban planning experience does Mr. Conway have, and what qualifies him to make such a statement?
Sadly, Mr. Conway has it totally backwards. The MARC program seems to exist for photo ops and ceremonial cleanups. Take a look at Mayfair, where you’ll see the cleaning machines every day. Where are the machines for Torresdale Avenue? It makes me wonder just what our tax dollars are getting us.
The public should reserve judgment about these programs until a complete accounting is done. And, when Joan Krajewski calls it a day, we need a fighter with the right motives, not part of some stale machine.
Mike Hagerty
Tacony




Dear Joanie:

Oh won’t you stay?

WOW ! Who is "we" in the "We wish you the very best Joanie — and that is why we say it’s time for you to step down and give somebody else a chance."
How can you compare Joan Krajewski to Thacher Longstreth? You write "Joanie" like you know her and then disrespect her with your editorial. Joan has been great for the Northeast and hopefully will continue to do great for us. She is nearly 71 and with age comes wisdom. Joan is not senile and has never shown she cannot do her job. Apparently you are in favor of McGeehan, but he will never be able to fill Joan’s shoes.
Joan, I don’t know who the "we" are but I am sure they are a select few. I hope the editor has you thinking that maybe you won’t step down in 2007. You have always included and listened to everyone’s opinion.
To be available to all your voters, even when you are dining, is what has been special about you, because you are one of us and not your typical politician. You have always had the Northeast as your best interest, and I am sure will continue to do even better for the rest of your term.
Georgeanne Huff–Labovitz
Tacony

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