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A grandparent’s love
is the best
Regarding the case of Morris and Mildred Brasovankin, who are fighting for custody of their grandson, I think Steven should stay with his grandparents as long as possible.
Grandparents have a wealth of love and knowledge that they are never given credit for. Nothing can replace a grandparent’s love.
If the state insists on interfering, let them make sure Steven’s educational needs are taken care of.
His grandparents will provide the emotional support that no one else can. One hour a week is outrageous and insulting! I sure hope the people of Philadelphia are as outraged as I am in Michigan.
Families need to start taking care of themselves, and the government needs to start letting them!
Frances Timmerman
Roseville, Mich.
Special delivery
of integrity
On Tuesday evening, July 17, I lost my wallet near Tyson and Bustleton avenues. I was worried sick.
I spent two hours maneuvering through automated recordings (what a serious pain in the arse that was!), canceling my credit cards, all the while hoping I wasn’t too late for any serious damage to be done to my accounts.
The following day, the mailman dropped off my wallet to my house with everything intact.
I have to send out a real big THANK YOU to the honest, kind person who dropped my wallet into the mailbox at the 7-Eleven. You relieved me of so much worry and anxiety.
With all the craziness going on these days, it’s very comforting to know honest, stand-up folks are still around.
Ed O’Neill
Castor Gardens
PGW is giving
us gas pains
Many of us have received a new service from our friends at PGW. It’s called a "true-up" bill, and it updates budget-plans for previous gas usage. This fancy term can best be understood as what the robber said when he met the bank teller: "How about trueing-up into my brown paper bag?"
No matter how you sugar-coat the budget-plans, the yearly cost Philadelphians now pay to the PGW for the privilege of heating their homes, is a burden, and often higher, than our property taxes.
If that isn’t insult enough, the people of Northeast Philadelphia, have no service office, unless you consider 4400 Frankford Ave. a part of the neighborhood (PGW management ought to try a bus trip from Somerton to 4400 Frankford sometime.)
Ever reason with PGW over the phone? Trying to get an adjustment on billing such as "true-up," will make you throw-up as they screw up.
Mayoral candidates Nutter and Taubenberger need to make PGW rates a campaign issue. PGW needs to open its books to the public, provide quality customer service, and most of all, engage homeowners in a meaningful citywide program of energy conservation, using the economies of scale with local universities, home stores, and contractors.
Come on, PGW and politicians, let’s make Philadelphia the city where PGW no longer gives homeowners gas pains.
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
Change in Northwood
was long overdue
I totally agree with Northeast Times editor John Scanlon’s opinions regarding the Northwood Civic Association. It will take a great amount of time and effort to bring it to a state of which the residents can be proud.
For months, the meetings were monopolized by Mr. Menkevich. I saw children jump and cry after he slammed his hand on the table in anger. Many members tried to voice opinions, ask questions, without success. They were often belittled and demeaned.
There was a core group which was led by Mr. Menkevich, and rarely was anyone else allowed to speak. The need for change has been obvious for a very long time.
I hope the current officers can truly accomplish their goals. I wish them the best. Northwood must become a place of mutual respect. Respect for each other, and for the beautiful area in which we live is vital. Without elemental pride, Northwood will die. I hope that day never comes.
Peggy Moore
Why was the street
project not complete?
A few weeks ago, I read the article about the neighbors whose street was left unfinished in Normandy and were told by the city that they have no money.
Why did the city start the project in the Northeast in the first place despite the fact that the streets were in good condition with no potholes or whatever? Was there a kickback involved in this project? If the city has no money to finish the project, then how did the city come up with the money to spend for the Fourth of July celebration? They have to pay for the Streets Department, police on duty (double or triple overtime) and entertainers (they don’t do it for nothing), fireworks, etc. And we are still waiting for our driveway to be fixed. Really disgusting!
P.S. Mom has always said that the city is so full of crooks who are only looking out for themselves, not the taxpayers!
Robert F. Schaffer
Millbrook
Despite scandal,
you must keep the faith
In the latest scandal of the church, my heart goes out to all the families and victims. We all hope the best for you and your families. Maybe you can start to heal now.
I live in Mayfair and in my parish we are blessed with our pastor, priest and monsignor, and our sisters of the church. The people who represent the church do it with care, respect, honor and honesty. There are still good people out there.
Try to keep the faith and you will always be in our prayers. Thank you.
Kimberly Gatto
Mayfair
Animal cruelty must
not go unpunished
On July 17, 52 abused, severely wounded scarred pit bull terrier dogs were confiscated by the Humane Society on the property of the NFL Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in Virginia.
It was clear to the Humane Society that the dogs were forced to tear each other to pieces for Vick’s sick idea of entertainment.
All 52 dogs were battle-scarred and bleeding, not to mention all the equipment found: treadmills, drugs to enhance the dogs aggression, a rape stand to force breeding and finally a blood-covered pit where the dogs suffer, all in the name of profit.
These dogs will not live for very long. The ones that are healthy will be held as "court evidence" And when it is all over, they will be euthanized, as the Humane Society will not adopt out dogs that have been fought. It makes me think that my dog could have been one of them.
One of my dogs was a "fighting dog" who was rescued from a Jersey shelter, only kept alive to nurse her pups, but because of her kind nature, the shelter allowed me to adopt her. Despite scars on her face and legs and her right ear tipped from her forced battles, Molly is the sweetest dog I ever had the pleasure to adopt.
Pit bulls are so devoted to their owners, but how did Michael Vick show his appreciation for their undying loyalty? He allegedly mutilated them, and now they will die. Please just take a quick glance at the picture of my dog, and look at her eyes. She went through a life you could not wish on your worst enemy. But yet, Molly still LOVES people. So does every one of the 52 pit bulls pulled from Vick’s property.
Please do not let these sweet, abused dogs go down without justice! Michael Vick needs to pay for his complete inhumanity for life.
Call the NFL at 1-212-450-2000 and tell them to suspend Michael Vick from the NFL. Also, visit the HSUS Web site and sign their letter to the NFL. Go to: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/US_2007_dogfighting_nfl2?qp_source=gaba6w
What kind of role model teaches our children it is fine to get away with abusing animals?
Gina DeNofa
Northeast Philadelphia
• • •
I was sickened upon hearing the allegations surrounding the Michael Vick federal indictment! He and his cohorts allegedly tortured, shot, drowned, hanged, electrocuted and sponsored the fighting of innocent dogs. These actions are heinous, and I am confident that if Vick is found guilty he will be punished! I do commend, and "my hat is off" to, Vick’s sponsors who have decided NOT to use him to advertise their products any longer.
I urge any Philadelphians who are aware of, or suspect that there is pit bull fighting or torture of animals taking place to call 911 and report it to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Additionally, as many of you know, I have worked tirelessly to secure funding so that PACCA can hire more employees and expand their overcrowded facilities, so that, NO ANIMAL is ever euthanized again. It is one of my goals to make Philadelphia a "NO KILL CITY" in the future, and I ask that you join me in this mission.
In the short term, I urge you to consider adopting an animal from a shelter rather than purchasing one from a pet store or puppy mill. By you doing this, more strays will have a home, rather than being put down at Philadelphia’s overcrowded and underfunded facilities. For more information about where to adopt a pet, please call my City Hall office at 215-686-3452.
I will close with a quote from author and Nobel Prize winner Anatole France, who once said, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened."
Jack Kelly
Councilman at-large
Grieving cat owner
has words of wisdom
On June 28 at 12:30 p.m., I took my beautiful, healthy, 4-year-old cat to a pet grooming salon on Frankford Avenue in Holmesburg.
I was not requested to sign a waiver or form at any time. I shopped with a friend and when we returned home there was a message on my answering machine to return immediately to the grooming salon.
When we arrived at the grooming salon, the receptionist informed us that my beloved pet had died of a "pre-existing condition" and had been transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital. The cat had passed away at approximately 2:50 p.m. My friend and I were in shock, anger and disbelief when we claimed my deceased cat at the veterinary hospital.
My friend contacted a local TV news channel and was informed by a reporter that the event was newsworthy. However, lacking information from an autopsy, their station risked being sued by the pet grooming salon. I was financially unable to afford an autopsy.
Neither the pet grooming salon owner nor the receptionist expressed concern or compassion for my loss.
At this time, I want to warn other pet owners to know your pet groomer’s reputation by contacting your veterinarian and the Better Business Bureau before you commit your beloved pet to a grooming salon.
John V. McGee
Somerton
Helpful information
for pro-lifers
In the June 28 issue of the Northeast Times, two letters directly addressed the issue of abortion.
The first letter was written by a woman upset by a June 7 Philadelphia City Council resolution declaring Philadelphia a pro-choice city (City Council rescinded the resolution one week later). Yet, Philadelphia is a pro-choice city, with or without the resolution.
While 75 percent of Pennsylvania counties lack an abortion provider (www.guttmacher.org/pubs/sfaa/print/pennsylvania.html), Philadelphia is home to several clinics offering abortion care. These facilities employ experienced physicians, professional counselors, skilled medical assistants, qualified nurses and compassionate clerical staff. In addition, volunteer escorts often walk women through bands of protesters shouting words like "Abortion just makes you the mother of a dead baby!" and "They’re going to hurt you in there!"
The writer of the second letter attempted to equate the procedure of legal abortion with the crime of homicide. She based her argument on the fact that some people who kill pregnant women are charged with two counts of murder, and that "everyone knows a preborn baby feels pain."
However, according to a review published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in August 2005 (www.jama.org), fetuses do not develop the neurological capacity to experience pain until 29 weeks’ gestation. Most women seek abortions months before this point.
Furthermore, in high-profile murder cases involving pregnant women, the victims are usually within days or weeks of full-term delivery. For example, Jessie Davis, of Lake Township, Ohio, was 38 weeks pregnant when her boyfriend killed her on June 14 of this year.
At the time of such tragedies, why place emphasis on the "unborn" victim in order to demonize abortion, a common event in the lives of women? Why not raise awareness that husbands or male partners kill 61 percent of women murdered by men (www.standagainstdv.org/statistics.php)? Moreover, for 30 percent of battered women, the first incident occurs during pregnancy (www.ndvh.org/educate/abuse_in_america.html).
Why not use this figure to discuss the red flags present in abusive relationships whenever a pregnant woman turns up dead? These danger signs include verbal intimidation of women, impeding their access to medical care and the imposition of unnecessary guilt.
They are similar to the strategies of the pro "life" movement.
Judilyn Brown
Mayfair
A total smoking ban
is the right thing
I am very disappointed with the Pennsylvania Senate and Senate Bill 246.
This weak and insipid attempt at creating a statewide smoking ban would actually weaken the noble smoking ban that was put in place in Philadelphia this year.
Sens. Tina Tartaglione, Shirley Kitchen and Mike Stack were named in an article in a recent edition of the Northeast Times for supporting Senate Bill 246. I will make it a point over the next few days to find the names of the others who supported this bill and its exemptions.
Sen. Chuck McIlhinney said the exemptions in Senate Bill 246 were necessary to win enough votes for approval. Shame on the state Senate if it perceives this watered-down bill to be a reasonable compromise. When it comes to an issue of public health and the greater good, the state Senate should not make concessions to gratify the least common denominator of society.
As the state Senate took up the smoking ban, it was simply irritating to see the same old arguments against smoking bans back in publication.
Sen. Kitchen fears that patrons of small local bars will take their drinks outside when they smoke, and litter the streets with bottles. Others fear they will be loud and disorderly and disrupt the surrounding neighborhood.
By this logic, the responsible, health-conscious, law-abiding citizens of Pennsylvania are being told that we must pick our poison because we are at the mercy of scoundrels.
Prior to the Philadelphia smoking ban going into effect, I clearly remember the owner of Chickie’s and Pete’s complaining on the news and in the newspapers about how businesses would be affected by a smoking ban.
I’ve been to his establishment recently — largely in part because smoking was no longer allowed — and business seemed to be booming.
When I drive through Mayfair at night, business at those local taprooms sure don’t seem to be suffering, either. When I am out with my friends, some of whom may be the worst chain-smoking reprobates in the city — they go outside, light up, puff away for a few minutes and come back. They seem to be growing accustomed to smoking less frequently while out on the town.
It appears our state government is stuck in the past, debating the same things that we did in Philadelphia, and debating the same things that were covered in other places like New York City, Washington, D.C., and very recently in England — all of which went ahead and passed progressive, gallant smoking bans.
To our elected officials: I implore you to step up and serve the greater good and the best interests of Pennsylvania’s responsible citizenry. Do not be influenced by fearful business owners who either ignore or have no knowledge of data which shows that smoking bans have not stopped people from going out to eat, drink and be merry.
Do not be swayed by the fear that miscreants will be out smashing bottles on the street and creating a ruckus because they couldn’t have their smokes inside their local watering holes. (Don’t we have other laws to address this sort of behavior, anyway?)
Don’t pander to those who decide to ignore countless studies and surgeon general warnings and actually pay money to ingest smoke into their lungs every day, and who have no concern for the people around them. Do what is right for the good people of the state.
Matthew McGrath
Brookhaven
Blame PennDOT,
not Philadelphia
In response to the July 12 letter The city should clean before it mows, I just wanted to clarify, as has been reported in the Northeast Times, Roosevelt Boulevard and its grass median are the responsibility of the state.
So, it is PennDOT, not the city, we should be angry with.
Ed Vassallo
Mayfair
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