AltWeeklies Wire
One Philly 'Hood Debates How Best to Develop Abandoned Propertynew
Instead of allowing someone to develop empty lots and buildings in the neighborhood, the Norris Square Civic Association has held on to much of it. Sometimes, caught in the slow process of trying to do development on its own, it allows parcels ripe for renovation to languish.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Andrew Thompson |
11-18-2008 |
Housing & Development
The Way of the Scalper: Inside Philly's Stealth Economynew
Why scalping? Well, you're your own boss, and set your own schedule. You have the freedom to travel the country, the ability to gain access to nearly any major event, and you get to be a part of some stories. There's a certain allure. And, of course, there's money.
Philadelphia City Paper |
E. James Beale |
10-06-2008 |
Business & Labor
Dispatch: Getting Out of the Drug Gamenew
James Williams, a 24-year-old black man wanted on charges of drug possession, shuffled uncomfortably past the cheering volunteers — "Damn, I'm not doing anything spectacular," he thought. "I'm just getting a warrant lifted" — through the metal detector and into a back-row pew, away from the crowds.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Mike Newall |
09-29-2008 |
Drugs
The Templeton Foundation: Strange Lab Partnersnew
God, science and a $1.6 million prize intersect in a suburban office park.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Alicia Puglionesi |
08-26-2008 |
Religion
Anti-casino Activists Prepare to Go Nuclear With Beach Toysnew
On Saturday, members of Casino-Free Philadelphia walked to the proposed site of Foxwoods Casino on Columbus Boulevard, carrying beach balls, umbrellas, liquid bubbles and floaties.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Andrew Thompson |
08-19-2008 |
Housing & Development
Why are Bees in This Urban Neighborhood Thriving?new
The honey from these Philly bees had to be harvested because their hives were overflowing. This, in itself, is newsworthy. You've probably heard how bees, worldwide, are suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Bruce Schimmel |
08-19-2008 |
Environment
Do Pay Phones Do More Harm Than Good?new
As fewer and fewer people use pay phones, some city governments and neighborhood groups increasingly see them as invitations to crime. Still, removing pay phones from city property is one thing; getting rid of those on private property is another.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
08-12-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Living on Scrap: How Two Men Found Their Calling in the Garbagenew
The skyrocketing market for metal is turning into a boom for scrappers, guys who roam the streets searching for metal they can pile into their truck haul to the scrap yard for cold hard cash. Despite having led hard lives and having checkered pasts, Greg and Ron are now making an honest go of it as scrappers.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
08-05-2008 |
Economy
Philly's Rise in HIV Among Young Gay Males Has Led to New Testing Measures ... at Night Clubsnew
Years ago, drawing vials of blood and waiting two weeks for results gave way to a finger-prick or cheek swab and a 20-minute wait. Since today's tests are light on equipment, the process has been moved out of stuffy clinics and into RVs that can be parked in parts of town where incidences of the disease run high.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Tom Namako |
08-05-2008 |
Science
One Year After Minneapolis Bridge Collapse, Are Pennsylvania's Bridges Improved?new
One year later, attention has abated, but the problem hasn't. And despite increased investments, significantly more funding will be needed to repair all of the state's insufficient bridges.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Boyce Upholt |
08-05-2008 |
Transportation
It's Been a Year Since Steven 'Butter' Miller Was Killed. Does Anyone Remember?new
When Butter was shot dead by police -- shot at 85 times, hit about 20 -- he was high, standing on a corner and waving a loaded gun. He hadn't pointed it at anyone, or if he had, it had been completely accidental, coincidental, because Butter was blank-eyed, detached from the world.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Tom Namako and Doron Taussig |
07-29-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Can Philly's Bold Experiment in Preventing Foreclosures Work?new
With the foreclosure crisis in full swing, Judge C. Darnell Jones issued an order declaring that before any foreclosure goes to sale, a representative for the lender must sit down with the borrower in court. He also postponed all sales of owner-occupied houses scheduled for April or May until July. The order immediately drew national attention, and last week, the experiment began.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
06-24-2008 |
Housing & Development
Locked Down: What It's Really Like Inside Philly's Overcrowded Prisonsnew
The city's prisons woefully overpopulated and have been for several decades. Efforts to fix this problem have come up against the seemingly immutable fact that, on an average day, 108 people enter the six-prison system while only 105 leave it.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Tom Namako |
06-24-2008 |
Crime & Justice
How Bassam Sebti Sees the Iraq Warnew
Sebti lived through the first three years of the war as an Iraqi in Baghdad. He's watched the last two from Philadelphia.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Doron Taussig |
06-02-2008 |
War
Green-Collar Job Programs Address Two Urban Ills at Oncenew
"We were doing debris removal and giving disenfranchised people a segue into the work force. For those part-timers who really got involved, there was a sense of ownership and pride -- they could do this for their own neighborhood."
Philadelphia City Paper |
Dana Henry |
05-27-2008 |
Business & Labor
