Shannon McDonald
Shannon McDonald
SEPTA: fake tokens ‘very rare’ but not impossible to come across
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch about fake tokens: where do they come from and how do they end up packaged with real ones? After a little digging, I got details on how and where tokens are sorted and packaged.
You can read the full story here.
Marketing continues for Philadelphia Media Network tablet despite exec’s departure
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with Yoni Greenbaum and Mark Block about their former and current roles at Philadelphia Media Network, owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com, about Greenbaum’s departure after helping launch the company’s tablet device.
You can read the full story here.
Talking new media publishing at Uncapped Live
The whole Uncapped crowd at Sigma Sound studio. Photo courtesy of 215mag.com.
Why was I involved with the Vitamin Water #UncappedLive event series Sept. 6? Part of the 16-day celebration of music, media, arts and other niches was the New Media Unplugged event hosted by two.one.five. magazine and Technically Philly at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound studio.
I joined editors from Geekadelphia, Drink Philly, Naked Philly and Generocity, among others for a pretty informal discussion about my work with NEast Philly. Continue reading
Hear me on the radio: Aug. 24
I was on the radio today as part of my job with WHYY/NewsWorks. I’ve been asked to do semi-regular commentary on the media, given that my job involves days filled with media consumption. Continue reading
Introducing District 172: NEast Philly’s investigative reporting series
Late last year, NEast Philly, the hyperlocal site for Northeast Philadelphia that I own and edit, was awarded an Enterprise Reporting Fund grant from J-Lab.
A handful of Philadelphia publications were given $5,000 grants to collaborate with other news organizations to produce in-depth reporting. Continue reading
Lemonade stand contest helps kids focus on business
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with Stephanie Deeter, public services manager for the Bucks County Free Library about the library’s summer contest that teaches kids about business through a lemonade stand contest.
You can read the full story here.
Granite Run Mall assigns retail space for new dinosaur museum
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
A Delaware Valley mall will assign retail space to a new dinosaur museum. I spoke with Granite Run Mall Marketing Director Aubrey Proud about the Dinosaur-ium,
You can read the full story here.
Philadelphia Zoo keeping a watchful eye on its new snow leopard cubs
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with the Philadelphia Zoo’s Carnivore Curator Tammy Schmidt about the zoo’s two new snow leopard cubs and how the zoo planned for their arrival and will see them into the future.
Kensington parish a finalist in national grant competition
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
Kensington’s Visitation BVM parish was the only Philadelphia building chosen as a finalist in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s This Place Matters grant competition. The parish is hoping for the $25,000 award to further its community outreach programs. Voting ends June 30.
You can read the full story here.
Hear me on the radio: May 19
I was on the radio today for the first time ever. As part of my job with WHYY/NewsWorks, I’ve been asked to do semi-regular commentary on the media. Continue reading
Beer vendor wants you to “tweet from your seat” at Phillies home games
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I talked to Bill Watkins, a beer vendor at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies. Watkins uses Twitter to deliver beers to fans who don’t want to miss an inning or wait for the the next vendor so stroll by. Tweet your section, row and seat and he’ll bring you a beer.
Charter school hosts “Prom Shop” for its students in foster care
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with organizers at Arise Academy Charter High School in Center City Philadelphia, where local businesses donate outfits, accessories and services to the students in foster care to make their prom special.
Visit Philly joins foodspotting to create virtual food tour
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with Caroline Bean of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation about Visit Philly’s new partnership with Foodspotting.
The new gig: NewsWorks
NewsWorks launched at 12:01 a.m.Nov. 15, 2010. And I get to be a part of it.
I’m the Feed Blogger for NewWorks, the new online initiative from WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR affiliate. I’m responsible for making sure readers in the Delaware Valley know what’s happening in the region — right up to the minute. By working with other journalists to report stories as they happen and aggregating content from other small regional sites, I update the Feed up to five times and hour. Continue reading
Earth Month event celebrates South Street’s mural-wrapped trash cans
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program Executive Director Jane Golden and Streets Department Commissioner Clarena Tolso talked about their efforts to wrap 50 South Street trashcans in fun mural designs. You can read the original story here.
Philadelphia Police name five new horses after fallen officers
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with Lt. Ray Evers of the Philadelphia Police Department about the return of the department’s mounted unit. The first five horses have been named after officers who died in the line of duty since 2008. You can read the original story here.
Cherry Hill raising funds for its September 11th memorial
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger.
I spoke with Dan Keashen, chief of staff for Cherry Hill, N.J., Mayor Bernie Platt about the town’s 9/11 memorial. Four Cherry Hill firefighters assisted with the rescue and recovery efforts after the World Trade Center collapsed.
You can read the full story here.
A semester as an adjunct journalism professor
After teaching a month-long high school journalism course through Temple University, I was asked to stay on as an adjunct for the Fall 2010 semester in the journalism department. I was thrilled.
I spent the next 15 weeks teaching 13 students — mostly freshmen — about grammar and AP Style, and worked as a teaching assistant for Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, Temple’s capstone journalism program, with which I have a partnership through my business, NEast Philly.
Aside from being excited about the new opportunity, I also looked forward to teaching two classes I’d taken as a student at Temple. Continue reading
LEGO competition teaches science, service
Cut in line to see Santa – for a fee
This a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger. I interviewed marketing directors at several area malls to talk about the Santa Fastpass, which allows users to stand in a short VIP line for a $2.50 fee to cut down the wait time to see Santa Claus. You can read the full story here.
Injured firefighter’s condition upgraded
This is a story I wrote for WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, where I work full-time as the Feed Blogger. I went to Roxborough, where I followed up on a fire that left many people temporary homeless and landed a firefighter in the hospital. You can read the full story here.
My four weeks teaching Temple University High School Press
*The image above was designed by Jillian Bauer, my co-teacher.
I spent the last four weeks co-teaching Temple University High School Press, an intensive month-long summer journalism program.
The program unites students from the School District of Philadelphia with Temple University Department of Journalism’s extensive resources. I helped the 10 students write and edit stories, shoot photos, records videos and work on their interviewing skills. Continue reading
Metro Philadelphia freelance articles
As part of my company’s partnership with Metro, Philadelphia’s most widely read daily newspaper, I contributed one freelance story every other Wednesday, to be featured in the paper’s Northeast zone. The partnership ran from April 2010 to September 2010. Below are the pieces I’ve done. You can see all the PDF images here.
Owls in the City
I did a freelance piece for the Winter 2010 issue of the Temple Review, Temple University’s alumni magazine. As part of the 1,00o-word feature, I tagged along with one of the university’s “Philadelphia Experience” classes, in which students use the city as their classroom.
An excerpt: Continue reading
My latest project: NEast Philly
Posts on here have been sparse, and for good reason. I’ve been spending the past few months working on my latest project, NEastPhilly.com.
NEast Magazine is a magazine for Northeast Philadelphia – a large, but widely ignored region of Philadelphia. I’ve been working with many people to help set up the Web site and generate content. Continue reading
Groups come together for Port Richmond’s waterfront
Port Richmond resident Michael Duffy looks at images of his neighborhood's waterfront history.
This article ran on Page 2 of the May 6, 2009 edition of The Fishtown Spirit, where I work as a writer and copy editor.
“Pulaski Park is a little piece of the Delaware Waterfront,” said Joy Lawrence of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society at last week’s meeting about plans for the area. “It’s a hidden gem, and we want to talk about our vision for the future.”
Lawrence set the tone for last Wednesday’s meeting at Our Lady of Port Richmond, where residents of the riverwards came to find out what’s in store for Pulaski Park and the rest of the Delaware Waterfront.
Residents of all ages came to hear plans from several groups involved in the project. Present were representatives from the New Kensington Community Development Corp., Delaware River City Corp., the Department of Recreation and Philadelphia Green. The representatives took turns presenting a slideshow, which outlined the waterfront’s current progress and plans for the near future.
“Our main goal is to introduce the plan for Pulaski Park,” Sandy Salzman of the NKCDC told The Spirit. “It’s a w
onderful little park. A lot of people aren’t aware it’s there.”
Continue reading
Five unique stops in Philly
South Philly's Famous 4th Street Deli is among the five stops I recommended to Wilmington News Journal readers.
This is a story I wrote for the March 27, 2009 issue of Delaware’s Wilmington News Journal about some great stores in Philadelphia that people should stop by when they visit. I also took the photos.
The next time you visit the City of Brotherly Love, take the locals’ approach to shopping: mix it up, hit several neighborhoods and avoid the box stores.
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You’ll find that Philly’s shopping scene is more than The Gallery and South Street. Unique stories can be found around the city — and they offer friendly service, reasonable prices and exceptional quality.
Start from the south and work your way north for a memorable trip. If you don’t want to drive, every neighborhood in Philadelphia is easily accessible by public transportation.
Here are five stores (with photos) worth a look.
Strawberry Mansion organizations want more from Nutter’s budget
This is a story I did for MURL, Temple University’s senior journalism class. The assignment was to go out into your assigned neighborhood – in my case, Strawberry Mansion- and report on how the residents feel about Mayor Michael Nutter’s budget proposal. This was a team reporting project, but I was responsible for the written portion.
Eric Jones* is almost 3 years old. His age is painfully apparent as his faulty legs struggle to carry him up the jungle gym beneath the weight of his puffy coat and snow cap. Eric spends his days the same way he has since he was 7 months old – in the care of Phyllis Fultz and Roslyn Fulton, who run the Urban Pioneers daycare on French and 31st streets near Ridge Avenue in Strawberry Mansion.
Eric – along with his five playmates – embodies childhood innocence, right down to the runny nose his caretakers attribute to the change in seasons. What Eric doesn’t know as he clasps the hands of a girl around his age, guiding her up the sliding board at Mander Playground at 33rd and Diamond streets in Fairmount Park, is that the odds are stacked against him. His race, socioeconomic status, neighborhood and infrequent contact with his father are designed to hold Eric back in life. These factors will work against him in every stage of his life until he either rises above or succumbs to them, becoming another statistic in Philadelphia’s records.
Several people will influence Eric’s life and guide him along what they hope turns out to be the right path: his parents, his caregivers and Mayor Michael Nutter.
Continue reading for thoughts from daycare owners, school teachers and nonprofit organizations. Continue reading
Exclusive interview with Rob McElhenny of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
Shannon McDonald | The Temple News | March 24, 2009
‘Sunny’ star still a Philly guy at heart
Photo courtesy of Michael Becker for FX
If the name of his show wasn’t enough proof already, Rob McElhenney, 31, is a Philadelphia guy. In an exclusive interview with The Temple News, the writer, producer and star of
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia reminisces about his days of hanging out in Fairmount Park, sneaking into bars and roaming Temple’s Main Campus for a semester.
Shannon McDonald: You’re a born-and-raised Philly kid. How did you spend your time growing up?
Rob McElhenney: I grew up in South Philadelphia at Moyamensing and Dickinson, then, I moved to Delaware County after high school. I went to high school at St. Joe’s Prep and hung out with kids from all different schools. I don’t know if kids do this anymore, but we used to go to Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park after school to hang. Sometimes we’d go to the bars that let underagers in.
SM: I hear you went to Temple for a while. Have any fond memories?
RM: My time at Temple was short. I went for a semester but didn’t finish. I wasn’t a great student – I wasn’t excelling, and I wasn’t there long enough to declare a major. I wanted to leave Philly and see new things, so I moved to New York. I stayed there for seven years before heading out to Los Angeles.
SM: When did you realize you wanted to make a career out of acting?
RM: As a kid, I did plays in school but never really thought of it as being a career option. It wasn’t until I got to New York City and met waiters and bartenders who were doing shows at night that I ever considered it as a profession. I enrolled in Lee Strasberg [Theatre and Film Institute], which is associated with the Screen Actors Guild and started acting. Continue reading
24th Police District gets new captain
Shannon McDonald | March 11 | Fishtown Spirit
This article ran on Page 7 in the March 11 issue of The Fishtown Spirit, where I work as a writer and copy editor.
Captain Daniel Castro is the new leader of the 24th District
An old marketing campaign for the Fraternal Order of Police featured a poster depicting a wounded police officer in front his squad car. “You wouldn’t do it for a million bucks,” the poster read, “but we do it for a whole lot less,”
Two decades and several slain police officers later, Captain Daniel Castro of the 24th District knows that statement is truer than ever. With just three weeks at the 24th under his belt, Castro is vowing to do all he can to bring the communities together and make them safer for the residents and the officers who patrol them.
Getting around Brewerytown
By Shannon McDonald
This is a story I did for MURL, Temple University’s senior journalism class. The assignment was to go out into your assigned neighborhood – in my case, Brewerytown – and report on how the residents get around. This was a team reporting project, but I was responsible for the written portion.
The snowstorm that hit our region last Tuesday night left the city silent, snuggled up in a white, powdery blanket. But by Wednesday morning, the streets were a mess, the tighter ones paved in ice and the thoroughfares slippery with slush. Brewerytown residents didn’t seem to mind.
“I ride my bike in all kinds of weather,” said Waugh Wright, 34, a resident on the 800-block of Ringgold Street. “It’s a little icy today, but not bad enough for me to put the bike away.”
Wright is a teacher who bikes to work everyday, unless the weather is especially bad. Even though schools were closed last Wednesday, that didn’t stop Wright from pedaling around his neighborhood. The three-and-a-half year Brewerytown resident says the biggest attraction of biking is its environmental benefits, though the exercise doesn’t hurt, either. Continue reading
President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration
When administrators at Temple University, where I just started my final semester of college, found out I was going to President Obama’s inauguration, they asked me to write something for them. The following piece was featured in Temple Times’ Temple Today.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — I went to the inauguration as a journalist, and while I can’t say for sure, I think if I was pursuing some other profession, I would not have gone.
It almost didn’t happen. I was first denied press credentials on the grounds that The Temple News is too irrelevant to the event. By sheer luck, I obtained credentials from a small media group, but then had them revoked because too many media outlets were already set to flood the National Mall. Amtrak ticket prices for the weekend of the inauguration were astronomical, so I turned to the Chinatown Bus. Three hours, one rest top and a Metro ride later, I made it to Washington, D.C.’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood, home of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. Continue reading
Students head south for historic inauguration
Vendors around the National Mall sold hoodies, t-shirts, scarves and more with President Obama's face on them.
Shannon McDonald | The Temple News | Jan. 20, 2009
They were all there for the same reason on Sunday. Every color, every age, every stage of life. They waited – some more patiently than others – in a cold, empty room until someone led them outside. Then, they waited again, in a line on Arch Street.
One by one, they boarded the Chinatown bus. They sat for three hours, growing more excited and getting more anxious, before they dragged their bags onto the Sixth Street sidewalk in Washington, D.C. They all went their separate ways, but they will reunite today for a common cause.
Today at noon, Barack Obama will become the 44th president of the United States. The theme – which commemorates the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth – for the 2009 inauguration is “A New Birth of Freedom,” which was chosen by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in consultation with the Senate Historian’s Office.
The attendance rate is expected to be the highest in the nation’s history. Continue reading
Phillies fans celebrate World Series win in the Northeast
By Shannon McDonald | Nov. 4, 2008 | The Temple News
Don’t Forget the Northeast
“It’s a tough night to be a cop,” a Philadelphia Police officer said. “But it’s a great night to be a Philadelphian. As long as nothing gets out of hand, I’m willing to let people celebrate.”
Mere seconds after the last out of Game 5, Phillies fans did just that.
The event was 28 years in the making, and the scene at Cottman and Frankford avenues took hours to prepare. Cars were cleared from the streets as police officers set up roadblocks, and store owners hung signs in their windows welcoming patrons and supporting the Phillies.
As the players piled on top of one another on the field at Citizens Bank Park, Northeast Philadelphians packed onto Frankford Avenue by the thousands. They marched, they sang and some even cried tears of relief and joy. Philadelphians are champions.
Philadelphia Style: Calderwood 2
This is a piece I wrote for the Summer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Style magazine about Calderwood 2, an offshoot of Philadelphia’s Calderwood Gallery.
Philadelphia Style: Aquella
This is an article I wrote for the Summer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Style magazine about Aquella, a new luxury housing development in Atlantic City, N.J. The story ran as an Empty Nest feature of the Manor department.
Philadelphia Style: Hennesey Olympics gift box
This is a piece I wrote for the SUmmer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Style magazine about a limited edition 2008 Olympics Hennesy gift box.
Philadelphia Style: Kiehl’s
This is a piece I wrote for the Summer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Style magazine about Kiehl’s Brightening Botanical Hydrating Mask.
Philadelphia Style: Chef Jeffrey Power
This is a piece I wrote for the Summer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Style magazine about Restaurant THREE01 in Valley Forge, Pa., and chef Jeffrey Power.
Philadelphia Style: Cappriccio
This is a piece I wrote for the Summer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Style magazine about Cappriccio.
SEPTA police strike made official
After a day of negotiations, SEPTA police officers have made good on their promise to strike.
The Fraternal Order of Transit Police has not been able to reach an agreement with SEPTA officials regarding the wages and benefits of FOTP members.
SEPTA released a statement earlier today, which says the tentative agreements monitored by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation were approved by SEPTA officials, but not by the FOTP.
Since negotiations began yesterday, SEPTA, Mayor Michael Nutter and the Philadelphia Police Department have been assuring riders that security will not diminish due to the strike.
SEPTA officials hope to resume discussion with the FOTP soon, as they feel “this strike was totally avoidable.”
Photo courtesy of CBS3.
See this post on Broad & Cecil, the blog of The Temple News.
No TU-Alert a louder message after shooting
By Shannon McDonald | May 17, 2008 | The Temple News
Temple tested TU-Alert, its emergency alert system, on Friday, May 9. Students who have registered with the system received a text message, phone call and e-mail explaining that the message was only a test.
On Tuesday, May 13, shots were fired at 15th and Norris streets. No one got a TU-Alert message.
The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. A 19-year-old non-Temple female was shot in the chest, and the security kiosk on the corner has bullet holes in it. Marshall Thomas, the 19-year-old suspect, is still on the loose, as the Temple News reported [“Shots fired at 15th and Norris,” Chris Stover and LeAnne Matlach, May 13, 2008].
William Bergman, Temple’s vice president of operations, sent an e-mail to students on May 14 informing them that the incident was believed to be the result of a domestic disagreement and was not a random crime.
New Gen Ed classes need world affairs requirement
By Shannon McDonald | April 29, 2008 | The Temple News
When it comes to the improvement and expansion of Main Campus, students tend to focus on housing and technology. But academics – the real reason you’re paying tuition – often go ignored.
Journalist and professor Ted Gup addressed this in his April 11 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“I find it profoundly discouraging to encounter such ignorance of critical issues,” Gup wrote. “I challenge [students’] right to tune out the world, and I question any system or society that can produce such students and call them educated.”
Gup finds it incomprehensible that students who have almost constant access to technology can know so little about current events and world affairs. He is right in this opinion.
SEPTA attacks bring security too late
By Shannon McDonald | April 15, 2008 | The Temple News
It took three attacks and a funeral to increase security on Philadelphia’s sole public transportation system.
The subway attacks of March 26, April 2 and April 4 occurred within blocks of each other – some in broad daylight – and have highlighted the need for increased security on SEPTA’s tracks.
“We’re taking special note of what’s going on,” Mayor Michael Nutter told 6 ABC recently.
Nutter and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey have both promised SEPTA users more safety in the wake of the attacks.
SEPTA has also responded. Immediately following the attacks, the transit agency increased the number of officers on duty by 50 percent during after school hours – the time associated with the recent attacks. Between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., 90 officers will now police the city’s subway system to deter crime. SEPTA also plans on installing security cameras over the next few years, an investment of more than $50 million.
“These senseless and tragic incidents are unrelated events that occurred in the public pedestrian areas adjacent to our stations. I want to assure you that our transit system is safe,” Joseph M. Casey, general manager of SEPTA, wrote in a message to users on the agency’s Web site.
Geraldine Ferraro isn’t the racist you think she is
By Shannon McDonald | March 27, 2008 | The Temple News
Geraldine Ferraro isn’t as racist as people may think. The 1984 Democratic vice presidential candidate made it back into the political spotlight recently with racially charged and controversial comments.
“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position, and if he was a woman of any color he would not be in this position,” she said. “He happens to be very lucky to be who he is, and the country is caught up in the concept.”
The now former Hillary Clinton adviser was right, to an extent. Though saying Obama is “lucky” to be black stretches the point, the presidential candidate’s race is unquestionably beneficial to his campaign.
How company inaction led to two city slayings
By Shannon McDonald | February 25, 2008 | The Temple News
“Treating people right means we believe in respect for the individual and that we owe our teammates a clean, safe work environment.”
That’s one of the values that Loomis, a security company whose employees include guards who transfer cash between banks, boasts on its Web site. What a shame that those values aren’t being upheld.
On Oct. 4, 2007, two Loomis employees were murdered while on the job in Northeast Philadelphia. William Widmaier and Joseph Alullo were gunned down as their partner, Joseph Walczak, was forced to look on from inside the armored vehicle he was driving.
Phanatic praise and ‘Idol’ worship help
By Shannon McDonald | January 29, 2008 | The Temple News
After years of fighting a reputation of being dangerous, dirty and unattractive, Philadelphia is finally getting positive attention.
Recently, Forbes.com named the Phillie Phanatic as the top mascot in the country. The decision was based on the characters’ appeal, endorsement and trendsetting, among other things. Though there was never any question about this city’s love for the furry, scooter-riding Phanatic, national recognition isn’t something to shy away from. If the Phillies can’t win the World Series, at least local sports fans can be proud of the mascot.
If a loveable mascot wasn’t enough to bulk up Philly’s reputation, the city has also received tons of free publicity from its recent stint on American Idol. The national exposure Philly received as its residents sang their way to fame or shame was worth more than $2 million, as reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Just a few months ago, Travel + Leisure magazine ranked Philadelphia as one of the most unattractive and unfriendly cities in the country. Our high murder rate also drew national attention.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street can go to lots of places, but not here
By Shannon McDonald | December 4, 2007 | The Temple News
Temple announced last month that Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street will become an adjunct professor of political science on Main Campus for the Spring 2008 semester.
Despite being highly criticized during his two terms as mayor, Street is slated to instruct two sections of an urban politics and policy class. My initial reaction to this was one of outrage. Along with the other residents of Philadelphia, I watched Street make one poor decision after another. Now Temple students are supposed to learn about urban policies from him. Maybe his curriculum will include corrupting a city and giving jobs to unqualified friends.
Randall Miller, a political analyst and St. Joseph’s University professor, agrees that Street has made some mistakes along the way, but said the mayor has also done some beneficial things for Philadelphia as well.
“Street doesn’t stand in the way of progress,” Miller said. “But he hasn’t encouraged it.”
He suggested that although Street may have honorable intentions for the city, his lack of enthusiasm makes him appear weaker.
Green-friendly should be ignored for Phila. Elections
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By Shannon McDonald | November 6, 2007 | The Temple News
The 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election is today, pinning the favored Democrat, Michael Nutter, against Republican Al Taubenberger. Both candidates have focused their campaigns primarily on green issues, often neglecting more pressing topics.
“That’s because they don’t know what the issues are,” said Albert Mills, an adjunct professor of political science and geography and urban studies.
He’s been active in politics for 40 years and considers himself “progressive.” Mills said the environment should be a national issue, not the city’s focus.
Nutter and Taubenberger have had a clean campaign; they haven’t attacked each other’s characters, and they’ve been in agreement on various issues, specifically environmental concerns.
Though the candidates have different ideas about how to make Philadelphia a greener city, they have both made the green issue a top priority in their campaigns.
Swingset homicides
By Shannon McDonald | Oct. 16, 2007| The Temple News
Seven shootings have occurred at Philadelphia recreation centers since January, leaving four dead and community members searching for answers.
“It’s senseless,” said Victor Richard. “It’s total disrespect for human life.” Richard is the commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, and like everyone else, he is outraged that crime has penetrated the city’s safest havens. The four dead victims of these shootings are predictably young; three were only teenagers.
One of the surviving victims is 18-month-old Mehkee Gatewood, who suffered two gunshot wounds while at E.R. Tustin Playground in West Philadelphia in late September.
Something needs to be done.
