CLOSE UP by Brian Rudnick

Going door to door for college financial aid

“My name is Anice Austin and I am a culinary arts student at Montgomery County Community college. I am going door to door to ask for a donation to help me pay for my tuition. I am trying to be a chef in Philadelphia and surrounding areas as best as I can. I have thirty-three credits toward my goal. I need thirty more. Here’s a letter from the KEYS Program validating that I am enrolled in the college. Here is my roster for the classes that are needed in this program. I am encouraged with culinary because I feel that during the recession period it’s hard for people to get by. So I figured if I pick a major that’s recession proof- food- it’s hard for people not to eat and survive.” AND HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH THE COLLECTIONS? “I’m doing pretty good. I’ve gotten so far a third of the way there. I have also tried the scholarship programs but being as I enrolled so late, I missed the deadline.” WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO COOK? “I like to cook everything. My favorite is Caribbean foods. So I’m good with the curried chickens and the oriental meals. I really like everything- baking, cooking, pastry chef. Those things cover a lot of territory. So for me, that’s my baby.” Anice Austin of Germantown, going door-to-door in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Watch video here.

Marie Colette, Paintre on the protests in France over retirement age

WHAT’S GOING ON IN FRANCE? “In France, the people, I think have been too spoiled because before Mitterand, the retirement was at 65. But to be voted for, [they] reduced it to 60 years old. And that was when- 1982?...Of course with all this booming of the new generation, there is not enough money to pay for social security and retirement for everybody so we have to extend again, from 60 to 62. The problem comes from that- only the two years. And I think the French are really spoiled. Students of 15 from the school, who don’t even care so much just do that manifestation. And Sarkozy said, ‘That’s enough, I’m going to pass the law anyway.’ ” Marie Collette of Glenside, a native of Champagne, Reims,  walking her dog Maya in Chestnut Hill, where she has had a shop for many years showcasing her painted furniture and murals. Watch video here.

 

Jenks students cheer on walkers for breast cancer cure

JM: The reason we’re doing this is for our sister-in-law who had breast cancer diagnosed three (?) years ago. LS: Three years ago. She had a double mastectomy at 40. JM: She’s a survivor and we’re doing this in her honor. WHERE ARE YOU STARTING OUT FROM? LS: We started out from Willow Grove Park Mall and we’re from New Jersey. WHERE ARE YOU HEADED? LS: Now we’re headed to lunch. JM: We got forty more miles to go. Sixty miles total. We’re going to end up at the naval shipyard. Jim Myers and Linda Schwartz, participants in Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure, Germantown Avenue. Watch video here

Rehab work at Salvation Army thrift store dropoff

WHAT KIND OF STUFF ARE YOU COLLECTING? “I collect a little bit of everything. I collect clothing, I collect household items, vacuum cleaners, TVs, things like that. The furniture goes around the other side. The Salvation Army pretty much takes donations of all types. IS THERE A LARGE DEMAND FOR THESE USED ITEMS? “Yeah, pretty much always, you know there’s always people a little short on money and they come, get clothing, stuff like that. It’s not very expensive at all. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH THE SALVATION ARMY? “I’ve been in this program, it’s an adult rehabilitation program. I’ve been in it for the last three months. They get you grounded with Christ, things like that.” Kevin Potter, Salvation Army, Roxborough, Philadelphia. Watch video interview here.

Flourtown evacuates heart patient by helicopter

“What it is- we get involved. It’s the heart rescue program out of Chestnut Hill Hospital. The individual has a ‘STEMI’, a blockage in his neck and they get to Penn Presbyterian within a 90 minute time frame and they have a 95% recovery rate. So the fastest way to get down there for them is to take him by helicopter. This year we’re also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Flourtown Fire Company being a hundred percent volunteer- started in 1910 and still going strong in 2010.” George B. Wilmot III, Chief, Flourtown Fire Company.

Watch helicopter evacuation and interview here.

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Lady Liberty wants to do your taxes

DO YOU HAVE ANY TAX ADVICE? ”Do I have any tax advice? Yeah, get them done by the fifteenth." WHAT’S YOUR OTHER TAX ADVICE? “It pays to go to a professional.” ARE YOU GETTING PAID WELL ENOUGH TO GET YOUR TAXES DONE BY LIBERTY? “Yes, I get paid fair.” Jim Johnson, Liberty Tax Service, Roxborough. Watch video interview here.

Weavers Way boosts other cooperatives

I’M SPREADING A RUMOR THAT THE COOP’S NEXT PROJECT IS TO EXPAND ON THE AVENUE AND OPEN A COOPERATIVE BOOKSTORE… “Not for us. We’ll help other people start coops like in Powelton, Elkins Park, South Philadelphia, Fishtown, Kensington.. Bob Noble’s working on that. He sits on our board. There’s like seventeen coops he’s working with, buying clubs and small seed coops in the region. It’s really very exciting.” Glen Bergman, General Manager, Weavers Way Coop. Rick Spalek, Operations Manager on right. Watch video interview here.

Little Time for Citizen Voices at Pennsylvania State Rep's Town Hall Meeting

I often listen to BBC radio on WHYY in the wee hours of the morning and one of my favorite programs is “From our own correspondent,” reports from foreign correspondents but with a personal perspective.

In a similar vein, this is my subjective account of Pennsylvania State Representative Cherelle Parker’s 9th Ward Town Hall meeting at the Jenks public K-8 School last Thursday. It was the first in a series of five such meetings to be held in Parker’s 200th legislative district between now and March 25th.

Alan and Nathan lament Borders Bookstore closing

YOU GUYS GOING TO MISS BORDERS? Alan: “Hugely, big-time.” Nathan: “Yeah.” Alan: “It’s going to be hard to live without Borders.” Nathan: “I’ve been coming here, since I was- five?” Alan: “For us, because we live at the bottom of the Hill, it’s a great destination so it gives us a place to go when we want to come somewhere. It’s a great place to walk to. We come here to do homework sometimes. I come to do some schoolwork And we see our neighbors. I mean, it’s really nice. It’s going to be tough. We don’t know where to go after this, especially to get all the good free samples. It’s going to really be missed. ”MAYBE ENOUGH OF US WEREN’T BUYING ENOUGH BOOKS? Alan: “I think that was it although I bought a lot of books here. Half of them I haven’t read yet but you start reading a book and get interested in it, then you buy it.” Alan Siegel and son, Nathan, Borders Bookstore café. Click here to watch video interview.

Borders Bookstore Closing Gives Signholder Work

WHAT KIND OF JOB IS IT? “I guess it’s advertising or whatever, just holding the sign.” HOW LONG DO YOU DO IT? “From 11 to 4.” YOUR LEGS GET TIRED? “Aw, a little bit.” Tom Fithian, laid off landscaper. Watch video here.