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May 29 - June 4, 2014
Vol. 07 No. 22
It's a Done Deal!
Kanye and Kim are Married!
The ceremony was held at the historic
Forte di Belvedere
The ceremony was held at the historic Forte di Belvedere In Florence Italy
Stories Pages 2 & 3
Philadelphia Observer, May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
2
What Was the Cost of Kim and Kanye's Wedding?
Now that all of the glittery dust
has settled on Kim Kardashian
and Kanye West's ultra extravagant wedding – which
included nearly weeklong festivities in Paris and Florence,
Italy, and left nothing to be
desired for its star-studded
guest list – there's one question that's top of mind: How
much did the fabulous foreign
affair cost?
Pretty sure the mile-long receipt is still being tallied, but
here's a running list of items
included in the multimillion-dollar/euro event.
Top-Notch Accommodations
In Paris, guests who began arriving around May 19, stayed
at Hôtel George V, a luxury
five-star hotel offering rooms
starting at $750 a night.
Once the party headed to Florence, guests stayed at least a
night at either the St. Regis or
Four Seasons. Both offer rooms
for about $885 a night. Multiply
all that by roughly 200 guests and
the hotel price tag could be more
than half a million dollars.
That's not to mention the family's
luxe Villa San Michele accommodations in Florence, which
cost at least $1,800 a night per
room.
Pre-Wedding Spree
Among the wedding activities list
was a private Bachelorette dinner for the bride and her closest
girlfriends at Hôtel Costes, home
of one of Paris' top restaurants.
With prices up to $190 a plate,
that dinner alone comes in at
nearly $4,100 – probably much
much less than the cost of the
next day's rehearsal dinner, which
included a performance by Lana
Del Rey (Kanye is rumored to
have paid her a pretty penny to
sing Kardashian's favorite song,
"Young and Beautiful") and the
subsequent guided tour of
Versailles.
Private Transportation
In order to get their guests from
pre-wedding festivities in Paris to
the main event in Florence, the
Wests chartered two private jets.
Once on the ground a fleet of 45
to 50 cars and vans shuttled them
too and from the Florence airport.
The price for the cars alone is
estimated at nearly $70,000, gas
included.
Hair and Makeup for All
Lucky guests availed themselves
of a full glam team for the
couple's big day. High-end Parisbased stylist Allison Depriestre
says such a service could easily
cost $380 per person. For 200plus guests that's more than
$65,000 just to get pretty.
The Breathtaking Venue
The over-the-top couple said their
official "I do's" atop Forte di
Belvedere, an imposing 16th-century fortress in Florence offering
gorgeous views of the ancient
Italian city. Kardashian and West
are said to have spent more than
$409,000 to rent the property for
their May 24 wedding. That's
before all of the upgrades, lighting and construction needed for
the grand event.
Pinchiorri's own renowned
Florentine restaurant Enoteca
Pinchiorri – where a plate of spaghetti can set you back $100 –
the wedding feast was easily in
the tens of thousands. Add on the
Rare Flowers
couple's 7ft wedding cake and the
With fresh flower walls similar to price climbs even higher.
the one West gifted his bride for
Mother's Day, the wedding's Couture Everything
buds alone cost a small fortune. The Vogue cover couple got
Among the mountain of flower hitched in front of all their dearrangements that arrived at the signer-clad guests wearing the
fort, were bushels of tuberose, best Givenchy had to offer. For
which is extremely rare this time Kardashian that meant a custom
of year, renowned for its beauti- Givenchy Haute Couture gown
ful unique scent and considered designed by her friend Riccardo
an almost sacred flower. Florists Tisci, estimated cost up to
at Fiori Della Signoria, one of the $500,000. Not to be upstaged,
city's oldest flower shops, esti- daughter North donned a mini
mate total flower costs to be matching handmade dress, which
$136,000.
was probably a little bit cheaper.
Fabulous Food
Top chefs Annie Féolde and her
husband, Giorgio Pinchiorri, lead
Florence-based Galateo catering
company in handling the super
tasty, super pricey wedding
menu. Considering Féolde and
Guests say the week's pomp and
circumstance was all worth it. As
Kardashian family friend Malika
Haqq told PEOPLE after the
wedding, "Kanye really went all
out there with his love." No kidding!
Kanye West Smiles Sweetly at His Bride, Kim Kardashian
Kanye West had been visibly
nervous as he waited for Kim
Kardashian to walk down the
aisle. But as this exclusive
photo from their extravagant
Italian wedding shows, when
the Givenchy-clad bride finally
made it to his side on Saturday, the rapper beamed with
happiness.
"Kanye really went all out
there with his love,"
Kardashian family friend
Malika Haqq told PEOPLE
about the 36-year-old's noexpense-spared planning for
their special day.
From the wall of flowers at the
wedding ceremony to paying
a fortune for Lana Del Rey to
sing Kardashian's favorite
song at their rehearsal dinner
at the palace of Versailles to
flying more than 200 friends
and family to Florence, Italy,
in private jets, it would appear
that it was all money well spent
for West – who's reportedly
worth $120 million – and his reality TV bride. (Check back for
more photos in the next issue of
PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.)
"I wanted a family," West – who
has an 11-month old daughter,
North, with Kardashian – said
in January. "So God gives you
opportunities, and you make
sacrifices for something that's
greater."
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West eral bridal looks for the April issaid their I-dos—and it was fabu- sue of Vogue.
lous.
The wedding party started gathThe couple's representatives ering in Paris a week ago, with
have confirmed that they were Kim leading the way and her fammarried in a private ceremony in ily jetting in after her and campthe presence of family and ing out at the Four Seasons King
friends in Florence, Italy. The George V hotel.
ceremony was held at the historic
Forte di Belvedere, a 16th-cen- On Thursday evening, Kim spent
tury-era fortress atop a hill near some of her waning hours of
the Arno river, a fitting setting for singlehood making a jaunt to the
the meant-to-be pair who proudly Eiffel Tower and enjoying a girlsenjoy the finer things in life.
only dinner hosted by jeweler
Lorraine Schwartz (the purveyor
Kim's sprawling family was of of Kim's dazzling 15-carat encourse in attendance, with her gagement ring) and longtime
sisters making up the bridal party friend of the family Shelli Azoff.
and stepdad Bruce Jenner walk- Sisters Khloe Kardashian and
ing her down the aisle.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner atKanye gushed about the city of tended Kim's "last supper," as did
Florence, or Firenze to the locals, close pals Brittny Gastineau, La
in a recent interview with the lo- La Anthony, Rachel Roy and othcal La Nazione, calling it "one of ers.
the most beautiful cities in the
world, for me the most beautiful Valentino hosted an intimate prein Europe."
wedding brunch for Kimye on
Friday morning at his Chteau de
Not to mention, he also told the Wideville, just outside of Paris.
paper, he and Kim may have con- The Italian fashion icon's guest
ceived their daughter "among the list was limited to family memmasterpieces of the Renais- bers, Kim's close friends
sance" when they were touring Jonathan Cheban and Simon
Italy for Kim's 32nd birthday.
Huck and fashion-world fixture
Andr Leon Talley, who spilled all
Kim and Kanye's wedding week- sorts of cozy details (spoiler:
end caps off a whirlwind period North's a total doll) in a blog post
of planning, anticipation, celebra- for Vogue.
tion and--in case you hadn't noticed--speculation.
Hundreds of guests then partied
Stories purporting to answer the into the night on Friday at a lavwhen-and-where question had ish affair at the Palace of
been shadowing the betrothed Versailles that included horseduo for months, only to be for- and-carriage arrivals, fireworks
mally answered by the reality of and a surprise performance by
little North West's parents swap- Lana Del Rey.
ping vows.
The wedding party was flown in
And it appears that their dream from Paris just this morning.
was to take their party abroad and Of course, anyone who had ever
walk down the aisle in Europe. seen this couple in action knew
how special their big day would
According mother-of-the-bride be when it finally came.
Kris Jenner, Kim and Kanye
took care of the wedding plan- "He really is the most romantic,
ning themselves, and she wasn't sweetest person I've ever met in
even involved in the gown-shop- my entire life," Kim said about
ping process!
her future husband in December.
"I don't know how she looks in it.
I'll see it for the first time when
she puts it on at her wedding,"
she said earlier this month.
"Now I have two very special
people to live for," Kanye said
during a sit-down with Kris
Jenner when he debuted the first
photo of baby North on her talk
There was no doubt that Kim show last summer. "A whole
would look phenomenal on her big family to live for, a whole world
day, not long after modeling sev- to live for."
Philadelphia Observer May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
Kim and Kanye Get Married in Spectacular Ceremony 3
The ceremony was held at the historic Forte di Belvedere, a 16th-century-era fortress atop a hill
near the Arno river
Philadelphia Observer, May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
4
Opinion
Dishonoring Our Vets Our Continuing
By Julianne Malveaux
Conversation on Race
NNPA Columnist
The last Monday in May, Memorial Day, was
designed to honor those who died in service to
our country. It is tragically ironic that around
the same time we are honoring and remembering the dead, we are learning about deficiencies
in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs that
negatively affects the quality of life for those
who were injured during their term of service.
Allegations that many veteran’s hospitals and medical centers do not assist those
veterans needing medical care within the mandated 30 days are troubling. Some
say that the lengthy waits may have been a factor in the deaths of as many as 40
veterans. The access problem is compounded by poor record-keeping at some
veteran’s hospitals, making it impossible to verify how many veterans waited for
medical attention and the length of their wait.
The controversy has led to calls for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
to resign, but it is unclear whether his resignation will serve any but a symbolic
purpose if the medical treatment of veterans does not change substantially. In
this highly partisan environment, it makes no sense for the White House to offer
Shinseki’s head on a platter to satisfy the hyper partisanship of growling Republicans. Veterans, and those who represent them in Congress, come from all
parts of the political spectrum. It ought to be in everyone’s interest to improve
access to health care for veterans.
There are other issues regarding fair and compassionate treatment for veterans
that must be considered. The recent killings at Fort Hood, Texas suggest that
there is insufficient focus on mental health issues for our military, with the rate
of Army suicides doubling between 2004 and 2009. Many veterans say that one
of their stressors is the inaccuracy involved in evaluating their disabilities that
have come from their service. Missing limbs, impaired mobility, extreme stress
and insomnia are all factors included when a monthly disability check is calculated. Many take issue with the evaluation, and challenge an evaluation may
take several months (or years). Even inaccurate claims are difficult to obtain
for some veterans. More than 611,000 claims were backlogged (which means
veterans had waited for more than four months for their claims to be processed.)
The number dropped this year to 344,000 claims, which is still too many veterans
waiting too long for help.
The recent exposure of long waits for medical treatment just scratches the surface of the way that veterans are welcomed back into our society. Military
skills are not easily converted to civilian labor force skills, unemployment rates
for recent veterans (those serving since 2001) are often high – 9 percent for
veterans, compared to 6.3 for the entire population. President Obama has urged
private sector employers to give priority to hiring veterans who have returned
from Iraq and Afghanistan, but unemployment rates, though falling, remain high.
Minority and women veterans had even higher unemployment rates, and often
greater challenges.
More than 58,000 veterans are homeless, representing about 12 percent of the
homeless population. More than half have disabilities or mental health problems. As many as 70 percent have substance abuse problems. There would be
fewer homeless vets if the mental and physical health needs of veterans were
addressed when these soldiers leave the military.
When our soldiers return from fighting for our country, they face a new fight –
a fight to be treated fairly. That means shorter waits for medical attention, more
focus on mental health issues, more assistance in reentering the job market, and
more counseling to help families adjust to new household dynamics. Veterans
should not have to fight for this kind of assistance. Haven’t they fought enough?
Regardless of whether we agree with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we
often thank our military for their service. Thanking a homeless veteran, or one
who has waited more than 30 days for medical attention is lip service if the
“thank you” is not accompanied by the assistance that so many veterans need.
Memorial Day ought to be a day to commemorate the dead, and improve the
ways we treat the living.
By Lee A. Daniels
NNPA Columnist
Donald Sterling, the disgraced San Diego Clippers owner
(thus far), is like the proverbial bad penny: he won’t go
away. He’s still trying to whistle the “I’m-not-a-racist” ditty
to anyone who’ll listen.
His attempts to obscure the obvious have produced two important results. First, of
course, they’ve confirmed the accuracy of our first impressions. Sterling has shown
that the racial sentiments the world heard first on that now-infamous tape aren’t just
the one-time ravings of a bitterly jealous old man. Secondly, the racism and sexism
he’s so bluntly put on display multiple times now has, along with other recent developments, underscored that these forms of bigotry in America, while less powerful
than before, are still widespread, and will be for a long time to come.
So, it’s important to keep including in our conversation on race Sterling, and the
chiseling Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy – whose racist comments helped puncture
the notion that he was some sort of hero of the Old West fighting against unjust
federal intrusion – as individual examples of that broader point.
And now, we can add Robert Copeland to that list. Copeland, you’ll recall, is the
now-former police commissioner of the small town of Wolfeboro, N.H., who was
outed after being overheard in a restaurant loudly calling President Obama that longtime favorite slur of White racists. Subsequently, Copeland bluntly declared in an email to the town’s two other police commissioners that “I believe I did use the ‘N’
word in reference to the current occupant of the Whitehouse (sic). For this, I do not
apologize – he meets and exceeds my criteria for such.” He did not explain his
“criteria.”
To their credit, residents of the town of 6,300 (of which, according to reports, about
20 are Black; the state’s Black population is about 1 percent) quickly and angrily
demanded at a packed town meeting that the 82-year-old official resign – a demand
that was seconded by a large swath of local and state officials, and the town’s most
prominent vacationer, Mitt Romney. They represent the Americans of all backgrounds
who don’t tolerate the old bigotry, whether it’s expressed publicly or privately.
Some would say of Copeland – as what was said of Sterling and Bundy – that he’s
not merely one individual stuck in the past and that is unseemly ‘piling-on’ to keep
condemning him. They say it distracts from the serious discussion we should be
having about the far more important manifestations of bigotry.
Others would use the claim of the NBA’s Maverick owner Mark Cuban that “we’re
all prejudiced” in different ways and that “before we can help others deal [with]
racism, we have to be honest about ourselves” as an excuse to, in fact, do nothing.
Tainted though we “all” may be by different biases, many of us don’t let whatever
biases we may have rule our behavior, and we don’t use them as an excuse for
inaction when we witness the blatant or subtle bigotry of others – as the overwhelmingly White residents of Wolfeboro, N.H. proved.
Their reaction, as I’ve said, demonstrated anew that confronting individual expressions of bigotry is important in helping illuminate how entrenched anti-Black racism,
and bigotry of all kinds remain in the American system as a whole.
After all, the American system and its institutions are, overwhelmingly, run and heavily
influenced by White men; By White billionaires and millionaires, like Donald Sterling,
who control vast economic empires and move in the most sophisticated and elite of
circles. By White police chiefs, and fire chiefs, school superintendents, politicians,
and so on, who, like Robert Copeland, hold responsible positions in their communities
and thus help operate the country’s governmental and civic infrastructure. And by
individual owners of all kinds of businesses, like Cliven Bundy, who are always praised
as constituting the backbone of the country.
Remember that – and then consider the racial malice in each of these men’s remarks. Cliven Bundy, on a drive-by past a Las Vegas federally subsidized housing
project, sees “enough” of some Black residents there to declare all Black people
worthless. Donald Sterling’s perverse jealousy of Magic Johnson, who has excelled
as an athlete, a businessman and a philanthropist, propels him to charge that Black
Americans don’t help one another. And, finally, according to Robert Copeland’s “criteria,” Barack Obama, a former United States Senator and the twice-elected president of the United States, is just a n—–.
In the comments of these three men, one can take a long walk back through the
America’s tragic racial past, and understand better why this month’s 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka
finds more Black children attending segregated schools now than in 1980.
That’s part of the evidence that continuing to talk about Donald Sterling, Cliven
Bundy and Robert Copeland, and other individuals like them isn’t a distraction from
America’s conversation on race but a central part of it.
Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is
Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is
President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America.
Who Cares about the Least Among Us?
By James ClingmanIncognito, Barkeley and Wilbon Use the N-Word
By Raynard Jackson
NNPA Columnist
NNPA ColumnistJohnson-Crapo Housing Built on Myths
By Marc H. Morial
NNPA Columnist
Philadelphia
Observer
Walter Smith: Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Republicans are Veteran Hypocrites on the VA
By George E. CurryNNPA Columnist
If you let the Republicans tell it, President Obama is directly responsible for the fiasco at the
Veterans Administration. But they don’t tell you that fresh off of Memorial Day parade appearances, they are responsible for scuttling legislation that would have expanded benefits for the nation’s
22 million veterans and their families. A measure backed by Obama would have lengthened the
period veterans are eligible to receive health care from the VA from five years to 10 years after
deployment. The bill also would have allowed the VA to open 27 new health facilities, expand
medical and dental care, make more veterans eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, repeal
the recent cut in cost-of-living adjustments for new enlistees and extend a program that provides
care for veterans with mild to severe brain injuries. More than 20 military organizations – including
the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Wounded Warriors Project and Disabled
American Veterans – supported the bill. William A. Thien, commander-in-chief of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, submitted a letter saying, “This legislation is the most comprehensive veterans’ legislation to be introduced in decades. It contains many of the VFW’s priority goals, which will
implement, expand and improve both health care and benefit services to all generations of veterans
and their families.” Senate Bill S.1982, known as the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits
and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014, was favored on Feb. 27 in the Senate 56-41.
But the measure fell four votes shy of the number needed to overcome a threatened GOP filibuster.
Every Democrat voted for the bill and only two Republican Senators – Jerry Moran of Kansas and
Dean Heller of Nevada – voted for the measure. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, the
ranking Republican on the committee, said: “We have veterans dying from long waits for basic,
necessary tests like colonoscopies. Veterans waiting for their disability claims to be processed
know all about frustrations and delays at the VA, and adding more individuals to an already broken
system doesn’t seem wise.” Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader from Kentucky, accused Democrats of engaging in election-year politics, a charge Senate Veterans’ Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), denied. He told reporters after the vote: “The point of the matter is if
we had won today…both parties could have gone out and said we finally overcame all of the
partisanship we see here in Washington. This could have been a political winner, if you like, and
certainly a public policy winner for both Democrats and Republicans.” More than two dozen veterans groups had supported the measure. According to the Washington Post, Daniel M. Dellinger,
national commander of the American Legion, said, “I don’t know how anyone who voted ‘no’ today
can look a veteran in the eye and justify that vote. Our veterans deserve more than what they got
today.” According to MediaMatters, the watchdog group, the media failed miserably in letting the
public know Republicans were blocking the legislation. “While mainstream media coverage of the
serious allegations of improper practices at certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health
clinics has been extensive in recent weeks, a bill to expand health care for veterans that was
blocked by Senate Republicans in February received little attention,” it noted. “…Based on a
LexisNexis search television transcripts from February 26 to 28, the veterans health bill was not
covered by ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, or CBS Evening News,” the media monitoring
group said. “Based on a LexisNexis search of news articles from February 26 to 28, neither the
New York Times nor the Wall Street Journal reported on Senate Republicans’ obstruction of the
legislation that would have allowed the VA to open 27 new health facilities.” The media has also
done a poor job describing how proposed budget cuts will impact veterans. For example, the Republican-led cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as
food stamps, will hurt veterans as well other low-income families, according to the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a Washington-based think tank. “Nationwide, in any given
month, a total of 900,000 veterans nationwide lived in households that relied on SNAP to provide
food for their families in 2011, a previous analysis of Census data estimated,” a report by the CBPP
noted. “…For low-income veterans, who may be unemployed, working in low-wage jobs, or disabled, SNAP provides an essential support that enables them to purchase nutritious food for their
families. “..While the overall unemployment rate for veterans is lower than the national average,
the unemployment rate for recent veterans (serving in September 2001 to the present) remains
high, at 10.1 percent in September 2013. About one-quarter of recent veterans reported serviceconnected disabilities in 2011, which can impact their ability to provide for their families: households
with a veteran with a disability that prevents them from working are about twice as likely to lack
access to adequate food than households without a disabled member.”
Republicans need to do more than simply wave the American flag.
George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker,
moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site,
www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge and George
E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook
Ignoring Black
American Veterans
Philadelphia Observer May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
Editorial
5
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
NNPA Columnist
The current controversy surrounding the plight of veterans in the
United States is an important issue for all families in America who
have benefited from the service of millions of men and women
who have served in the military. Every Memorial Day, the nation
pauses to remember and honor all of those who have served the
nation and who today continue to serve in the armed services. But
the growing contradictions surrounding the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) about systematic failures to provide timely and adequate health care for veterans is alarming.
Too often, however, the status and interests of Black American
veterans get lost in the national public debate when issues of the VA
are raised. Since the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, the percentage of Black Americans serving in the U.S. armed services peaked
at 30 percent. Today, the percentage is at approximately 20 percent.
Now that so many Black American veterans and other veterans are
now returning home from the long and awful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the VA is now overwhelmed with the increased demands
for health care and war-related disabilities. The Department of Veterans Affairs health care group is the largest health care provider in the
U.S., overseeing 1,700 hospitals, nursing homes, multipurpose health
clinics, and other medical facilities. The VA is a massive bureaucracy
that has had major dysfunctional problems for decades. Accordingly,
the crisis at the VA is not a new one. Yet, with a Black American
president of United States, old problems are viewed with a different
level of urgency and priority. The truth is that past U.S. presidents
were aware of the VA’s long term systemic dysfunctions, but they did
not correct or remedy the VA’s problems. Let’s, however, be very
clear. It is President Barack Obama’s problem now. It is Obama’s
responsibility as commander-in-chief to take all necessary leadership
and actions to quickly resolve this crisis. Some reports have found
evidence that allegedly indicates that deaths of veterans have occurred as a result of the administrative failures of the VA. One White
House official reported that President Obama was “madder than hell”
about the VA scandal. An Obama White House aide told “Face the
Nation” on CBS that “Obama is demanding that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and others in the administration continue to fix
these things until they’re functioning the way that our veterans believe
they should.” I believe that all veterans should be treated with equal
respect. All veterans should receive all the benefits that they are
entitled, including good health care without bureaucratic red tape and
prolonged waiting list. We are all aware that before and after the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the problem of racism
and racial discrimination in the delivery of quality health care remains
a serious problem. While 10 million or more people have health care
as a result of ACA, there are still millions of Black Americans and
Latino Americans who do not have health care insurance coverage.
Black American veterans are facing a double whammy. They are confronted with the inadequacies of the VA as well as the racism in society that makes it more difficult to get quality health care in traditional
public and private health care systems. And for Black female vets,
there’s a triple whammy. This is why it is urgent to call urgent attention to the struggles and challenges that confront Black veterans.
When I was a member of the Wilmington Ten in North Carolina in the
1970s, I saw firsthand the disproportionately high percentage of Black
American Vietnam veterans who were imprisoned for long periods of
unjust incarceration. Even though many of those veterans had served
with valor and honor in that tragic war in Southeast Asia, too many
went to prison because of inadequate health care and unemployment
and war-related problems. In 2014, many returning Black American
veterans are also ending up in jails and prisons. Many return to trouble
with the law while seeing the persistent absence of good health care
and the lack of productive employment opportunities. It is so important, therefore, that we should not forget the needs and aspirations of
all our veterans. In particular, Black American veterans should be
remembered and supported not just on Memorial Day, but on every
day. We thank God for their service and sacrifice. Let’s show our
vets our continuous salute, respect and support.
6
Philadelphia Observer, May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
How Philadelphia's neighborhoods got their names
7
BELLA VISTA
This classic Philly Italian neighborhood
where you can still play bocce ball or
get a perfect cannoli got its name —
the Italian phrase for "beautiful view"
— in the 1970s.
BELMONT
Belmont, an area along the west bank
of the Schuylkill River, was named for
a mansion built in Fairmount Park before the Revolutionary War. Visitors to
the home included Benjamin Franklin,
James Madison, and George Washington, who probably slept there.
BRIDESBURG
Bridesburg was originally called Point
No Point because, as you approached
it from the Delaware River, it first
looked like a point, and then didn't.After the Revolution, it was named for
Joseph Kirkbride, the largest landholder
there at the time. But people eventually decided Kirkbridesburg was too
long to say, so it became Bridesburg.
BUSTLETON
This northeast neighborhood was probably settled by people from Brislington,
England, which was formerly called
Busselton. It grew around a tavern
called the Busseltown Tavern and took
that name for the whole area.
CENTER CITY
Where most cities have a downtown,
Philadelphia has a Center City. It's the
heart of the business district, encompassing the original city of Philadelphia and is, of course, centrally located.
CHESTNUT HILL
This northwest neighborhood has been
called Chestnut Hill since at least 1704.
Due to its higher elevation and cooler
temperatures, it was originally an attractive summer retreat for well-off
Philadelphians. It got its name from the
now almost extinct chestnut trees.
EAST FALLS
East Falls was named for nearby rapids on the Schuylkill River. The rapids
disappeared after the Fairmount Dam
was completed in 1822, but the name
remained.
EASTWICK
This neighborhood near the airport in
the far southwest corner of the city was
named for locomotive builderAndrew
M. Eastwick.
FISHTOWN
Fishtown, on the Delaware River, was
once the center of the city's shad fishing industry. Legend has it that Charles
Dickens himself named it when he visited Philadelphia in 1842, but it was in
use before that.
FOX CHASE
Fox Chase was named for a local inn
that was built in 1705. It was a destination for wealthy colonists who enjoyed
the recreational pastimes of their
homeland, such as fox hunting.
GERMANTOWN
Settled by 13 German families in 1683
and named German Town by founder
Francis Pastorius, this northwest neighborhood for a time had the nickname
"armentown" (poor town), but soon became a flourishing community of German farmers and craftsmen.
GRADUATE HOSPITAL
The neighborhood acquired its name
when the University of Pennsylvania
ran their Graduate School of Medicine
at a hospital here. The facility is no
longer a graduate hospital, but the
neighborhood name stuck.
HOLMESBURG
There is some disagreement over
whether Holmesburg was named for
Thomas Holme, William Penn's surveyor, or for the descendants of John
Holme, a judge who lived and owned
property there. It's possible that they
were cousins, so it might all be for one
family name anyway.
JUNIATA PARK
Juniata Park, a community built in the
1920s and '30s, was named for the park
in its northeast section. Juniata is the
name of a tributary of the Susquehanna
River and is thought to come from a
Native American word for "standing
stone."
KENSINGTON
Kensington was named by a colonial
merchant namedAnthony Palmer, who
purchased almost 200 acres of land
northeast of the center of Philadelphia
and sold it in lots to shipbuilders. He
named the town he founded after the
London area where Kensington Palace is located. His own name lives on
in the burial ground there, known as
Palmer Cemetery.
KINGSESSING
This area west of Center City got its
name from the Lenape word for "place
where there is a meadow."
MANAYUNK
There is a pretty active strip of bars
and restaurants in Manayunk, and
some say this is fitting considering the
name comes from a Lenape word for
"place we go to drink." However, it
seems that the word was just the ordinary Lenape term for the nearby
Schuylkill River, which, after all, is a
place where one goes to drink — water.
MANTUA
Judge Peters, who owned the Belmont
Mansion that gave the Belmont neighborhood its name, also owned this land
west of the Schuylkill that he developed into Mantua, named for the Italian city where Virgil was born.
MAYFAIR
Legend has it that Mayfair got its name
during a 1928 meeting where local citizen Thomas Donahue announced,
"We 'may fare' well if we get behind
this community and push — so why
not call it Mayfair?" Or it might have
just been the name of the telephone
exchange there.
MT. AIRY
William Allen, loyalist, freemason,
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, Mayor
of Philadelphia, and founder of Allentown, built a country estate called Mt.
Airy.The neighborhood that eventually
formed around it took the name of the
estate.
NICETOWN
Nicetown doesn't actually have anything to do with "nice" as we know it. It
comes from the family name of a pair
of Dutch settlers, Hans and Jan de
Neus, who arrived in Philadelphia in
the 17th century. Their descendants go
by Nice or Nyce.
NORTHERN LIBERTIES
According to the colonial land policy
of William Penn, those who purchased
large tracts of land in Philadelphia got
a bonus of free "liberty lands" in the
surrounding rural areas. The "Northern Liberties," now home to some of
the city's most happening spots, are no
longer rural in the slightest.
QUEEN VILLAGE
Queen Village, originally part of
Southwark, was named in the 1970s to
honor Queen Christina of Sweden, who
reigned when the area was settled by
Swedes in the 1600s.
SOCIETY HILL
Though there is certainly some high
society living going on in Society Hill,
it was originally named not for its
wealthy citizens but for the Free Society of Traders, a stock company established by William Penn that was
granted the land there.
ROXBOROUGH
This northwest neighborhood was described in a 1694 letter by Johannes
Kelpius as a place "where foxes burrow in the rocks, " and he persisted in
spelling it as Rockburrow. Though that
makes a good origin story, it was probably first named after Roxburgh, Scotland, where one of its prominent settlers was born.
OLDE CITY
Olde City is also called Old City, but
the Olde makes it look older. Known
as "America's most historic square
mile," Olde City has all the olde stuff
— Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell,
the Betsy Ross House, Physick House,
the American Philosophical Society,
and many other olde things.
OLNEY
Alexander Wilson was a great admirer
of poet William Cowper who lived in
Olney, England and wrote Olney
Hymns. So when Wilson built his estate north of Philadelphia, he named it
Olney and the surrounding neighborhood took the name from the estate.
OVERBROOK
In the late 19th century a rail station
was built here over a brook, and the
station, and subsequently the area
around it, was named Overbrook. The
name later went Hollywood, when Will
Smith, who went to high school in this
West Philadelphia neighborhood,
named his production company
Overbrook Entertainment.
PASSYUNK
This important south Philadelphia
neighborhood is home to a famous
cheesesteak rivalry. It was named for
main thoroughfare Passyunk Avenue,
which got its name from a Lenape
word meaning "in the valley." When
you walk in the valley of the
cheesesteaks, you must choose sides:
Pat's or Geno's?
POWELTON VILLAGE
Powelton was the name of the Powel
family mansion that gave this west
Philadelphia neighborhood its name.
The third Samuel Powel, the first postRevolutionary War mayor of Philadelphia, escaped to Powelton during the
1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic, but was
bitten by a mosquito on a quick trip
back into the city to check on his servants and died.
RISING SUN
According to one early 20th century
history of Philadelphia, the son of the
NativeAmerican Chief Tammany befriended a pair of German settlers and
brought them to his father, who spent
the night "feasting and smoking" with
them and then led them to the top of a
little hill and declared all the land within
their line of vision to be theirs. "And as
they looked in admiration at the extent
of the gift, the sun rose gloriously, and
they named their land the 'Aufgehende
Sonne,' the 'Rising Sun.'" Take this story
with a grain of salt.
RITTENHOUSE SQUARE
In 1825 the Center City green
space known as Southwest Square
was renamed Rittenhouse Square
for David Rittenhouse — inventor,
scientist, mathematician, member
of theAmerican Philosophical Society and the Royal Society of
London, and first director of the
U.S. Mint.
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA
This is a very apt name for the area
south of Center City. Its main drag,
South Street, was the original southern border of the city limits.
SOUTHWARK
This area along the Delaware
River was named by William Penn
for another area similarly situated
on a river, the London neighborhood of Southwark on the Thames.
STRAWBERRY MANSION
Strawberry Mansion was the name
acquired in the 1870s by a grand
house (formerly called
Summerville) in Fairmount Park
that later became a popular restaurant. There may have been a
signature dish of strawberries and
cream involved. The neighborhood and a nearby bridge were
named for it.
TACONY
Tacony comes from a Lenape
word, though there is some disagreement as to whether the word
it comes from meant "wilderness,"
"forest creek," or the name of a
chief.
TORRESDALE
This northeast neighborhood was
named by banker Charles
Macalaster after his family home
in Scotland.
UNIVERSITY CITY
When this formerly bucolic area
of West Philadelphia went on the
decline during the rapid expansion
of the city in the first half of the
20th century, officials from the
University of Pennsylvania and
Drexel came up with a revitalization plan that included referring to
the area as University City.
WISSINOMING
There used to be a creek called
Wissinoming running through this
neighborhood near the Delaware,
but it has long since been filled in.
Wissinoming was the Lenape
word for "place where the grapes
grow."
Philadelphia Observer May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
Philadelphia is a city of American history, and that history is reflected in its various neighborhoods
Philadelphia Observer, May 29 - June 4, 2014 philaobserver.com
8
The Coamo Thermal Springs (Piscinas Aguas Termales de Coamo) is another one of those natural wonders
that makes Puerto Rico a pretty cool place. Located along a cold river in the town of Coamo, hot water springs
naturally from the earth. For hundreds of years people have been enjoying these natural hot springs, which are
said to have healing powers. And now, with the recent completion of a refurbishment of the public area, everyone
can enjoy the springs in clean pools while enjoying other amenities.
The hot water has been found to be due to a dormant volcano way under the ground, that still contains super
hot magma. The water from the river finds its way through cracks and faults and gets heated by the magma and
mixes with natural minerals and chemicals. As it works its way back up to the surface, it is naturally filtered and
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In the town of Loíza traditional activities honoring St. James the Apostle manifest a mix of indigenous, African
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tribe in the 16th century, Loíza is a center for African-inspired traditions, retaining one of the highest
percentages of African descendants of all island towns. Among those traditions Loíza celebrates the "Fiestas
Patronales" where salsa dancing, masquerades, colorful parades and rich Puerto Rican food make this festival a
classic. The nine days of this carnival pay homage to Loízas patron saint, St. James. St. James, not unlike Changó
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Puerto Rico
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14
HOROSCOPE
May 29 - June 4, 2014
ARIES
Where are you going in such a hurry? What you want you already have. Stop looking around yourself trying to find out what’s missing. Nothing is missing. The
best kind of discovery this week is self-discovery.
Soul Affirmation: I get because I give.
Lucky Numbers: 3, 18, 45
TAURUS
Knowing and accepting your love nature is extremely important. Don’t try to claim that it is as society says it should be. Acknowledge the fact that your love and
friendship are often inseparable. You like to be in an adventure with your lover just as you would a partner or a friend. Create this situation by holding the truth of
your nature in consciousness.
Soul Affirmation: I enjoy the love that others have for me.
Lucky Numbers: 16, 24, 47
GEMINI
Dive into it! Don’t be intimated by the unknown. Your adventurous spirit can take you to a new place of celebration this week. If you can, bring someone along
who can celebrate in the same manner with you. Harmony and peace is the motto that you should chant when you accomplish what you want to do!
Soul Affirmation: Communication is a skeleton key that fits many doors.
Lucky Numbers: 30, 31, 32
CANCER
This week would be good for getting your house in order so you can spend the extra time outdoors and enjoying the company of others. With an orderly habitat
waiting for you, you’ll have a head start for the task you have to accomplish.
Soul Affirmation: I open up to the universe. The universe opens up to me.
Lucky Numbers: 39, 49, 52
LEO
Don’t spread yourself too thin. But if you’ll need to move around in many different circles this week, your spirit should be high and your vibes are strong for
meeting new people. You will be receiving a piece or two of great news. Expect the unexpected. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Soul Affirmation: I give love and love gives to me.
Lucky Numbers: 4, 50, 55
VIRGO
Strong vibrations make for a series of dramatic interactions with others this week. Practice your art with your heart, and let your energy carry you upwards to
your best, highest self. Keep emotions calm.
Soul Affirmation: I know where I’m going because I know where I’ve been.
Lucky Numbers: 32, 38, 43
LIBRA
You’ll be energizing others this week as you speak what’s on your mind regarding spiritual matters and masters. The quality of your thoughts is very pure; write
yourself a love letter.
Soul Affirmation: My imagination is the source of my happiness.
Lucky Numbers: 17, 23, 29
SCORPIO
Surprises are in order this week, and you can roll with everything that comes at you unexpectedly. Healing can happen in a relationship if you just show up. That’s
power! Use it for the good of others.
Soul Affirmation: This week is the week the Lord has made. I rejoice in it.
Lucky Numbers: 12, 16, 18
SAGITTARIUS
You want a comrade who doesn’t place inordinate expectations or demands on you, and who is creative, intelligent, a good conversationalist, and highly spiritual.
Perhaps you should be out looking this week with eyes wide open!
Soul Affirmation: Cooperation with others is the key to success for me this week.
Lucky Numbers: 13, 24, 41
CAPRICORN
Work calls and you are not completely happy with current divisions of labor. Do your part as a member of the team and you’ll be glad that you did. Others will
notice that you are a committed team player.
Soul Affirmation: I master life by mastering myself.
Lucky Numbers: 23, 45, 48
AQUARIUS
Business looks good this week as you discover a new way of increasing exposure to your product. Let hope and optimism lead you into new beginnings and fresh
starts. All vibes are good. Go!
Soul Affirmation: I enjoy flirting with new ideas.
Lucky Numbers: 16, 19, 27
PISCES
You seem preoccupied this week and it’s because your mind is filled with a vision of love for the entire planet. Use your gifts to assist others in seeing the world
as you do, in glorious color. Check the details on paperwork that you have to do, dreamer.
Soul Affirmation: I release internal pressure by enjoying the beauties of the world around me.
Lucky Numbers: 22. 34. 55
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OBSERVER
SPORTS
Beckett pitches no-hitter, Dodgers top Phillies 6-0
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA -Josh Beckett pitched the first no-hitter of his stellar career and the first in
the majors this season, leading the Los
Angeles Dodgers over the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0 on Sunday.
Beckett struck out six, walked three
and didn't come close to allowing a hit
against a lineup that included two
former NL MVPs and four former AllStars.
The 34-year-old right-hander, whose
career was almost derailed last year
by injuries, threw 128 pitches. This
was the Dodgers' first no-hitter since
Hideo Nomo beat Colorado at Coors
Field in 1996.
Beckett threw the first no-hitter in the
majors since Miami's Henderson
Alvarez did it against Detroit on the
final day of the 2013 season.
Beckett became the first visiting
pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Philadelphia since Montreal's Bill Stoneman
stopped the Phillies on April 17, 1969,
at Connie Mack Stadium.
All of the defensive plays behind
Beckett were routine. Domonic
Brown had the hardest out, a liner that
left fielder Carl Crawford ran down
near the warning track in the fifth.
Philadelphia Phillies' A.J. Burnett pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles
Dodgers, Sunday, May 25, 2014, in Philadelphia.
Beckett retired pinch-hitter Tony Gwynn
Jr. on a popup to shortstop to start the
ninth. Speedy Ben Revere followed with
a grounder that first baseman Adrian
Beckett sat at the end of the bench, Gonzalez fielded, and he flipped to Beckett
next to a security guard, as the Dodg- covering the bag for the second out.
ers batted in the ninth inning, then took
the mound.
Jimmy Rollins was up next, and Beckett
walked him on a full-count pitch. That
brought up Chase Utley, and Beckett got
him to look at a 94 mph fastball on a 3-2
pitch for strike three to end it.
fans on his way to the dugout.
Beckett (3-1) has bounced back neatly
from an injury-plagued season. A threetime All-Star, he was the MVP of the 2003
World Series for the Marlins, capping off
Beckett walked off the mound, pumped their championship run by pitching a fivehis fist and was mobbed by teammates. hit shutout in the clinching Game 6 at YanHe got a standing ovation from Phillies kee Stadium.
Paul George: 'Lance is genuine'
George said. "Sometimes he needs to doing it to the wrong guy. He's barking up
keep things more in house and be a little the wrong tree.
more modest."
LeBron is the same way, he feeds off that
kind of energy," he said.
Stephenson, though, did not back down
before Game 4 despite causing another Stephenson is averaging 17 points and
little stir following his comments on James' seven assists in the series and he's beon-court back-and-forth.
come a growing target for the Heat, both
within the game and on the periphery of
"I don't mind it, I don't care how [LeBron] the series.
feels. I'm up for any challenge,"
Stephenson said.
"It's LeBron, he's the best player in the
world," Chris Bosh said. "If [Stephenson]
"I love it when people challenge me, I like getting it in his head is averaging 27 points,
to bring out the best in people.
I hope he stays there."
That's how I am, I have to get the win
tonight. When I talk junk, it makes me
around to "flare up" his knees. After Game happier in my job. I like the challenge, I
3, Stephenson said he thought LeBron like to force myself to do my job."
James' trash talk was a "sign of weakGeorge said Monday that Stephenson is
ness."
making a mistake in picking LeBron as
"Lance is genuine," Pacers forward Paul the target of his latest comments."He's
Lance Stephenson defending against Lebron James
MIAMI -- Lance Stephenson has no
problem expressing his feelings.
At the start of the Eastern Conference finals Lance Stephenson said he
was going to try to run Dwyane Wade
Stephenson said his teammates and
coaches haven't asked him to temper his
comments, though it sounds like he's at
least thinking of backing off.
"We're playing against the Heat, everything is in the spotlight," Stephenson said.
"I've got to be careful with what I say."