Thanks for sharing that, Joe. Kimm
On 6/6/09 6:57 PM, "Joe Clarke" <philly.jo...@gmail.com> wrote: > I received this from Ray Murphy this morning and wanted to share it with > the list. My post, Vigilante Vandalism, refers to it, partly because I > thought that it was already posted on the list. So with no more delay. > > Joe Clarke > > > > Duane Ball would laugh if he knew thatby defaulthe has been accused > of being a gentrifier. > > But Duane died two years ago, so he¹s not around to defend himself from > an attack on a new neighborhood restaurant that opened in his honor. *On > Wednesday, balloons filled with paint were thrown at the front of the > new Gold Standard at 48th and Baltimore and the word ³gentrifier² was > scrawled across its front.* > > To call Duane or his partners--who now run the new restaurant and have > lived together on South 48th Street for almost thirty-years--gentrifiers > is more than unfair. > > Duane bought his house with Roger Harman in 1976 when the block was > still red-lined by most mortgage companies. They then proceeded to open > a restaurant-the original Gold Standard--on a block of 47th Street that > would not be called gentrified today, let alone then. > > That restaurant only lasted a few years. After a twenty year stop on > Penn's campus, Roger, Duane and third partner Vincent Whittacre built > Abbraccio at 47th and Warrington on an abandoned lot just a block from > their home. > > The guys took a huge risk in opening Abbraccio. Although the Dahlak and > Gojo and Vientiane paved the way, they did not know if there was enough > business here in West Philly to support another restaurant. But before > Abbraccio you would have been hard pressed to find somewhere nice to eat > a sit-down meal for an anniversary, birthday, funeral or graduation not > just in Cedar Park, but in the whole of West and Southwest Philadelphia. > That¹s why Abbraccio's tables were so often occupied by many different > kinds of people--pretty much the opposite of the crowd you might find in > a gentrified spot. > > *On June 19, 2007 Duane died at home. *I was therealong with a lot of > the other neighbors Duane and come to love as family in his 30 years in > the neighborhood. > > Duane's interaction and devotion to this neighborhood taught me a lot > about what community means. Duane had a family of origin for sure, but > it was his West Philadelphia family of choice that sustained him. > > Duane¹s loss made it almost impossible for Abbraccio to keep going. But > his memory also compelled Roger and Vincent to stay in the business. > The new Gold Standard exists in part as a monument to Duane's love of > this neighborhood. It was here, I think, that he found his idea of a > paradise on earth. Duane really loved his house and this neighborhood. > > Although we have a history of neighbors seeking utopia (Google > ³Movement for a New Society,² a group which started the land trust that > still owns a few group houses, the co-op and the A-Space today), we > certainly have our share of problems too. > > *There are inequities here.* > > Many of the folks who were my age when they moved to West Philly in the > 1970s now live in houses worth 20 times more than they paid for them. > Increased home values means that there has started to be some > displacement of the renters--including people of color, LGBT folks, > immigrants and others--who have always guaranteed the neighborhood's > diversity. . > > While queer people feel pretty safe here, I have been a called a fag at > least three times in the past year alone on the block where I live. > Crime is also an issue: And it seems to only increase as the gap in > income grows. And there has always been a town and gown relationship > with Penn--especially when it comes to race > > So what was Wednesday¹s petty act of vandalism about? *Was the attack a > trial balloon? An attempt to define the sense of conflict that seems to > be brewing in our neighborhood about all of the changes going on?* If > so, I think the agitators may have their hearts in the right place, but > are attacking the wrong people. > > Traditionally the idea of gentrification is that higher income earners > purchase land and property to displace lower income people. It has > almost never been the case in Cedar Park that gentrification has > occurred. And it is certainly not the case when it comes to the new > restaurant. > > This neighborhood is far from perfect. But there has been literally > decades worth of time invested by blacks, whites, Asians, Latinos, the > young, the old, queers, straights, Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, > Anarchists, Atheists and so many more to be intentional about this > community. To keep it a place where all are welcome, all can afford to > stay, and all are valued. > > *Throwing balloons filled with paint onto a community space-especially > one few of us ever expected to see come alive as it has-is not the act > of someone who really cares enough to be a part of this community, or > who even really understands it. * > > When I first went to the new Gold Standard, I was overwhelmed. A once > dreary corner was now filled with excitement and the happy faces of West > Philadelphians. It was a place that a man I knew and loved would have > been very happy to spend his time. > > I certainly hope the folks who defaced the Gold Standard are made aware > of how ignorant their attack was and apologize for it. > > And in Duane Ball'ss honor,* if i**t's time for an honest dialogue about > the changing character of this neighborhood, let's have it. But it must > be conducted in good faith, with trust offered from all involved if > we're to stay true to the values we've established as a > community.* After all, we have a long history of working together in > this neighborhood to solve problems. > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
