Join a PDAC
When I spoke on the phone with state Rep. Regina Young’s constituent services adviser, staff member Mr. Kevin Fassett, we talked about public safety in addition to environmental justice for our communities throughout Delaware County and South Philadelphia. The 185th Legislative District is comprised of areas in South and Southwest Philadelphia, along with Tinicum Township and Colwyn Borough in Delaware County.
Mr. Fassett agreed that more needs to be done in legislation on the state government level with increasing public safety standards.
My father is a constituent in Young’s district. Rep. Young is a member of the Police District Advisory Council. With our organization Race for Peace Committee there is something in common as we also want to strive to make the community a safer and better place to live. By decreasing drugs off the streets, guns and crime.
A PDAC membership is open to individuals or organizational representatives who live in, work in or have an interest in the particular police district and should be representative of ethnic, civic, business, religious and educational groups. It was formed to best include the interests and needs of the people living within the district’s boundaries. The mission of the Police District Advisory Council is to serve as a liaison between the community and the police to reduce the fear and incidence of crime and enhance the quality of life in communities.
Alim Howell
Hooray for South Philly girls basketball
How exciting to read another report from Mark Zimmaro on thriving girls basketball in South Philly (“South Philly is tops in high school girls basketball,” March 12). In my last letter to the South Philly Review (“Way to go, Saints”), I bragged about the achievement of the girls team from my alma mater, Neumann-Goretti, by winning the Philadelphia Catholic League basketball title. Now, thanks to Zimmaro, there is even more evidence of wonderfully talented female athletes from different kinds of schools in our neighborhood.
In this report we read that girl athletes at two other high schools, Universal Audenried, a charter school in Grays Ferry, and Academy at Palumbo, a school district high school in Bella Vista, are also setting records on the basketball court.
First, Zimmaro describes how Audenreid’s Rockets won their third straight Philadelphia Public League title on Feb. 23. Then he goes on to praise in detail Neumann-Goretti’s Saints’ historic win under their coach Andrea Peterson.
I must add that I replied to his earlier article as an alumna of the school when it was all girls. Our team’s mascot then was a Lamb after the purity of the virgin martyr Saint Maria Goretti. The mascots of today’s team are called “Saints” because the patron of the original all-male high school, Bishop Neumann, was canonized, and the school became Saint John Neumann. So now the co-ed school is named after two saints — Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School.
Finally, Zimmaro gives a detailed report on the girls basketball team, Griffins, at Academy at Palumbo, a district school without the advantages in recruiting student-athletes that charters have. In spite of that, they were able to reach the Final Four of the Public League playoffs.
It is truly inspiring to read of all the dedication and hard work that these female student-athletes and their devoted coaches put into such incredible achievements. As always, thanks to the South Philly Review and Mark Zimmaro for covering and reporting these marvelous events.
Gloria C. Endres
