Weighing the pros and cons of 76 Place
Having a new Philadelphia 76ers arena move locations from the Wells Fargo Center to Chinatown as 76 Place could be a positive move, such as creating more jobs.
But concerned community members saying about potential traffic impacts, whether the SEPTA system could handle the crowds and whether there would be limited access to nearby Jefferson Hospital could be a negative attribute toward the move.
If those types of things can be determined to not happen, that would be more positive toward City Council to make their decision. The 76ers have been in the Wells Fargo Center (former names of CoreStates Center, First Union Center, Wachovia Center) for more than two decades.
Sometimes a change can be good but making a change for the betterment of Philadelphia is key. Not to cause more confusion. Overall, moving the arena should provide more opportunities to better Philadelphia.
Alim Howell
True meaning of hospitality
How heartwarming to read Mark Zimmaro’s report on the HIAS Pennsylvania’s annual Thanksgiving gathering held in the Old Pine Community Center on Lombard Street (“A welcoming and celebratory meal,” Dec. 4).
The full name of HIAS is Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and, as Zimmaro reported, this group has been holding these annual meals to welcome newcomers and even refugees for at least 15 years.
I think these organizers are very brave to have persisted in offering these celebrations no matter what the political situation. It gives so many foreigners a sense of belonging and even some security to be included in a local event.
Anyone who is paying attention knows that Philadelphia and especially South Philly has become a melting pot of people from all over the world. I meet so many people at the Singing Fountain on Passyunk Avenue who tell me they are from places as far away as New Zealand, Austria or Peru, among other countries.
It is especially encouraging to read how HIAS Pennsylvania supports needy immigrants using all kinds of legal and social services. It’s more than a single food party. It is a real effort to help newcomers adjust to a different world and become part of a real community.
So bravo to HIAS Pennsylvania for all their efforts to welcome immigrants to our land using the true meaning of hospitality!
Gloria C. Endres
Ban ‘torture breeding’
Want to go for a walk? Play fetch? Spend time outside on a warm summer day? Dogs like Vito, the “winner” of the National Dog Show held in Philadelphia last month, could die — literally — from the things that make dogs’ lives joyful and fulfilling.
Animals bred to have flattened faces and extremely short noses are at high risk for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which leaves dogs panting, snorting, wheezing, struggling just to breathe and often unable to regulate their body temperature. Many require surgery to correct deformities they were purposefully bred to have.
It’s long past time for the U.S. to ban “torture breeding,” the cruel practice of breeding animals to have distorted physical features. Dooming animals to suffer is shameful, not something to be celebrated.
Melissa Rae Sanger
The PETA Foundation
