Philadelphia Electrical gets its power shut off by Maurice Watson and Te Boys’ Latin Warriors


Napoleon F. Kingcade UCity Review Sports Reporter


S


traight from the door, his jumpers were popping like crazy. Maurice Watson was


on fire. He was commanding the floor and hitting his jump shots. The more times he scored points, the more times he pumped up his fist. And the more times he didn’t score, the more times he went to the foul line to hit shots. Watson was completely unstoppable. He


scored 41 points in the game that included him hitting 4 of 6 treys from the basketball solar system. This kid was just simply tremen- dous.


When this ball game was over, the Boys’ Latin star guard had just distinguished himself as the eighth all-time career point scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Watson had just eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain’s career record and moved into the second place on the all-time Public League career


Maurice Watson was on a mission and when this game was over, the final score told the entire true story. Final score: Boys’ Latin 81 Philadelphia Electrical 60. Photo: NFK


scoring list. With an outstand- ing mark of 2,228 career points, Watson was able to leave his sig-


UNIVERSITY CITY


nature on the basketball court of Ben Franklin High School. That’s


continued on page 4 Review FEBRUARY 22 · 2012 Renovation of Apple Storage: the third & final meeting


By Nicole Contosta Staff Reporter


R February 15th


esidents packed the Arnett A.M.E. Church, 815 S. 53rd St., this past Wednesday, . It was the third


and final meeting between devel- oper Andrew Eisenstein of Iron Stone Management and the com- munity regarding the proposed renovation of the Apple Storage facility on 708 S. 52nd


Street.


If Iron Stone receives its vari- ance to change the building’s zon- ing from industrial to residential, the renovations will include 112 apartments with 2,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 92 parking spaces in its rear. For some, the project repre- sents an effective re-use of a long vacant building that will gener- ate more business for the nearby Baltimore Avenue Commercial Corridor. Others worry that the project will cause gentrification. It’s the kind of community divide that caused the Zoning Board of Adjustments (ZBA) to suspend their vote on the project when Iron Stone Management pre- sented its plans in early January because 140 residents signed a


Iron Stone met with the Cedar Park Neighborhood Association’s Zoning Committee in December. Subsequently, the residents west of 52nd


Street asked and received


two more meetings with the de- veloper.


Because residents expressed an overwhelming concern over how the project could increase their property taxes at the Janu- ary 25th


Andrew Eisenstein (R) of Iron Stone Management shows renderings of the proposed renovation of Apple Storage to packed crowd. Shawn Kelly, the President of the Community Achievement Association, which has represented some of the concerns expressed by the community West of 52nd Street helps Eisenstein hold the renderings. Photo: R.C.


petition alleging that they didn’t know enough about the project, explained Marty Cabry, the Direc- tor of Zoning for Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell in an over the


phone interview. As Cabry ex- plains it, the 140 petitioners, who live west of 52nd


Street claimed


that they did not receive any notice about the project before


meeting, Councilwoman Blackwell’s Office arranged for Michael Piper, a city tax assessor to attend last week’s meeting. In addressing those concerns, Piper explained “that there’s no way to answer that question until people see how the new development affects the neighborhood.” Ac- cording to Piper, this can signify whether or not a new develop- ment causes more people to move in—or move out—of a neighbor- hood. And even when a new development attracts more people to a particular neighborhood, tax assessors would not compare the worth of a new development, such as an apartment building to a two or three story row home, Piper explained because “it’s like comparing apples to oranges.” In addition, some residents


continued on page 2 www.ucreview.com


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University City Chinese Chris- tian Church: not a new fixture in


West Philly By Nicole Contosta Staff Reporter


W


hen the University City Chinese Christian Church (UCCCC) pur-


chased the vacant commercial strip at 45th and Walnut Streets, some questioned whether or not the institution would compliment the surrounding community. But the UCCC is hardly a new addi- tion to the neighborhood. In fact, it has operated in University City since 2004. And its primary mis- sion centers on offering religious and spiritual support to Chinese exchange students. Providing support to lonely, homesick students is an experi- ence that Tony and Helen Liang, the UCCCC’s ministers, know all too well. After all, both came to the United States from China more than thirty years ago to earn advanced degrees in electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. “We met in this country, not in China,” said Helen from the couples’ office in Spruce Hill. After working for more than twenty years in their respective fields, they got involved with the student ministry at Chinese Chris- tian Church’s central location in Chinatown. The year was 1999. And the Liang’s work with stu- dent ministry proved so successful continued on page 4


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