Jim Kenney Thinks LCB’s could Distribute Canabis, and Wine Should Be Sold At Wegmans

October 23, 2015 by HughE Dillon

Tuesday, Evan Urbania & Matthew Ray of Chatterblast held a Reception in Support of JIM KENNEY Democratic Nominee for Mayor at Garces Trading Company in the Gayborhood. There was a nice turn out of voters to the cocktail party. I arrived just as Kenney was addressing the crowd.

Some of the highlights of his speech: He’s not giving up on anyone. He believes in 2nd chances, believes in prison reform and believes we have a higher percentage of African Americans in prision unfairly. Many on drug charges, specifically pot. There’s no way more AA’s smoke pot in this City than other groups. There’s something wrong. He will end “Stop and Frisk” as he believes AA are targeted at a higher rate than other groups. He’d like to see pot legalize, and controlled and sold in LCB stores. It’s about time wine was sold at Wegman’s, freeing up space in the LCB for pot. No one cards more aggressively than the LCB, and pot would be sold only to the 21 and over crowd. Kenny said he is excited to keep the greatness of Philly going following great leaders like Gov Rendell and Mayor Nutter. He’s renewed in his faith after seeing Pope Francis, and he’s excited to be Philadelphia’s next Mayor.

Host Committee – Matt Ray, Jim Kenney and Evan Urbania center

Andre Golsorkhi – Armon Vincent – Ben Haney Dan Giacobbe – Gavin McKay – Geoff Johnson – Michael Braunstein Marc Coleman – Michelle Taglialatela – Nikolas Greenblatt – Scott Peters

Ben Haney, Scott Peters, Michael Braunstein and Marc Coleman

Evan Urbania and Geoff Johnson

Jim Byrne, Rebecca Devine, Co-Founder and Principal Maven Communications and Nicholas Greenblatt

Gavin McKay, founder and head of Unite Fitness, Jim Kenney and Andre Golsorkhi, ‎CEO, Sidecar

Richard Lee, ‎Owner at Media Copy and Maggy Wilkinson

Eric Muller and his brother Greg Muller

Brad Deleone, ‎Freelance Graphic Designer and Jay Romberg

Michelle Taglialatela, Tag Strategies and Karen Kaufman – The Kaufman Partnership

Tiffany Tavarez, Exelon, Jaret Wilson, is a talented musician teaching private in-home piano, guitar, voice, and drum lessons in the Philadelphia area, Bjorn Henriques, Fox 29 and Marc Coleman, President, The Tactile Group

Nick Plagge, VIVANA Wellness and Jesse Rendell, Rendell Management & Consulting

Michael Braunstein, Online Sales, Marketing, & Client Services Team Leader – ‎Comcast Spotlight, Marisa Magnatta, WMMR and Justin Pizzi, Saxbys.

ELECTION DAY IS less than two weeks away on Nov 3.

Get to know Jim Kenney

Philadelphia

Election Night May 2015 – The Parties, and the People

May 20, 2015 by HughE Dillon

Last night I decided to check out a few of the people I supported this election and see who else was on the team.

First stop was Allan Domb’s Victory Party, which was held at Smith & Wollensky, or as I like to call it, Stephen Starr’s next restaurant. (PS Domb is partner’s with Starr in all his business’)

I ran into Eric Kassoway and Arielle Kevstein.

Nicole Faux, Team – Allan Domb, Darwin Beauvais, Zarwin Baum, Carol Tamburino

Masako Featherman, John Featherman and Diane Lucidi

Lauren Colabelli, John Colabelli, Philly Style Mag Publisher and Carol Tamburino

Guests, Nina Tinari and Michael Schulson

The man of the hour, Allan Domb walks in. And I needed to head out.

To the Kenney party at Vie. I had no idea when I arrived at 9:15PM that they would already call the election. I heard Kenney was going to take the podium at 10PM so I had a few moments to capture the room.

You know these two are going to be BUSY in the next 18 months: Angela Val Deputy Executive Director at Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention and Kevin Washo, ‎Executive Director at Pennsylvania Democratic Party

Sheila Hess, IBX was so excited when it was announced Kenney had won, that she burst out in tears.

Lou Galdo, ‎President at Galdo Catering and Entertainment, Emilio Matticoli, Chief of Staff for Foundations and Mark Rago, Philadelphia Funeral Director

Nellie Fitzpatrick, Director, Office of LGBT Affairs at City of Philadelphia Government, Fran Price and

Beth Miskovsky and Mike Penna

Reporters gotta do what they gotta do to get the story

Greg Whiting and Jenny DeHuff, Philly Gossip DN

Ronald R. Donatucci, Sr & Jr

Tom Donatucci and Marie Donatucci

Patriotically dressed Al “Mr Philadelphia” Lee and J. Nathan Bazzel, American actor, known particularly for his portrayal of Thomas Jefferson.

Mel Heifetz and Jim Duggan

President Fred Wright, AFSCME District 47 and Stephanie Phipps

Mike Sheridian, Temple University and Jim Werner, Visit Philly

Marian Tasco, Darryl Clarke, Sen Vincent Hughes, Dwight Evans and Marie Donatucci

Kenney takes the stage

The crowd strains to get a glimpse

Victory!!

There’s Brian Sims

These two shots are from Mike Toub (Happy 1 Year Anniversary already, on Sunday.)

Councilman Mark F. Squilla and wife Brigid.

Heading out to greet the crowd Kenney descends the stage

Kenny Meets the Press

I then head over to the Belgium Cafe, a few blocks away, to see how Helen Gym is doing.

Her team is stressing out over the close race

Hillary Linardopoulos, of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Helen Gym, former Notebook editor and a co-founder of Parents United for Public Education (and now City Council Member) and Jerry Jordan, President of Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

Husband Brett Flaherty and friend Chuck Goodwin, are confident in the win. PS I worked with Brett and Chuck in my former life as a paralegal, at Kohn Swift; they used to loan me out to Berger Montague to work on cases where these two attorney’s worked.

Word came that Helen was in the lead,

a few news outlets were calling for her win.

She was optomistic and grateful,

but didn’t want to own the victory until all the precincts had come through.

Inside the Belgium Cafe her supporters wait for the returns.

I left shortly after midnight as Helen addressed her supporters and told them, until the last 3 precincts are counted, I’m not going to declare victory. This morning, Helen Gym is a council person. Congrats!!