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The City Paper
We're happy to welcome Samantha Melamed as our new news editor. A Fishtown dweller, Samantha had been previously working across the river: She was the executive editor of South Jersey Magazine and the founding editor and editor in chief of South Jersey Biz Magazine. As a freelancer she's contributed to the Inquirer, the departed Brownstoner.com (where I was also a contributor), Philadelphia magazine, MediaBistro.com and more. She spent a year and a half as a reporter and editor for The Cambodia Daily (which adds to our international flair here in the newsroom, seeing that staff writer Dan Denvir spent time in Ecuador and I once edited an English-language magazine in Cairo.) We look forward to Samantha's contributions.
It's with no small amount of trepidation that I declared today my intention to step down from the editor's chair at City Paper. As of January 23, I will take over as the editor of two magazines published by local Red Flag Media: Cowbell, a relatively new music magazine with a glossy cover and an indie rock feel, and Grid, an excellent magazine dedicated to creating a sustainable Philadelphia.
It's hard to say goodbye to the publication I've spent most of my career hustling for; but when an opportunity comes along to dig into two subjects you're really passionate about, it's difficult to say no.
I'll leave behind one incredibly talented staff at City Paper for another at Red Flag. City Paper's incoming publisher Nancy Stuski and departing publisher Paul Curci will begin searching immediately for my replacement, and will be looking for someone to guide an award-winning staff (Pennsylvania's non-daily Newspaper of the Year 2010!) to greater heights.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, andrew mendelson, PhillyChitChat HughE, Philadelphia, Philly News Now and others. Philly News Now said: So long⦠but not goodbye: Itâs with no small amount of trepidation that I declared today my intention to step do... http://bit.ly/ftGsT4 [...]
Congrats and good luck, Brian. You helmed a seaworthy ship.
Thank you, sir.
Working with you for two years and seeing the amount of passion that you have for CP was always inspiring. I wish you nothing but the best in the future!
This news is stunning, but I'm very excited for you. And for those magazines. It was a pleasure and an honor working with you.
Thanks rob
Back at you, Marc.
Thank you for all your good work and best wishes on your new endeavors.
Congratulations on your new opportunity, Brian! You have been a superlative editor and fearless leader.
BH, As I said on the phone i'm ecstatic. There's such a renaissance in real and good community media. Thx, Bruce
Thanks, Flea!
Congratulations, Brian!
Congrats on the new opportunities Brian! I wish you the best of luck in both endeavors.
As a quick perusal of our masthead will confirm, there have been not a few changes lately within the City Paper's exciting news department: and it's a heckuva time for the right budding journalist to join our team as an intern for our Winter/Spring 2011 news internship.
The pay, we admit, is not ideal (the position is unpaid). What we can offer is a chance to work alongside terrific writers and with an enthusiastic (and only occasionally grouchy) new news editor willing to help motivated writers develop their skills.
Many interns have been able to get school credit as well.
Below is a link to the full posting for the position on our web site. One note: when we say we're looking for motivated writers, we mean it — this job will involve real work and require the kind of reporting you can't just do online.
Here's the full posting:
http://citypaper.net/jobs-internships/
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Cover Letter King and Interview Mastermind, Philly News Now. Philly News Now said: Intern with CP's award-winning news team!: As a quick perusal of our masthead will confirm, there have been not ... http://bit.ly/i3ecCJ [...]
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Tomorrow, after roughly 14 months as news editor of City Paper, I will bequeath my post to senior writer Isaiah Thompson, and head uptown to the 36th floor (!) Center City office of Philadelphia magazine, where I will become a senior editor, focusing on the mag's website and front-of-the-book, as well as doing some feature writing. I'm not one for long goodbyes, and anyway, I haven't spent a sufficient amount of time at this publication to warrant a drawn-out farewell, but I did want to pass along a little note, both to my colleagues and this paper's readers:
You are wonderful. Thank you.
This staff is, pound for pound, among the best in the alternative newsweekly industry, and so outpaces the other alt in this city in both creativity, writing and design as to be fairly ridiculous (in my humble opinion, which I can now express objectively, as I no longer have skin in the game). As is common in this business, and journalism in general, they are universally overworked and underpaid, and day after day, they show and work hard because they believe in what they're doing. It's quite a thing to work in an environment in which idealism — the notion that they're working not just for a paycheck, but to make this city a better place to live — trumps careerism. (If you've never had the chance to do so, I highly recommend it.) From the top down, I have nothing but the utmost respect for each and every person I've worked with here at Second and Chestnut, from E-in-C Brian Howard to publisher Paul Curci to our staff writers and freelancers and even our interns.
And readers: I'll be honest. I've spent the last decade in the alt-weekly industry, and, well, long-term business models don't bode well for it, generally. That's not to say CP is going out of business; but neither have the troubles plaguing newspapers nationwide passed over the alts — including the Philly alts. So, I beseech you: If you want vibrant, ferocious, independent journalism, be active — pick up this paper, frequent its advertisers, support the mission. Your city — your community, your neighborhood — will be better off for it.
That said, I've been pleasantly amazed at the engagement of CP's readership — from the guy who calls me each and every Thursday morning to bitch about that week's A Million Stories to the multitude of letters and e-mails I get on everything from blogs to cover stories to whatever else runs in the paper. I learned a lot in my time here — including from this paper's loyal readers. I'll miss you. Even the assholes.
So, again, thank you.
All right. That's pretty much it. If any of you need to reach me at Philly Mag, my e-mail address there will be jbillman@phillymag.com.
Look at the unyielding flow of people so terribly distraught by this meh news. Newsflash: NO ONE GIVES A FUCK!
Doesn't mean you have to be a douche
Darn I didn't realize you'd be doing the Philly Mag web site editing, I might have waited. Good luck to you, I think you've done a great job at the City Paper. Good luck to Isaiah Thompson too.
Best of luck Jeffrey!
Congrats, Jeffrey! Catch you on the flip side.
A farewell appropriately illustrated by faintly watermarked clip art.
[...] [...]
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| Franklin Institute Hawk Cam |
Hard-copy City Papers and/or signature orange honor boxes have surfaced in a variety of visual media, from Taylor Swift's YouTube videos to It's Always Sunny to thirtysomething. But here's a new one: Looks like one of the red-tailed hawks who call the Franklin Institute's live-streaming nest home has snagged a copy of our latest Music Issue (the one with Jef Lee Johnson on the cover) to dress up their home. These birds of prey clearly have very excellent taste in alternative newsweeklies.
(h/t Jim MacMillan)
UPDATE: Here's a shot of one of the hawks back to finish reading the paper. Thanks to Jim MacMillan for the screencap.
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| jimmacmillan.net |
Are you a fan of City Paper's Facebook page? It's a great way of finding out just some of the latest items on our site, such as blog entries, contests and new features.
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My friend Chris McKenna just sent this video shot by bike evangelist Michael McGettigan of University City's Trophy Bikes. McGettigan set up a camera at Rittenhouse Square — it appears to be the east intersection with Locust — to see if anybody at all comes to a full stop (that's his red folding bike in the foreground). There are, count 'em, three stop signs and a flashing red light which means, as McGettigan explains in the video, that drivers must come to a complete stop and then proceed when it's safe. The coming to a stop issue is one that's always brought up by people on the "cyclists are scofflaws" side of the urban biking argument whenever these things are hollered about.
What did McGettigan find? Hardly anyone — cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, SEPTA buses, school buses (and, okay, cyclists, but we already knew that, right?) — comes to anything even resembling a complete stop unless there is a pedestrian directly in front of them. Most drivers roll right through. Some come to a stop only once they've entered the intersection to find a pedestrian already in the crosswalk.
What other intersections could use the McGetti-cam treatment?
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This video is useful. As I debated the crackdown on cyclist with friends via Facebook, one of them actually said that she believes most cars stop at stop signs. Perhaps her rhetoric was simply an attempt to shout me down but maybe there are a lot of people out there who generally believe that they are most other car drivers are good, safe drivers. Witness the guy who commented on this video on Youtube implying that because there is no car traffic coming from the left, it doesn't matter if cars fail to stop at this intersection. Never mind the people who are walking across Locust or 19th! The fact is that cops stopped enforcing almost all traffic violations decades ago. A crackdown on all forms of transit is needed, including buses and 2000 pound cars.
How about some balance and take a video half a block south at 19th & Spruce? That intersection is controlled by a real redlight and green light. I will bet the video will show cars completely stopped at the redlight waiting for it to turn green. I will also bet that at least half of the bicyclists will come to that same redlight and proceed to go if they do not see traffic coming, especially those in the new bike lane. As noted before, in this video two bicyclists blew through the stop sign and did not even try to slow down. Much commentary about the motorists breaking the law but not a peep about the two-wheelers.
There most certainly was a "peep" about the first cyclist who blew the stop sign. McGettigan definitely does mention the transgression.
@Philly Chit Chat: I think it's called the South Philly Slide or something like that.
Regarding the comment above implying that we have been censoring comments, here's a little behind-the-curtain look at how our comment system works: Most comments are published immediately with no moderation process. Some comments, especially those that contain links or potentially objectionable/inflammatory language, are flagged by our spam filter and must be be approved by the web master, web editor or me. Flagged comments left on the evening before a major holiday sometimes are not acted upon in as timely a manner as we would hope.
Don't they call this the South Philly Stop Sign stop. I think a little brake light is a good thing. Of course if a cop was behind me I would over stop and look both ways just in case.
I am all for positive change and the defense of cyclists because they are widely discriminated group... but this video does nothing to aid our cause, and everything to add more fuel to the fire against us. The two cyclists in the video just BLOW right through the stop sign while the commentator mentions, "ohh will he cut off the cyclist? nooooo". The moron cyclist blew through the stop sign! We need to keep the level headed discussions going, and cease to make videos like this that come off as whiney and self-deserving.
Upon official review: I stand corrected :)!
This is a weird "intersection" to choose because there is no cross traffic. So cars are literally only stopping for pedestrians. But you do have to note that almost every car at least paused while NONE of the cyclists even considered touching their brakes.
Mithras, we publish all comments. Yours just came in at the beginning of the holiday.
I see you still haven't published my comment from Wednesday night. How many others are being held in moderation? I bet you caught a ton more grief than you're willing to show.
Way to egg on the whole car/bike war. You bikers and your whining has become tedious and juvenile. Move to fucking Beijing if you want the streets for yourselves. Cars will always win.
I was hit by a bike heading down a one-way street the wrong way. I'd stepped off the curb to see whether my bus was coming, not expecting that a bike would approach from the opposite direction. Naive of me, I know.... More recently, I was about to start across Market Street near 30th Street Station--on a walk signal--when a cyclist went through the light, almost hitting me, and almost himself being hit by a car. And, yes, as a pedestrian, I've had near misses with cars, drivers whipping around corners while talking on cell phones and the like... or blocking the cross-walk. But shouldn't we hold drivers AND cyclists accountable for unsafe practices? More surprising than the accidents of the past couple of months is that there aren't more accidents.
I seem to recall being accused of using a straw man and red herring tactic when I took note of any number of bicyclists rolling through redlights and riding on sidewalks after I left the Pilot Bike Lane meeting in August. Would this video be a straw man or red herring? And really what is the point? Except to prove that unless the police enforce the laws equally across the board then nothing will change. But does that make the recent argument for bicyclists to obey traffic laws any less valid because of this video?
I think a whopping 98% of drivers actually never come to a full stop at a stop sign unless there's any actual reason to. To a large degree, I actually can understand that. Some people almost came to a full stop but fell short, and I think that's a fairly-decent way to go about it. The best, of course, is to come to a complete stop. This study really doesn't prove much. The cyclist didn't even come close to a full stop, he just flew by like there was nothing there. On top of that, this isn't a 4-way intersection, which would be the single best way to test it.
it really servse no point other than to show no one really obeys the laws as they should however they get across this city. should cyclists suddenly be targeted because a politicians need their names in the paper? no, but the city council should required their original law to be inforced. if the crackdown stops this stupid back and forth banter then it will do some good but everyone really needs to keep track of what they are doing instead of watching everyone else. let the police enforce what they want and live with it.
The more I see bullshit like this from bicyclists, the less sympathy I have for them.
21st and Hamilton. You'll see cop cars blowing through the intersection day and night.
Please take this study to 21st and Cherry. I'm going to die at that intersection. Thank you.
OK, so I held out as long as I could, but I'm up against the clock here. So here's the deal:
I need to find a minister, or someone minister-like. Doesn't matter what religion. Basically, someone who's willing to officiate my fiancee and I's wedding. And by officiate, I mean sign our marriage license, which is due to expire in early December. See, we're both new here, and neither of know that many people or have any family up this way. And, neither of us is particularly religious. And, we tried to the whole Justice of the Peace thing, but for whatever reason the Phila. County JOP is booked until after our license expires.
So if you know anyone who'd be willing to help us out (preferably for cheap; I just found out I could get one of the Friends licenses for another $90 or so and do it ourselves, so that's Option B) by signing our paperwork, or if you have any suggestions, please email me at jeffrey.billman@citypaper.net.
Thanks...
[...] up with a few CP staffers yesterday evening for drinks to celebrate the factory-fresh nuptials of news editor Jeffrey Billman. (Congrats!) So where’d we all [...]
Look no further than the office just two floors below yours, also known as Plough & the Stars restaurant. Austin McGrath, one of the proprietors is a licensed minister....licensed by The Universal Church of Life, and has presided over many noteworthy weddings in town. Make haste young man...the clock is tickin'.
See, we're both new here, and neither of *US* know...
Any local Mayor can and will do it. It doesn't have to be in Philadelphia county...
On the cover this week, our fave Aid or Invade columnist Rodney Anonymous chronicles all kinds of hilarity in preparation for his Hallow's Eve reunion with The Dead Milkmen.
In Naked City:
- Isiah Thompson tames the Wild West that is Pennsylvania, on a bicycle.
- He also points out the presence of evil in our city AND in his microwave.
- Bruce says: The Reading Terminal Market is Everybodyâs Market, with or without Dr. Phil fans.
In Movies
- Make way for The New Year Parade at the Ritz, with bonus video.
- Sam Adams shudders at the Antichrist protagonistâs immersion in her fears.
In Music
- Hang The DJ compares the coyness of hostility in Miranda Lambert and Marduk.
In Arts
- Deni Kasrel tells us how On Pointe the silly dance company BodyVox really is.
- Mark Cofta waits patiently for the birds to come home at the Wilma Theatre.
In Agenda
- Check out more Halloween events, like Yellow Fever, online.
In Food
- David Snyder on health-conscious Fuel.
- Trey Popp explains why Bala Cynwydâs Avril is Firing Blanks.
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yancey Grantham: This week on CityPaper.net: On the cover this week, our fave Aid or Invade columnist Rodney Anonymous chronic.. http://bit.ly/xURlM...
Dear Cloggers,
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My name's Jeffrey Billman, and as of about 9:34 a.m. today I became CP's brand-new news editor, which means among other things I'll be a frequent contributor to this here weblog. So, I wanted to take a second to introduce myself, and maybe solicit advice on my new hometown from this publication's faithful readers.
I've spent the last decade or so as a writer and editor at the Orlando Weekly in Central Florida (you can check out my prior work at orlandoweekly.com), where I've covered and written about everything under the unflinchingly scorching Florida sun and then some. And last week, my fiancé, our two puppies — who are totally cuter than your dogs, by the way — and I shoved all of our worldly possessions into a U-haul trailer and our 2005 Scion Xa (importantly, NOT the one that looks like a giant box) and made way to the Keystone State, and its unfamiliar concepts of row houses, winter and income taxes. What's more, we did this virtually sight unseen; our only previous Philly experience came about six weeks ago, when I spent most of our 12 hours here interviewing for this very position.
I say all that to say this: Tell me what's up. Where should I go? Where can I take my fiancé for an evening out on the town (for the love of Christ, no dancing, please)? What bands do I have to see, like now (if you can get me on the guest list, so much the better; moving wiped us out)? What politicians are worth caring about? Which ones are batshit crazy? What communist/anarchist/ straight-edge/hippie/Jesus freak group is totally going to take this city by storm, any day now?
Consider me a blank canvas, eager for all sorts of information both personal and professional. Know of a good dog park? Tell me. (Seriously, this one would be a life-saver. We've found the one in Manayunk a little disappointing, and were hoping for something better somewhere within 15 minutes of our East Falls-area digs.) Have a cause that this paper absolutely, positively needs to know about? Hit me up. Know the best spot to go hiking? Please, fill me in.
My email here is jeffrey.billman@citypaper.net. I check it compulsively. I look forward to making your acquaintance.
Thanks,
Jeff
Goomba--thanks for referring me to that article. When you said Billman was a church critic, I was expecting some nastiness, but I liked the article. I thought it was constructive. I'm from Tampa and my side of my family all go to a megachurch there (Idlewild Baptist). I'de love to see our Church here in Philly grow like that, so Billman's observations were really helpful to me. Billman--I'm not a theologian per se, but I love theology, and would be happy to meet you at a coffeehouse (or Arby's or Chick-fil-a) to talk about God. Also, I see people with their dogs on the other side of Kelly Drive across from Boat House Row
HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!! Obama couldn't get the Olympics for Chicago! I wonder if the senseless violence & cronyism had anything to do with it. Actually - it had to have been racism pure and simple (sarcasm intended). HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!
Welcome to Philadelphia! Don't know anything about dog parks, but hiking spot=Wissahickon Park, which is right by your way.
Oh look! Billman's old congressman, Alan Grayson, is in the news! Do tell us what you think about him Billman! Apparently Grayson thinks the republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick...but he fails to illustrate what happens to the unborn that also die quickly during abortion-on-demand.
My partner Bruce and I are very interested in your views on homosexuality. My hunkie hunk partner Bruce and I are in the marines right now - we call ourselves gayrines :). We met in bootcamp & have been in love ever since. We shower with the rest of the hunkie boyz we are with while deployed but are careful not to show our interest if you know what I mean. Bruce and I share cots too - and when we're making love, we keep it really quiet so none of the other boyz hear. We think that as soon as we can serve as openly gay marines, the others will be sensitive and tolerant of us as they should be. Because Bruce and I are officers, we should be able to live in military housing as open & gay as we want, adopt children and send them to dept. of defense schools. Someday we'll be able to live just like the straights and their families on base.
Dude, if you're trying to test the veracity of our news editor's "bullshit meter", I assure you, it's lazer sharp.
So Mr. Billman can't give us his opinion about gay married military officers living on military bases & sending their adopted / test tube children to department of defense schools?
fwiw, I hope he can spell lasers.
"lazer" is just a riff on Neil's spelling of "boyz".
What's good in Philly? I recommend Cornerstone Community Church on the corner of Frankford and Allegheny. Some of the things I like about it include glorification of Jesus, serious consideration of the bible, racial diversity and unity, love for one another, constant charity toward those who are hurting and vulnerable in Kensington, which is a community that faces many difficulties. You are welcome to come visit us anytime. We would love to have you as our guest.
Jeff K - wow what a great gesture for Billman! If you read this story he wrote for the Orlando Weekly (http://www.orlandoweekly.com/features/story.asp?id=8393) you'll see that he loves being a church critic! Billman knows religion backwards and forwards - heck, if you read some of his other material from the Orlando Weekly, you'll see that he knows more than most theologians! The guy is a religion genius!
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