Community

With only a high school diploma and no formal business training, Ray Murphy, after a lot of turndowns from loan officers, managed to borrow $100,000 in 1972 to buy the already well-known Tommy's Men's Shop in North Philadelphia. Forty years later, that storefront is a neighborhood landmark. Loyal customers credit Murphy as the reason the shop has been successful enough to celebrate its 40th year at 2917 N. 22d St. But to Murphy, the longevity of his store is a testament to the surrounding area, not his business savvy.

Chillin' Wit' is a regular feature of the Daily News spotlighting a name in the news away from the job. AS LATE-afternoon sun breaks through the clouds and residents enjoy a warm Sunday afternoon on their patios on Tudor Street off Frankford Avenue, Mayfair Town Watch President Milt Martelack kicks back with Vice President Anna Stacey as her husband prepares a barbecued feast on his double grill. "If you go through the neighborhood, you'll see everyone else doing the same thing," Martelack says with a grin.

Edwige Danticat, 43, whose collection of essays, Create Dangerously, is the 2012 choice for One Book, One Philadelphia, is a literary lioness. Her novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, an evocation of Haitian-immigrant experience, was selected for Oprah's Book Club in 1998. A decade later, the MacArthur Foundation graced her with a "genius" grant. Now in its 10th year, One Book, One Philadelphia is a project of the Mayor's Office and the Free Library of Philadelphia to promote literacy and community-building by encouraging the public to read and discuss the featured selection.

Jerry Buckley, former vice president of public affairs at Campbell's Soup, was named the CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA after 16 years with the Camden-based company.   During his tenure, Buckley also served as chairman of the Campbell Soup Foundation, the company's 37-year-old community-enrichment organization, which has worked to address hunger and childhood obesity, among other issues.   SPCA officials cited Buckley's communications background as one of his strongest attributes, along with his experience in business and philanthropy.

True Green Capital Management L.L.C. and CIT Group Inc. announced the closing of $35 million of financing for a 12.3-megawatt solar rooftop system to provide power for the privatized housing community at Joint Military Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County. United Communities L.L.C., the owner of the 2,104-unit community, estimated the 13.7 million kilowatt hours produced each year by the system will provide about 40 percent of the community's annual electricity needs. United Communities is owned by First Montgomery Group of Marlton.

Riding in a balloon. Eating barbecued chicken. Those were among the activities at the first Plymouth Day Saturday. The event was sponsored by the township's Parks and Recreation Department. It was designed to bring the community together and is planned to be held annually.

Tiesha Clark gets a little help from her mom yesterday at a skating party sponsored by Neighborhoods United Against Drugs at the Elmwood Roller Rink on 71st Street near Paschall Avenue. About 300 children came to the party, part of anti-drug community group's efforts to keep kids drug free.

Volunteers for the 5th Annual Philly Spring Cleanup swept up the city's streets and helped clean parks Saturday, encouraging residents to "Keep Up The Sweep Up. " The Philadelphia Streets Department helped start the cleaning initiative with a morning celebration at Kingsessing Recreation Center and park in Southwest Philadelphia. Steve Smith, the facilities supervisor for the park, said that volunteers collected over 60 bags of trash in his area alone. Smith, 51, said that the work began around 8 a.m. and lasted until just after noon.

Recently, this space has been devoted to reader complaints that builders of over-55 housing aren't meeting the physical and financial needs of aging baby boomers. It's a discussion that was initiated a few weeks ago by a reader who was disappointed by what she considered to be the options the market offered. In response, I received more than 100 e-mails and calls supporting her observations, some of which I quoted in a subsequent column. The result of that, of course, was 150 more e-mails.

Cramer Hill hasn't changed much in the six years since federal authorities say former State Sen. Wayne Bryant used the Camden neighborhood's hopes to line his own pockets. The community of about 10,000 residents that was promised an urban renaissance is still plagued by abandoned buildings, vacant lots, and high unemployment. It's a familiar story in many U.S. cities. Bryant's alleged role in that story, to be detailed in a corruption trial set to begin Tuesday in federal court in Trenton, also is familiar: Politics and power often trump the public good.