By Solomon Jones | WHYY.org
Before COVID-19 shut down the world, I would often take my family to a bowling alley in East Norriton, Montgomery County. Back then, it was called the Facenda-Whitaker Bowling Lanes. Now it’s called the Our Town Alley Bowling Lanes, and it’s called one thing more — a murder scene.
In the days before gunshots shattered the peace on a quiet winter weekend, we’d head to Steppy’s Sports Bar, which was attached to the bowling alley. We’d eat nachos and buffalo wings, talking and glancing at the television screens while we waited for a lane. Sometimes we’d let our son and daughter play in the arcade, where they won tickets that they cashed in for trinkets.
We saw actor Terrence Howard there once. I’d see listeners and readers there, as well. And over the years, as my son grew into a better bowler than all of us, that bowling alley became part of our family’s story. But on Saturday, that story took a turn for the worse when 17-year-old Jamel Barnwell allegedly entered the bowling alley with a gun, killing 29-year-old Frank Wade, and wounding four others.
Barnwell turned himself in on Sunday, but the tragedy doesn’t end there.
Continue reading at WHYY.org
Commentary
Our Town bowling alley is a murder scene, and things will never be the same
todayFebruary 23, 2021 559
By Solomon Jones | WHYY.org
Before COVID-19 shut down the world, I would often take my family to a bowling alley in East Norriton, Montgomery County. Back then, it was called the Facenda-Whitaker Bowling Lanes. Now it’s called the Our Town Alley Bowling Lanes, and it’s called one thing more — a murder scene.
In the days before gunshots shattered the peace on a quiet winter weekend, we’d head to Steppy’s Sports Bar, which was attached to the bowling alley. We’d eat nachos and buffalo wings, talking and glancing at the television screens while we waited for a lane. Sometimes we’d let our son and daughter play in the arcade, where they won tickets that they cashed in for trinkets.
We saw actor Terrence Howard there once. I’d see listeners and readers there, as well. And over the years, as my son grew into a better bowler than all of us, that bowling alley became part of our family’s story. But on Saturday, that story took a turn for the worse when 17-year-old Jamel Barnwell allegedly entered the bowling alley with a gun, killing 29-year-old Frank Wade, and wounding four others.
Barnwell turned himself in on Sunday, but the tragedy doesn’t end there.
Continue reading at WHYY.org
THE WURD WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Black Talk Media sent straight to your inbox.
BECOME A MEMBER
The forWURD Movement is your way to
protect and preserve Independent Black Media.
CLICK TO JOIN OR RENEW
Written by: wurdradio21stg
Facenda-Whitaker Bowling Lanes Our Town Alley Bowling Lanes philadelphia philly violence whyy
Previous post
Health & Wellness
Heard On WURD: Solomon Jones Interviews Dr. Ala Stanford
By Ngakiya Camara | WURD RadioDr. Ala Stanford, pediatric surgeon and the founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, joined Solomon Jones last week on WURD Radio to announce an amazing initiative to vaccinate Philadelphians who’ve been impacted the most by this pandemic. Beginning last Friday at noon, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium began a 24-hour vaccination clinic lasting until the following Saturday at the Liacouras Center on Broad Street.This first […]
todayFebruary 23, 2021 63
Similar posts
Race & Diaspora
Philly Fighters: Six Black Leaders Who Created Change in Our City
todayFebruary 23, 2023 130
Commentary
2023: WURD Celebrates 20 Years of Service to the Community
todayJanuary 9, 2023 137
Post comments (0)
Featured post
Evening WURDs with Nick Taliaferro
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi discusses colorectal cancer diagnosis, importance of screening
todayOctober 25, 2021 1570 1
Latest posts
Getting Schooled: How the Next Mayor will shape Philadelphia’s Educational Landscape
The Best of Philly Innovation
The State of Philadelphia Plus Estate Planning 101
Dionne Warwick, The Colored Girls Museum and More to Celebrate Women’s History Month!
Joanna McClinton Makes History Plus Abbott Elementary talks Mural Arts
Current show
Politics
Philadelphia City Council Live with Charles Ellison
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Philadelphia City Council Live with Charles Ellison
WURD's City Council LIVE is your listening destination for LIVE broadcasts of Philadelphia City Council’s weekly "Meeting of the Whole" sessions (January-June, September-December). It airs every Thursday morning (barring schedule changes) at 10am ET on 96.1FM/900AMM and on wurdradio.com and WURD TV. In addition, host Charles Ellison conducts interviews with members of council and community/civic leaders on important issues to the Greater Philadelphia area. It also features a “City Councilperson of the Week” segment that provides in-depth focus on a particular member of Council. If you miss the live broadcast of City Council LIVE on WURD, we re-air it on Friday mornings from 2 am to 5 am ET. If City Council LIVE does not air on Thursdays at 10am, Ellison will conduct a LIVE broadcast of "Reality Check" instead. (Listen to a livestream of the station HERE!)
closeUpcoming shows
The Source with Andrea Lawful Sanders
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Evening WURDs with Nick Taliaferro
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
CrossWURDz
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Keepin’ It Real with Rev. Al Sharpton
9:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Love & Life
12:00 am - 1:00 am