Judge extends appeal deadline
A federal judge has given openly gay inmate Kenneth J. Houck Jr. until Dec. 31 to appeal unfavorable rulings relating to restitution he’s seeking for a brutal assault he sustained.
On Nov. 10, 2011, inmates Justin O’Brien and Kevin V. Hannig assaulted Houck at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, breaking his leg.
Hannig and O’Brien pleaded guilty to the assault, and were sentenced to additional time in prison. But according to judicial rulings, they don’t have to pay any restitution to Houck while he remains incarcerated.
Houck was unable to meet the Sept. 23 deadline for filing an appeal of the restitution rulings, because he didn’t have access to his legal papers, according to court filings.
On Sept. 17, U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr. gave Houck until Dec. 31, 2013, to file an appeal.
Houck, 38, pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography in an unrelated matter, and his projected release date is April 1, 2018.
Hannig, 36, and O’Brien, 26, are convicted bank robbers. Hannig’s projected release date is Aug. 24, 2015. O’Brien’s projected release date is May 20, 2018.
Haring mural to be dedicated next month
The newly restored “We the Youth” mural by Keith Haring will be dedicated Nov. 2 at a public ceremony in South Philadelphia.
Haring was an iconic pop artist whose animated figures are recognized throughout the world.
He died in 1990, at age 31, from complications of AIDS.
In 1987, Haring painted the mural on the side of a private home at the northeast corner of 22nd and Ellsworth streets, in collaboration with numerous inner-city youth.
The mural was part of a citywide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution.
But over the years, its vibrant colors have faded and parts of it have chipped away.
The city’s Mural Arts Program recently embarked on a restoration of the mural, with financial support from the Keith Haring Foundation.
Additionally, landscape architect Michael J. LoFurno of Composite Inc. refurbished an adjacent garden, so that it better showcases the mural.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society contributed financially to the garden’s restoration.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. Nov. 2 at the site of the mural and garden. A team of artists who restored the mural are expected to attend.
MAP executive director Jane Golden said the mural is an important piece of public artwork.
“We’re so proud that Keith Haring did this mural, and I think it’s wonderful that we were able to restore it,” Golden told PGN. “This mural will live on as a beacon of hope, and a source of inspiration.”
— Tim Cwiek
Easton college celebrates History Month
Lafayette College in Easton will celebrate LGBT History Month with a week’s worth of events.
The week will start with a visit by playwright and performer John Dayo Aliya at 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Hugel Science Center, Room 100.
“Before Stonewall” will be screened at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Kirby Hall of Civil Rights auditorium, Room 104, which will be followed by a discussion led by Associate Dean of Intercultural Development Gene Kelly.
LGBT-rights advocate and professor John Corvino will be the keynote speaker for “Haters, Sinners and the Rest of Us: The Gay Debate Today” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in Colton Chapel.
A panel discussion on post-DOMA marriage equality will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Farinon College Center.
All programs are free and open to the public.
For more information, visit http://gsp.lafayette.edu/lgbthistory/.
— Angela Thomas