News Briefing

© 2008 Philadelphia Gay News

Scuffle draws police to Key West

A scuffle involving several patrons of Key West Bar, an LGBT bar on the 200 block of South Juniper Street, drew police to the premises on the sultry night of July 18.

An unidentified bar patron allegedly had the side of his faced sliced with a glass object by someone in the bar. The patron was seen on Juniper Street with blood dripping down the left side of his face onto his neck, observers said.

Another patron complained of a head wound from a glass object, and a third person said he had a cut finger.

Multiple police cars arrived at the scene about 10:15 p.m.

No arrests were made, and no medics were called to transport anyone to the hospital, said Philadelphia police department spokesperson Jillian Russell.

It’s unknown whether the patron with the slashed face — apparently the person most severely injured — sought medical attention on his own.

Russell said no official police report was filed about the incident, which was listed as a “disorderly crowd” in internal police department records.

Chick Winn, co-owner of the bar, told police that he did not want anyone involved in the scuffle to reenter the bar that evening.

— Timothy Cwiek

Competing memoirs

First Person Arts is calling for submissions for a national competition that seeks to honor first-person documentary and memoir artists.

Applicants for First Person Impressions should tell a true first-person story using written word, video or photography.

Essays should be limited to 1,500 words or less; videos must be less than five minutes; and photographic submissions must contain fewer than five images.

Top winners in each category will receive $500 and be invited to present their work at the seventh annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art Nov. 12-16. Second- and third-place winners will receive $100 and $50, respectively.

For more information and complete submission guidelines, visit www.impressions.firstpersonarts.org.

— Jen Colletta