A community rallies over mother's death

Southwest Philadelphia community leaders announced plans to provide for Jovonne Stelly's four children yesterday while they publicly plotted action against the kind of violence that took her life on Sunday.

The 250 to 300 supporters who showed up for an antiviolence rally yesterday evening at 58th Street and Willows Avenue were "a start," said organizer Stephanie Dixon.

Dixon had wanted more people at the event, but other signs suggested that the death of the young mother - killed while protecting her children during a gunfight in front of her home - had struck a nerve. Four separate initiatives were being planned while speakers urged the men of Kingsessing to bring peace to their neighborhood.

First, State Sen. Anthony H. Williams (D., Phila.) announced the creation of the Jovonne L. Stelly Fund at Citizens Bank to benefit her children, who are all under age 10. In addition, a coalition of motorcycle and social clubs announced a fund-raiser for 4 p.m. Sunday at the First State Road Rattlerz Motorcycle Club's headquarters at 52d and Woodland.

Representatives of seven churches were to meet tonight at Benjamin B. Comegys School at 51st Street and Greenway Avenue, and Williams said he would organize meetings with community members - from drug dealers on the street to block-watch captains - "to plan how we're going to deal with the summer."

Williams shouted into the microphone as he compared the murder of Stelly - known affectionately to neighbors as "Piggy" - to that of 5-year-old Marcus Yates. It was Marcus' death in a 1988 shoot-out eight blocks away that Williams said inspired the creation of anti-drug organizations that worked.

"If we have any hope for civility within these neighborhoods, we need to protect our women," said Williams.

Williams was one of several state and local officials to attend the rally, including Democratic mayoral candidate Tom Knox.

Williams joined others who called Kingsessing men to bring peace to their blocks. Some also urged them to speak out against criminals. Police have said their investigation of Stelly's killing, like many others, has been frustrated by a lack of cooperation.

"These streets should be crowded with black men - not just these women," said Tyrone Sims, director of Concerned Men of Cobbs Creek Parkway, an organization aimed at at-risk children.

It was two factions of men, including Stelly's own family, who got into a gun battle in the 5800 block of Pentridge Street Sunday, police said. At least four shooters fired up to 40 shots, killing Stelly and wounding four others, police said.

Police charged Stelly's husband, Rashiek High, and her brother, Michael Stelly, with murder Tuesday because of their alleged roles in the gunfight, though Dixon said they were only protecting their families.

"We never grew up living in a community like this, where we can't walk down the street without dodging a bullet," Dixon said.

Some of the men at the rally, including fathers whose children had died on the streets, "old head" community organizers and local bikers, said they would meet the challenge.

"I wish there could be more men standing up here - but we're here," said Jonathan "Juice" Toliver of the First State Road Rattlerz.

Services for Jovonne Stelly will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Victory Christian Center Church, 52d Street and Whitby Avenue. A viewing will begin at 9 a.m. at the church.