February 2006
Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter President’s Message By Carol Walker, CPN President Brrrrr! Brrrrrr!!! Even though it’s winter and very cold outside, the Cedar Park Neighbors Board, meets on a weekly basis, (about one issue after another), so that in the Spring and Summer, all the residents of Cedar Park can benefit from the dedication of our Board to serve our neighbors. Even though you might not see us, we are there. For example, our upcoming elections will be held in April, and if you are a community minded, inspired person who would like to be a Board member, Come on down and join THE BOARD OF CEDAR PARK NEIGHBORS. The members of our Zoning Committee stay connected either by phone, or e-mail discussing zoning issues, trying to stay a step ahead of zoning notices and changes around our neighborhood. We could use another person so... Come on down and join THE BOARD OF CEDAR PARK NEIGHBORS and/or the CPN ZONING COMMITTEE. We’re meeting and working to make our CEDAR PARK FAIR this year the best that we ever had in many years. Jane Golden, Director of the Mural Arts Program has graciously offered to assist us with the children this year, and we are very excited to have her working with us. The Fair Date September 30, 2006 – mark your calendars Come on down and join THE BOARD OF CEDAR PARK NEIGHBORS and/or the 2006 CEDAR PARK FAIR COMMITTEE. There are many issues on our agenda, such as block grants, the NID proposal, Crime and Safety, Cedar Park Neighbors Business Association, Property Housing Task Force, etc., but if you want to find out more and want to consider serving on the CPN Board we want to hear from you. Drop us a line, E-mail us, or check us out on the web at www.cedarparkneighbors.org, or become a member of Cedar Park, stop by Calvary Center, 48th & Baltimore on February 27th at 7:30 and attend our February Board Meeting.
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING GOOD GOING ON IN CEDAR PARK!
Reminder to all CPN Members:
PLEASE KEEP YOUR CPN MEMBERSHIP CURRENT! On the address label of your newsletter is the expiration date of your CPN membership. We are not anxious to take anyone off our rolls! Please send us a renewal coupon if you are late or soon to be late. See page 5 for details!
JUSTICE AND LEGAL SERVICES Are not Just for the Wealthy Anymore! We urge you to come on out...you owe it to yourself to relax...enjoy...and get informed about the alarming state of I.D. theft nationwide; How it affects you and your family and what you can do about it! What: Identity Theft and Legal Services Workshop When: Saturday, February 18, 2006, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Breakfast included Where: Calvary United Methodist Church, 48th and Baltimore Avenue (Basement classroom or gym) For more information, contact Atiya Mosley215-219-9313; vmosley@phila.k12.pa.us
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Sustaining the Arts of the People: The Philadelphia Folklore Project by Deborah Good
Exhibits: Open first Saturdays 10am-1pm & by appointment
The woman who meets me at the door of the newly rehabbed building at 735 South 50th Street, has short, dark hair and a welcoming smile. It isn’t more than five minutes before her contagious energy makes it clear that this woman loves her work. Her name is Debora Kodish, and she is the founding director of the Philadelphia Folklore Project (PFP). A non-profit born out of the 1970s public folklore movement, PFP rented and shared space in South Philadelphia ever since its beginnings in 1987. Today, sitting in “Here at the the ongoing “dining Philadelphia Folklore room” exhibit of the West Philadelphia building Project, we are they now call home, committed to paying Kodish tells me how attention to the wonderful it is to have their own place—and experiences and adequate space for their traditions of offices, exhibits, workshops, and events. ‘ordinary’ people.” —PFP’s website, www.folkloreproject.org
The Folklore Project bought the building on 50th Street for one dollar from the Women’s Institute for Self-Empowerment (WISE) in 2004, when WISE was closing and looking for a non-profit to make new use for the site. While PFP had to raise funds to rehab the building, Kodish considers PFP fortunate to have found affordable space in a gentrifying city. The Philadelphia Folklore Project works with a wide variety of grassroots artists—from a variety of ethnic, religious, occupational, and cultural traditions—whose art generally goes unrecognized by the mainstream. “It may be that the person who parks your car, drives your cab, or does domestic work for you was a highly skilled artist in their homeland,” Kodish says. PFP works to help such gifted artists find ways to sustain their art forms here in Philadelphia. What is folklore? In short, folklore is the art of the people. The artists nurtured by PFP usually did not learn their skills in a school or formal institution, and their work is not usually considered a commodity to be bought and sold in the mainstream media or marketplace. It is art that happens “off the record.” It is collective stories, dance traditions, patchwork quilts, and spoken word poetry. One example of PFP’s commitment to preserving folk art can be found in the “dining room” of their new building on 50th Street. The actual dining room walls of West Philadelphia activists Bill and Miriam Crawford were carefully preserved and reinstalled in this ongoing exhibit at PFP called “If These Walls Could Talk.” The dining room is collaged with 408 pieces of memorabilia from the couple’s 40 years of social and political activism. Collectively, these Black Power posters, magazine covers, photographs, and anti-war paraphernalia tell the story of Page 2
CPN Newsletter
INFORMATION IN BRIEF: The Philadelphia Folklore Project
Grant Workshops (for grassroots artists and cultural heritage workers): Second Saturdays 10am-Noon (RSVP required) Workshops (Saturday, free) and Performances (Fri & Sat 7:30, $10) by dancers Germaine Ingram, Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble, and Thavro Phim & Amatak, at the Arts Bank, 601 S. Broad Street
Artist Salons (performances and presentations): Feb. 12, 3 PM: Lois Fernandez Mar. 19, 3 PM: Carol Finkle Apr. 23, 3 PM: Fatu Gayflor May 6, 10 AM: Suzanne Povse June 11, 3 PM: Joe Tayoun May 26 & 27: Dance Happens Here
For more details, please visit www.folkloreproject.org or call 215-736-1106.
University City District Needs Our Support local social movements, a history that has significance for many people. Kodish describes how the walls prompt story after story from the visitors who come by to see the exhibit. A second exhibit displays Thomas B. Morton’s beautiful black-and-white photography. The exhibit, called “We Shall Not Be Moved” chronicles the African-centered ODUNDE festival in Philadelphia, and will be on display at PFP through March 31. PFP also publishes a magazine (Works in Progress), and organizes grant-writing workshops and performances by grassroots artists, called “salons.” All events are free and open to the public, though reservations are sometimes required. PFP is made up of two full-time staff and seven teaching artists, but the organization has relationships with folk artists and cultural communities throughout Philadelphia and beyond. In addition to their exhibits, magazine, workshops, and public programs, some of PFP’s most important work is their ethnographic research and documentation of the cultural traditions, folk life, stories, and experiences of a wide diversity of Philadelphians. As Kodish says, their goal is to “widen the record of what counts as culture in this town.” One of about twelve non-academic folklore organizations in this country, PFP is unique and fairly well-known nationally—perhaps more than it is here in Philadelphia. They have felt very welcomed by the West Philadelphia neighborhood and love when people stop by. The building is open for visitors the first Saturday of every month between 10 am and 1 pm. Visitors are welcome anytime, but PFP’s small staff are not always there, so you may have better luck getting in if you first schedule an appointment. For more information on folklore, PFP’s exhibits, and a schedule of upcoming events, visit their extensive and informative website at www.folkloreproject.org or call 215-726-1106.
The season of Valentine’s Day is a great time to make charitable donations to the organizations that have a lasting effect on our everyday lives. The University City District has been an invaluable resource to Cedar Park residents and we ask that you seriously consider the following appeal from UCD Executive Director, Lewis Wendell. Dear Cedar Park neighbors, University City District (UCD) continues to make enormous contributions to the quality of life in our neighborhood. University City is a cleaner, safer and more vibrant place to live, work, and play. Yet our success has forced us to come face-to-face with a hard truth: The clean and safe operations that are the foundation of UCD activities, and which continue to enhance the quality of life for area residents, are often taken for granted and many businesses and residents receive our services without contributing financially. Maintaining the beauty and safety of this neighborhood will always be a challenge and UCD cannot stray from this core service. To maintain the level of cleaning, safety, and marketing services you have come to expect, UCD needs your financial support. UCD has supported your community in many ways over the past six months, including: ■
Granting CPN $5,000 as well as free design assistance for the beautification of Cedar Park at the 50th Street entrance
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Maintaining 230 vacant lots throughout University City/West Philadelphia.
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Installing 52 ornamental bike racks throughout the District.
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Providing design and financial assistance to 20 area small businesses including Bindlestiff Books, PhillyCarShare, and UC Pets.
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Coordinating community cleanups with leaf collection, collecting 8,000 bags of trash..
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Lobbying for University City to be included in the City’s pilot co-mingled recycling program, which could capture as much as 53% of recyclable materials—far higher than the City’s average of 6%.
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Helping fund and coordinate the construction, planting and maintenance of the pedestrian island (aka triangle) at 49th and Baltimore.
If you have given before, thank you for your past support and please consider making a gift again this year. If you have never given to UCD, please help us continue this important work. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your financial partnership. Sincerely, Lewis C. Wendell Executive Director, University City District 3940-42 Chestnut St., Phila., PA. 19104 215-243-0555; ucd@ucityphila.org
Feb 2006
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Need to Repair Your Historic Home? Then the Philadelphia Historic Properties
Meeting Addresses Fire Safety and Community Response
Repair Program May be able to help you!
By Maureen Tate, CPN Vice-President
Historic houses are an integral part of Philadelphia’s unique neighborhoods. Yet maintaining and repairing older houses is sometimes a financial burden on homeowners, especially for those with moderate and low incomes.
On December 7, approximately 40 residents gathered out of concern for the growing number of house fires in Cedar Park. Josh Schneider, CPN Vice President and member of the CPN Property/Housing Task Force opened the meeting with a brief summary of the issue. Several recent fires had resulted in dislocation of residents and in one case the death of a beloved community leader. He explained that the CPN Property/Housing Task Force had identified this as an important community issue on two levels. On the one hand there was compassion and concern for residents who were victims in these fires and CPN wanted to develop an appropriate response plan for such situations. From another perspective, the increasing number of houses that remain boarded up or abandoned following serious fires, has become a serious problem for local residents who have to deal with, not only the eyesore of such properties, but also vandalism, property deterioration and crime that often surround them. In addition, there seemed to be a need for fire prevention education since many old houses in our community are more vulnerable to fires due to faulty wiring.
The Historic Properties Repair Program (HPRP) is a city-funded initiative that is administered by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. HPRP assists low and moderate income homeowners with grants for exterior repairs to their homes so that the historic character of their neighborhoods can be maintained. What properties are eligible? Only owner-occupied residences located in a City of Philadelphia or National Register historic district or residences individually designated as historic. Commercial properties and properties with more than three rental units are not eligible. What can HPRP grants be used for? Exterior repairs and restoration works to residential properties. Examples are porch repairs, painting, masonry re-pointing, carpentry restoration, roofing, or window repairs or replacement. Interior works is not eligible. How much are the grants? The grant amount is equal to the cost difference between doing basic (non-historic) repairs and doing authentic restoration work. E.g. replacing porch posts with modern ironwork costs $1,000; replacement with historic wood columns costs $2,500; a HPRP grant would pay the difference or $1,500, and the homeowner pays the base amount, or $1,000. The maximum grant is $20,000 and minimum is $1,500. Who does the repair work? HPRP maintains a list from which the homeowner can choose a pre-qualified contractor with restoration experience. Contractors not on the current list may also meet the program’s qualifications. Who is eligible for a grant? To be eligible for a repair grant, your total family annual income must be less than the income levels shown below, as determined by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
person/ $38,550 persons/ $44,050 persons/ $49,550 persons/ $55,050 persons/ $59,450 persons/ $63,850 persons/ $68,250 persons/ $72,650
Want to know more? The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia Attention: J. Randall Cotton 1616 Walnut St., Suite 2110, Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-546-1146 ext 2 randy@preservationalliance.com Page 4
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Panel members included: Fire Chief Daniel Williams of the Philadelphia Fire Department, Rebecca Chestnut from the American Red Cross Emergency Management Program and Robert Taylor for the Department of Licenses and Inspection. The speakers were very informative and specifically addressed questions that had been sent to them prior to the meeting by the Task Force. The presentation included a helpful overview of fire prevention, information about the roles of the various agencies in responding to fires and discussion about ways community groups like Cedar Park Neighbors might help promote fire safety and work with city agencies to address property concerns. The CPN Property/Housing Task Force will continue work on this issue with a goal toward developing an effective plan to support residents in resolving property issues after a serious fire that will include contacts and procedures for working with city agencies on fire property issues and an information packet on what to do in the event of a fire for circulation to residents and particularly block leaders. We hope members will share our concern about this issue and get involved. Please contact Josh Schneider 215-726-6965 of the Property/Housing Task Force if you would like to know more about this project.
Cedar Park Neighbors Membership Application/Renewal YES, I want to make Cedar Park a better place. My annual Cedar Park Neighbors membership dues are enclosed. ❒ New Member ❒ Renewal ❒ $7 Individual ❒ $10Household (2 persons or more) ❒ $20Business ❒ $5 Senior/Student/Unemployed ❒ $30Sponsor Enclosed is my additional contribution of $________________________
Cedar Park Neighbors welcomes your participation. Please check your areas of interest and return the form to CPN, Calvary Community Center, 4740 Baltimore Ave, Phila, PA 19143 ❒ Block Organizing ❒ Cedar Park Fair ❒ Community Development ❒ Education ❒ Fundraising ❒ Greening Activities ❒ Holiday Baskets ❒ Membership Committee
❒ Neighborhood Clean-up Committee ❒ Neighborhood Safety ❒ Newsletter (writing, publishing, delivery) ❒ Recycling Project ❒ Scholarship Fund Committee ❒ Website ❒ Zoning Committee
Name
Address
Phone
❒ YES! I would like a free CPN T-shirt with my renewal of $30 or more. Adult Size: ❒ M ❒ L ❒ XL
Feb 2006
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A Grand Entrance for Cedar Park By Monica Allison, Cedar Park Improvement Project Committee
St. Francis de Sales Blood Drive
A New Window Decal By Jim Kurtz, Membership Committee
Inserted in your newsletter is your own CPN window decal designed by Judy Lamirand and Leigh Maida under the direction of the CPN Membership Committee. We hope all members will display this decal on a door or nearby window letting everyone know of the support our organization has within the community!
32,000 Number of pints of donated blood used each day in the U.S. 3 Number of gallons of blood used every minute 3 Number of seconds that another person needs blood 6 Number of times you can donate blood each year 3 Number of lives saved with each donation 60 Number of minutes it takes to donate blood
De Sales Night! A Neighborhood Tradition East Meets West (Philly) De Sales Night Saturday, February 25, 2006 8:00 PM - Midnight St. Francis de Sales School Hall (47th Street above Springfield Ave.) Do you have a “yen” for an evening out? The land of the rising sun beckons as the locale for this year’s De Sales Night. Think pagodas, kimonos, zen and yen and yes.... maybe even Godzilla will make an appearance. Anything can happen when East meets West (Philly). Japan it is. We’re off! Sayonara!
Being a hero to patients in need? PRICELESS.
St. Francis de Sales Parish Blood Drive Saturday, March 4, 2006 10 am – 3pm Auditorium Make your appointment today! Visit www.saintfrancisdesales.net and click on “March 4th Blood Drive”, Sponsor Code 9T30
Tickets MUST be purchased in advance. Tickets are available by contacting the Rectory, Monday through Friday, 9:00 - 6:00 pm (215-222-5819) or by contacting Maureen Tate, 215-726-8664; tatemch@aol.com. Tables for eight or ten can be reserved with full payment. This is always a sell out event so we encourage you to purchase your tickets early.
Or call Al Rensbarger at 610-586-5936; arensbarger@prodigy.net
CPN Newsletter
On Saturday December 17th, the Cedar Park community, along with the artists Mike Smash, John Buss and Philadelphia Mural Arts Director, Jane Golden, dedicated the entrance plaza at 50th street and Baltimore Aves. Our celebration began with the Eastwick Commandos drumming and stepping to the park. There were short speeches, as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by hot cider, cake and coffee, provided by the Satellite Coffee House, which is located across the street from the park. We would like to thank all of our sponsors for making the entrance plaza possible: Philadelphia Mural Arts, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, University City District, Cedar Park Neighbors and the Cedar Park community who cheered the artists on. The best is yet to come, look for more park improvements this spring.
Please donate blood.
De Sales Night, the annual parish dinner dance is a tradition dating back to 1908! Tickets are just $35.00 per person and include admission, open bar, a full buffet dinner catered by our friends at Abbraccio Restaurant, dessert buffet and dancing to our regular De Sales Night band, Second Vision.
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GREAT NEWS!! The entrance plaza at 50th and Baltimore for Cedar Park is completed. Have you seen it? What beautiful earthy colors on the walls, and the green vines stand out accented by the green glass embedded in the wall. The porcelain tile is very durable for our Philadelphia winters and summers. The beautiful mosaic at the entrance floor has an abstract cedar tree design.
Curio Theatre PRESENTS HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY British comedy at it’s best! Curio Theatre brings Douglas Adams’ modern classic radio script to life with mixed media fun and frolics. Combining original storyboard illustrations created by Nonthaporn and Ray Saunders, over 200 sound effects, and five live actors reading multiple characters, this production promises to be a unique theatrical experience! Playing at The Calvary Center, 48th and Baltimore Avenue February 16 to march 4 For information and ticket purchases visit www.curiotheatre.org or call 215-525-1350
Feb 2006
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c/o Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143
CPN Mission Statement: Cedar Park Neighbors is an association of diverse households and businesses based in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the association shall be to foster collaboration among all persons living and working in the Cedar Park neighborhood, to promote community development, to provide a forum for communication and community education, to respond to neighborhood concerns and to advocate for and promote the general welfare of the Cedar Park community.
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CPN Newsletter
Newsletter Editors Maureen Tate & Judy Lamirand
CPN Board of Directors
Newsletter Design Leigh Maida Graphic Design
President Carol Walker
To Contact Cedar Park Neighbors or submit Newsletter items: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org www.cedarparkneighbors.org 267-531-4147
Vice Presidents Maureen Tate Josh Schneider Treasurer Karen Allen Secretary Dorothy Welch Berlind
Directors Monica Allison Patty Bulack Jim Kurtz Wayne Marquardt Chima Orji Emma Paden Joanne Pham Renee Warnick Andy Diller Sean Dorn Bruce Hansen Victoria Iannotta Sarah Mack Shirley Randleman Robert Schnoll Richard Warner