November 2008
Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter President’s Message By Monica Allison, CPN President he City of Philadelphia has much T to be proud of! The Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions of baseball. What a wonderful achievement for the team and for our city! Being in this city can sometimes be painful, but the unity that this city has shown in recent months is a source of pride and joy. As our newsletter is going to press, we have a new president-elect. It has been an historic election season, and our neighborhood was a model of voter activism, a sign of a healthy democracy. What a wonderful way to end the year 2008. This has been the year of the roller coaster! Our economy has taken a ride, our emotions have taken a ride, our politics have taken a ride, and definitely our sports teams have taken a ride. We have endured the deaths of some very important community partners in this year. Our neighborhood has not been without its problems. But through it all, we have remained steadfast in what we want to see in our neighborhood and in our daily lives to improve our quality of life.
We have a new mural, which shows our community’s heart. We have a new playground taking shape in Cedar Park that the children in our community will enjoy. We have new businesses, new homes and new neighbors. As with our country, we have had our ups and downs, and like our country, we find ways to make the best of every situation. There was much talk of change and hope throughout the election season. I look forward to working with you to make these aspirations real for our community. Please help us and plan to get involved so that we can support our president-elect’s call to work together for the betterment of all. Ending this year I’m proud to be president of such a great organization. I’m proud to represent a great neighborhood. I look forward to the possibilities that 2009 brings. So at the beginning of our holiday season and the end of another year, I wish you all love, joy, and peace as we set new horizons on so many levels.
Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, and Happy New Year to you all.
Good News!? Cedar Park Firehouse Recycling Program Ends December 20th By Maureen Tate ow could the end of the Firehouse H Recycling Program possibly be good news?!! After more than 15 years of continuous neighborhood volunteerism and leadership to further the cause of recycling, Cedar Park Neighbors is now able to declare, “Success”! At long last, the City of Philadelphia is becoming converted to the benefits of recycling and is making it easier for residents to recycle more material, generating more revenue for the City and saving on landfill costs. For many years, Cedar Park Neighbors has participated in the Partnership continued on page 2…
Muralist David Guinn (above) and CPN President Monica Allison (below) address those gathered at the mural dedication.
Good News!? Cedar Park Firehouse Recycling Program Ends December 20th …continued from page 1 Recycling program with other communitybased organizations. This program helped CPN raise thousands of dollars in incentive and market-rate income for our wonderful CPN Scholarship Program and other community greening efforts. We will surely miss this income and will have to find new and creative ways to fundraise to support these worthwhile efforts. However, more residents recycling curbside has always been the long time goal of founding and visionary Cedar Park recycling volunteers, and it is a great thing for our city and for the earth. Why stop now? Despite the fact that CPN has continued to collect recyclables at the Firehouse following the advent of curbside single-stream recycling, we have experienced a significant decrease in the tonnage collected. In addition, we have been notified that we will no longer receive incentive funds. This was the majority of our recycling income, as market-rate income is generally less significant. Although we have a number of committed volunteer families who have maintained the program over the past year, we have fewer volunteers, and it has become increasingly difficult to reliably staff Saturday collections. There is also every indication that the City will step up its recycling efforts and may institute weekly collection throughout the city in the coming year. We have had a great run! What began more than 15 years ago as a monthly schlepping of paper, glass and cans to the empty lot next to the Community Education Center on Lancaster Avenue became a neighborhood corner pickup program once every Page 2
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two weeks until the City instituted curbside collection for a limited amount of items. The Firehouse Recycling Project was begun so we could recycle plastics, all manner of paper and cardboard and even make some money along the way. Now we’ve gone to single stream at the curb including plastics and cardboard. This is progress. Next, on to weekly collection!
A great community, coming together for a great purpose! There are many who contributed to this remarkable and longstanding effort. Major kudos go to Angie Coghlan, founder of the CPN Recycling Project, and to Al Airone, who took her place as coordinator and almost singlehandedly maintained the program for at least 10 years. It took some 28 families to take Al’s place and they have been keeping the project alive for the past several years. Thank you all! And finally, a thank you to Peggy Nowak and Jim Kurtz for holding all the volunteers together until the end. We also express our sincere appreciation to Satellite Coffee for housing our signs and supplies and to the owners of the Firehouse building, Linford Martin and Marcy Zimmerman, for allowing us to continue to utilize the curb to collect and organize recyclables.
Our last collection will take place on Saturday, December 20th. We will gather with refreshments at 11 a.m. for a special acknowledgement of the sanitation workers who have so faithfully worked with us through the years. Come out and let them know how important they have been to our community!
Remember: Repair – Reuse – RECYCLE!!!
Philadelphia Federal Credit Union Provides Safety and Soundness for Consumers By Karen Eavis, Communications Specialist, PFCU ith everyone’s concerns about the W state of the economy, the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union (PFCU), located on the corner of 50th & Baltimore Avenue, provides consumers with a safe and sound financial institution at which to conduct their banking. Much of this year, attention focused on the housing crisis prompted by the subprime lending practices of the banking industry. The media’s continuous frenzied reporting on foreclosures and bailouts in the financial industry made for some very unsettling times for consumers. With PFCU, you get the truth and nothing but the truth. PFCU has been and will always be a lender that you can trust. We have sound, responsible lending practices. In addition, as a member-owned credit union, we invest in our members, not atrisk, sub-prime companies or stockholders, like the banking industry. If you don’t qualify for the loan you want, we’ll tell you why and what you can do about it. Due to the financial turmoil caused by the banking industry, the government had to increase the FDIC and NCUA insurance. This was a gain for PFCU members, because the credit union already offers Excess Share Insurance (ESI) of $250,000 on savings and retirement accounts in addition to the $250,000 of federal insurance provided by the NCUA. This is a true testament to our strength, safety and soundness, because banks cannot offer this extra insurance.
PFCU has money to lend. Whatever your situation is during these difficult times, we are here to help. We have been serving our members since 1951, and you have our assurance that we will continue to grow and protect our members’ assets. We are committed to the community and are very happy to report that our branch will be reconstructed to serve your needs well into the future. The new building will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. LEED promotes sustainability performance in key areas including: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Demolition of the existing building should begin in January and our new building will open its doors in the fall of 2009. During the construction, PFCU will continue its operations at 4610 Cedar Avenue, and hours of operation will not change. The temporary location will also provide a parking lot for members’ convenience. We welcome you to explore the difference of banking at a credit union. There are no stockholders or outside investors in credit unions. Credit unions are the stewards of their members’ hard-earned money and take that responsibility seriously. If you are interested in learning more about the credit union or opening an account, visit our website at pfcu.com, call us at 215-9343500 and press 57, or stop by our branch. PFCU representatives are also available to attend community meetings. Please call Kevin Biederman at 215-934-3582 if you are interested in scheduling a presentation.
Drawing of the new Philadelphia Federal Credit Union building which will replace the existing building at 50th and Baltimore.
November 2008
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CPN Holiday Food Baskets By Victoria Iannotta, Holiday Baskets Co-Chair
join us if you would like to participate. All are welcome.
n late October, members of the ICommittee Cedar Park Neighbors Holiday Basket began planning for the annual
This year, perhaps even more than in years past, there is a tremendous need in our community to support those for whom this program means the difference between a holiday meal and no meal at all. The economic situation has affected us all, but we ask you to be as generous as possible so that we all can participate in the greatest gift of the holiday season: to share what we have been given. A donation of $35 will allow you to include two deserving families at your holiday table. Please return the bottom portion of the inserted form with your donation to:
distribution of food baskets to needy members of the Cedar Park community. The Holiday Basket program, which has been a shining example of the community coming together to help its needy members, is a proud tradition in our neighborhood, and Cedar Park Neighbors is happy to be coordinating the effort again this year. Last year the program provided the makings of a generous holiday dinner to more than ninety-five local families. The Holiday Basket Committee, led by Joanne Pham, will soon begin outreach to local churches and non-profit organizations in order to identify families for whom a gift of a holiday meal would be welcome. Once this information has been gathered, the committee can purchase the amount of food required. On the day of the distribution, the baskets are packed by helpful neighborhood volunteers and then picked up by the organizations that give them out to families. This year the baskets will be assembled on December 20th from 9 to11 a.m. in Saint Francis de Sales School auditorium at 47th and Springfield Avenue. Please
Cedar Park Neighbors, Holiday Baskets Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143 To our local vendors — your donations are especially needed. Please give generously to support your community. If you know of any deserving families in the Cedar Park area (46th to 52nd, Happy Holidays!! Larchwood to Kingsessing), please give their names, addresses and the number of people in each family to one of our participating organizations. These organizations are listed on the flyer that has been inserted in this newsletter. Names of families must be received by December 1, 2008.
Free Legal Clinics for New Pennsylvanians
Philadelphia Folklore Project Upcoming Events
Legal Clinics take place on the second Tuesday of EVERY month. Please note: the legal clinic for this month is on November 18th.The December clinic is on December 9th.
December 5, 6-8 p.m.
December 6, 1-4 p.m.
Tap Dancers’ Gathering
Tea and Conversation With Quiltmaker Christina E. Johnson
The next Legal Clinic at the Welcoming Center will take place on November 18th, from 3 to 6 p.m. This clinic is for anyone in the immigrant community who needs to speak to an attorney. The attorneys volunteer their time for the clinic, which is free of charge. Consultations can take place in French, Spanish, Chinese, Page 4
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Russian, Indonesian, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Gujarati, as well as English. We can also use a telephone interpretation service, or clients may bring their own interpreter if they prefer. For more information, contact Margaret Hilsdon, Program and Volunteer Coordinator of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians Phone: (215) 557-2626 Direct line: (215) 557-2859 margaret@welcomingcenter.org www.welcomingcenter.org
An extended family reunion: share recollections and your own stories. We invite Philadelphia tap dancers (and those who love them) to join us in a gathering. Come by and share some stories: remember the great artists who have passed, consider their legacies, and fill out an even wider picture of tap dance past, present and future. Philadelphia Folklore Project 215-726-1106 pfp@folkloreproject.org www.folkloreproject.org
West Philadelphia artist Christina E. Johnson is hosting an afternoon for quilt documentation and conversation. She invites you to drop in to view recent quilts by Christina, and hear stories. Share in the showing and telling: bring quilts (of your own making, from your family, or in your possession) to be documented, and bring your stories, too!Refreshments and good company.
Fair-Weather Fair
Although the Fair date was postponed a week due to rain, a good time was had by all!
Mary Wallman donated her talents to draw portraits Adamu Kuumba returned with his African rhythm percussion section to wrap of fair-goers, and all proceeds benefitted CPN. up the afternoon’s performances.
Board Member Richard Warner and Committee Member Gail Massey draw and announce the winner of one of more than 30 raffle prizes.
Local Business Support Cedar Park Neighbors By Jim Kurtz, CPN Membership Chair Cedar Park Neighbors is made up of individuals, households, agencies and business who either live, work or do business within the boundaries of Cedar Park. Local businesses support the work of CPN and hopefully benefit from the work of CPN in many ways. One way businesses support CPN is by officially joining our organization. Listed below are businesses who are active members of CPN. CPN says thanks for your support! And to our members… support our business members!
A-1 Floor Refinishing 4608 Springfield Ave.
Martnet Communications 4806 Springfield Ave.
Salt and Pepper Deli 1102 S 47th St.
Abbraccio Restaurant 820 S. 47th St.
O’Donnell Real Estate 4534 Baltimore Ave.
Satellite Café 701 S. 50th St.
African Cultural Center of PA 5000 Springfield Ave.
Parallel Design judy@parallel-design.com
Sims Giles and Associates PO Box 13218, Philadelphia
Dock Street Beer 701 S. 50th St.
Park Pleasant Nursing Home 4712 Chester Ave.
Urban & Bye Realtors 3529 Lancaster Ave.
East Smithfield Health Care PO Box 114, East Smithfield
Phila. Community Acupuncture 701 S 50th St.
VIX Emporium 5009 Baltimore Ave.
Fresh Deli 4832 Baltimore Ave.
Philadelphia Federal Credit 5000 Baltimore Ave.
Wake Up Yoga West 4916 Baltimore Ave.
Get Busy Living Solutions, LLC 2000 Hamilton St. #896
Prudential Fox & Roach 210 W Rittenhouse Square
Westside Community Day Care 4822 Baltimore Ave.
Leroy’s Showcase Lounge 4912 Baltimore Ave.
Safdan Partners LLC www.safdanpartners.com
Wine and Spirit Store 4906 Baltimore Ave. November 2008
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Churches Explore Ways to Reduce Flood of Illegal Guns J. Fred Kauffman, CPN Board Member ome urban and suburban churches are S developing strategies for reducing the flood of illegal guns in greater Philadelphia. From the CPN area, West Philly Mennonite is participating, as are members of the Circle of Hope Brethren in Christ congregation. In the task group’s first meeting in June this year, Rev. Elisha B. Morris sensed something new happening. “God is trying to show us something,” he claimed, “and we’re just not getting it! Something is right here in front of us, and we can’t see it.” That illusive “something” began to emerge in North Philadelphia in Fr. Isaac Miller’s small office within the cavernous 1897 Church of the Advocate. Priest at this Episcopalian church, Fr. Miller was hosting the task group. Its mission was to begin forming the public witness for a national conference called Heeding God’s Call: a Gathering on Peace planned for January 2009 at the Arch Street Friends Meetinghouse. Fr. Miller, veteran of the civil rights movement, searched for words. “I have no idea how the youth in my church cope with this constant threat. I never had to live with that.” Rev. Morris, from Jones Memorial Church of God in Christ, sees the ugly side of life every day as he counsels survivors of gun violence. So, in the midst of that reality, what was that illusive “something” that he glimpsed? Fast forward four months to October. A diverse animated task group of 10 is meeting around a table. A plan is emerging. We explore civil disobedience as a way to express the seriousness of the issue. Suddenly Rev. Morris gets up, walks around, comes back to sit down, beaming, and says, “This is the ‘something’ that God had for us back in June! This is it! I can see it now!” His message sinks in. We sense hope and energy rising that we’re finding ways for citizens to confront this plague of violence. In preparation for the Saturday action, January 17th, we will focus on a gun shop known to be a source of handguns for street corner dealers and ask the owner to sign a “Code of Conduct.” Developed by Mayors Against Illegal Guns and signed
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by Wal-Mart, the 10-point code aims to limit the flow of guns to the illegal market. If the owner signs the Code, on January 17th we will rally to celebrate; if not, we will rally to pressure him. This may become a way to take direct and immediate action on this issue in addition to our important long-term task of pressing for legislative reform. The national conference, Heeding God’s Call, is a “working gathering” for 700 participants planned for January 13-19 and sponsored by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Church of the Brethren and Mennonite Church USA. The vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is at the heart of the program. One of his co-workers, Dr. Vincent Harding, will serve as Elder for the Gathering. Each sponsoring denomination will send 100 participants, and an additional 300 have been invited from a wide range of other denominations. The final day, Saturday, January 17th, will include many other participants as well. Ten congregations in Philadelphia will each partner with two congregations from rural and suburban areas. National Gathering participants will join these congregations and hundreds of others from around the city for morning worship and education about handgun violence. After lunch, all will meet for combined worship at a large church and a closing sermon by Dr. Harding. From there we will march to the gun shop for the public witness against illegal handguns. The Saturday action, called “We’ve Got Work to Do!” is an opportunity for active public witness for peace which brings together people of faith from many denominations and faiths, national church leaders and local leaders, the predominantly European American “historic peace churches” and African American communities of faith working for peace on the streets, as well as urban churches and local suburban and rural churches. If you and/or your faith community are interested in more information, please contact the Peace Gathering staff at Saturday@peacegathering2009.org. or Fred Kauffman at jfk@mcc.org.
Cedar Park Cedar Park Neighbors NeighborsMembership Application/Renewal Membership Application/Renewal
$10 Individual $15 Household (two persons or more) $ 7 Senior/Student/Unemployed $30 Business $40 Sponsor (one free CPN t-shirt!)
New Member Renewal Multi-year(max. 3 years)..# of years_____ Additional contribution: (Write $ amount) _____Holiday baskets _____Scholarships _____Jazz Series _____Other, specify ___________
CPN t-shirt: (Write $ amount if not Sponsor and circle size) ____Short Sleeve Adult S, M, L, XL, 2Xl, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL, 6XL ($15.00) ____Short Sleeve Kids S, M, L, XL ($15.00) ____Long Sleeve Adult S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL (20.00)
Check your areas of interest for potential participation: Block Organizing: Maintain list of Block Leaders, organize forums etc. Block Improvement Grants Committee: Review applications, help awardees implement projects etc. Board of Directors: CPN leadership and decision-making body. Cedar Park Fair: Publicity, children's activities, venders, entertainment, etc. Cedar Park Garden Tenders: Plant and maintain gardens at Cedar Park. Clean-up Committee: Promote participation in block clean-up days and Tire Round-up. Education Committee: Interaction with local schools and parents on issues. Firehouse Recycling Project: Two Saturdays/year. Fundraising: Special events, grant writing.
Holiday Baskets: Coordinate and assist distribution to needy Cedar Park families. Hospitality: Provide refreshments for community meetings and special events. Membership Committee: Promote membership to residents and businesses. Newsletter: Writing, publishing, photography, distribution. Property/Housing Task Force: Strategize/ respond to issues of deteriorated property. Scholarship Committee: Raise funds, promote program, and select awardees. Website: Technical support, maintenance, updating info/pictures etc. Zoning Committee: Monitor & communicate issues to residents; appear before Zoning Board of Adjustment, coordinate meetings.
__________________________
Phone:
__________________________
Address: _________________________
Email:
__________________________
Name:
Yes, I would like to receive an email notice with a link to the current newsletter on the CPN website (and do not deliver a paper copy to my home).
TOTAL ENCLOSED _________ Return form with check to:
Cedar Park Neighbors Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19143
Email: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org Website: www.cedarparkneighbors.org Phone: 267 531 4147
June 2008
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c/o Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143
f iB llgohts Ri
Happy Thanksgiving November 27th
Happy Bill of Rights Day December 15th
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. Newsletter Editors Maureen Tate & Judy Lamirand Newsletter Design Judy Lamirand, Parallel Design To Contact Cedar Park Neighbors or submit Newsletter items: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org www.cedarparkneighbors.org 267-531-4147
Philadelphia Leaf Collection and Drop-off Nearly two million tons of yard waste, such as leaves, grass clippings and brush, are produced in Pennsylvania each year. Not only does yard waste take up a large amount of space, it creates methane when landfilled, a greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. In 1988, the Pennsylvania Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act (Act 101) became law. Among other things, the law requires more than 400 communities to collect yard waste for composting and prohibits landfills from accepting truckloads of yard waste for disposal. Through December 27th the City of Philadelphia will be collecting yard waste at two of their sanitation yards, Domino Lane and Umbria Street and State Road and Ashburner Street. Philadelphia residents may bring yard waste and other similar materials to be composted to these centers from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. For more info visit www.Phila..gov/streets/08YardWaste.pdf. Page 8
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Starting November 10th bagged leaf collection will also be offered citywide, on a weekly basis, along rubbish collection routes. Crews will be assigned to collect ONLY bagged leaves for the duration of the program. Citizens are urged to place leaves in large brown paper trash bags. By using these bags, you will help crews work more efficiently and more easily identify your bags as leaves. This helps to eliminate the extensive process of ripping open, dumping, and disposing of plastic bags. Leaves set out in other bags or containers may be collected as trash. In areas of the city with heavy leaf fall, mechanical leaf collection will take place starting on Monday, November 10th. To see if your neighborhood qualifies and view the collection schedule, visit www.Phila..gov/streets/leaf_collection.html .
CPN Board President Monica Allison Vice-President Carol Walker Secretary Dorothy Welch Berlind Treasurer Karen Allen Directors Michael Clapper Deborah Clarke Sean Dorn Shani Adia Evans Naomi Fiordimondo Bruce Hansen Fred Kauffman Theresa McCole Peg Nowak Joanne Pham Kristopher Reese Shirley Rheinhart Maureen Tate Rosa Thomas Richard Warner Renee Warnick