Month: January 2011

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Frankford Creek Greenway Project for Womrath Park

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) plans to install a stormwater
management demonstration project at Womrath Park in Frankford (Frankford and
Kensington Avenues).  The plan for installation in Spring 2012 is not final and PWD wants comments
from you and your neighbors on the design.

PWD¹s Green City Clean Waters program is designed to use natural systems to
capture stormwater reclaiming it as a resource while reducing harmful
combined sewer overflows to our streams. Collecting the stormwater will help
grass and trees stay healthy and provide a model for projects that help
prevent the sewers from overflowing into our rivers and streams. The main
changes you would notice in the park are new native plants, small
stonewalls, some changes to the pathways and new mounds and depressions in
the landscape (essentially creating a series of rain gardens that will
beautify the park while collecting stormwater before it flows into the
sewers).

Womrath Park was identified as a priority public site for renewal under the
Frankford Creek Greenway Plan, an earlier planning process led by PWD.

Meeting Details:

Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Community Academy of Philadelphia
1100 E. Erie Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19124
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

www.phillywatersheds.org/womrathpark

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Crime Alert from the 15th District

PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
*****************************************
INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN
Date: 1-26-11

The information provided in this release is preliminary and based on initial reports. The incident details and offender description is derived from ‘flash’ information and is subject to change pursuant to investigation.  This information is not to be construed as a sole basis for probable cause or arrest.

Date/Time/Controls​       Location​Details

1/24/11 @ 3:30PM

DC# 11-15-007720

S# 11-265

5700 Ditman St.

12 year old female reports that an unknown male, driving a white van approached her and stated “Do you want a piece of candy, if you want a piece of candy, get in the van”.  She refused and ran away.  Offender: w/m, white beard, curly white hair and was heavy set.  NFD.

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Chris Place appears under Frankford Ave

Looks like something new is coming to 4411 Frankford Avenue.  Nice sign on the building but it doesn’t tell us about Chris or what he is up to.  Chris are you out there?

Chris Place - 4411 Frankford Avenue

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Fisher’s Lane Bridge and the Rowland Estate

It has been quite a week here at Gazette headquarters.  The question about the oldest house in Frankford set off a flurry of emails that got me a ton of leads.  It will take a while to sort it all out but Fisher’s Lane has to rank up there as one of the most intriguing places in Frankford.

4501 Fishers Lane

Joe Menkevich has a lot of research on the Lane and the history of the area.  He passed on this picture that he took of the former Rowland residence which dates to 1793 or so.

Below right is a picture of the cornerstone of the Fisher’s Lane bridge.  As you can see by the date, it is certainly old.  Joe believes that the original 1759 bridge was rebuilt and the cornerstone was then reset in the new bridge.

Cornerstone of Fishers Lane Bridge

Below is a beautiful picture of the bridge itself taken by Fred Moore in infrared.

Fishers Lane Bridge by Fred Moore

You can get some interesting views of the bridge in this series of  pictures by Fred Moore done in infrared.

Have a look at the Historic Buildings and Places in the Northeast Survey and Database compiled by Historical Society of Frankford Center for Northeast Philadelphia History here.  You will find the Rowland House and the Fishers Lane bridge.

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SPIN’s Revered Leader Steps Down as CEO

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) – After 41 years, David A. Losinno, visionary founder and leader of the dynamic nonprofit organization, SPIN, Inc. (Special People In Northeast, Inc.) is stepping down from the CEO position effective January 31, 2011.  Mr. Losinno, who wrote the agency’s succession plan many years ago to prepare for an orderly and seamless transfer of leadership for his beloved organization, is living out his plan. Mr. Losinno will stay on as CEO Emeritus through his retirement date of June 30, 2011.  He will remain in the voluntary position of Corporate Board President through December 31. 2011.   SPIN’s current Chief Program Officer, Kathleen Brown McHale, whom Mr. Losinno has mentored, will become the agency’s new CEO, only the second in its organizational life.

Under Mr. Losinno’s leadership, SPIN, became a premier human service organization, recognized nationally and internationally for advancements in services to children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and for its investment in workforce development practices.  Mr. Losinno began SPIN by making the dream a reality for of a group of parents who sought a summer day program for their children who were excluded from local summer camps due to their children’s disability. From that point on he began investing in his and others’ dreams for a brighter future for children and adults with disability and he created loyal followers, believers and beneficiaries.