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Letter From a Squatter

4712 Castor Avenue

We reported last week on the Northwood Civic meeting and noted that the squatters who had been occupying 4712 Castor Avenue had departed.  Yesterday an email came in from the squatter.  So I asked her if I could share it with you.

Hello, My name is Elizabeth.
I recently saw your post about the property on 4712 Castor Ave. I recently moved from there, I was living in there as a squatter. I didn’t have a place to go or shelter my son. I lived in that property for about 7 months and I tried my best to fix up the property, mowing the lawn, keeping up the property and trying to make it a better looking property for that area. I cleaned up the house from top to bottom, and I tried my best to get in contact with many people from City Hall to some city council members and no one had any information about this property.

I wanted to keep it and obtain it like my own, I had to move out because it went to sheriff sale for the second time and I still think it’s still up for sheriff sale. I’m not sure if you can help me out with this situation. I admire the property, I took care of it for about 6-7 months. And no one I went to seemed to care, I just want to live there, fix up the property so it can decrease crime and bring a up the community since this house been abandoned for quite some years. Thank You for reading and if you can come up with any ideas, please feel free to email me. Thank you again!

There was nobody that I recall who had anything negative to say about Elizabeth.  The issue is with the bank or whoever owns the property now.  They let it sit vacant and it becomes a target for whatever element wants to use it.  In a way, Elizabeth was doing the neighborhood a service by occupying it and taking care of it.  These properties that go to foreclosure are a ticking time bomb in Northwood.  If they accumulate for any period of time it can only lead to more problems.

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Real Estate Transactions in Frankford

Thanks to our friends at CitySpace, here are some transactions from September of this year: 

1931 Berkshire St $21,500 3/1/0
1525 Wakeling St $26,500 3/1/0
1922 Briggs St $34,900 2/1/0
1371 Anchor St $37,500 3/1/0
5308 Marsden St $60,000 2/1/0
4539 Tackawanna St $62,000 3/2/0
5413 Mulberry St $101,000 3/1/1
1639 Foulkrod St $28,250 3/1/1
2137 Anchor St $30,000 3/1/0
4525 E Stiles St $53,100 3/1/0
4507 Worth St $72,000 3/1/1
4207 Griscom St $18,900 3/1/0
2024 Granite St $25,000 4/2/1
5310 Akron St $45,000 3/1/1
5021 Saul St $125,000 2/2/0
1917 Wakeling St $81,900 3/1/0
5339 Gillespie St $87,000 2/1/0
1133 Dyre St $149,900 4/1/0
4342 Bermuda St $60,000 3/1/0
1514 Adams Ave $17,900 3/1/1
1427 Adams Ave $48,000 3/2/1
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Details, Details, Details

The Frankford Special Services District (FSSD) has deployed a “Detail Team,” a new beautification program for the Frankford Avenue Business Corridor. The team will be responsible for a range of tasks, including graffiti removal, pressure washing the sidewalks, sweeping litter and planting flowers.

The Detail Team has been trained to identify small details along the Corridor that most would overlook, for instance a 2-inch sticker on a stop sign, or a graffiti tag on a parking meter. Rather than reporting every small detail to various city agencies, the Detail Team will take action itself, providing quicker and more scrupulous service to the Business Corridor.

The Detail Team was inspired by the Broken Windows Theory, which states that maintaining urban environments may prevent further vandalism and more serious crime. The program has started on the 4600 block of Frankford Avenue and will expand outward one block at a time. Each block that the program has ‘reclaimed’ will be given top priority and immediate cleaning. In doing so, the FSSD is sending a message: that these blocks are looked after and that vandalism and graffiti are not worth the time. Eventually, this message will encompass the entire Business Corridor.

The program currently employs three Detail Team Members operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 6pm. The team works in conjunction with Frankford’s Safety Ambassadors, a program started by the FSSD in June 2010. Businesses, shoppers and residents can report graffiti, trash, vandalism, and just about anything else on the Business Corridor to 267-777-SAFE and the Detail Team will be dispatched.

More Info: 215.535.2637 (FSSD)
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Tim Wisniewski Lobbies in DC for Frankford

Tim Wisniewski discusses the safety ambassadors with Lt. Zaffino and Officer Andrews

Tim Wisniewski, shown at a previous PSA meeting, went to Washington DC yesterday to lobby for Frankford.  (I don’t think I’ve ever written those words before.)

“We have now 8 Way to Work employees. We currently have a safety ambassador program, the employees of which are Way to Work employees. It’s a program that we’ve wanted for a while and we’ve been able to bring it about because of Way to Work, because it provides that wage subsidy. Unfortunately, Way to Work is due to expire at the end of the month, unless Congress renews it.”

Read the entire story on KYW1060.com

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Talking Trash

UnLitter US, the movement for a litter free Philadelphia, kicked off in Frankford, Monday morning at 8:30 AM with Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez addressing a small crowd at the Frankford Transportation Center.  As is often the case, I was a late arrival and only caught the last minute of her talk.  Marie Delaney, President of the Frankford CDC and Tracey O’Drain, managing director were also on hand.

Now for the editorial rant.   Some people will look at this effort and think “This ain’t going to make a difference”.  Well I beg to disagree.  Yes, it can make a difference.  Harken back to 1979 when SEPTA hired David Gunn to be their the new General Manager.  The first thing he saw was the deplorable state of the system which was covered with graffiti.  I remember it well.  There were some El cars with windows through which you could not see the light of day.  He said that could not go on because it made people afraid to ride the El and subway.  He said it had to be eliminated and it was.

Now why was that problem allowed to go on in the first place?  Because people said “you can’t eliminate graffiti”.  If you think you can’t do it, well of course you can’t.  If you decide to solve the problem, at least you have a chance.  You might fall short but you will be farther down the field than if you never had tried in the first place.

Cleaning crews have been in Frankford working since September 7th.  I’ve seen them up on Oxford Avenue.  They will continue until the 29th.  A community cleanup is scheduled for October 2nd.  There will be a big rally and fair on October 1st in front of the Thriftway at Frankford and Pratt from 11:30 to 2:30 PM.

We’ll pass along updates as they become available.