The Historical Society of Frankford, in partnership with Holy Family University, the Northeast Times, and State Representative Dennis M. O’Brien, announces that the public is invited to suggest individuals for consideration for the 2010 Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame. Candidates should be Northeast Philadelphia residents past or present whose lives or careers have been marked by high achievement or individuals who have had a lasting, significant, and positive impact on the Northeast Philadelphia community. Inductees will be chosen by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, a twelve-member panel of experts in various aspects of Northeast Philadelphia life. The committee is chaired by Holy Family University President Sister Francesca Onley.

There are several ways for the public to suggest candidates. Throughout the month of March, a clip-out/mail-in ballot form will be printed in the Northeast Times and be available for download on the Historical Society’s website (www.frankfordhistory.org) and on the NeastPhilly.com website. The ballot form will also be distributed to public locations throughout Northeast Philadelphia. Suggestions can also be submitted by email to halloffame@frankfordhistory.org. The deadline for submissions is April 1^st. Inductees will be announced in the spring and inducted in the fall at a ceremony at Holy Family University, date to be announced.

The goal of the Hall of Fame is to foster civic values and a sense of community in Northeast Philadelphia, along with a greater awareness and appreciation of the area’s rich history, by honoring the lives and accomplishments of its most distinguished citizens. In 2009, the inaugural year for the Hall of Fame, four historical figures, three living individuals, and one organization were inducted at a ceremony attended by a wide range of people from throughout the Northeast Philadelphia region.

Plans for a Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame were initiated in 2008, leading to its sponsorship by the Historical Society of Frankford, in partnership with Holy Family University, the Northeast Times, and State Representative Dennis M. O’Brien.

Temple student Morgan Zalot stopped by to highlight Frankford Mainstreet’s Storefront Improvement Program.  She also put some video up on youtube:

Then she threw some suplimental stuff up on NEast Philly.  I’m impressed.  Thorough work.  She made it into Mark My Flesh, a tattoo parlor at Frankford and Orthodox.  She also talked with the owners of Gilbert’s Upholstery.  We’ve been quite heartily scooped.  I am really getting a grasp of how serious Temple takes its journalism.

This Good Looking Salon Offers To Make You Even More Good Looking!

Tanika’s Top Notch Unisex Salon won the Frankford CDC’s Holiday Contest for Best Decorated Business on Frankford Avenue! Congratulations, Tanika, and this is a well-deserved award. If there were a Valentine Day’s Contest, the salon would win again – hands down!

Have you noticed the brightly decorated and inviting Tanika’s Top Notch Unisex Salon at 4844 Frankford Avenue? We have and we visited there on Wednesday to interview the owner, Tanika Jamaladdin. Immediately, you are impressed with this young woman who obviously enjoys her craft and is proud of what she has been able to accomplish. She should be!

Born and raised in Frankford, Tanika began her career in hair styling when she was 14 years old by helping her mother, Anisa, at home – a block away from her shop. Later, Tanika attended Gordon Phillips Beauty School and honed her skills participating in a clinic assignment at the Empire Beauty Salon.

Tanika Jamaladdin

Opening her shop a year and a half ago was the realization of a dream for this young entrepreneur. Inside the shop, it is immaculate and well-kept. You are immediately welcomed and all of her staff are friendly. Business has been good and Tanika is expanding with the addition of a barber and two stylists. Tanika’s Top Notch Unisex Salon provides services for both men and women. Here is a price list as well as some of the services that are offered. Many of her customers are from the local area, and, of course, they become repeat customers. Tanika’s Top Notch Unisex Salon is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 AM until 7:00 PM! Appointments are available and walk-ins are welcomed!

In addition to her Salon, there is another cause dear to Tanika’s heart! She started a drill team, FKD Top Notch Steppers Drill Team! Having been part of a drill team herself, Tanika offers that same opportunity to boys and girls ages 12 – 16. Many positions are available and the drill team practices at Gambrel’s Recreation Center at 4800 Ditman Street, Mondays through Fridays, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM! You can find additional information here!

For hair styling that is “Top Notch” or to be a “Top Notch Stepper”, Tanika is the one to call at 215.288.8100!

Tanika, we wish you continued success and we thank you for your committment to Frankford and our youth!

It’s cool though, cause it’s not really a street anyways.  Item 11 of the January 19th meeting for the Philadelphia City Planning Commissions shows:

Streets Bill No. 090924: Authorizing the striking and vacating the legally open portions of Adams Avenue from Aramingo Avenue to the northwesterly right-of-way line of the Delaware Expressway and reserving and placing on the City Plan a right-of-way for drainage purposes within a portion of Adams Avenue being stricken (Introduced by Councilmember Krajewski on December 17, 2009; Presented by William Erickson).

This is my interpretation of the section in question:

It’d be cool if they were strickening and doing draining for development but I get the impression it’s just for city map house cleaning seeing that it’s all under highway.

Hanukkah 2009 is now history, Santa and the reindeer have landed on our roofs,  Kwanzaa began Saturday and the Three Kings will arrive next week. These celebrations allow us time to reflect  on the true  meaning and intent of these special events and to better ourselves and our world. I would like to share some reflections regarding the events of October 29th at Frankford High School  and what  meaning  we can find in this event.

We go to school to learn. Many question what our children are learning and how well they are learning it. But off to school they go. Rules and laws should be in place to protect us. But sometimes things go terribly wrong. PA law mandates that children must attend school between the ages of 8 and 17. However, in Philadelphia, the starting age for mandatory school attendance is 6 years old. There are those, for whatever reason(s), do not regularly attend school and are labeled as truant. The PA Department of Education defines truancy as any unexcused absence from school. Truancy has been cited as a BIG problem in the School District of Philadelphia schools. To address truancy in its schools, the School District of Philadelphia has implemented a plan called ATIPS (Attendance and Truancy Intervention and Prevention Services). If you read the details of this plan, “police stop students who are on public streets or in/around public areas between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM every (non-holiday) weekday during the regular school year. The officer first asks for documentation and checks the student’s identification to confirm the student’s name and assigned school. If the student does not have documentation, s/he is escorted to their home school, the nearest age-appropriate school or to one of the district’s Truancy Support Centers.” So the goal appears to be to get students to their schools to learn.

Here’s the scoop regarding the outcome of the investigation! Stopped one block from school, this student admitted he “mouthed off” to the officers by telling them he was already late and continued to walk the one block to school instead of getting in the van that would have taken him to school anyway. Lesson #1 – Let us be respectful in our dealings with each other – old to young – young to old and everyone in between. Our encounters should be positive experiences.

The officers followed the student to school. Once he entered the school, “the student was held down by one officer while another officer beat him.” Lesson 2 – Those with authority can never, ever abuse it. Power doesn’t give any person or country rights over another. The more power you have, the more restrained you must be when using it.

A Frankford High School staff member witnessed this incident and he wrote an email to the School Superintendent asking that the truth be heard. It has been. Lesson #3 – We must act with courage whenever the rights of one of us have been violated. It takes great risk to stand up to right a wrong but exercising our courage will help us do that.

Lastly, all involved in an incident like this are victims. The innocent deserve justice – the guilty need our understanding and help, too! Lesson #4 – we need to be sure those that work with our young people are well-trained and have the necessary skills to deal with the daily stresses and challenges they face.

Learning lessons from such events can help to prevent them in the future. These are the lessons we want to teach our young.