Wilmot Park saw a crush of volunteers Friday from Honeywell and Rebuilding Together Philadelphia.   Volunteers at the event replaced backboards, built benches for basketball spectators, planted trees, installed a flagpole and a commemorative sign to honor the park’s previous life as a cemetery for veterans, and carried out a general cleanup of the site.

Additionally, to further honor the park’s history as a cemetery for veterans, Honeywell employees were building a ramp at the American Legion Post 224. Commanders from Post 224 were to be on site to later in the afternoon to raise the American flag and direct the park’s first flag raising ceremony.

This is continuation of the improvements which were started by a grant from Councilwoman Sanchez office last year for the removal of the old playground equipment and the installation of new in the Spring.  The basketball league that was restarted this year played under difficult circumstances though with the old backboards and hoops.  These improvements will make a big difference for the kids and neighbors using the park.

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Frankford Parks group has been working on this project to rehab the Wilmot Park playground (Mulberry and Meadow Streets) since last year.  The old equipment was removed then and this Spring the playground got a new surface.  It’s padded so that the kids can play safely.  New equipment looks really great.  I was there while school was open, so it was unoccupied.

October 30th from 2 to 6 PM at Overington and Wilmot Parks.  See below.

• Frankford Parks Group
  When – Mon, October 25, 6pm – 7pm

  Where – Second Baptist Church – 1801 Meadow St. Phila. PA 19124 (map)
• Celebration of Health
  When – Tue, October 26, 2pm – 6pm

  Where – Aria Health – Frankford Campus (map)

  Description – To help chart your preventive health and wellness goals, Aria Health’s Frankford Campus will host a FREE “Celebration of Health.” Highlights of the event will include health screenings, wellness exhibits, and healthy lifestyle information. We hope you can join us!
• Northeast Philadelphia EPIC Stakeholders Group
  When – Thu, October 28, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

  Where – Mastery Charter School, Smedley Campus, 1790 Bridge St. St. Philadelphia, PA 19124 (map)

  Description – The ultimate goal is to create a process that enhances the community’s ability to solve issues surrounding truancy, domestic violence, child safety and substance abuse.
• Winter clothes drive
  When – Sat, October 30, 3pm – 6pm

  Where – Overington Park 4600 Leiper St. and Wilmot Park 1800 Meadow St. (map)

  Description – We are having a winter clothes drive that will be held in two locations (Overington Park 4600 Leiper St. and Wilmot Park 1800 Meadow St.). If it rains we will move the locations to Cora’s Neumann Center 1000 Orthodox Street and to 2nd Baptist Church 1801 Meadow St. We will be giving away winter clothes and coats to needy families. The event will last from 3:00pm until 6:00pm. I have attached a flyer for the event. The partners that are responsible for this event are CORA’s EPIC Community Stakeholders and Young Professionals Group, The Frankford Recovery Coalition, The Frankford Boys and Girls Club, and Council Woman Maria Quinones` Sanchez’ office.
• Overington Park Fall Festival
  When – Sat, October 30, 10am – 1pm

  Where – Overington Park – Orthodox and Leiper Sts, Philadelphia, PA 19124 (map)

  Description – Costume parade, pumpkin patch, games, scavenger hunt and refreshments
• Friends of Overington Park
  When – Tue, November 2, 7pm – 8pm

  Where – CORA Neuman Center at 1000 Orthodox Street (map)

  Description – Come out and discuss our park and what we an do to make it a safe and pleasant place for everyone.
• PSA1 Meeting Police 15th District
  When – Wed, November 3, 7pm – 8pm

  Where – Aria Health – 4900 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA (map)
• Frankford Civic Association Meeting
  When – Thu, November 4, 7pm – 8pm

  Where – 2nd floor conference room, Aria Health, 4900 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19124 (map)
• Grand Army of the Republic Museum Open House
  When – Sun, November 7, 12pm – 5pm

  Where – 4278 Griscom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124 (map)

  Description – Presentation at 1:30 PM:‘Meet Captain Percival Drayton, U.S. Navy’ – [Jack Lieberman, Captain USN (ret.) ] Drayton was South Carolina born from a wealthy Plantation family and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He exemplifies the dilemma that Southern Unionists faced when he opposed his own brother Thomas, a Confederate General in battle at Port Royal Sound on November 7, 1861.
• Frankford Special Services District Board Meeting
  When – Mon, November 8, 8:30am – 9:30am

  Where – St. Mark’s Church, 4442 Frankford Ave, Griscom Street entrance. (map)

  Description – Open to the public
• Northwood Civic Association Meeting
  When – Tue, November 16, 7pm – 8pm

  Where – St. James Lutheran Church, at Castor Avenue and Pratt Street. (map)

As reported in the Northeast Times on September 29th, the Frankford Parks Group has received a boost in the form of grants of Councilwoman Sanchez office totaling $30,000 which will allow them to buy and install playground equipment at Wilmot Park, Meadow and Mulberry Streets.  The old equipment will be removed next week and the new installation will take place in the Spring.

You can see by the pictures that there is definitely a need.  This little park is in a historic corner of Frankford opposite the Second Baptist Church on one corner and on the other side, the historic old Wilmot school building.  Thanks to Councilwoman Sanchez and Jason Dawkins who always the best interest of the neighborhood in mind.

The Frankford Parks groups meets the last Monday of the month at Second Baptist, Meadow and Mulberry Streets, at 6PM.  The next meeting is on October 25th.