Author: Jim

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Flying Kite Media is coming for a 3 month stay in Frankford

Flying Kite Media held an advisory meeting yesterday morning at the Frankford CDC office on Griscom Street to gather input from neighborhood stakeholders about possible opportunities to report on under-covered stories about Frankford.

According to their website, Flying Kite’s On the Ground program:

aims to dive deep into neighborhood transformation, embedding Flying Kite in a vacant or underutilized storefront or building for 90 days. During that time, Flying Kite engages with local, people, places and companies who are moving the neighborhood and city forward. This happens via weekly coverage, events and social media. After three months, it’s on to the next neighborhood.

The outfit is preparing to take up residence at the former Krass Brothers tuxedo shop at 4674 Frankford Ave next to the Arrott Transportation Center.  It’s the building that currently has a sign for the never opened Jacob’s Ladder Educational Center.

Their plan is to hold regular office hours on our main street.  They want the storefront to also be an asset to the community and a resource center.  They encourage anyone to put up flyers and notices and since the store is huge, are looking to showcase local art while they’re here.  If all goes well, they’ll take up residence at the end of September and begin publishing a story weekly.    They’re encouraging drop in visitors, I would love to see regular Gazette readers to visit them early and give their input on what’s great and under-covered about Frankford.

They’re currently embedded in Mantua at 4017 Lancaster Ave.  You can check out their work in that neighborhood here.

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[tidbit] Upcoming “Catagenesis” sculture show profiled in Daily News

The show “Categeneis” by Philadelphia Scultors that’s set to hold it’s opening reception this Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm at the Globe Dye Works gets a writeup in the Daily News.  The free floating art exhibition that once set up shop in Holmesburg prison is making it’s way down to the live/work community to showcase it’s talented artists and highlight Frankford’s growing contribution to Philly culture.

[link] In an old Frankford factory, a sculture show set to dye for

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Tidbit: Philly History Blog profiles Frankford Creek sewerization

Ken Finkel over on the Philly History Blog gives a profile of the Frankford Creek and the reasons why it was converted into a channel in the early 20th century.  He also points out the remains of Tremont Mills at the corner of Wingohocking and Adams.  We did a before and after of this interesting building in 2009.

Interestingly, he points out a photo with a wide view of the Creek taken in 1912 that is claimed to be at the corner of Dungan and Lycoming streets.

This looks to me to be on Wingohocking near Castor looking down.  I’d love for someone to weigh in here.

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iPRAXIS looking for mentors to work with middle school students again this year

Following a successful 2011 year that culminated in a December Science Fair at the St Joachim annex of Northwood Academy Charter School, iPRAXIS is once again looking for volunteers to mentor middle school students.

Via the iPraxis website:

The mission of iPRAXIS is to open the doors of science and discovery to new generations through innovative educational programming.  iPRAXIS works to connect resources with under-served communities, allowing more opportunities in scientific enterprise for people of all backgrounds. iPRAXIS encourages the active participation in the sciences through advocacy and outreach.

Cordell stands next to his electrified field experiment from last year’s science fair

From Megan Hopkins-Doer, former Northwood Academy teacher and current iPRAXIS program director:

At iPRAXIS we are getting ready for the upcoming school year and so I am busy recruiting volunteers.  As such, I would love if the announcement for volunteers could be put into the Frankford Gazette.  This year, we plan on continuing to support the science program at Northwood Academy Charter school, as well as our other Philadelphia schools.

As background, we recruit volunteer STEM experts to go to our partner middle schools in Philadelphia to expose students to the STEM disciplines and increase their excitement for, and understanding of, science.   We work with several schools across Philadelphia, including Cook-Wissahickon.  This is a link detailing our impact over the years – https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8leo6ede8b8k3q5/mIxeBUOdwU?m

Last year we had 7 judges from various sources such as Temple and Penn graduate students, a Boeing engineer, and several judges from Thermo Fisher Scientific review and interview the students at Northwood’s Science Fair.  Then volunteers from GlaxoSmithKline and Temple came weekly to Northwood to mentor the winners from the Science Fair as they prepared to compete in Philadelphia city-wide Science Fair, GW Carver.  iPRAXIS also provided engineering experts to guide students in two afterschool engineering clubs: Future City competition and Junior Solar Sprint competition.  In addition, iPRAXIS brought six presenters to Northwood to provide presentations that supported the curriculum and expanded the students’ knowledge of potential careers.  At one of these presentations, John McNeil the CEO of the Eastern Regional Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and Dr. Richard Schmidt an oncologist, spoke to students about cancer and some of the treatment options.  At this presentation, Mr. McNeil and Dr. Schmidt were very impressed with the level of questions the students provided and encouraged by the response they received.

The school year is quickly approaching and so I am currently in the process of finding volunteers.   Our volunteers range from students from the region’s universities to PGW engineers to leading surgeons (such as Dr. George Spaeth of Wills Eye).   I have attached several flyers with different types of volunteering opportunities, but our biggest need is for mentors.  This year we will work with the following schools: Belmont Academy (W Phila), Cook-Wissahickon (Roxborough), Girard College (N Phila), Lea (W Phila), Martha Washington (W Phila), Memphis St Charter (Port Richmond), and Northwood Academy (Frankford).

[PDF] general scienteer flyer with school names – presenter

[PDF] general scienteer flyer with school names – afterschool mentor

[PDF] general scienteer flyer with school names – presenter

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Renovations being done on long abandoned building at Frankford and Torresdale

The multi-building property at 4080 Frankford Ave, at the corner with Erie Ave, has signs of rehabilitation.  The city’s property website doesn’t show any recent sale, although googling the address reveals that it has been available recently.  There’s a nice write up about business development in the near area too:

The Frankford/Torresdale Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone is in one of Philadelphia’s historic manufatuiring communities. Avalable parcels include vacant land and buildings at Frankford and Torresdale Avenues.

The vacant land and buildings along Frankford Ave that are designated KOEZ include single and multi-story industrial buildings, now vacant. The structures are pasrt of a farmer mill. Some of the property fronts on Frankford Creek.

Growth is occuring in and around the Frankford KOEZ, particularly to the west of the Zone where there is substantialnew retail development. A piolot project to rebuild and expand the manufacturing base in targeted Philadelphia communities include parts of this KOEZ. It has met with considerable success. One of its outgrowths has been the creation of a Business Improvement District focused exclusively on the business community. Increased security and sidewalk cleaning in the vicinity of the businesses has had tangible positive results.

The locatation of the KOEZ is extremely favorable. It is situated approx 5 min from the Aramingo Avenue exitof I-95 and is less than 15 min from Center City. The area is served by the Frankford/Market elevated rail line and numerous bus lines.

I saw workmen cutting out windows a few weeks ago and it looks like there’s been an attempt to seal up a half opened metal door.  Of course squatters appear to have circumvented the measures.  So far I just see renovations being done on the one story structure, the multistory unit next to it looks dormant.