Frankford Community Blog | Local News, Events, Community Resources
A life long resident of Frankford, Tyrone has been married to Loretta Forrest for 30 years and is the father of 3 (Tyrone, Quinten Sr, (Neva) and Dawn) and Grandfather of 4 (Quinten Jr., Sean, Jasmine, and Mya).
He is a retired Philadelphia Police Officer and in his younger years, he coached Football for the Frankford Chargers.
His family wishes him a happy birthday and many more to come.
As of October 24, 2019, the 15th Police District had 107 school crossing guard posts, of which 21 posts were unfilled. Among the intersections that lack a guard is Large-Wakeling, where a vehicle passes every 4 seconds on average immediately before and after the former H. R. Edmunds school is in session. Some intersections, such as Castor-Dyre and Castor-Pratt, have been without a guard for longer than a year. Similar situations exist in other Police districts in Philadelphia. To fill the unfilled posts, qualified applicants are sorely needed.
A school crossing guard position offers steady, secure, part-time work with benefits. Pay exceeds $15 per hour. Guards work 7 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. when schools are open. As a civilian employee in the Police Department, a guard receives Civil Service benefits, such as paid time off (vacation and sick) and health insurance, and is eligible to earn retirement pay.
To qualify for training, an applicant for the position need not take a written test, but must undergo a physical examination, a drug test, background checks (for crime and child abuse) and a financial investigation (for money owed to the City of Philadelphia). Application is required to be done online.
To help reduce the shortage, the Northwood Civic Association has asked the 15th Police District to request that the Police Department increase advertising of open school crossing guard positions. Also, the Civic is encouraging residents to inform friends and neighbors of the need for qualified applicants. Most importantly, the Civic urges interested people to apply online as follows:
For questions about the hiring process, interested people are advised to call Captain’s Clerk Maureen Wharton of the 15th Police District at 215-686-3150. Ms. Wharton is a former school crossing guard.
PennDOT invites you to attend a Public Open House Meeting for the Interstate 95 Improvement Project from the Betsy Ross Bridge to Levick Street (near the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge) in Philadelphia. This project includes the rebuilding and widening of I-95, and improvements to ramps and connecting local streets. The purpose of this meeting is to present revised design plans and obtain feedback on proposed plans and design concepts. Important design changes have been made in response to public input in 2013.
The meeting will be held November 12, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. John Cantius Church gymnasium, located at 4415 Almond Street (parking is available in church lot on Almond Street). The Public Open House will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m. This will be followed by a brief Question & Answer Session and a Public Open House Plans Display with comment and feedback stations, project maps, and informational boards. The plans display will also include information on the project’s Section 4(f) uses to the public parks within the project area.
The facility is accessible by SEPTA Routes 25, J, or 73 and is also accessible for persons with disabilities. If you require special accommodations or additional information, please contact Don Gusic, at (610) 263-2627 or visit www.95revive.com.
My name is Bruce Beaton and I am the third in line with that name. My son, also Bruce is the fourth. My grandparents were Wallace and Linda Beaton. They had two daughters, Mildred and Linda and two sons, Ralph and Bruce. My father was W. Bruce Beaton and my mother was Hester M. Pritchard Beaton.
I grew up at 2789 Pratt Street in Bridesburg. My story actually took place in Bridesburg, but I have ties to Frankford. My wife’s name is Jean. We have three children, and all went to Frankford High School. For some time, I was active in Simpson A.A up on Arrott Street and I was also President of the Frankford High School Alumni Association
This is a story of a memory of mine. I was not yet born when this incident took place, but I have a vivid memory of a tale about my Grandfather, Wallace Beaton, told to me by my parents that circulated in our family for as long as I can remember.
My grandparents Wallace and Linda Beaton, and son Bruce (my dad) lived at 2767 Pratt Street in Bridesburg. During Frankford Home Week, granddad built a small toy plane for my father Bruce when he was about three years old. It was a good model of a monoplane. It stood about three feet high and had a six-foot wingspan from tip to tip. The frame and body of the monoplane was mounted on wheels and the seat for the “airman” was similar to that in the in the real monoplanes used by the French and English armies. There was a propeller in the front and a steering wheel from which the wings could be controlled. Wire braces held the wings in position and the plane had other features embraced in real aircraft. The only thing lacking was a motor to set the propeller in motion. The monoplane with my father in it won first prize as a novelty in the Baby Parade.
Young Bruce played in the streets with his plane which was very popular with the neighborhood kids. He eventually tired of his street flights so it went into storage in the Beaton home. Bruce’s play mates constantly badgered him to bring out the plane so they could play “air war” with imagined enemies.
The time period was during World War 1. Now granddad was an instrument maker employed at the Frankford Arsenal. After his experience building the toy monoplane, he had a plan to construct an air craft that could successfully defend the city against Zeppelins in the case of war given the present crises with Germany. He felt that in case of necessity he could build large planes and that many employees at the Arsenal could probably do the same if the craft were needed to guard the city. If such a necessity arose, an airplane shop could be erected in the Arsenal.
As an example, Granddad built a full scale plane most likely in the Arsenal and they issued him a 45 pistol so he could go up and shoot down the German Zeppelin attack.
Notice the bicycle wheels and large propeller. The wings were constructed of bamboo with a strong fabric covering. None of the family remembers what kind of engine he used. His plane stands here on Melrose Street. Frankford Arsenal is in the background.
So, here is the wildest part of my story. My granddad actually did build that full-size one-man airplane. His plane is shown in the picture. I am not sure where he built the plane, we guess the Arsenal, but the picture we have is on what was then Melrose Street with the arsenal in the background.
AS for the flight, at Harbison Avenue and Bridge Street prior to SKF factory being built, there was an open field. That is where granddad would take off and fly his plane. This field was next to the rail lines running from Washington to New York ( It is now where the ShopRite is located).
For some unknown reason granddad got the bright idea that he would race a train to New York. He sat in the cockpit with engine revving just waiting. Well the train was coming and so he took off. We were told he went up and flew about 50 feet above ground so he could race the train. We do not know how far he went but he never made it. Why we do not know, and the plane came down and crashed.
That is when my grandmother told him it was either the plane or her. He chose her over the plane. That was the story our family was always told.
The family still has the home on Pratt Street in which daughter Linda still lives today.
This story was read at the Historical Society of Frankford by Fred Prescott on October 6th at the Second Annual Conference for Archival Researchers and Friends
