Next Great City

The Lower Moyamensing Civic Association has endorsed the Next Great City coalition.  Find out more about it at www.nextgreatcity.com.

LoMo June News

Lomo June News

A reminder to those attending our 9^th Street Cleanup on Sunday at 1 PM: wear sunscreen, and don’t over-exert yourself. With the heat index in triple digits, we need to be careful.

Contents:

-Police officer Block Party

-How to report Graffiti

-Todd’s one-car legislation

-Survive our Summer: Trash

-Calendar of Events

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A Block Party in the works!

Mike D’Imperio of the Lobster Club approached the group about a block party/benefit for Ofc. Liczbinski later in the summer. Several members wanted to broaden the theme to fallen officers of the 4^th District. Please add July 26 on your calendar, from 1-6 on the 1300 block of Porter Street.

We need your help! If you can donate bulk food or giveaway products, please let us know. If you’re in a string band and would like to perform, let us know. We also need help planning our event, as there are many details involved. We’d love to have you involved!

Contact Maureen: mcunningham@jmsonline.com

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Graffiti? What now?

Cleaning up graffiti as soon as it happens can reduce crime in a neighborhood.

Call the Graffiti Hotline: 215-686-0000

• Be prepared to tell the location
• Tell the type of surface (stone, brick, stucco, wood metal, etc.)
• If the surface needs to be painted over, note the color of paint needed
• If the surface is not painted, or looks like it can be powerwashed, mention that.

Finally, free paint and supplies for removing graffiti can be obtained through the above number as well!

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One Car Legislation

Todd Schwartz approached our group searching for support of one-car-per-household legislation as a means to cure South Philly’s parking problems, pollution, and dependence on foreign oil. Sound radical? It is! But it also bring up many good issues and new ways of thinking about whether we need to save that fifth SUV for our 10-year-old daughter’s 18^th birthday.

Talk to Todd with questions, comments and ideas: tschwart@hotmail.com

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Survive Our Summer

If Colleen could focus on just one of our summertime issues, it would be trash. Garbage in a neighborhood is not only unsightly, but it attracts crime. After all, if people can’t be bothered with sweeping, surely they can’t be bothered with reporting crime.

Let’s think of ways to combat garbage! Colleen wants to approach the city about placing a garbage can at every bus stop. Carter wants to institute an adopt-a-trashcan plan, in which residents buy public garbage cans and maintain them throughout the week (placed in front of abandoned properties or alleyways to avoid city ticketing, of course).

Do you have any ideas about garbage cans in our boundaries, what may make them work best, and how to avoid community dumping?

Contact Colleen: mcdonoughc@hotmail.com

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Calendar Of Events:

Sunday, June 8. 1:00 PM. 9^th STREET SWEEP-UP. Meet at 9^th and Snyder or 9^th and Oregon and work toward the middle. Let’s hope that it doesn’t rain this time!

Wednesday, June 11. 7:00 PM. Town Watch. Meet at Broad and Shunk, and walk Shunk and Porter Streets from Broad to 8^th and Back.

Wednesday, June 25. 8:30 PM. Town Watch. The neighborhood may seem a little different after dark. We’ll want a large group. 9^th and 8^th Streets, between Snyder and Oregon.

Saturday, July 28. 1:00 PM. Block Party Benefit. 13^th and Porter. Contact Maureen: mcunningham@jmsonline.com to help plan, or offer donations.

Our Next Meeting is at 6:30 PM Wednesday, September 4, 2008 at the Free Library, Fumo Branch.

May Newsletter

Greetings, Members.  I hope that this letter finds you well.  We have some exciting things on tap for the next month, and hope that you can participate!  Of special note is Colleen’s Survive the Summer Forum, which needs help in planning.  Please scroll below and take special note.

 

Our Next Meeting:  June 4, 6:30 PM, Fumo Library.  6:30 for real, this time!

 

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Contents:

1.  Philadelphia Orchard Project

2.  Survive the Summer Forum

3.  Interesting Lot news…

4.  Town Watch

5.  Clean and Green

6.  Summer Hiatus and Flea Market

7.  Calendar

 

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Philadelphia Orchard Project

 

Domenic Vitiello, of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, gave a short presentation on his organization and how they can benefit our neighborhood.  POP plants orchards of fruits, nuts and vegetables in empty lots, large and small, for the community to enjoy.  These gardens are usually self-sustaining and low-maintenance.  The gardens reduce rodent populations in a neighborhood, and require no toxic pesticides.  We may want to encourage Southern to use some of their green space as orchard space… or the empty lot described below.

 

Website: www.phillyorchards.org

Email:  outreach@phillyorchards.org

 

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Survive the Summer, 2008

 

Summertime can be overrun with issues in our neighborhood.  Garbage accumulates and stinks, graffiti becomes problematic, street noise becomes an issue as windows are opened, and tempers flare between teenagers, their parents, and other residents.

 

Our Vice President, Colleen, has deemed our next meeting our SUMMER SURVIVAL FORUM.  She writes:

 

“We are all aware of most of the problems in our neighborhood, but up until now we have looked to outsiders to correct them.  The Neighbor to Neighbor committee would like to bring together all interested parties with the intention of finding some positive actions that can be employed to effect change and improvement in our quality of life.  This will be a brainstorming session.  We hope to generate ideas that will translate into actions that will ultimately lead to a greater enjoyment of our beautiful neighborhood.”

 

We hope to invite everybody affected by summertime issues to our meeting.  However, to prevent it from becoming a complaint session or eruption of tempers, it will require careful planning and structure.  Colleen needs help!

 

If you are interested in helping Colleen plan our Survive the Summer forum, please let her know!

 

Email:  mcdonoughc@hotmail.com

 

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Interesting Lot News…

 

I wrote PECO a last month regarding the condition of the lot next to their power station at 13^th and Oregon.  As many of you know, it tends to be littered quite frequently.  As it turns out, PECO does not own the fenced lot in question…

 

I will be sending a letter to the lot’s current owner, Citizen’s Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, in next week’s mail.  Perhaps this could be a space for Domenic’s orchards?

 

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Town Watch

 

Town watch will be concentrating this month on 10^th-13^th streets with two walks.  On the 14^th, we will be meeting at 13^th and Snyder, and patrolling 13^th and 12th.  On the 28^th, we’ll meet at 11^th and Snyder, and walk 11^th and 10th.  Both walks begin at 7 PM.

 

I’m very excited to have discovered, through one of our members, aerosol graffiti remover.  We now hope to remove small graffiti tags as we go.

 

All are welcome to walk.

 

Contact:  lomophilly@yahoo.com

 

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Clean and Green

 

Our 10^th St. Cleanup was a huge success.  Thanks to the 15 members who attended, and to Buddy Martin of Philadelphia More Beautiful for sending the water truck and orchestrating garbage bag pick-up.

 

On Sunday, June 8, we will be sweeping 9^th Street, beginning at both Snyder and Oregon Avenues and working to the middle.

 

Contact Val for more information:  val081158@aol.com

 

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Summer Hiatus & Flea Market

 

LoMo’s general membership meetings will be on Hiatus in July and August, but Town Watch and other committees will still be working.

 

One thing we’d like to do is hold a flea market in our area, perhaps in August.  If you’re interested in helping in the planning of this, please let us know!

 

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Our Calendar of Events:

 

Wednesday, May 14.  7:00 PM  TOWN WATCH walks.  Meet at 13^th and Snyder.  Route will take us down 13^th and up 12^th, finishing at 12^th and Snyder.

 

Wednesday, May 21.  7:00 PM.  TOWN WATCH walks.   Meet at 11^th and Snyder.  Route will take us down 11^th and up 10^th, finishing at 10^th and Snyder.

 

Wednesday, June 4.  6:30 PM.  CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING/SURVIVE THE SUMMER.  Fumo Library.

 

Sunday, June 8.  1:00 PM.  9^th STREET SWEEP-UP.  Meet at 9^th and Snyder or 9^th and Oregon and work toward the middle.  Let’s hope that it doesn’t rain this time!

 

===Our Next Meeting is June 4, 6:30 PM, FUMO LIBRARY===

Spring Clean results and photos!

Over 100 bags of garbage… three shopping carts… one tire.  We did an amazing thing on Saturday!  Congratulations, everybody, and thanks to all who participated!

Click on images for larger versions!

 

Letter to PECO

Many of you have expressed concern about the condition of the PECO substation at 13th and Oregon.  I’ve written the attached letter to PECO, and CC’ed Councilman DiCicco on the matter.  I’ll let you know the response.

April 5, 2008 Letter to PECO

TreeVitalize 2008

LoMo Member Kim Massare is working to get more street trees planted throughout our cachement area.  If you’d like a tree planted in front of your house for free, click the link below, fill out the form, and return it to Kim.  Email or call her at the number listed on the form with any questions.

Act Fast!  Deadline is April 28!

TreeVitalize: Request a Street Tree

Philly Spring Cleaning!

The date of the next clean and green function has been moved from March 30to April 5th, to coordinate with Mayor Nutter’s spring clean-up.  New details:

Saturday, APRIL 5, 2008 - Philly Spring Cleanup,  9:00 AM.  Meet at the South Philly High parking lot as part of Mayor Nutter’s Philly Spring Cleaning.  Contact Val DiGiovanni, val081158@aol.com, with questions.  Otherwise, simply appear!

UPDATE: 
Read The Inquirer Article about Philly Spring Cleanup at philly.com
Read Mayor Nutter’s Letter to South Philly at southphillyreview.com

Fumo to address civics

Attention LoMo members:  FYI

CSPCAA welcomes State Senator Vincent J. Fumo
    Thursday, March 27th at 7:00 p.m.
    Neumann- Goretti High School Auditorium
    10th and Morris Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19148

Senator Fumo will address the combined  memberships       
of the nine civic associations in Philadelphia who border Broad Street, south of Washington Avenue.  
 
    East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association
    Passyunk Square Civic Association
    Lower Moyamensing Civic Association  
    Newbold Civic Association
    Newbold South Civic Association
    Point Breeze Community Development Coalition    
    West of Broad Civic Association
    South Broad Street Neighborhood Association
    South Philadelphia Communities Civic Association

For additional information contact:

    Joseph F. Marino
    Chair, CSPCAA
    www.epcrossing.org    

Town Watch begins this week!

The LoMo town watch will begin walking this week, and intends to perform monthly patrols for the duration of the winter, then patrols every other week in the spring and summer months. We will be addressing quality of life issues, so if you know of any on your block - graffiti, abandoned cars and houses, illegal dumping, etc., please e-mail us at lomophilly@yahoo.com.

DiCicco to headline next meeting at Southern

1st District Councilman Frank DiCicco has agreed to come to our next neighborhood meeting on February 13 at 7 PM, South Philly High.  Bring your questions!