As you may know, just after midnight on New Year’s Eve, one of LoMo’s residents, Joseph Testa, was killed in a stabbing on Jessup Street as he attempted to intervene in a fight outside his home. He was the primary caretaker for his sister Rose, with whom he lived. Rose is mostly housebound and needs constant care. We visited with Rose last weekend to talk to her about some of her needs, and to see if there was a way our civic association could assist her.  Her daughter lives in New Jersey, but is unable to care for her mother full-time, and Rose moving in with her daughter is not an option.

One of their main concerns is getting in-home care for Rose, and we are going to provide her and her family with information on the different services the Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging (PCA) can offer and other resources for the elderly and disabled.

Rose’s brother shopped, cooked and cleaned for her and she doesn’t know how she will be able to manage without him.

We would like to raise funds toward the purchase of a generous gift card to Shop Rite. A long-time neighbor who lives across the street has offered to help her purchase groceries online, which can then be delivered to her home.

We would also like to raise funds to purchase two days of housecleaning for Rose, until she can get cleaning services via PCA or another organization.

Last, Rose would welcome homemade, nutritious meals that can be frozen and are appropriate for someone who is diabetic.  She particularly enjoys Italian food or traditional American food. We found this helpful link to recipes for diabetics online: http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/italian/

Please assist us in helping our LoMo neighbor in need by making a tax-deductible gift of any amount to the Lower Moyamesing Civic Association. Our goal is to raise these funds to assist Rose by Friday, February 10. You may make a contribution online securely and instantly via PayPal by clicking here or you can send a check via mail to: Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, P.O. Box 37522, Philadelphia, PA 19148. Please be sure to include a note with your contribution that this is for Rose.

In the interim, if you would like to make a meal for Rose, please contact us and we will arrange to pick the meal(s) up from you and bring over to Rose’s home.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and feel free t

Sincerely,

Kim Massare                                          Ashley Lomery
President                                                 LoMo Neighbor

Contact: lomophilly@gmail.com
267-544-9597

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A number of local civics have teamed up to make tree-cycling easy and convenient for South Philly residents. You can take your pick of any of the following three locations:

OPTION 1::
Bring your tree to Columbus Square Park ***
Date: Saturday, January 7, 10am – 4pm
Location: 13th & Reed Sts.
Prep Work: Remove all ornaments, decorations, and lights
Cost: A $5 donation is requested to offset the cost of equipment rental and to support South Philly civics.

OPTION 2::
Bring your tree to Marconi Plaza ***
Date: Saturday, January 7, 1 – 4 pm
Location: Bigler Street, west of Broad St.
Prep Work: Remove all ornaments, decorations, and lights
Cost: A $5 donation is requested to offset the cost of equipment rental and to support the Friends of Marconi Plaza. You can also register for RecycleBank and pick-up a recycling bin at this location.

OPTION 3::
Bring your tree to the Sanitation Department’s Depot
Date: Tuesday, January 3 thru Saturday, January 14, 8 am – 6 pm
Location: Citizen Drop-Off Center at 3033 S. 63rd Street
Prep Work: Remove all ornaments, decorations, and lights
Cost: Free
For more info, visit www.philadelphiastreets.com or call 3-1-1.

These events are part of a broader effort throughout the city to divert trees from landfills and encourage sustainability in the City of Philadelphia. Click here for greenlimb’s list of all participating sites in Philly.

*** Tree Transport is available on January 7 for residents without vehicles.  If you would like us to pick up your tree, email lomophilly@gmail.com or call 267-544-9597. An additional $5 donation is requested for pick-up.

If you would like to volunteer to help out at either Columbus Square or Marconi on Tree-cycling Day, please email lomophilly@gmail.com for more details.

Thanks to everyone who cast a vote in this year’s Holiday Decorating Contest — we logged a whopping 6,444 votes!

All of the homes that participated in this year’s contest were absolutely spectacular and we wish to congratulate everyone for helping to make our neighborhood so festive this time of year. Take a stroll around the neighborhood and check out these houses, if you haven’t already. They all look amazing!

LoMo was featured in the Metro as one of the best decorated 'hoods!

Special thanks also to the following businesses who donated fabulous prizes for this year’s contest:

ShopRite of Front & Snyder
Los Gallos Taqueria
Trader Joe’s
Matteo’s Italian Foods
John Paul Salon
Big Dan’s Deli

And special thanks also to our LoMo board members who worked so hard to organize this year’s contest. 

On behalf of the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association’s Board of Directions, Happy Holidays to all and best wishes for the New Year!

It was waaaaaay back in the fall of 2008 that LoMo embarked on its first tree planting adventure.  On a cold November morning, with the help of twenty volunteers, we planted seven trees.

Three years and six tree plantings later, we’ve planted nearly 150 trees throughout our neighborhood. Each and every tree has been free to homeowners, thanks to the TreeVitalize program.  All told, the dollar value of three years of our tree plantings can been estimated at over $45,000, plus the numerous environmental benefits that are a bit harder to quantify.  We are incredibly grateful for the support of our neighborhood’s Tree Tenders, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Philadelphia Dept. of Parks and Recreation, our sister civic associations, our volunteers, as well as the local businesses that have donated food and refreshments over the years. We couldn’t have done it without you!

This fall, on November 19, from 9 am to noon, we invite you to join us for LoMo’s 7th neighborhood tree planting. We’ll be planting an additional 50 trees in our neighborhood – bringing our grand total to 200! — and we are teaming up with our friends from East Passyunk Crossing and Newbold Civic Associations to do so. The meeting location will be the parking lot of South Philadelphia High School at Broad & Snyder.  Morning refreshments and supplies will be provided, and there will also be a celebratory after-party at the Adobe Cafe on Passyunk Avenue.

If you’d like to help with our fall tree planting, please contact Rachel Reilly, LoMo Environment Committee Co-Chair for more info at rreilly@phillycityspace.com. Or if you would like to help LoMo’s ongoing greening work grow with a tax-deductible contribution, please click here. Thanks for your support!

PIT CARE

• Gently loosen the soil around your tree.  Remove any weeds and waste materials.  Water your tree first and you can remove weeds with less effort.
• If you want to go the extra mile, apply compost and wood chips around the base of your tree in the form of a donut, away from the trunk. No volcano mulching! Piling mulch up high and packing it around a tree’s trunk in a cone shape can be really harmful to a tree.
• Over time, your tree may outgrow the pit it was planted in. Removing more conrete to enlarge your tree pit will increase the lifespan of your tree and will prevent sidewalk upheaval. Seek the help of a certified arborist when you are ready to enlarge your tree pit.

WATERING

• 15 gallons at a time.  It’s important to water slowly and deeply. Use a bucket, drip with a hose, pole holes in a bucket, or use tree gator bags. 
• Water your tree twice a week during regular weather conditions; 3X during periods of drought. 
• It’s best to water early morning or evening.        

PRUNING

• Always seek out the advice of a certified arborist when considering pruning for your tree.
• Tree topping (or removing whole tops of trees or large branches, leaving stubs or lateral branches) is always a bad practice and is always discouraged.
• Wintertime, when a tree is dormant, is a good time to assess your tree for structural defects, like cracks and rubbing branches.

PROTECTION

• Temporary fences are a good option for discouraging dogs and foot traffic in/around your tree pit. Permanent fences, however, need to be monitored over the life of a tree. The fencing should be removed well before the tree begins to grow into it; otherwise the fence will severely damage your tree and shorten its lifespan.
• Never apply bricks around the base of your tree. This will limit the amount of water and air that can reach your tree’s root system.
• Never build a wall around your tree. This will limit the amount of rainwater that can flow into your tree pit.
• Flowers around the base of your tree may encourage people to respect your tree, but can create competition for root space, water, and nutrients. Choose annuals, rather than perennials.

If your tree is in need of pruning or is dead and need to be removed, call 3-1-1 or click this link for the Tree Maintenance Request Form. If you tree is dead, please consider requesting a new tree to help keep our neighborhood green!

Whether you’re new to composting or a seasoned composting pro, we’d love for you to take part in this new program! Many of us with tiny backyards lack the space to have our own compost pile, but LoMo’s Community Composting Program makes it easy and convenient to start turning those food scraps into something your plants will love.

To participate in the program, we ask that interested households first review our Community Composting Guidelines, which includes a list of what you can and can’t compost. To sign-up for this program, simply sign & return a copy of the guidelines and send a tax-deductible contribution of $25 by check, money order, or paypal to: Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, P.O. Box 37522, Philadelphia, PA 19148. You will be issued a handy bucket with lid in which to transport your kitchen scraps. Your $25 contribution will help us purchase the necessary tools and supplies to manage our composting pile and also support greening initiatives in our neighborhood.

Feel free to contact us with any questions: lomophilly@gmail.com.  Happy Composting!

 * Interested in other Philly composting services that will pick-up kitchen scraps directly from your doorstep? Check out Bennett Compost, who has been a great supporter of LoMo’s greening initiatives!

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Join us the second Wednesday of each month from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm for $1 off drafts and appetizers. All are welcome! Bomb Bomb is located at 1026 Wolf Street, between 10th & 11th Streets.

Whether or you’re new to the neighborhood, new to LoMo, new to Bomb Bomb, or none of the above – you’re invited to join us and mix & mingle in a casual atmosphere. And yes, there will be door prizes that are sure to surprise and delight.

We’re hoping these monthly get-togethers will become just as much a neighborhood fixture as water ice in the summer… pigeons on a wire… and parallel parking!

Hope to see you there! Feel free to bring a neighbor or two along!

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Want to join the ranks of LoMo’s Tree Tenders and help make this our greenest year yet? Sign up for a PHS Tree Tenders course this year!

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Tree Tenders® program offers nine hours of hands-on tree care training for residents of the five-county Philadelphia region. The training will cover tree biology, identification, planting, proper care and working within your community.

Available for ISA, PA LA, Act 48 and PLNA credit. Given the intensity of the training and the evening hours, the course is not appropriate for children under 16.

Classes take place at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s offices, located at 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA. The fee for each course is $25. Visit the PHS website for the latest class schedule.

To register online, click here: https://www.pennhort.net/sslpage.aspx?pid=366. When you register, be sure to indicate that you are a member of LoMo’s Tree Tenders group!

Parks are a great asset to a neighborhood, but in order for these public spaces to truly thrive they need our help.

Monthly meetings are now being held to discussing programming and ideas for park improvements. Get involved in making good things happen in Mifflin Square Park and please help spread the word to your neighbors! For more info, email Cory Miller, Program Director for the SouthEast Philadelphia Collaborative, at CoryMiller@ucsep.org.