Next week in Frankford

• The Historical Society of Frankford Celebrates Women’s History Month
  When: Sun, Mar 2, 1pm – 4pm
  Where1507 Orthodox Street Philadelphia, PA 19124
  Description: The Historical Society of Frankford Celebrates Women’s History Month Please join us at our Sunday Matinee Sunday, March 2, 2008 Doors Open at 1:00PM $5.00 Donation & Members Free At 1:30PM - Dr. Donna Skerry presents “The History of Women’s Health” Looking at changes in women’s health over history. The Historical Society of Frankford 1507 Orthodox Street Philadelphia, PA 19124 215.743.6030
• Grand Army of the Republic Museum Open House
  When: Sun, Mar 2, 12pm – 5pm

  Where: 4278 Griscom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124

  DescriptionPresentation at 1:30 PM: Grant vs. Lee at Appomattox Ed Glenn, Author & Historian
• Frankford Civic Association Meeting
  When: Thu, Mar 6, 7pm – 9pm

  Frankford Hospital 2nd floor conference room
  

Is another big rehab coming to Main Street Frankford?

I reported last week about how we are reviewing the real estate transactions on Frankford Avenue. One of the largest took place July 16 of 2007 with the purchase of 4243-47 Frankford Avenue for $510,000 by Berkley Property LLC.



The legal address for Berkley is 1010 Shepard Road in Blue Bell. This is the same address as the Wedge Med Corporation a major provider of substance abuse services. They are making significant improvements to the property.

We have no more accurate information at this point but we'll continue to research the issue.

Celebrate Women's History month

The Historical Society of Frankford

Celebrates Women’s History Month

Please join us at our Sunday Matinee

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Doors Open at 1:00PM

$5.00 Donation & Members Free

At 1:30PM - Dr. Donna Skerry presents

“The History of Women’s Health”

Looking at changes in women’s health over history.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 7:30PM

$5.00 Donation & Members Free

Meet Lydia Darragh, a Philadelphia Quaker who supplied General George Washington with vital information leading to the defeat of the British troops at Whitemarsh. Hear Lydia’s first hand account of this daring deed and maybe become part of the action during this interactive reenactment. Learn all about this fascinating but little known piece of American history told by Rachel Greisler storyteller.

Light Refreshments will be served.

Notice: This is our Annual Meeting where members vote in Board Members & the annual report is given.

The Historical Society of Frankford

1507 Orthodox Street Philadelphia, PA 19124

215.743.6030

Check out our website at: www.historicalsocietyoffrankford.org

Preserving and presenting the history of Northeast Philadelphia since 1905

Katrina Travis, Administrative Coordinator
Historical Society of Frankford
1507 Orthodox Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Phone: 215-743-6030
Cell: 215-805-2809

Northwood Civic sails on calmer seas

From Tom Waring of the Northeast Times this week:

State Rep. John Taylor feels welcome again at Northwood Civic Association meetings.
Taylor (R-177th dist.) had a strained relationship with Joe Menkevich, the colorful former president of the group.
Now, with Barry Howell as president and a united board of directors, Taylor thinks the meetings are now more warm and respectful.

Read the entire story here.

St. Joachim Parish

St. Joachim's has a new web site. It's good. Check it out here.

Crime - not in Frankford

nbc10.com reported on their web site that a shooting in the 5900 block of Horrocks was in Frankford. Wherever you might call it, it's not Frankford.

This is the original report, I asked them to make the correction. We'll see how that goes.

ARAMARK Corporation comes to Frankford

From Foxbusiness.com:

As part of the partnership kickoff, this week in Philadelphia, ARAMARK's global headquarters, over 100 ARAMARK employees will work with City Year Corps members to enhance the physical environment of the Frankford Group Ministries, a community based organization that provides human services to residents of Frankford, a neighborhood in northeast Philadelphia. Together they will update kitchens, build shelves, paint murals and sort clothing for donations to local families.

Read the entire story here.

Third graders go to college

From the Daily News:

The pupils who used to attend teacher Kristin Palmer's third-grade class at a charter school in Frankford would go to Room 118.

Not anymore.

Now they go into Room Temple.

It's the same room at the First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy, at Tacony and Church streets, only the name has been changed as part of a program to instill in the 8-and-9-year-olds the concept of college.

"Many of the students live in poverty, and I believe if young children are exposed to college, even at the conceptual level, there's more of a chance that they'll attend college when they're finished high school," Palmer said.

"It puts the idea on their radar: They know that college comes after 12th grade and after college, a good job."

Read the entire story by TOM SCHMIDT here.

Main Street Frankford

We've spent the last few days going over the BRT web site to see what it shows about real estate activity on Frankford Avenue last year. It took some time but now we can report that 25 properties were transferred in 2007. One of them was transferred twice. This runs from the 4200 block through the 5200 block. $ of those transfers only were title changes. The remaining 21 were valued from $32,000 to $3,732,000. 8 of the new owners gave addresses outside of Philadelphia. 2 of those 8 are located in Brooklyn, New York.

In 2006 there were 37 transfers between $15,000 and $550,000.
In 2005 there were 39 transfers between $20,000 and $750,000.
In 2004 there were 30 transfers between $9,000 and $310,000.


This is the first of a series where we will take a look at those properties transferred in 2007.

Home of the week

We're back in the 5300 block of Sylvester street this week.

ex-offenders

“We either have to get comfortable with ex-offenders in the workplace, or you'll meet some of these folks in an alley, somewhere. You decide.”

You have to love that quote but there is truth to it. It has nothing to do with being a bleeding heart and everything to do with cold, hard reality.

The point is that we don't want Frankford to be a dumping ground for repeat criminals or the permanent home of chronically indigent drug users. Thanks but we'll pass on that.

But we do support helping those folks who get out of jail and want to go straight, to get jobs and keep out of trouble. It just makes so much sense.

Read the rest of the story at kyw1060.com by following this link.

Emine Hajredinaj

Emine Hajredinaj was murdered on Griscom Street on January 31st.

The man accused of killing a pregnant woman whose baby survived the shooting last month has been arrested, police announced yesterday.

Tyree Bass, 23, of the 1500 block of Adams Avenue, turned himself over to officers Wednesday. He was accompanied by his attorney.

Her alleged killer turned himself in and this is a link to the entire story in the Inquirer.

Emine Hajredinaj and her family came to Lansdale from war-torn Kosovo in 1999

While following up on this story I stumbled over this other nice story in TheReporteronline.com about who Emine Hajredinaj was and how she found her way to Frankford. Read it here.

Frankford resident critically unjured in hit and run in center city

From 6abc.com:

CENTER CITY - February 23, 2008 (WPVI) -- Police have identified the man injured in a hit and run crash Friday night in Center City.

22-year-old Theodore Thomas of Unity Street in Frankford was struck at about 6:30 p.m. during heavy rain, at the intersection of 9th and Market Streets.

Thomas remains in very critical condition at Jefferson University Hospital tonight.

The driver has not been caught.

Go here for the full report.

Crime in Frankford

From the Inquirer about the murder on Wednesday night. This seems to have been a domestic situation although it was at Frankford and Fouldrod which is our neighborhood hot spot.

Another three hours later, police found Michelle Hicks, 36, of Frankford, stabbed multiple times in her home on Frankford Avenue near Foulkrod Street, O'Brien said.

She was declared dead just before 9 p.m. at Frankford Hospital, O'Brien said. Police charged Richard Smith, 26, of the same address, in her death. It wasn't clear what his relationship hadbeen to Hicks.

This was the fourth murder in Frankford this year.


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National Treasure

A great story from Diane Prokop in the Northeast Times about the gathering last week at Mozaic for the recording of Butch Ballard for a documentary. Read the article here.

DVRPC - what's it go to do with Frankford

The DVRPC (Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission) is quite a mouthful. It is unique in that it is one of the few regional cooperative bodies between New Jersey and Pennsylvania and it matters to everyone.

The DVRPC would like you to take a survey related to planning for the future. Planning is a good idea and governmental agencies should be encouraged in that direction. Take a look and give them a piece of your mind. It doesn't take long. Follow this link.

Home of the week

You can find this one on Horrocks street in the 5300 block. It was a nice afternoon but a little overcast. These folks had an interesting treatment of the front lawn. Map

Who is Andrew Altman and why should Frankford care?

Ed Bacon (Keven Bacon's father to you young folks) inspired Andrew Altman to become a city planner. The Philadelphia native has landed back in Philadelphia to become mayor Nutter's deputy mayor and commerce director.

What is city planning? It is what good cities do to plan for their growth. That is something we haven't seen in Philadelphia in, well a long time.

Altman's credentials are being touted as evidence that Nutter is serious about making planning important again, and ending years of seat-of-the-pants deal-making that marginalized the city's professional staff.

This means that we are going in a new direction. There will be plans for the entire city.

Nutter has also talked about the riverfront as a "huge opportunity," Altman said. "He told me about all the failed plans and said now is the time to get it done." But, he said, he also expects to focus on neighborhoods bypassed by the recent development boom.

It would be an understatement to say we have been bypassed. Yes folks it's time to get serious. Read the entire story from the Inquirer here.

Frankford rehab center uses video games to improve therapy

From the Philadelphia Business Journal:

Patients at the Transplex Center (map) for Medicine and Rehabilitation don't just stretch, lift weights and use stair-climbers during therapy sessions.

They also play baseball, golf, bowl and even box -- all without leaving the Frankford health-care center in Northeast Philadelphia.

Read the entire story here.

Presbyterian Church of Frankford set to enter its third century

From the Northeast Times and reporter Diane Prokop:

The church will hold its 200th anniversary celebration of its transfer to the Presbyterian Church (map) on Sunday, May 4, with a luncheon at noon and celebration
services at 2 p.m.

Read the entire story here.

Next week in Frankford

• Butch Ballard
  WhenSun, Feb 17, 8pm – Mon, Feb 18, 12am

  WhereWRTI 90.1 on your FM dial

  DescriptionWill be on the air and encourages all his friends and neighbors to listen and call in.
• Northwood Civic Association Meeting
  WhenTue, Feb 19, 7pm – 9pm

  WhereSt. James Lutheran Church
• From the GAR museum -5th Annual Temple University: Underground Railroad & Black
  WhenFri, Feb 22, 4pm – 7pm

  WhereTEMPLE UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS Philadelphia, PA - Gladfelter Hall

  DescriptionFebruary 2008 Civil War & Black History Event in Philadelphia! 5th Annual Temple University: Underground Railroad & Black History Conference “Journeys of Discovery in 19th Century African-American History” Friday, FEBRUARY 22, 2008 Conference at TEMPLE UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS Philadelphia, PA CHAT Suite (Center for the Humanities at Temple) 10th Floor Gladfelter Hall 11th & Berks Sts. Philadelphia, PA 19122. 4:00 (registration) – 7:00PM Pre-registration: $15 or ($20 for on-site); Light Refreshments Temple students are FREE Panel of distinguished scholars; Keynote Address; Symposium and Refreshments included; book displays & signings by authors! Center for the Humanities Temple University Gladfelter Hall, 10th Floor 1115 West Berks Street Philadelphia, PA 19122 e-mail: humanities@temple.edu Dr. Andy Waskie: 215-204-5452 Our program will feature presentations by Nat and Yanna Brandt, Allison Dorsey, Bettye Collier-Thomas, and Diane Turner; our focus is on the research process (how scholars move from topics to arguments). ALL Welcome!

Twins at Powder Mill

We took a look at the construction progress today. Still a lot of earth moving equipment on site but footings have been laid for the houses along Cayuga Street (map) and concrete block has been distributed.

Take a look.




See all of our pictures here on flickr.com

Frankford Business and Professional Association

The general meeting of the Frankford Business and Professional Association was held at at Frankford Hospital on Wednesday, February 13th, with 19 in attendance. The meeting was chaired by Elizabeth McCollum Nazario the new President.

• Discussions centered around the ongoing issue of crime and safety and the perception of Frankford as an unsafe area. While statistically crime has declined in the area, headlines have not.
  
• Guest speaker Maria Quinones Sanchez, new City Council representative, talked about her first month in office. She plans to return to a future meeting of the FBPA for more detailed discussions of what can be done to develop the area economically.
• Scott Lodise, Chief of Staff for State Rep. Tony Peyton made a presentation on National Safe Place. He encourages businesses in the area to consider joining this network.

The next general meeting of the FBPA is scheduled for Wednesday April 9, 2008. If you are in business in any way in Frankford you are invited to join the FBPA.

Frankford CDC turns a corner

There has been a great deal of discussion about the CDC and the mistakes made in the past. This update from the Northeast Times brings us up to date. The the entire very informative story by Reporter Diane Prokop here.

Frankford Civic Association meeting

Though the Frankford Civic Association, formerly known as the East Frankford Civic Association, is still awaiting official paperwork from Harrisburg to finalize its more inclusive name change, the group is moving forward with its agenda to be more proactive in the community.

From Diane Prokop of the Northeast Times, we have this summary of the proceedings at the last meeting. Read it here.

150 weasels captured

Not.

Well maybe they were. Then maybe they were not. How would we know?

Fact is, the city government does a pretty good job of keeping us in the dark. Remember the good old days when you could read the crime report in your local neighborhood newspaper? Well those days seems to have slipped by.

Now, the only way you will find out how the newest anti crime program is going, is when the next innocent child gets caught in the crossfire or attacked by some maniac who is walking the streets on unsupervised probation.

At the very least, we deserve to know the truth. While the commissioner is devising those new information systems, one of them should start providing information to the public.

They work for us. We pay the salaries. We're entitled.

Home of the week

This week we are on the 5300 block of Sylvester Street (map).

Weasels Wanted

I spent my spare time over the last few days reading the crime plan put together by Commissioner Ramsey. The headlines you have probably heard already. Put more cops where they are needed. (If you ever need a cop now go to the 1600 block of Foulkrod, any time day or night.) Better use of technology to schedule the police when and where they are needed. Lots of common sense stuff.

One of the shocking things to me is that at the time of the report, there were 2,810 outstanding warrants in the city. Those are arrest warrants that must mean something or else they would not have been issued. 2,810 wanted people. It must have impressed Ramsey too since he has since publicized, for the first time, a list of the top 150 wanted weasels in Philadelphia. This is in book form so that the cops know who they are looking for and now the public will too.

We gave it a run through and have identified those weasels who gave an address in Frankford and plotted them out on a map that you can see below. There are eight in total. Since they may still be lurking around their old stomping grounds, take a look at the complete list and see what the look like. You Don't need these folks as neighbors. If you recognize anybody, call 911.


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Next week in Frankford

• St. Joachim church will hold a pork and saurkraut dinner in the church hall (map)on Saturday February 9th from 4:30 to 7:30PM. The Schuplattler dancers will provide special entertainment. The cost is $8.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. For more information call the parish house at 215-743-2879.
• Butch Ballard Trio will be filmed for a documentary film on the “Savoy Ballroom” Tue, Feb 12, 4pm – 7pm Where - Mozaic (map)
  Please come and be apart of the taping that will be given to the Smithsonian’s archives, which willl document our own two legends of Frankford, Mr. Butch Ballard and mozaic Restaurant!
• Wed, Feb 13, 8:30am – 10:30am
  WhereFrankford Hospital, 2nd Floor (map)
  
  DescriptionFrankford Business and Professional Association General Meeting, Wednesday, February 13, 8:30 am at Frankford Hospital, 2nd Floor Come out and meet Maria Quinones Sanchez, 7th District Councilwoman
• Wed, Feb 13, 12:30pm – 1:30pm
  WhereNortheast Seniors Center Center 4744-46 Frankford Ave. (map)
  DescriptionFrankford Business and Professional Association, Pictures with Seniors 12:30 pm Northeast Seniors Center Free pictures for Valentines Day

Northeast EARN Center

From the Northeast Times:

Simone Woods and Lisa Lewis are taking full advantage of the Northeast EARN Center’s community service program.
Woods and Lewis are single moms who are clients at EARN, an acronym for Employment Advancement Retention Network. The office is located at 4739 Frankford Ave. (map).
The agency, which opened in November 2006, seeks to find work for people.

Read the entire story here.

Despite low profile, Dougherty's White highly regarded by Temple

Congratulations to Quinten White, a 6-3, 195-pound outside linebacker from Cardinal Dougherty.

White and a Dougherty teammate, Keith Dockery, attended a 1-day combine that happened to be held at Temple. Working with the defensive backs, White performed well. Owls assistant Curtis Bray pulled him aside and suggested he attend coach Al Golden's camp. He did.

"Up to then I'd only been hearing from Bloomsburg and Shippensburg," said White, who lives near Frankford and Church (map), in Frankford, and intends to become a fitness trainer. "But to go to coach Golden's camp and then be told, 'We're looking at you,' that really got my attention. I was pretty excited. On the way home on the bus, I was calling my friends. 'Guess what happened today! . . . ' "

Read the entire story on philly.com

Home of the week

In the 4600 block of Penn Street is our home of the week (Google map).

Crime in Frankford

From Philly.com:

...investigators last night (January 30th) were still searching for the man who killed Robert Overton, 21, outside a Kmart (Google map)in Northeast Philadelphia about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Overton, of Ditman Street near Wakeling (Google map), was shot multiple times over an apparent ongoing neighborhood argument, a police source said.

Witnesses told detectives that the gunman fled in a light-colored sedan. Overton had a history of arrests on charges that included drug possession and carjacking, court records show.

Crime in Frankford

Thanks to a tip on Phillyblog from B-REAL we found this on 6abc.com:

FRANKFORD - February 3, 2008 -- The manager of a nightclub has been shot in the back while trying to break-up a fight.

The gunfire erupted outside Platinum nightclub just after 2 a.m Sunday in the 4100 block of Torresdale Avenue (Google map).

The manager apparently asked several men who were fighting inside the club to leave. As the manager tried to escort them out of the club, they all began to argue.

That's when one of the men pulled out handgun and started shooting.

The manager was struck once in the back. He was taken to Frankford Torresdale Hospital in stable condition.

No arrest have been made.

See the video report and read the entire story here.

Crime in Frankford

From kyw1060.com:

Police have released details and a composite sketch of a suspect wanted for a sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in the Frankford section.

The girl said she was walking on the 4400 block of Wingohocking Street in Frankford, when a man grabbed her by the neck, dragged her into an alley, held a knife to her throat and sexually assaulted her.

The attack happened around 9:15 pm on January 25th. Police were searching for a man believed to be about 6-feet tall with a thin build, 16-17 years old, with scars on his face. He was wearing a dark green jacket with fur around the hood.

Next week in Frankford

• Sun, Feb 3, 12pm – 5pm - GAR museum (Google map)- Civil War History Presentation! – FREE & Open to the public! Special Black History Month Presentation: Camp William Penn and the Training of Black Troops for Civil War Service. G.A.R. Civil War Museum & Library Presents: First Sunday Historical Program Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 1:30PM G.A.R. Civil War Museum & Library 4278 Griscom St. Philadelphia, PA 19124 215-289-6484 www.garmuslib.org For details: contact: Dr. Andy Waskie: 215-204-5452
• Thu, Feb 7, 7pm – 9pm - Frankford Civic Association meeting at Frankford Hospital (Google map), 2nd floor conference room. Check community calendar for agenda.
  

History Shmistory

It is almost hidden in plain sight googlemap
on a busy street in Frankford. The Historical Society of Frankford is opposite the Frankford Friends school. These two venerable institutions form a vortex of learning and culture in a neighborhood rarely associated with either.

We visited the Historical Society (HSF) last week and took a tour with Debbie Klak, the current president. While the HSF has no public programs during January and February, work still goes on.

We met Harry Silcox, the prominent local historian, doing some research on the Edwin Forrest Home for Retired Actors and also Jack McCarthy the society's archivist. We discussed the new organization of a Center for Northeast Philadelphia History which HSF is coordinating. A flock of volunteers came in while we were there and I could not tell you what they were doing except to say that they were very busy.

The building is larger that it first appears. Using parts of 3 floors, it is filled with both documents and artifacts from the 17th century through the present day. It would takes days to do justice to a review of the exhibits but some of our favorites were related to Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette, Hessian soldiers during the revolution, Lydia Darragh and Frankford during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War period in Frankford and of course the Lenape indians. It was something like the Antique Road Show of Frankford.

The document collection is extensive with literally thousands and books, records and maps to offer the researcher hours of new avenues to peruse. Genealogists looking for new routes to search, if your have ancestors in the Northeast, you may find that missing link right here.

Every institution goes through cycles of growth and rest. The Historical Society of Frankford is moving into the 21st century in a growth mode. With the influx of new folks coming into Frankford and the increasing interest in local history throughout the Northeast, things are definitely looking up.

It was a great tour for us and open house will resume for the public on the first Sunday in March at 1:00 PM. Meanwhile have a look at our slide show of some of the pictures from our tour on flickr.com.

[where: 1507 orthodox st. Philadelphia, pa 19124]