Northeast Times

There’s no place
like home

I know gas prices are outrageous. And I can understand how $2 a gallon can be high, especially if you drive everywhere. Gas must be absurd for families in the suburbs, but they aren’t high for us. I live in Tacony. Within a few blocks are Frankford, Cottman, Torresdale and Harbison avenues. I can walk everywhere, especially when my girlfriend has the car for work.
With the new Rita’s water ice open at Harbison and Frankford, I can make sure I have my cool treats to survive the heat. I can also hit the Twistee Treat at Longshore and Frankford or go to Cottman and get another water ice if things are too hot!
Since I’ll be doing a lot of walking around while my girlfriend is at work, I could stop in any of the five shoe stores along Frankford to make sure my feet are comfortable. The convenience stores will provide for all my needs. Sure, getting summer clothes is a mini-hike to Roosevelt Mall, but there are local places on Disston Street for clothing emergencies.
Torresdale Avenue is crowded with lots of easy places. The library, a post office and a good diner are all within two blocks of each other. And we can’t forget that summer haircut on Magee or one of four barbers or salons on Frankford again.
I can stay cool, get new shoes, have liquid and have my new gear all locally. Why pay $2 plus just to go somewhere when we have everything right here? Besides, I don’t know if you have noticed it, but we still have a really good neighborhood after all these years.
My neighbors have peach trees and dogwoods. Parks are actually safe at night and well-illuminated. And we don’t worry about gunshots going off in the night in our neighborhood.
We have it great here, so save yourself some money and take a walk around. See what you’ve been missing locally.
William M. Shields

Congressman
clears the record

Beverly Cocco’s letter in the June 17 edition of the Northeast Times in which she expresses her alarm about a bill (HR163) currently in Congress that would reinstate the military draft contained a great deal of accurate information, but it had one major inaccuracy.
Ms. Cocco wrote that I was undecided about the bill. I am not undecided. I am against the bill.
While I support the fight against terrorism, I do not believe that reinstating the draft or mandating civilian service is necessary at this time.
I support the bill’s emphasis on civilian service, but I do not believe in requiring young people to perform civilian or military service. Instead, I support directing increased funding towards recruitment and retention programs in the armed forces.
Attracting and keeping the highest quality of men and women into the armed forces through increased pay, better career opportunities and enhanced benefits will guarantee our military’s continued ability to respond to threats against our country.
Additionally, I fully support enhanced volunteer opportunities for civilians and have been working with my House International Relations Committee colleagues to see that the Peace Corps budget doubles by 2006, and that funding for travel and exchange programs between young Americans and their foreign peers is increased.
By enhancing incentives and increasing possibilities for engaging in volunteer service, we can improve our armed forces without reinstating the military draft.
Joseph M. Hoeffel
13th Congressional District
Editor’s note: Rep. Hoeffel is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.

Time to check
the candidate

In response to Tom Waring’s article, Schwartz: Time to check oil (June 17 edition), state Sen. Allyson Schwartz, the Democratic candidate in the 13th Congressional District, is a day late and $2 plus a gallon short unveiling her plan to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
Unfortunately for Sen. Schwartz’s constituents, she has waited for the proverbial horse to get out of the barn to unveil her plan to close the barn door. The people of the 13th Congressional District need representation in Washington who has foresight in constructing plans to address problems prior to these issues mounting to such a serious level that we can no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Sen. Schwartz is serving her fourth term — why did she wait until now to propose such a plan? Could it be she is telling us what we want to hear in an election year in order to secure a seat as a U.S. congresswoman? If this is truly important to her, why hasn’t she raised this issue during her four terms in office? Show us with actions, not words.
Sen. Schwartz had ample opportunity to make a difference for the better, but that didn’t happen. Our neighborhoods have deteriorated during her tenure, and currently the gasoline prices have soared.
The citizens of the 13th Congressional District placed their trust and confidence in her for 14 years; much to our chagrin, Sen. Schwartz has let us down. It is time for a change.
The change for the better is to vote for Melissa Brown for U.S. Congress.
Carol O’Brien
Holmesburg

Bring back
the flea market

Why was Roosevelt Mall’s flea market such a popular spot? The mall does not offer a food court, restrooms or even a sitting area. Certain stores on the property even objected to us using their restrooms. So why did people line up their cars and trucks as early as 3 a.m. to obtain a space on the hot tar costing one of the highest fees in the area?
A customer using SEPTA or driving can come from the north, south, east or west parts of the city to browse, shop or even take in a movie at the end of their day. What other flea market in the area can offer this?
As a long time dealer of the flea market, I miss the customers who shared parts of their lives with me each Sunday. We shared happiness and sorrows. We were the family a lot of customers did not have.
Our customers, whose ages range from 7 to 85, looked forward to seeing us in the same spot each week. The closing was a hurt shared by both the dealers and the customers.
Betty Waterson
Mayfair

Your editorial was
unfair to the ACLU

I have to ask why the author of the Lights On! editorial (June 17 edition) would take such a cheap shot at the American Civil Liberties Union by referring to it as the “National Criminals’ Lobby.”
As I am sure the author is aware, the ACLU’s sole reason for existence is to defend the freedoms guaranteed us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights from those who purport to know “what is best for us.”
Certainly criminals benefit from the ACLU protection, but so do all Americans in the sense that the ACLU recognizes and supports the rights of individuals, not just the majority. Given the fact that law enforcement officials have been known to make mistakes in issuing tickets, I for one will sleep better knowing that while Big Brother is watching us, the ACLU is watching Big Brother.
I am still not sure how I feel about cameras at intersections, but I am sure that the deaths on the Boulevard were caused by the presence of irresponsible drivers (many from our own community), not the absence of surveillance cameras or the presence of the ACLU.
Mary O’Donnell-Green
Mayfair

Lawncrest 4th of July
will be fun for all

It has come to my attention that there is concern over how we have gone about raising funds to pay for this year’s 4th of July festivities, which will be held this Saturday.
Last year, on the day of the festivities at about midday, I along with our treasurer became very aware that we were short of funds. We were close to $10,000 short of what we need to pay off all the bills — a total of about $25,000.
Immediately I posted signs around the recreation center stating that we needed more donations. We were able to gather about $3,000 additional that day but still were short $7,000 — the cost of the fireworks! The day and night went on as planned.
Over the fall and winter months, numerous discussions were held amongst committee members as to what we could do to try and raise this much-needed cash and still plan for an event for 2004.
In mid-March, one committee member (thank you, Gerry!) came up with an excellent suggestion to use an idea that another community group had done and that had proved successful for them in years past: We draw up a letter soliciting donations, seek students from local high schools needing community service and coordinate them to assist us with folding and stuffing into envelopes the letters and canvassing the neighborhood distributing those letters.
Something that to most people seems relatively simple is not!
Figure this: Lawndale and Crescentville combined have some 11,000 homes. An average-sized block has 20 to 40 rowhomes on it, particularly in the lower end of Lawndale and most of Crescentville.
Since the students need to have their community-service material handed into the school by about May 15 (they are not allowed to carry over community service time) this left us with little over two months (and only count that time by Saturdays and maybe a couple of Sundays, which gives us a total of about 10 days) to accomplish a seemingly daunting task. Sound easy?
We also faced the very real possibility that no one would respond to this and we would waste the money used to print the letters and buy the envelopes, so we set a goal of 2,500 letters to be distributed and see how the response was.
We made an arrangement to use some extra space in Fleet Bank on Rising Sun Avenue (thanks, Jess!) on selected Saturdays to begin this process (This was allowed only during their business hours, which are 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.)
The first day, a total of five students and three adults were on hand for the three hours (that’s 24 man-hours) folding and stuffing, then they proceeded to cover the neighborhood over the next several hours.
We decided to cover the north end of the neighborhood first, as it has fewer homes per block and we would be able to cover a wider area with the 2,500 letters. A rather large area was covered the first day, and over the next couple of Saturdays (with dwindling students, as most already had their service time in) they covered the area from Hellerman Street to Cottman Avenue, west of Rising Sun Avenue.
About three weeks ago with no students or letters left, I made a call to the Northeast Breeze to place an ad in their paper (as it covers all of Lawndale and Crescentville) with a clip-out form for donations. (I did this because people from Crescentville began calling me at my home to ask why they hadn’t received a letter and how can they make a donation.)
In addition, several small ads were put in both the Northeast Times and the Olney Times (yes, we get donations from Olney, too!) telling everyone that we needed money to hold this year’s event (we still do) and to send donations to Fleet Bank (6425 Rising Sun Ave., Phila., PA 19111.)
To date, this alone has netted us almost $5,000. Along with other donations, chance sales and T-shirt sales, we have actually moved ahead. We have made a down payment for the fireworks this year and have paid off several vendors already.
Back in April, at a committee meeting, we were on the verge of canceling the whole event because there seemed to be no interest coming from the neighborhood. That has once again proved itself wrong, since money is coming in and we are now just a few days from the event. Yes, there won’t be as much as in years past (remember, we still owe money from last year) but the familiar things will still be there — parade, flea market, food, kids rides, music (a DJ this year and B101.1 doing a broadcast and giveaway later in the day) and of course, the fireworks!
Next year we will start the donation letters earlier and cover the entire neighborhood, now that we know we will get a good response and will have the time and manpower to do so.
In addition, City Councilwoman Marian Tasco has been assisting us with securing the Philadelphia Activities Fund Grant, however we will not actually see that money until sometime in September, when it has gone through the processes that are needed to obtain that funding.
I have her word that we will receive the monies in September, which I believe because her office and I have gone through hell and back trying to secure that funding plus another source that we are still working on. I thank Ms. Tasco and Cherelle Parker for their assistance and true concern for this event and this community.
For all those out there who doubt us and think we are targeting only certain parts of the neighborhood for money, you need to grow up! I know where we are getting our money from, I know who wants this event, and as far as I am concerned, it is here to stay as long as the community keeps showing us the money. Yes, the community has changed; nothing ever stays the same. If it did, it would get quite boring.
Think of this: Back in the 1890s there were several mansions where the Cardone facility and Hechingers Plaza is now, farms all across the areas where your homes are now, a beautiful park with boardwalks and pavilions that covered the area where Alcott, Brill, Sanger, Cheltenham, Godfrey, Tabor, Elsinore, Colgate, Comly, Rosalie and any other street I missed in the lower east side of Crescentville.
Do you think those people gladly welcomed our ancestors into this neighborhood who tore down their beautiful estates, plowed their farms and parks, and built rowhomes for all the immigrants coming in this area and this city? I don’t think so.
You can either look at the glass as half empty and wallow in your sorrows and pity, or look at the glass as half full, notice our rising property values (rowhomes going for near $100,000) and see that after all is said and done, here we are once again coming together as a community for the 89th year celebrating our independence, that which gives us the right to live where we want and breathe freely and not have to answer to anyone — which makes me wonder why I have had to write this letter in the first place.
Thank you for your support and cooperation and of course, your understanding!
Ken Houser
Chairman, Lawncrest 4th of July Committee

She’s not so wild about
WOW . . . for now

I am writing in regards to the WOW skating rink at 7017 Roosevelt Blvd. The WOW center to me is very prejudiced with their clientele. Yes, the center is in the Mayfair section of the Northeast, but you are lucky if you find two people in there who are from the Northeast.
When I took my children there last year I could not wait to leave. We were not treated like a minority. We did not fit in and were not welcome there. Forget waiting in line for skates; I might have just remained in the back of the line all day, because we were completely ignored.
And just forget trying to cash in your tickets to claim your prizes — you might as well just stand in the back of the line again. The other children would butt in line and they would still be able to redeem their tickets first. That’s just the way it is at the center and it’s a shame.
And now that I know the manager from the picture from the June 3 edition of the Northeast Times, I realized it was him I spoke with about the music there. For one, I could not hear myself think yet alone understand what kind of music it even was. When I mentioned the children butting in line to get their prizes first, he did not do a thing. He just shrugged his shoulders. As for waiting in line for the food, it is the same attitudes.
Yes, this center has to go!
I’m sorry, but I think I am speaking for 95 percent of the Mayfair adults and children. They just don’t listen to that type of music. I had my 9-year-old son request Aaron Carter’s song I Want Candy and they almost laughed in his face. They never played it, but when rap music was requested the DJ played it immediately. I saw it firsthand. But then again, the DJ was African American.
How are our children from the area supposed to skate and listen to that type of music? My kids absolutely hated being there. That is a shame.
This is our neighborhood. How would they feel if went into their neighborhood and made them feel like outsiders? We would probably be shot.
It used to be a nice place to hang out with your friends, grab some pizza and skate while listening to good music. I used to go there when it was the United Skates of America back in the ’80s. Now, I could never send my children there alone because I would be afraid for their safety.
We need a place for our children to go because there really isn’t anywhere for them, which is why so many kids are getting in trouble — there is absolutely nothing for them to do.
St. Timothy’s offers a “skate” a couple Friday nights a month that the kids love. They play music they can enjoy and understand, not like the music, if that’s what you call it, at WOW, because language in that type of music isn’t exactly geared to little children.
You are not made to feel welcome there, like Mike Slaven states in the Times. He had a very big attitude when I approached him. As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t even look at me. He had the attitude of, “if you don’t like it, you can leave.”
He made me feel like my children and I did not belong. Like, why would a white family come here?
Our kids need somewhere to go besides the Mayfair Shopping Center and the Roosevelt Mall. I’m sure I’m not the only parent who feels this way. What the center needs is, for one, to get rid of the gospel nights — it doesn’t belong in Mayfair. Maybe bring a DJ in who will play music from Radio Disney. Children of all ages would benefit from that.
Radio Disney appeared live at the Roosevelt Mall sidewalk sale last year and it drew hundreds, so why not bring it to the WOW entertainment center? That is what Mayfair needs and I would love to see it happen!
Maybe a petition could get started. I’m sure thousands of signatures would be received.
Mary Szydlowski
Mayfair