Upper Holmesburg: Tough
times lead it to . . . party?

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

It takes more than community participation to operate a successful neighborhood civic group, according to leaders of the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association.
It also takes money.
The folks who helped found and continue to maintain the UHCA would like a little more of both kinds of support as they continue to battle against a proposed auto-salvage yard, try to expand their agenda with other local initiatives and work in support of neighboring civic groups.
Their solution to both quandaries? Hold a party!
The UHCA will sponsor a neighborhood festival on Saturday, May 19, at St. Dominic’s Marian Hall on Frankford Avenue. The group plans to attract residents with food, drink, music, dancing, other entertainment, giveaways and contests of chance, as well as by offering residents the opportunity to take an active role in preserving and improving their neighborhood.
"We don’t want this to be just a beef and beer," said UHCA president Stan Cywinski. "We want this to be a great event. And the first one is the one that’s going to get people to come back for the next few years."
The civic group is still looking for more volunteers for tasks like serving food, selling tickets and collecting donations. Also, it’s asking local businesses and organizations to sponsor it in the form of money, food, merchandise or services.
The UHCA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible. It is now drafting a solicitation letter for distribution to the community.
Admission to the festival is expected to cost $25, which will directly benefit the civic group.
The fluctuation in participation seen recently is not uncommon for civic groups in general, depending on the "hot" local issues of the time. Cywinski noted that the junkyard fight may be stagnant at the moment, but it’s far from over.
Pull-A-Part, the Atlanta-based company proposing the salvage facility, has filed an appeal to a January ruling by the city’s zoning board that blocked the junkyard project. No date has been set for an appeal hearing, Cywinski said.
Apparently, though, many residents don’t think their participation is needed on the issue anymore.
Since winning the favorable zoning decision, the UHCA has seen a drop in attendance at its monthly general meetings from dozens of residents to a handful of people.
Meanwhile, the civic group’s legal bills have taken a toll on its bank accounts.
As a cost-cutting measure, the UHCA has been forced temporarily to stop its monthly meeting-notice mailings. Postage rates are too high, but anyone needing information on the group can visit the Web site www.upperholmesburg.com or send an e-mail to upperholmesburg@verizon.net
The group is always taking names for its e-mail list.
Also, the group meets on the same night every month, the third Thursday, usually at Marian Hall, although alternate sites are being planned for future meetings.
In upcoming meetings, the civic group plans to discuss several other key issues, including prison security, Frankford Avenue beautification, a railroad bridge-painting project, nuisance houses and businesses, the Delaware River green-way project, Town Watch and the planning of a multi-neighborhood civic group summit.
The next Upper Holmesburg Civic Association meeting will be on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. at Marian Hall, 8500 Frankford Ave. ••