Upper Holmesburg hosts
city managing director

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Loree D. Jones may work for a lame-duck politician in soon-to-depart Mayor John Street, but the latest in Street’s litany of managing directors doesn’t plan on floating idly like a wooden decoy.
Jones has some big initiatives in the works for Street’s final few months in City Hall. The mayor will conclude his second four-year term in January. As managing directors are appointed directly by the mayor, Street’s successor will likely want to bring his own MD on board.
Yet, Jones told members of the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association during the group’s monthly general meeting on Oct. 18, some things just won’t wait until the new administration.
Jones’ office is still hoping to clean up the streets in more ways than one. It will coordinate a citywide, block-by-block litter sweep in the coming weeks and continues to work with local community groups on expanding the youth curfew center program.
Litter has long been a problem in the city, but recent comments by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin seemed to rub salt in Philadelphia’s open wound.
Nagin — who has been oft-criticized for mismanagement of his own city in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina flooding — had the nerve to call Philly dirty following a visit here.
"That really bothered me," Jones said. "But you know what bothered me the most, it’s true."
The MD has been working with the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee and block captains around the city to coordinate litter collection efforts and block sweeps. In November, the city will break out the big machinery as the streets department will employ blowers and mechanical sweepers to give streets the once-over.
The sweeper crews will follow behind city trash trucks on their regularly scheduled collection routes. Each block will be swept once. Upper Holmesburg residents will get the special service during the week of Nov. 5, Jones said.
Also, the MD added, the Street administration continues to work for a new curfew center in the Far Northeast, to go along with the Lower Northeast center recently opened in Frankford and another center slated to open soon at Max Myers Playground in Oxford Circle.
The centers are designed to supervise and provide city services to youths arrested by police for violating the city’s curfews for youths under age 18 (10 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends).
Youths must stay at the center until a parent or guardian picks them up. The objective is to reduce quality-of-life problems caused at night by unsupervised youths and to hold parents accountable for the activities of their children.
A Far Northeast location would make it easier for local patrol officers to transport youths to the nearest center.
• Jones’ deputy managing director, Tom Conway, urged residents to take advantage of neighborhood clean-up services offered by the city including the Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP) and the Anti-Graffiti Network.
Created 11 years ago, the Anti-Graffiti Network cleaned 110,000 properties last year. The total included both public and private properties, but just 10 percent of the cleanups resulted from community tips. Conway wants to see that rate increase.
Citizens can report graffiti by calling the network at 215-686-0000. The response time for a graffiti removal crew is usually within 24 to 48 hours, Conway said.
In addition, the Anti-Graffiti Network operates a paint-supply voucher program through which community groups can get free paint and supplies to attack graffiti on their own.
The 5-year-old CLIP initiative, meanwhile, cites on average 600 to 700 private properties per week during warm weather months for city code violations such as overgrown weeds, excessive trash and abandoned cars.
To report a nuisance property to CLIP, call 215-683-CLIP.
• Upper Holmesburg Civic board member Paul Kaufman reported that the neighborhood should soon see new banners hanging on utility poles along Frankford Avenue. The flags will identify Upper Holmesburg north of the Pennypack Creek and Holmesburg south of the creek.
Also, Kaufman said, the CSX railroad bridge spanning Frankford Avenue near Solly Avenue will soon be covered with signs touting the neighborhood. Originally, local civic groups wanted to have the bridge painted with Holmesburg and Upper Holmesburg logos, but the railroad refused to consent to a new paint job for the decayed-looking metal overpass.
• UHCA president Stan Cywinski warned residents of a recent rash of muggings in the neighborhood. Several of the crimes occurred on one particular night, claimed Cywinski, who said he spoke personally to victims.
The robbers try to wait until victims are away from Frankford Avenue and other busy areas, preferring instead to make their move on darker residential side streets where their chances of detection are lesser.
Anyone who sees a crime in progress or suspicious activity should call 911.
• The next Upper Holmesburg Civic Association meeting will be on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., at St. Dominic’s Marian Hall, 8532 Frankford Ave. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com