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Thanks for turning
a bad into a good
I’m writing to thank our good neighbors, members and friends who stepped up and helped out our club in a desperate time of need.
The Lansing Knights experienced its third break-in in two years on Labor Day weekend 2007. Equipment was stolen and damaged, the shed was vandalized and graffiti defaced the property. Evidence of underage drinking was common on the property. Police have been investigating the occurrences.
Total damages were estimated in excess of $3,500. Lansing asked for and received help from CLIP (Matt Mullin), MARC (Tom Conway and Chris Creelman) and Mayfair CDC (Reese Hartey). Temple, Father Judge and St. Hubert’s students volunteered and were supervised by neighbors Tim and Kim Costello, Nancy Shaw and Lauren Federer. June Spring provided the work crew with drinks and pretzels from Wawa.
Parents and children from Lansing contributed to the cleanup. Lansing’s board members, especially Dave Wyszynski, Gordon Geer and John Manes, were vital in the rebuilding project.
We have been successful in reducing underage drinking inside the property lines of Lansing.
Thanks again to all that have made our club a pleasant place for children to play. The quick response to the call for help is restorative in these uncertain times.
Tim Burke
President
Lansing Knights Youth Organization
Where’s the equal protection
for red-light runners?
In response to the letters from both Mr. Fenerty of the Philadelphia Parking Authority and Mr. McCarey of the National Motorists Association concerning red light cameras (Nov. 15 edition), I would like to offer the following comments.
Since the beginning of the program, I have had concerns about the due-process issues raised by red light cameras. If you run the red light at a camera, you get a $100 "civil fine." You can request a hearing but it is not held in a court and is not protected by your constitutional rights in the same way as if it was a police officer pulling you over and giving a ticket.
As for Mr. McCarey’s suggestions, I agree with the "split sequence" idea. That solution was rejected outright by PennDOT at a community meeting several years ago. I also agree countdown timers should be installed to help pedestrians, but pedestrians also need to be given more time to cross the busy roadway.
I cannot believe, as Mr. McCarey contends, that the lights on the Boulevard are not already timed for 40 mph. Presumably, PennDOT employs engineers who would have figured that out already.
Finally, I disagree with lengthening the yellow signals. All that has done is to encourage more drivers to try to beat the red, knowing that they have the extra second.
Michael L. Bane
Northwood
Let’s just go with
the flow already!
Tom McCarey’s letter, Red light program only adds to the dangers, was the first sensible thinking about the traffic lights on the Roosevelt Boulevard that I have heard.
I have had these same thoughts for many years, even before the cameras came into play. Philadelphia is known for the erratic timing of lights, not only on the Boulevard but also on many of the main streets of the city. Even in Manhattan, where traffic is horrendous, you can usually get through eight to 10 traffic signals before having to stop for a red light. When are the powers-to-be in Philadelphia’s Department of Streets going to wake up and go with the flow?
Helen G. Preiss
Somerton
Put criminals
on graffiti duty
What is with all the graffiti? I ride the Boulevard every day and it seems as if almost overnight a "graffiti fairy" sprinkled graffiti dust all over the buildings and signs lining the Boulevard. It’s everywhere!
As populated as this city is, it amazes me that no one ever witnesses this crime. With all the crimes being committed in this city there should be more offenders given community service to clean it up. Also, they should be made to clean up the graffiti in their own neighborhood — chances are they or someone they know did it anyway.
With all the criminals we have in Philadelphia, giving a portion of them community service, we should have the cleanest city in the country.
Theresa Johnson
Oxford Circle
Send prayers
back to school
Recently the mayor of Philadelphia had people come to City Hall to pray for Officer Charles Cassidy. That was a wonderful thing to do.
It was an example of freedom of speech, but as I look back on the U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban a child from saying his or her prayers before school because one person did not like it, I feel that according to the Constitution, the government is of the people, so if the Supreme Court does not reverse its decision, this should be put on the ballot and let the American people decide.
Maybe if these young people who are doing the shootings these days had been raised with a prayer in their life, things would be like they were before prayer was banned in schools.
John F. Rauchut
Mayfair
Civic group officials
explain leader’s ouster
This is regarding the article on the "illegal meeting" of the East Frankford Civic Association (‘Illegal’ meeting votes out president, Nov. 8 edition).
I am a lifelong resident of East Frankford and the zoning and licenses inspections representative for the Office of Councilman Daniel J. Savage.
There seems to be some confusion over the Nov. 1 regularly scheduled meeting of the East Frankford Civic Association.
The meeting’s agenda was to include three very crucial zoning matters that could no longer be continued and needed to be voted on by the entire body of the civic, not just the president, and the election for new officers and board members. That agenda was decided and voted on by the entire body of the East Frankford Civic Association at the October meeting. The entire body approved all officers and board members to be elected.
President Peggy Hoch herself asked Savage’s chief of staff Liz McCollum-Nazario to be on the nominating committee and said that she would provide her with the tools necessary to coordinate that before the next meeting. Peggy later refused to do that. Then, at the last minute, Peggy decided that because one person is sick, an entire civic association cannot meet.
I immediately began getting phone calls from various members asking why the meeting was canceled and why we still cannot meet.
The group decided that a meeting was still necessary. They decided to continue with the election; neither I nor Mrs. McCollum-Nazario proposed this — the dues-paying members did.
I am a resident of East Frankford, born, raised, and still live there. There are crucial zoning matters that come before the zoning board every month. At the October meeting we agreed to and invited those applicants to come to the meeting. These applicants cannot be expected to wait another month because one person on the civic group is ill. That is ridiculous and irresponsible.
I did not raise my voice to Peggy. That is an outright lie. My fellow co-workers can attest to that. A few were there when I made the phone call to Peggy stressing the importance of the meeting. I know Peggy and knew I needed to cover myself in the event that Peggy would lie.
The bottom line is that Peggy knew her time was up and tried to stall the meeting. She knew that many people, not associated with politics or the office I work for, were not happy about how the East Frankford Civic was being run. Peggy does volunteer at the curfew center. That is great, but it has nothing to do with the civic association. All of the meetings she attends now can be easily attended by the new civic association president.
Frankford has too much to lose. Peggy voted in favor of the prisoner re-entry program, she voted in favor of a new check cashing establishment (twice, then had to retract because it was not disclosed at the meeting), and voted in favor of a junkyard — all in East Frankford.
Peggy was voted out unanimously by the dues-paying members of the civic association. Thelma Young has been the vice president for years and has been recovering from knee surgery and unable to attend recent meetings. She has the authority to run meetings and ran that meeting in a fair and objective manner.
As the zoning representative, Thelma helped make us aware of all the strange zoning decisions being made by Peggy Hoch without the full consent of the civic association.
As the zoning representative for the 7th Councilmanic District, I alerted Peggy of many upcoming zoning issues that needed to be presented to the EFCA, and she wanted to OK and approve them all on her own.
Unless our office forced the issue of the check-cashing application she would have pushed it through without the EFCA holding a public meeting and casting their vote. When Peggy saw that no one was in favor of the check-cashing plan, she changed her tune. No one at EFCA was aware that Peggy was writing her own letters in favor of them. As a gentleman I did not publicly disclose that.
The EFCA still does not fully know, with the exception of Thelma Young, of Peggy’s tendency to decide zoning in Frankford all on her own.
The EFCA decided to vote in another president for other various reasons, her inability to accept help and change. She wants to control the EFCA all on her own. There were offers for help at previous meetings and she shot them down.
People in Frankford are becoming more engaged and want a say in their own neighborhood. They spoke on Nov. 1 and voted in new officers and board members. I am looking forward to becoming a more engaged civic association that will proactively protect and help make Frankford a better place to live.
Kevin Walsh
Frankford resident and new EFCA board member
• • •
I am responding to the allegations made about me in the article in the Nov. 8 Northeast Times.
At the time of the Nov. 1 meeting, I was the East Frankford Civic Association’s vice president. I did have the authority to hold that meeting and was more than happy to do so.
There is only one reason for my recent absence from the EFCA meetings. I had knee replacement surgery and needed to stay home and take care of myself.
No one would know I was the EFCA vice president because Peggy doesn’t let anybody help out. Well, you can’t run a civic association alone. It takes the entire neighborhood. New faces and ideas are good, and I welcome them.
I have told her for a long time now to let the young people help out and take the reins. The younger people of Frankford have been getting more and more involved, and it is a blessing.
The zoning in Frankford cannot be dictated by one person. Being a president of a civic association does not mean you get to be a dictator and make decisions on your own. I have witnessed many zoning matters get approved without our knowledge. They have never been brought to the EFCA members.
There was recently a check-cashing matter to decide. Peggy was ready to say yes until the matter was brought before the civic association, thanks to Kevin Walsh bringing it to our attention. Peggy tried the same thing with the same applicant in 2005. She also approved the prisoner re-entry program without the EFCA’s full consent. Enough is enough!
The meeting in November was a legal meeting of the dues-paying members of the East Frankford Civic Association. It was unanimous.
Our new president will now have to get the treasury information from Peggy and all pertinent equipment that is the property of the EFCA. Good luck with that. We haven’t had a treasurer’s report or election in years.
I am happy to be active in my new role as a board member and will help the new officers in any way I can. I love my neighborhood and want to see it succeed. I wish others could step aside and do the same.
Thelma Young
Former vice president of the EFCA and a new EFCA board member
Memo to folks
in the 2nd District
Dear 2nd PDAC friend and supporter:
The 2nd Police District Advisory Council traditionally has held a holiday dinner for the officers of the 2nd Police District. This year we have decided to hold a luncheon for the police officers and their children.
We always acknowledge the support our community receives from the officers, but never of the sacrifices their children have to make so that their parents can perform their duties.
Every day these officers lay their lives on the line to protect OUR COMMUNITY!
It always amazes me how profoundly appreciative the officers are of this event and how it warms them with the knowledge of the community support they receive from the businesses and residents of the 2nd district.
Our event this year will be held Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Northeast Community Center located at 2840 Holme Ave. We are hoping that we will be able to count on you for your support and generosity this year.
Donations may be sent payable to the 2nd PDAC to:
Larry Genetti, Treasurer, 2nd PDAC
c/o 2nd Police District
2831 Levick Street
Philadelphia, PA 19149
Thank you for your continued support. Questions for further information should be directed to 215-342-8946.
Lynn M. Genetti
Chairwoman
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