Bachmayer fields questions
at Northwood Civic

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Police Capt. Frank Bachmayer brought some reinforcements to last week’s meeting of the Northwood Civic Association.
Bachmayer, commander of the 15th Police District, welcomed 16 new officers from the Philadelphia Police Academy graduating class of April 4. The busy and large 15th received more new officers than any district in the city.
The captain and Sgt. Kevin McDevitt introduced four of those officers to civic association members. The rookies are officers Khalil Shaheed, Jamie Sidorski, Arne Vaughn and Lydia Mendez. They are in training for the first month.
Bachmayer, who has been at the 15th for about 18 months, fielded questions mostly about trucks and schools.
Residents want police to ticket the driver of an 18-wheeler who sometimes parks overnight on Large Street near Wakeling Street. Truck parking is prohibited from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
There was also a complaint about truckers from Roosevelt Boulevard using southbound Castor Avenue. On both sides of the avenue, there are signs prohibiting truck traffic.
Some neighbors had concerns about dismissal time at Frankford High School. Bachmayer said his officers pay close attention to all of the schools in the district, adding that Frankford causes only half of the problems seen at Abraham Lincoln High School.
In other news from the April 15 meeting:
• Barry Howell, president of the civic association, offered his condolences to the family of Leonard Williams, a former member of the board of directors who died of cancer last month.
"Len Williams contributed a lot of his time. He is going to be well-missed. And that comes from the bottom of my heart," Howell said.
Williams and former president Joe Menkevich resigned last year after Howell and other board members tried to impeach them over a series of disagreements.
• Hasan Malik, of Northeast Tree Tenders, announced that the group is accepting requests for street or yard trees.
The trees will be 6 to 12 feet tall. The recommended donation is just $15.
On March 15, the organization planted 19 trees at locations across the Northeast and another four at Julia Masterman High School, where Malik is a senior.
To request a tree or for more information, contact Malik at 215-694-9607 or netreetenders@aol.com or visit www.netreetenders.com
• The state Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting on Thursday, April 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Frankford High School.
PennDOT will provide information and ask for comment on projects to improve Interstate 95 and the Bridge Street and the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue interchanges.
• The Friends of Greenwood Cemetery will hold a cleanup on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The historic cemetery is located at 930 Adams Ave. The building on site was once owned by Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Refreshments will be provided. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, rakes, shovels and branch cutters and wear sturdy shoes and long-sleeved shirts and pants.
For more information, call 1-609-647-9613.
• The 15th Police District Advisory Council will hold a community day on Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Rowland Avenue parking lot of Abraham Lincoln High School. The rain date is Saturday, May 17.
The event will feature a Moonbounce, a disc jockey, face painting, children’s fingerprinting, a K-9 police demonstration, food, drinks and 75 tables of literature.
• Steve Blackburn, director of Frankford Family Support Services, announced that the agency will hold its annual youth rally on Friday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frankford Memorial Stadium.
The event will include a picnic and workshops to promote summer safety.
Frankford Family Support Services, based at 4509 Frankford Ave., offers parenting education and after-school programs and works to discourage truancy.
• The Historical Society of Frankford, at 1507 Orthodox St., will hold a fund-raiser on Sunday, June 1, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Auctioneer Barry Slosberg will give verbal appraisals for antiques and heirlooms. Individuals can bring up to three items at $7 apiece. No coins, firearms or stamps will be appraised.
Call 215-743-6030 for more details.
• Gina Panchella, a member of the board of directors, encouraged neighbors to sign a petition urging the city to take action against nuisance absentee landlords. The effort is being led by Camille Capobianco of the Tacony Civic Association.
Panchella also recommended residents consider enrolling in the Philadelphia Police Department’s Civilian Police Academy. She and fellow board member Lou Kubik are graduates.
The course is offered once a week, for two hours a night, over 13 weeks at the Philadelphia Police Academy. To apply, an individual must be 18 years or older and a Philadelphia resident. The police will conduct background and criminal record checks.
For an application, call 215-685-8120 or 215-685-8080.
• Kubik is working to clean and refurbish the war memorial on Wakeling Street outside Frankford Memorial Stadium. He has met with a contractor and will request grant money from state Rep. John Taylor.
Debbie Klak, president of the Historical Society of Frankford, suggested trying to place the memorial, established in 1922, on a historic registry.
• St. Mark Church, at 4442 Frankford Ave., will hold a flea market on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a silent auction and food sales. To reserve a table or vendor space, call 215-338-6940.
• State Rep. Tony Payton (D-179th dist.) and Guy Lewis addressed the crowd. The two squared off in Tuesday’s primary election. Payton won easily.
• Northwood Civic Association’s next meeting will be held Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at St. James Lutheran Church, at Castor Avenue and Pratt Street. The guest speaker will be City Councilman Bill Green (D-at large), a Northwood native.
Howell indicated that he wanted to meet through the summer months, traditionally a time when civic groups adjourn. ••