Editorial for June 19, 2008 edition:


Get busy in the fall

If only more Philadelphians were like Brian and Tim Wisniewski, things might flow much more smoothly in The City of Neighborhoods.
Summer officially begins on Friday, but many civic associations have already begun their summer hiatus. Except for a few die-hard citizens who stay on guard 24/7, most people in the city will spend the next two and a half months going down the shore, planning a trip down the shore, wishing they were down the shore, or going somewhere else for vacation. The apathy accompanying the dog days of summer is even worse than the poor participation at many civic associations the rest of the year.
Nothing is more beneficial to democracy than when the people rise up, speak up, and demand that they be counted. Consistently sparse participation at civic meetings, therefore, is good news for politicians and developers, who are then less accountable to their constituents and the folks who live near proposed developments, but bad news for neighborhood stability.
The Wisniewski brothers from Frankford, featured in our cover story this week, are considerably younger than the members of many civic groups, yet they stress the need to inject civic groups with new blood and more members. It’s a winning mixture.
Civic associations are vital to the city’s future. Civic members are the watchdogs of the community, the pulse of the people, an integral part of vibrant neighborhoods.
When fall rolls around and the various neighborhood associations resume their monthly get-togethers in church halls and rec centers, here’s hoping that Northeast citizens pack the meetings. The people united can never be defeated. ••

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