Fall 2007 Brian Siano, Editor Jonathan Snyder, Publisher PO Box 31908, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Telephone 215-552-8186 Website: http://www.clarkpark.info Bulletin Board: http://www.clarkpark.blogspot.com Email: [email protected] Calendar of Events FoCP Leaders Oppose SEPTA’s (lack of) Plan See http://www.clarkpark.info for additional By Matt Grubel events and date or time changes. On September 18th, SEPTA conducted a community meeting at USP to explain Saturday, Oct. 6th: Bark in the their impending project to replace the trolley track along Chester Ave. from Woodland Park to 49th Street. It became apparent that SEPTA’s plan did not consider many important 2 pm issues. One of those issues Wednesday Oct 17th: General is the failed storm water Membership Meeting system under Chester Ave 7 pm Griffith Hall, USP, 43rd and King- between 43rd and 45th sessing streets. Saturday, Oct. 20th. Spiral Q At first SEPTA repre- Peoplehood Parade sentatives denied having 1 pm, starts at Paul Robeson House knowledge of this specific Saturday, Nov. 10th: Veterans’ condition, but later back- Day Ceremony pedaled on this point. (In 11 am fact, for at least the past Sunday Dec. 9th: Christmas year, it has primarily been Caroling in Clark Park SEPTA personnel who try 5 pm to clear these particular sewer inlets.) However, community members pointed out that cleaning clearly doesn’t work, and that a more fundamental problem needs to be resolved. Another attendee pointed out that it made no sense to build a road bed for track if it is going to be attacked by water from flooding or some failure below the surface. (continued) General Membership Meeting October 17 The Friends of Clark Park will be holding a General Membership Meeting on Oc- tober 17th, at 7 p.m., at USP’s Griffith Hall. This is an extremely important meeting for many reasons. It’s our Election meet- ing, so you can vote for the people who’ll be guiding the FoCP for the next two years… or, if you’d like, you can step right up and run for a board position or office yourself. Historically, our October meetings have been well attended, as they are a good time to evaluate the park right after the summer season. This has been one of our busiest seasons. We’ve had the Uhuru Flea Markets for six months. We’ve had Shake- speare in the Bowl. There’s the Park A renovation, the basketball court renovation, SEPTA’s plans for Chester Ave., and our evaluations of the park’s major events and maintenance issues. So you can see why this particular meeting is so important. We need to give you a comprehensive State of the Park report, and we want more of our neighbors to come out and get involved in our park’s future. Of course it goes without saying that if pose these there is undermining, eventually there aspects of the will be a collapse. However the guar- project. How- anteed problem for the Park is that by ever this also ignoring it, the Park will continue to be could be an flooded. oppor tunity The other concern is that no prepa- to finally ad- rations were made to control erosion dress both the during construction of this section of stormwater is- Chester. Being the lowest point of the sues and the road, overflowing rain water will carry connections soil and other material from the torn between Park up road into the park, particularly the A and Park B. ‘bowl’. Without control measures, soil, Between A tives to get all parties to the table. Both gravel, debris and silts could be left and B Park there are a couple of mid- Rep. Jim Roebuck and Councilwoman throughout the park, and clog the inlet block crossing points that are heav- Jannie Blackwell were present at the in the ‘bowl’. ily used. Anything we can do to make Community Meeting. They have both In the days following the meeting, them better and safer will be a boon to expressed interest in making the best of there was consensus amongst the FoCP the Park and the community. So we are the situation and we have been follow- Board to let officials know that we op- working with our elected representa- ing up with them. Rupp, Karen Lefkowitz, Chris Pow- A Soggy Soccer Check-in Day goes off ers, Sola Fateye, Una O’Doherty, Katy Healey, Saida Azdod, Yaser Aiq, Merrill without a hitch Clampet-Lundquist, Matt Rumain, Jon By Jim Cummings Hoffman, Gabriel Farrell, Mike Zhuraw, The first day for fall Clark Park Soc- can play that day. Brian Yachyshen, John Hansen, Lewis cer was a half a week ago. Despite early Thanks to the following for help Mellman, Casey Buckley, Kodjovi “In- morning rain and canceled organized on check-in day: Shawn Bervan, El- nocent” Adoboe, Abdul-Rahim Malik, play, there was a good turnout for regis- vin Ross, Paul Brooks, Susan Meeker, Chakir Bouchaib, Irving Drake. Substi- tration and spirits were high - later in the Bill Jenkins, Steve Culbertson, Elaine tute Coaches: Catherine Darin, Timothy morning, after the rain broke up, there Jenson, Rick Tullio, Monique Warren, Collman, Anthony Ukaha, Susy Jones, were are least a dozen young people Benjamin Harrell, Molly Sarbaugh, Abdelaziz Akabouche, Jason Caston- playing soccer. Spaces for the young- Kathleen Turner, Nadel Harvey, Marvin quay, and Matt Leatherman. est players are waitlisted, but there are Curry, Hilary, Melanie, Mike Jones, and Thanks to Mecky Kouassi for help on places available for older players. Call Jim Cummings. picnic day. Thanks to Mariposa Co-op the voice mail: 15-55-8186 for more We never got a chance to thank that for the donation of fresh fruit for the pic- information. volunteers that made the spring sea- nic. Thanks to Abbraccio for their sup- Registration day procedures have son happen: Ed Sarbaugh, Molly, Kath- port on picnic day. improved over that past few years with leen Turner, Philip Jones, Conrad Jones, Thanks to Mike Jones for taking the the new administration team. There was Jim Cummings, Susan Meeker, Elaine lead on registration and to Phil Jones a time when you could walk in at 10 AM Jenson, Sonya Harrison, Noah Har- for his help with registration. on the first day day, be told to wait until rison, Samuel Harrison, Paul Brooks, Thanks to supporters Vivianne all the reregistered players had checked Anneliese Taylor, Saida Azdod, Denise Nachmias, Kathleen and Molly Turner, in and find two hours later that there Lewis, Victoria Bowman, and Brandon and always Paul Brooks. was no space for your child that season. Burr. Thanks to all who’ve helped, and Now people can walk in and find out And of course, our Spring Coach- spaces are still available for the Fall Sea- immediately if there is a space for their es: Trudy & Paul Johnson, Stanley son! child and, if there is a space, the child Stachelek, Lauren Kjos, Christopher Friends of Clark Park sign – we are planning for the next 100 North Park Redesign Awaits Architect’s Word years, after all – while keeping one eye by Tony West on the meter. Plans for the rebuilding of the dilapi- and University City District, FoCP did As of September, Leswing was cau- dated North Park (or “A” Park) between contribute monies toward it as well and tiously optimistic. “I feel we have estab- Baltimore and Chester Avenues are ap- Leswing, an urban planner for Lower lished a working relationship with SC,” proaching the end game. After a year Merion Twp., is equipped to handle de- he says. “I feel the dialog is moving in of public and private meetings, furious tailed discussions like these. The com- the right direction.” discussions and close studies, Simone munity had specific concerns about President Jonathan Snyder agreed. Collins, the landscape architecture firm pathway layout, plaza design and tree “After reviewing the latest drawings pre- that provided initial designs for the 001 retention that the Planning Committee sented us by SC, we have expressed Revitalization Master Plan, has told us had sunk countless hours into creat- continuing concerns in some areas but they expect to have specific construc- ing guidance to help the designer on. we are satisfied to continue with the tion documents ready this fall. We’re thankful to report the Clark Park process,” he said. In March, there was a face-to-face Partnership backed FoCP to the hilt on The Rec Dept. threw a cheerful cher- meeting with Simone Collins to discuss these concerns (this Partnership is an rybomb into the planning process this the design principles and guidelines effort by the Pennsylvania Horticultural spring when Parks Coordinator Bar- adopted by the Friends of Clark Park Society and includes the Pennsylvania bara McCabe announced the City of Board. FoCP’s Planning Committee Horticultural Society, UCD, the Rec- Philadelphia had dangled a potential sent our Vice President Chris Leswing reation Dept., Councilwoman Jannie $50,000 grant from the Pennsylvania as our best chance to work with Sim- Blackwell’s office, University of the Sci- Dept. of Conservation & Natural Re- one Collins’ head Pete Simone. Plan- ences, UCGreen and the Water Dept.). sources for park development – with a Com Chair Mathew Grubel explains, Money for planning is not infinite, matching $50,000 to come from the “We needed to hear what he was think- however, and this is not a case where City. That sounded fine to us! But the ing, and to give him an opportunity to we can just send the steak back to the details are not yet clear.