Geeklog Site

We're Moving!

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:49:13 -0400

Fishtown Neighbors Association is moving! Our new home on the internet is www.fishtown.org -- please check us out there. We will be keeping this site up for a while, but all new content will be at our new home. For FNA Zoning info, please continue to check out www.fnazoning.com until further notice.

FNA March 2011 News

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:49:34 -0500

FNA March 2011 E-News

FNA Programs and Events

FNA March General Membership Meeting

FNA invites you to join us for the March General Membership meeting to be held Thursday March 17th at the Fishtown Rec Center. Be there at 6:30 for coffee & chatting, meeting commences at 7 PM. Our guest speakers will be representatives from Recyclebank and the Kensington Community Food Co-op. Philadelphia Water Department is sampling water from June to Sept 2011 – come to the meeting to find out how you can have your home water tested for lead and copper. Hope to see you there!

FNA Beautification Committee Meeting

The FNA Beautification Committee will have their monthly meeting Thursday March 10 from 7-8 PM. This meeting will discuss the March 2010 Cleanup (mark your calendars – Saturday March 19th) and the upcoming Philly Citywide Spring Cleanup (Saturday April 2, Stay tuned for more details). This meeting is at a private residence, so please email us to be put on the distribution list.

FNA Zoning Committee Meetings

Tuesday March 8:

· Community Voting Meeting: 19 W. Girard Ave (former Cornerstone Market)

o When 7:00pm – 7:30pm

o Description A proposal for an eat-in & take-out BBQ restaurant at 19 W. Girard Ave. with a double-faced projecting sign.

All meetings will take place at the Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 E. Montgomery Ave. All residents of Fishtown are eligible to vote. Please bring proof of residence or business ownership in the form of a driver's license or a photo id and a lease, utility bill, or recent piece of mail addressed to your home or business.

Around Fishtown

Pruning Tool Sharpening Class

Saturday, March 19: 10am - 12pm, Greensgrow Farm, 2501 E. Cumberland St.

Just in time for spring gardening and tree maintenance! Philly Tree People is organizing a pruning tool sharpening workshop led by Joe Shapiro, a long time University City Green volunteer and fellow tree fanatic. Bring your tools and we will provide the rest. (Please do not bring your shovels and hoes.) There is limited space, so please RSVP by March 12 to phillytreepeople@gmail.com

Announcing Kensington Compost Co-op

Founded by Sustainable 19125 and Philly Compost, the Kensington Compost Co-op offers an affordable composting for Fishtown and Kensington residents. For a small yearly fee, you can bring your food scraps to a TBD location in Fishtown on designated days and put them in our pile. You'll get a heap of compost out at the end. The Compost Co-op will be launching this April - Sign up before April 1st, and receive your first year's membership for half price. Kensington Compost Co-op is holding a community meeting next Wednesday March 9 at 6:30pm at Atonement Church, 1544 E Montgomery. The Co-op is proposing to move into the Garden Center, and they want to hear your questions and concerns.

For more info, including up-to-date event listings, please check out our facebook page. If you would like to join the co-op, email us at kenzocompost@gmail.com or call Toby at (215) 427-0350.

City Launches Serve Philadelphia to Match Volunteers

The City of Philadelphia wants to make volunteering as easy as possible for residents of every age, from every neighborhood. To help meet that goal, the Mayor's Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service has launched www.SERVEPhiladelphia.com. This new, user-friendly website is the perfect place for Philadelphians to find volunteer opportunities that match their skills and interests. It is also an ideal resource for non-profit organizations, community groups, and block-captains who want to recruit volunteers throughout the year.

Are you on Facebook or Twitter? So is the FNA!

FNA Chili Cook-Off 2011

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:49:54 -0500

FNA February E-News

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:40:35 -0500

FNA E-News: February 2011

Awesome general membership meeting lined up w/Alan Greenberger! Do you have it in you to win the chili cookoff? Details to enter below…

Love,
The FNA
www.fishtownlife.com

FNA Programs and Events

FNA February General Membership Meeting

FNA invites you to join us for the February General Membership meeting, to be held Thursday Feb 17th at the Fishtown Rec Center. Be there at 6:30 for coffee & chatting, meeting commences at 7 PM. Snacks provided by Soup Kitchen Café, check them out here.

FNA will be joined by our featured guest speaker, Alan Greenberger, Philadelphia Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and current chairman of the Planning Commission. Alan will review Philadelphia 2035, the comprehensive plan for Philadelphia currently in its citywide stage, and discuss how it relates to Fishtown and the river wards in the future. Check out Philadelphia Planning Commission Initiatives addressing the comprehensive plan, zoning, pedestrian/bicycle plan and more at www.philaplanning.org. Bring your questions!

FNA’s Chili Cook-Off 2011

FNA is excited to announce our

Chili Cook-Off

Sunday, March 6, 2011

1-4 PM ~ $10

Feast Your Eyes Catering

(Front and Palmer -- 1750 N Front St.)

Sign up now to compete for bragging rights to the Best Chili in Fishtown! The FNA is now accepting contestants for the event - send an email or sign up at the February General Membership Meeting for a chance to win. Space is limited, enter today! Local celebrity judges will declare the winner, plus a People’s Choice Award let’s you decide too.

For those of you that love eating chili more than cooking it... join us and sample up to 20 kinds of chili from your neighbors and local restaurants. Wash it down with a cold locally brewed beer from Philadelphia Brewing Company and Saint Benjamin’s Brewing Company.

Entry to the event is a bargain at $10 (tickets available at the door), so don’t miss your chance to discover who makes the Best Chili in Fishtown!

FNA Zoning Committee Meetings

Tuesday February 15:

· Community Voting Meeting: 1341 Frankford Ave.

o When 7:30pm – 8:00pm

o Description A proposal to subdivide an existing building at 1341 Frankford Ave. into two retail spaces, with one to be used as a tattoo studio (relocation of Art Machine Productions from 2424 Studios) & the other TBD

Fish Signs for Sale!

Still don't have your fish address sign? These white wooden signs with a green and grey fish are a great way to show off your Fishtown pride. They come with a black metal scroll bracket and the cost for the two pieces is $60. House numbers are not included. Reserve yours now by emailing us with your name, address & phone number & we will make arrangements for pick up.

Around Fishtown

Sustainable 19125 Energy & Housing Fair

Saturday February 19th 11 – 3 PM

Kensington CAPA High School (Front and Montgomery)

Vendors will include ECA, PECO, PGW, Earth Force and several alternative energy companies. Financial institutions will also be present, providing information on the recent cap raises on electricity, presenting information on alternative suppliers and the ability to sign up for renewable energy in your home. Free weatherization workshops throughout the day, plus a student led tour of the new LEED certified platinum building! For more info, email sustainable19125@gmail.com

Philly Tree People Tool Sharpening Workshop

Philly Tree People will be holding a FREE Tool Sharpening Workshop, hosted by Greensgrow Farm, on Saturday March 19 from 10 AM-Noon. Joe Shapiro, a volunteer for University City Green, will be demonstrating how to sharpen pruning shears and loppers. Materials will be provided for everyone to sharpen, so bring your dull tools. If you are interested in attending please email phillytreepeople@gmail.com. This event is capped at 24 people, so get your RSVP in soon! r RSVP in soon. Joe Shapiro, a hardworking volunteer for University City Green, will be demonstrating how to sharpen pruning shears and loppers. We will have all the materials for everyone to do hands on sharpening, so bring your dull tools! Joe will also demonstrate how to sharpen shovels and hoes as well, but please do not bring those! We look forward to seeing you there!!

Are you on Facebook or Twitter? So is the FNA! Come check us out!

FNA Zoning: Feb 1 Mtgs postponed until Feb 8

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:14:39 -0500

Dear Fishtowners,

All zoning meetings originally scheduled for Tuesday, February 1 have been rescheduled until Tuesday, February 8 due to concerns about the weather. If you know anyone who was planning to attend, please pass this on. Thanks & stay safe!

Love,
The FNA

FNA Zoning Committee Meetings

Tuesday February 8:

Community Voting Meeting: 2328 E. Norris St. (Fishtown Market)

o When 6:30pm – 7:00pm

o Description A proposal for a take out variance.

Community Voting Meeting: 1506-14 Wilt St

o When 7:00pm – 7:30pm

o Description A proposal for the creation of a music production and recording studio in an existing structure.

Community Voting Meeting: 1228 E. Berks St.

o When 7:30pm – 8:00pm

o Description A proposal for the legalization of an existing single family home at 1228 E. Berks St. (requires a variance for lacking a side yard & off street parking).

Jan 2011 General Membership Mtg Minutes

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:50:00 -0500

Meeting Date: January 20, 2011

Issue Date: January 27, 2011

Meeting Place: Fishtown Recreation Center

Participants: Neil Brecher

Christine Marsal

John Consolvo

Dana Hirshenbaum

Jill Betters

Morgan Jones

Micah Hanson

Lynn Radak (writer)

FNA Members

Purpose: Monthly Membership Meeting

1. General Introduction and Welcome:

· The meeting began with a general welcome and reminder to sign in, sign up, and pay membership dues for 2011.

2. Local Business Spotlight:

· Brindle Cafe – Owner Scott Forman generously provided sandwiches and bread pudding for the January meeting.

3. President’s Report:

· Safety and Crime Report: Neil Brecher reported on how important it is to be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood. Two recent local crimes, the Kensington strangler, and the murderer of Sabine O’Donnell were both apprehended in part due to an alert community. Everyone needs to be mindful of what is happening in our neighborhood.

· New Board Introduction: Neil Brecher introduced the member’s of the 2011 FNA board.

· 26th District Officers Introduction: Three officers from the 26th District were present for this meeting. The officers hope to be more involved in the FNA as well as attend the monthly membership meeting. The District wants to encourage community members to utilize the 311 system. They are currently working on providing Fishtown with a dedicated representative. Also please feel free to contact the Captain’s office email to report anything, include attachments, videos, photos, etc. The email address is police.co_26@phila.gov

4. Vice President’s Report:

· Holiday Party Review: Thank you to everyone who attended the party. We were able to collect 50 gifts for neighborhood children. The FNA is planning to have the party again in 2011

· Beautification Committee: Kristie Landry reported that, the committee will no longer focus on monthly clean ups, but instead would like to encourage people to keep their own neighborhood areas clean. Spring and fall neighborhood clean ups will still occur. The committee is currently trying to obtain more trash cans and “no littering” signs. The annual window box and planter contest will be held again in 2011. They are working on increasing the overall “greenness” of Fishtown. It was announced that the Garden Center is now closed, due to reduced funding. Kristie is going to provide information at the next meeting about access to local community gardens.

· Zoning Committee: The new zoning committee chair, Matt Carp, was introduced. The committee needs help, last year there were 20 -25 meetings and 25-35 screenings.There will be three meetings on Feb 1 – 2328 Norris – The Fishtown Market – zoning, 1506 E Wilt – an existing building with plans of becoming a Music Production Studio/living space, 1200 block of Berks – a house was built - needs zoning. Information about upcoming zoning meetings can be found at fnazoning.com.

· Fish Signs: There are 23 fish signs left. They are sold with a mounting bracket for $60.00 thus far 27 have sold.

· Membership: Dana Hirshenbaum is the acting membership chair until further notice. Dues are $5.00 per person/per year. At this meeting 32 people signed in, and 27 paid dues. Members were asked to pin their location on the map.

5. Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer John Consolvo prepared a written Treasurer’s Report, to be filed with the minutes.

6. State of the FNA/Goals:

· Strategic Plan The FNA has changed – Strategic plan by the end of this year

· Rec Center Plan Micah Hanson has announced a new plan to improve the Recreation Center. He is heading up a group to identify things that need to be fixed/improved, safety issues, and a wish list of projects.

· 2011 Events New Events for 2011 – First annual chili cook off on March 3, 2011, and the first annual FNA block party. Other events – Fishtown Shad Fest, Trenton Ave Arts Festival, Meet the Neighbors, River city Festival, Holiday Party.

· Committees There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved, including the following committees: membership, beautification, zoning, River City festival, chili cook off, fix the Rec, youth development, health and safety. There are also semi regular networking events and monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of every month.

· Website Morgan Jones will unveil the new and improved website at the end of this month. The new www.fishtownlife.com website will be a blog style resource for information that fishtowners need.

7. Love/Change: Neil Brecher added a new segment to wrap up each monthly GMM asking attendees to state something they love about the neighborhood and something they would like to change. Several responses are listed below-

· Love train access, FNA, proximity, Penn Treaty Park, Milk Crate Coffee, the people, Library.

· Change parking on the sidewalk, trash, bigger trees, police station.

Thank you to the Bridle Cafe, the FNA board and the meeting attendees

2010 Christmas Tree Recycling Event

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:30:34 -0500

Art Sphere Inc. invites you to participate in the MLK DAY 2011: A Fishtown Rec Center Event!

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:56:00 -0500

Art Sphere Inc. invites you to participate in the

MLK 2011 Fishtown Rec Center Event

Everyone is invited!

Come celebrate community service with educational arts projects and take home crafts activities!

Join us Monday, January 17th (Martin Luther King Jr Day) from 10 AM - 2 PM

We will be working with stencil workshops, mural painting and park cleanup activities. Please come prepared to paint with acrylic and water-based permanent paints. Bring old clothes and warm clothes as well as special dietary needs. We will be able to work under open air roof and porch in most types of weather, as well as indoors.

Located at: Fishtown Recreation Center, 1201 East Montgomery Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19125

For more information contact: Art Sphere Inc. at info@artsphere.org or 215-413-3955

FNA Announcements: December 2010

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:02:57 -0500

Greetings Fishtowners, It's hard to believe that it's already time for our last newsletter of 2010! From all of us here at the FNA, we want to thank you for making this such an exciting & successful year in Fishtown! It's been a year full of clean-ups, tree plantings, barbeques, festivals, networking events, zoning meetings, First Fridays, and much much more! We've had an amazing time working with & getting to know each & every one of you & we sincerely hope you'll join us in celebrating the holiday season at our Holiday Celebration on Thursday, December 16 at 17pm. And if we haven't met you yet, please come out & say hello. We hope to see you there & just in case we don't, we wish you a happy & healthy new year. Oh, and be sure to save the date for our January General Membership Meeting: Thursday, January 20. Love, The FNA www.fishtownlife.com FNA Programs and Events An FNA Holiday Celebration: Fishtown Rec Center Thursday, December 16, 7pm Please join the FNA at the Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 E. Montgomery Ave., on Thursday, December 16 at 7pm for some holiday cheer! We'll bring the drinks & entertainment, you bring your favorite holiday cookies to share. In addition to celebrating, the FNA will be partnering with the 26th District to collect donations for Toys for Tots. To participate, please bring a wrapped gift with a tag designating whether it is for a boy or girl, and general age range. The FNA will then deliver all gifts to the 26th District for distribution throughout the holiday season. We hope you can join us in supporting this wonderful cause and celebrating the holiday season Fishtown-style! FNA Zoning Committee Meeting Tuesday, December 14, 7:30pm: A proposal for a nanobrewery with one off-street parking space at 308-10 Richmond St. The meeting will take place at the Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 E. Montgomery Ave. All residents of Fishtown are eligible to vote. Please bring proof of residence or business ownership in the form of a driver's license or a photo id and a lease, utility bill, or recent piece of mail addressed to your home or business. FNA Beautification Committee: Plans for 2011 Looking ahead to 2011, the FNA Beautification Committee is planning to place an emphasis on promoting and developing the green spaces in the neighborhood & developing alliances with local & citywide agencies & groups with a focus on greening & sustainability. To that end, we'd like your help taking an informal survey of the current space in the neighborhood. Please email us locations of existing parks, dog-parks, gardens, murals, etc. so we can start keeping track of them & get them whatever resources & attention we can. Additionally, if you can think of any empty Fishtown spaces that could use our help, please let us know by emailing us at fna@fishtownlife.com. Fish Signs for Sale! Looking for a creative holiday gift for the Fishtowners in your life? We've got the perfect solution: fish signs! These white wooden signs with a green and grey fish are a great way to show off your Fishtown pride! They come with a black metal scroll bracket and the cost for the two pieces is $60. House numbers are not included. Reserve yours now by emailing us with your name, address & phone number & we will make arrangements for pick up. Events around Fishtown Kensington Community Vigil: Friday, December 10, 6pm, Jasper & Cumberland Streets Come and show your strength as a community. Let us hold a vigil for the recent victims of violence in the neighborhood. Please join us at this corner at 6pm Friday night to express solidarity as a community as we cope with this challenge - a serial strangler preying on vulnerable victims. We as a community are stronger than this one person, and we shall overcome with strength in numbers. Join us and show your support and love for this neighborhood. Community Crime Meeting: Saturday December 18, 10am, Cardinal Bevilacqua Center, Lehigh & Kensington Aves. A community meeting to address the Kensington Strangler and the heightened state of alert in the neighborhood. While the string of murders connected to the strangler have received a lot of media attention, they are connected to deeper issues within our community that need to be addressed. Please let your family, friends, and coworkers know about this effort, and all are invited to attend the community meeting. For more information please email Erin at erinh123@gmail.com or call 215-357-5710. Vote for the By My Side Neighborhood Parenting Program to Receive a Pepsi Refresh Grant The By My Side Neighborhood Parenting Program needs your votes to help them get this much needed grant to refresh their Playgroup Space!! Check out By My Side at www.neighborhoodparenting.org. You get 1 vote per email daily & 1 text vote per phone daily. http://www.refresheverything.com/neighborhoodparenting text 104635 to 73774 (PEPSI) Please vote every day!! Goods for the Homeless Art Machine Productions has been running a goods drive for the homeless all season. It will be coming to a close Friday December 10th so we may organize and distribute December 11th. Check out the list of items and more information at: www.TimPangburn.com Meeting Regarding Street Cleaning & Permit Fishtown Rec Center, Tuesday, December 14, 7pm FACT & Penn Treaty Special Services District will be hosting a meeting at the Fishtown Rec Center on Tuesday, December 14 at 7pm to get your feedback on street cleaning and permit parking for residents on the riverside from Girard to Delaware Avenues & from Frankford Ave. to Marlborough St. Representatives from the City will be present to explain what effects these two services will have on neighborhood residents. A vote will be taken on the street cleaning issues and if the majority of residents oppose street cleaning, the program will not be engaged. In order to vote, residents must bring proof of residency in the form of a driver's license or photo id. For more information, please contact fishtownaction@aol.com. �@ Walking Fish Theater Holiday Show: A Fractured Christmas Carol December 11-December 30 at the Walking Fish A Fractured Christmas Carol is a slap-dash, fast-paced, family-friendly adaptation of a favorite holiday ghost story with loads of audience interaction for everyone--young and old. Opening Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 2:00pm and running until December 30 at Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Ave. Tickets are $5 for children and $8 for adults. Every Wednesday show is pay-what-you-can. For showtimes or more information, visit www.walkingfishtheatre.com. Programs at the Fishtown Branch Library, 1217 E. Montgomery Ave. Finger Knitting Fridays: Learn how to finger knit, make holiday gifts, and help decorate the library for the holidays each Friday during December at 3:45 pm. Gingerbread Challenge: Students in grades 4-12 are invited to make and decorate gingerbread houses on Wednesday December 22 at 3:45 pm. Procrastinator's Holiday Bazaar 4, Johnny Brenda's Sunday, December 19, 12pm-4pm Waiting until the last minute to finish your holiday shopping? Join over 20 of Philly's best local artists at Johnny Brenda's and get all stocked up with holiday cheer. Exhibiting artists will be offering work in glass, jewelry, paintings, prints, one-of-a-kind crafts, and artwork. Get more information about the individual vendors at positivespace.net Neighborhood Treecycling, Saturday, January 8 Join the FNA, EKNA, ORCA & NKCDC in making our community Clean and Green by participating in Treecycling! BEFORE - Drop off your trees anytime between December 26th and January 8th at Greensgrow Farms (2501 E. Cumberland Street) or the NKCDC Garden Center (Frankford & Berks). DAY-OF - Feel free to bring your tree directly to the chipper on January 8th! 9am-12noon - behind Port Richmond Plaza (where Girard Avenue meets Richmond Street) 12noon - 3pm - across from Emerald Street Urban Farm (SW corner of Dauphin and Emerald) ROUNDUP - Put your trees curbside before 9am the mornnig of January 8th, and volunteers will be by to grab it! $5 suggested donation. Please remove all tinsel and decorations!! Brought to you by Bartlett Tree Experts, FNA, ORCA, EKNA NKCDC, Sustainable 19125, and Greensgrow Farms. For more info please email sustainable19125@gmail.com. SEPTA Update The second phase of track work on Frankford is ongoing with track being laid from Wildey Street, underneath the I-95 underpass up to Richmond Street with the intersection of Frankford Avenue and Richmond Street closing on Monday, November 22, 2010. Residents of the 100 block of Richmond Street will need to use a detour off of Brady Street or Sarah Street from Allen Street to access this block of Richmond Street. Crews anticipate the intersection being closed for about 2-3 weeks but, like the top half of Frankford Ave., will re-open once track and concrete work has been completed. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Lucille Songhai, Constituent Relations Coordinator, at 215-580-8168 or lsonghai@septa.org CommonSpace Wants Your Feedback CommonSpace is a new Philly-based web startup that aims to promote economic and environmental sustainability by using geospacial information to help users discover neighborhood destinations that they can get to by walking, biking or taking public transportation. Their pilot phase will last through December 15. During that time, they're looking for feedback from community members so they can improve the site. If you're interested please visit http://commonspace.us/ and let them know what you think through their online survey. You will also be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to White Dog Cafe, Picnic, Mugshots, or Earth, Bread and Brewery.

FNA 2011 Board Elections

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:50:27 -0500

The 2011 FNA Board elections will take place at the November 18 General Membership Meeting at the Fishtown Rec Center. Nominations for the 2011 FNA Board closed at the October General Membership Meeting. The following is a list of the nominees: Jill Betters Neil Brecher (current FNA President) John Consolvo (current FNA Treasurer) Micah Hanson (current Chair, FNA Zoning Committee) Dana Hirschenbaum (current FNA Corresponding Secretary) Morgan Jones (current FNA Board member) Christine Marsal (current FNA Recording Secretary) Lynn Radak Erik Schmidt (current FNA Vice President) Our bylaws currently provide for a Board of Directors of 5-15 people. In order to be elected to the Board, a candidate must be member of the FNA who has attended at least five General Membership Meetings between September 2009 & October 2010. The bylaws permit candidates who have volunteered at FNA events throughout the year to substitute some of those activites for the meeting attendance requirement. Any FNA member who has attended at least three General Membership Meetings in 2010 is eligible for vote for the 2011 Board. Anyone wishing to vote must attend the November meeting & vote in person. Because there are fewer than 15 people "running" for the Board this year, anyone who receives any votes will be elected to the 2011 Board. Once the elections are complete, the Board will internally select officers. Copies of the by-laws are available on this website, under "By-Laws" & we will have some on hand at the next General Membership Meeting this Thursday, November 18 at the Fishtown Rec Center. As you can see, the by-laws place great emphasis on attendance at General Membership Meetings, so if you have any interest in being on or voting for the 2012 Board, make sure to attend as many General Membership Meetings as you can. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at fna@fishtownlife.com.