Fairmount Civic Association   The Voice of Fairmount

 
 

President's Message
 
Dear Fairmount Neighbors,
 
In response to requests from several members, we plan to start sending Meeting Agenda's out with the Meeting Notices.   We have several topics to bring before the members at the April Meeting:
(1)Substantive changes in the Association's bylaws, the details are under the Notices and Announcement Section 
 
(2)Approval of the 2009 Budget for the Association. A summary of the budget is in the 'Meeting Notice".
 
(3) Call for candidates to be an FCA Rep on the Board of the Fairmount Community Development Corporation. The FCA provides three reps for the CDC Board, who serve a three year term. The election for the current position will be held at the June FCA general meeting. The elected Rep will serve on the CDC Board from July 2009 thru June 2012. Interested individuals should reply to this email to express their interest. Hopefully, we will have two strong candidates to present to the membership at the June meeting. 
 
Other items of interest that I want to bring your attention  to are:
  • The Zoning  Committee of the FCA headed by Bob Shamble continues to be very active in the review of Fairmount developments/rehabs as proposed by residents and developers. There are no major zoning issues in the neighborhood at this moment, but as is quite normal there are several "individual property" rehabs or redoes in progress, so don't hesitate to contact Bob or another committee member if you are impacted by one of the rehabs. Your voice is important.
  • The Fairmount Farmers" Market will return for it's 6th season on Thursday May 7. The market will once again be on 22nd Street between Fairmount and Aspen from 3:00PM to 7:00PM from May thru Thanksgiving. Celebrate the return of fresh local produce locally raised meats and cheese and locally baked bread.
  • Most of Fairmount is located in the 9th Police district with the area above Poplar St in the 23rd. The 9th and the 6th (East of Broad St.) comprise the Central Police Division. As a part of the city wide effort Inspector Kachigian, head of the Central Police Division will be hosting a public Town Hall Meeting On Thursday APRIL 30, 2009 at City View Condominium Association, 2001 Hamilton Street from  6:00PM - 7:00PM All 9th District residents and community groups are invited to attend to address any community issues

  • Theft From Auto Increases. Although we all welcome the longer hours of daylight and mild weather that spring has brought to us - these conditions may also be a factor that could have contributed to a recent rise in theft from auto in Fairmount. Don't further contribute to this problem by leaving anything of value in your car that could be easily seen by a theft from auto criminal. Most common items taken in this crime include, but are not limited to, portable GPS systems, laptop computers, cell phones and almost anything else of value. Don't become a victim of theft from auto. Also, please advise friends and relatives from out of the city who may be visiting you to not leave anything of value in their car that could easily be seen by a theft from auto criminal. Do not hesitate to call 911 if you see anyone acting suspiciously (i.e. looking in car windows or trying to open car doors) and provide a description of their behavior, age, race, gender, clothing and the direction of their travel.

  • The Fairmount Arts Crawl is scheduled for Sunday April 26. The crawl will be from 2:00PM to 6:00PM and will include works by more than 50 artists. Venues will include more than 35 locations throughout the neighborhood including café, studios, restaurants, and other local businesses. Be sure to come out and enjoy the day.

  • The Spring tree planting in the neighborhood will take place on Saturday morning April 25. We really need some volunteers to help the Fairmount Tree Tenders and PHS plant on that morning. You should meet at Ward Park (24th & Aspen) at 8AM. It would only be for an hour or two and you should not get too muddy. We will also provide coffee and donuts. Email Barbara Epstein if you can lend a hand.

Larry Reynolds
 
 
 
 
Notices and Announcements
Bylaw Amendments
To amend our Bylaws, the amendments must be approves by the members at two consecutive Members Meetings.  Three amendments were approved at the  March 26th Meeting. If approved at the April Members Meeting, they become part of our Bylaws.   If you are a current member and would like a copy of the proposed amendments, reply to this email, but they pertain to:
  1. Changing our 'dues cycle' from a September 1st, to the                anniversary month  of joining.
  2. Adopting 'Roberts Rules of Order' as our parliamentary authority
  3. Modifying the responsibilities of the Board Parliamentarian
Rep on the Board of the Fairmount CDC
Call for candidates to be an FCA Rep on the Board of the Fairmount Community Development Corporation. The FCA provides three reps for the CDC Board, who serve a three year term. The election for the current position will be held at the June FCA general meeting. The elected Rep will serve on the CDC Board from July 2009 thru June 2012.  Interested individuals should reply to this email to express their interest. Hopefully, we will have two strong candidates to present to the membership at the June meeting.
Ideas for a Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) is developing a pedestrian and bicycle plan for the City of Philadelphia. The plan will identify and help to prioritize strategies that will increase the number and frequency of people walking and bicycling within the City of Philadelphia. The plan will provide recommendations for improving the connectivity, safety, convenience, and attractiveness of the pedestrian and bicycle networks. And if you live in or around Philadelphia, we want to hear from you!

Your input is critical to help develop a plan that addresses the needs of people on foot and on bike in neighborhoods across the study area. The questionnaire should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and will be available online for several months. Information collected will be confidential and used solely for developing the Philadelphia Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.
 
To complete the questionnaire,CLICK HERE:
For more info on the plan and how to get involved,CLICK HERE
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Upcoming Events 
If you have an event that you would like to have listed, reply to this e-mail.
 
Now through May 17, 2009
Cézanne and Beyond
The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents this exhibition which features forty paintings and twenty watercolors and drawings by Cézanne, displayed alongside works by several artists for whom Cézanne has been a central inspiration and whose work reflects, both visually and poetically, Cézanne's extraordinary legacy.Click for more details

Friday, April 24 and Saturday April 25
Friday, May 1 and Sunday May 3
"Cell Block" - Stories of Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary collaborates with Chamber Music Now! on performance in Cellblock 7. Click for more details

Saturday April 25th at 8 AM at Ward Park (24th and Aspen)

Tree Volunteers

We need your green (or not so green) thumbs!  There will be another volunteer  planting of trees this ON SATURDAY APRIL 25.  MEET US AT WARD PARK AT 8 AM FOR AN ORIENTATION, SNACKS, TOOLS, AND PLANTING ASSIGNMENT.  PLEASE VOLUNTEER!!  You can also email Barbara Epstein squizoob@yahoo.com about volunteering. 

Sunday April 26,  2 to 6 PM
Fairmount Arts Crawl
Annual Neighborhood Art Event on April 26th from 2 to 6 PM
Mark your calendar for the always fun Fairmount Arts Crawl.  This annual event turns our neighborhood into an art gallery.  See paintings, listen to music and enjoy kid-friendly activities.  In the past over 3,000 people have attended.  It will be a great way to begin springtime, meet your neighbors and have fun!   Click for more details
 
Sunday, April 26, 8:30am
Legs Against Arms 5K Run/Walk
Physicians for Social Responsibility, based in Fairmount, hosts this annual run/walk. The event is to support youth violence prevention in Philadelphia and will be held at La Salle University  Click for more details
 
Saturday May 2,   9 - 5  Rain Date is Sunday
Flea Market
Prepare to do your spring shopping at this year's Fairmount Flea Market.  22nd & Fairmount Surrounding The Historic Eastern State Penitentiary With Approximately 175 Vendors. Proceeds Benefit The Fairmount CDC and The Friends Of ESP Park.   Click for more details

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THANK YOU
We thank you for your interest in the community and support of the efforts of the Fairmount Civic Association.  As always, we also hope you shop locally and patronize area businesses Find Them Here.


  
 
 
  Membership
        APRIL MEETING     
The next Member's Meeting will be on Thursday April 30th at 7:30 PM.       
We meet at 860 N. 24th Street in the Mennonite School.    At 7:00 PM we have a 'Social' with refreshments.  All residents of Fairmount are welcome.  Bring a neighbor.
  We are also expecting Dan McElhatton and Dan McCaffery, two Democratic candidates for District Attorney to make a brief presentation on their platform

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

Fairmount Civic Association, PO Box 56326, Philadelphia, PA 19130, USA