Special EDITION - MAY, 2014

Dear Friends:

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is marking a major milestone with the launch of our new “Find Your Path” brand which I believe embodies the promise and opportunities that our department offers to the citizens and visitors of our great city. And to provide more information about our brand and the department, I would like to share this special edition of our newsletter. Below this letter, you will find our most recent Vision, Mission and Values statement along with details about upcoming events as well as a sampling of stories published over this past year’s journey.

I encourage you to subscribe for future newsletters so you can keep up to date with the many programs, activities, events and people that are Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. And even more importantly, I welcome you to join our ongoing endeavors of helping the City’s children be healthy and successful as well as supporting our efforts to be good stewards of the public assets with which our department has been entrusted. Our work relies on a robust and interactive relationship with the people we serve and working together, we truly can help our friends and family find their path. Thank you.

PPR Vision, Mission, Values

We envision an environmentally rich Philadelphia of healthy people with greater personal and community resources; more connected to each other, to their neighborhoods and their government; open to new possibilities; and living with pride and confidence in their city.

We advance the prosperity of our city and the progress of her people through intentional and sustained stewardship of public land and waterways as well as through safe, stimulating recreation, environmental and cultural centers. We help Philadelphia’s children and other residents grow by connecting them to the natural world, to each other, and to fun, physical and social opportunities.

1. Safe, Clean and Ready To Use. We create safe havens for people. We maintain these places to the highest standards so they remain secure, accessible and welcoming for everyone who uses them. We provide public spaces that people are proud to call their own.
2. We Care For Our Natural Resources Because We Care For Each Other. Clean water, healthy forests and open spaces are essential for our mental and physical health. We are proud to be zealous protectors and caretakers of William Penn’s “Greene Country Towne.”
3. The World Needs Play. The more we expose our children and neighbors to fun and enriching experiences, the more opportunities we create for people to learn, connect and share. Whether it’s looking at the tops of the trees, feeling clay ooze through one’s fingers for the first time or immersing oneself in our rich history; we view the creation of these opportunities for personal growth as a core responsibility.
4. We Are Open And Willing Partners. We can’t do this essential work alone, nor can we do it apart. We are all at our best when we work together.
5. We Believe In Others. The greatest impact we can have is to lift the lives of those around us. We believe in the potential of people and work in service of their aspirations. By doing so, we advance their probability for personal growth and success– on their own terms, with their families and within their own neighborhoods.
6. We Never Give Up. We are persistent, creative and resilient. We will use that Philly grit to grow our city into a life force that fosters success.

Through the stewardship of our natural and cultural resources, the structured activities at our bustling recreation centers and the preservation of our City’s rich history, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation connects people to new pathways in life.

Master Gardener Plant Sale & Garden Day

Sunday, May 4, 2014

11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Horticulture Center (100 N. Horticultural Drive, 19131)

This plant sale and garden day will be a one-stop shop for plants, information, hands-on learning and demonstrations of gardening excellence. Stop by to shop for your annuals, perennials, edibles and herbs or planted containers and soil test kits. Join in a children’s craft project or the trough demonstration for adults. Take a self-guided tour of the Butterfly and Edible Garden or help plant the second stage of the Food Forest Orchard being grown in partnership with the Philadelphia Orchard Project. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions about the demonstration gardens, help you select the right plant for your gardening needs and help with any gardening questions.

Download the Master Gardener Plant Sale & Garden Day flyer

LOVE Your Park Week

The 2014 LOVE Your Park Week kicks off on May 10 with a service day at parks citywide, as well as a ribbon cutting and PumpJam event at the Philly Pumptrack. Special events continue through May 17. LOVE Your Park Week is a citywide celebration of Philadelphia’s diverse parks, featuring eight days of service projects, fun events, educational programs, family activities, tours, and more – at over 100 parks throughout Philadelphia! LOVE Your Park Week is a collaborative initiative between Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, the Fairmount Park Conservancy, and park friends groups throughout the city.

Download the LOVE Your Park Week poster

Also, stay tuned to www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation for details on Spring Open House locations at recreation centers and playgrounds across the city on Saturday, May 17.

Ryerss 2014 Petapalooza

Sunday, May 18

11 a.m.-2 p.m. (rain or shine)

Held outside the former summer home of the Ryerss in Bulholme Park

Come celebrate the Ryerss and their love of animals!

Event includes pet rescue groups for cats, dogs, rabbits, rats, pigs and bunnies; pet adoption opportunities; Pooches on Parade at noon (Bring your dog! The most “Victorian” dog wins a prize.); treats for pets and humans; collection site for donations of pet supplies; special pet exhibit in the museum.

Learn more at www.ryerssmuseum.org

Spring at The Oval

• From May 22-24, PHAIR Open Air/Artisan Market will transform The Oval into an artisan market with live music, artists and local vendors of food and handmade sundries, as well as the city's best gourmet food trucks.

  
  

  Stay tuned to future issues for details on The Oval’s return for its Summer Season from mid-July through mid-August.

  
  

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Poquessing Creek Trail

In early April, work commenced on a new 1.5-mile, paved, multi-use trail connecting Junod Playground in the Parkwood neighborhood to the 32-acre naturally wooded section of Poquessing Creek Park. The trail follows the recommendations of the Poquessing Creek Trail Master Plan and was a top priority of the Philadelphia Trail Master Plan. Funding for the trail was provided by PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and City of Philadelphia funds.

The trail utilizes two easements, with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and Origlio Beverage Company, allowing the trail to be completely off-road. The trail makes an important off-road connection between the Parkwood neighborhood, Poquessing Creek Park and the 500-acre Benjamin Rush State Park, where the new trail construction ends. The trail features gateways at trailheads, benches, landscaping, ADA parking spaces and new tree plantings. Construction will continue throughout the coming months with an anticipated ribbon cutting in late 2014 or early 2015. Upon completion, park users will have access to acres of natural areas at Philadelphia’s northernmost edge for walking, biking, horseback riding, bird watching and recreation.

View the proposed Poquessing Creek Trail map

Smoke-free Parks

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, recently enacted a policy making all PPR property smoke-free. The policy went into effect on April 29, 2014.

This policy applies to all City parks, including 100+ neighborhood parks and watershed parks like Fairmount Park, Pennypack Park and the Wissahickon Valley.

Smoking of cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, pipes, hookah, and other tobacco products is prohibited in all indoor and outdoor parks spaces. For outdoor spaces, the policy does not apply to e-cigarettes.

The policy builds on the 2011 Mayoral executive order that made all City recreation centers, playgrounds, and pools smoke-free.

Learn more about the benefits of smoke-free parks, how the policy will be enforced and how you can get help with quitting at smokefreephilly.org.

Spring 2014 Food Truck Schedules

LOVE Park, City Hall Courtyard (with new patio furniture!) and Franklin’s Paine Skate Park are now home to innovative food trucks that provide fresh, unique dishes to downtown Philadelphia visitors and citizens. The cuisine "menu" includes Native American, Venezuelan, Asian fusion, classic Italian, cupcakes and all of the Philly favorites. Additionally, throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons, Eakins Oval, at the base of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, hosts many events where participants can choose from several gourmet food trucks. Please visit The Oval’s webpage to view upcoming events.

For the monthly vending schedule, please download the vending calendars.

However, please note the schedule is subject to change. For up-to-date vending information, please visit Philadelphia Parks & Recreation on Facebook and Twitter and PPR’s food truck page.

Beyond the Dream

In the past 6 months, M.L. King Recreation Center has caught the attention of not only its immediate North Philadelphia neighborhood, but the entire city. Major label rap artist and North Philadelphia native Meek Mill held a turkey drive at the center before Thanksgiving and featured footage of the day in a video set to his music. In addition, the Philadelphia 76ers selected King for their NBA Cares program to hold a fitness clinic in October, and Emmy Award winning television chef Christina Pirello and the Phillies Phanatic paid visits in Fall 2013 as well.

“These guests and events may seem like we are bringing fun to kids for just one day,” explains Assistant REACH Coordinator and Coach Meka Perez, “but they are actually opening their eyes to new horizons. Many of these kids never knew what a turkey dinner was until now.”

Speaking of new horizons, something else has been taking place beyond the media coverage and guests: major revitalization efforts spearheaded from within the center itself.

Continue reading about M.L. King Recreation Center

Parks & Rec Stewardship Team: Take this job and shovel it!

On Thursday, February 20, 2014 the Parks & Rec Stewardship Team did a site visit at the Clayborn and Lewis Playground, also known as 38th & Poplar Rec Center, in an effort to inspect the park for the upcoming PA Municipal League Service Day. Barbara McCabe, Director of Stewardship, hoped that Clayborn and Lewis could benefit from the influx of 50-60 volunteers during a workday this summer through the PA Municipal League’s community service program.

This small rec center sits in the shadow of the Philadelphia Zoo’s newly built parking garage and bears the name of two basketball coaches who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military during the Vietnam War.

Clayborn and Lewis is an unstaffed facility, but the community group 39th and Poplar Organization provides breakfast and lunch to senior citizens five days a week in the building, using their own funds to offer meals. Leroy Lewis, brother of the rec center’s moniker, has been a volunteer and caretaker of the park for decades, doing what he does in memory of his brother.

About ten senior citizens are fed at Clayborn and Lewis, but the severe winter storms Philly has endured recently left the pavements and entrance to Clayborn and Lewis full of snow and ice-- an impassable walkway for seniors.

While the stewardship team inspected the site and noted the work needed to be done, Volunteer Coordinators Dave Bower, Jason Mifflin and Jackie Olson grabbed the shovels in their pickup trucks and started cracking away at the ice rink on the sidewalks. The rest of the stewardship team followed with shovels and brooms, and locals passing by beeped their car horns in appreciation and thanks. Within 20 minutes, the entire walkway and property was cleared of snow and ice, proving that many hands make light work and that during Philly’s winter, our VC’s never leave home without their shovels.

PPR Path Finder: Monica Hicks

When I was growing up in West Philadelphia, I thought that Philly was the center of the universe. I grew up in the ‘70s, so we’re talking about "The Sound of Philadelphia," Rizzo and Rocky. I was six years old during the Bicentennial celebration-- I don't remember much, but I remember having a lot of fun that year! I have always loved this city.

Fast forward to becoming a college student, still in love with Philly, but needing to find a way to pay for school. I was already enrolled at Temple University when my mother found out about the Philadelphia Ranger Corps. The Corps paid for tuition and half of our books, and we received a stipend of $10,000 to $14,000 per year. I told her I did not want to be a ranger! She said, "You are doing this!"

During my two-year training, I learned things about my city and park system that I never knew. My love for the city deepened and transformed into a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Continue reading about Monica’s experiences

Energy-saving Field Light Initiative

As a reminder, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is piloting a field lighting energy conservation initiative. PPR is using field lights only Monday to Friday, dusk to 10:30 p.m., mid-March through December. Field lights will be turned off at all other times, reducing energy usage by lowering the amount of time fields are lit while not in use. If you see field lights on at a PPR facility at non-designated times, please email PPR.EnergySaver@phila.gov.

The Mummers Parade: A PPR Tradition

Much like attending the Mummers Parade is a tradition for thousands of residents in the Philadelphia region, managing the parade is an annual tradition for the staff at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Each February, a dozen or so PPR employees begin planning the next year’s parade, while memories of the previous parade’s successes and challenges are fresh in their memories.

On New Year’s Day itself, around 160 Philadelphia Parks & Recreation staff members lead the parade on the street level. By their side are the representatives of nearly every other City Department—Police, Streets, Licenses & Inspections, Health, the Managing Director’s Office, Public Property, Communications and the Office of Information & Technology, to name a few. The parade belongs to the Mummers, but hundreds of City staff help run it.

Continue reading about the Mummers Parade & PPR

Introducing: PowerCorpsPHL

PowerCorpsPHL is a new and innovative AmeriCorps program designed to address Mayor Michael A. Nutter and Governor Tom Corbett’s environmental stewardship initiatives, as well as the City of Philadelphia’s youth workforce development and violence prevention priorities. Partnering with EducationWorks, the Philadelphia Youth Network, Philadelphia Water Department and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, PowerCorpsPHL will annually enroll 100 young people, ages 18-26, in a nine-month program: six months of full-time service as AmeriCorps members with PWD and PPR, followed by three months of intensive job placement support. PowerCorps PHL crews will work in the four major watershed regions of Philadelphia completing projects on natural lands, recreation centers and city parks.

PowerCorpsPHL not only enriches the lives of its corps members but also presents a great opportunity for Philadelphia, both to grow its workforce and enhance its green space. Our goal is to strengthen communities by maintaining and enhancing public spaces and breaking down barriers to employment for Philadelphia’s young adults. Through training and service, corps members gain technical and transferrable skills, work experience and support transitioning to the demands of the 21st century economy.

Program Overview: Grow Up Green

Grow Up Green is an environmental education program being presented at various Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Tot Recreation sites. Each week, a Grow Up Green Instructor visits these sites and does various nature-related activities with the children in these programs. Using a wide variety of hands-on activities, the Grow Up Green Instructors encourage the children to explore the outdoors and the natural world around them. By picking up leaves and discussing colors, counting the trees on the playground or listening to the birds up on a wire sing, the Grow Up Green activities and lessons help connect the preschool-age curriculum already being taught at these sites with nature.

This is the second year for Grow Up Green. In collaboration with the Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation has been generously awarded another grant from PNC to continue again for this school year. In March, Grow Up Green received an Excellence in Programming Award from the Pennsylvania Recreation and Parks Society.

“Grow Up is Green is great because it shows the children that the outdoors is just as important as the indoor classroom,” said Ed McLaughlin, facility supervisor at Palmer Playground. Palmer, along with Max Myers, Junod, Carmella and Cohox are all returning to the program again this year. In an effort to expand the program out to other areas, the Tot Recreation programs at Houston Playground in the Northwest corner of the city and Columbus Square in South Philadelphia have been added to the program this year as well. Grow Up Green has also had a presence at various events held at Sister Cities Park, located at 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Historic Strawberry Mansion Celebrates Grand-Reopening after Four Years of Renovations

On October 17, Historic Strawberry Mansion celebrated its official grand re-opening after four years of restoration and preservation efforts, including its unique collection of antiques, fine art and collectible treasures from the 18th and 19th century. In addition, a never-before-seen mural painted by Dot Bunn and Patrick Connors titled The Portage Trail to Strawberry Mansion was unveiled.

Then, on October 19, The Committee of 1926 unveiled Historic Strawberry Mansion’s historic marker during its official Dedication Ceremony. Since 1946, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has administered a program of historic markers to capture the memory of people, places and events that have affected the lives of Pennsylvanians over time.

The Historic Strawberry Mansion is the largest of the seven historic Fairmount Park Houses. Formerly known as “Summerville,” Historic Strawberry Mansion was built in 1789 by Judge William Lewis, a well-known lawyer and abolitionist, as a summer home along the Schuylkill River. In 1825, its second owner, Judge Joseph Hemphill, added the first of two Greek-revival style wings to the home. The structure of the house remains largely unchanged to this day, and has become one of the most celebrated, historic houses in Philadelphia. Built and expanded in both the Federal and Empire periods, the mansion houses antiques, fine art and collectibles from the 18th and 19th century. In 1930, in an effort to celebrate the magnificence of the extraordinary home, the Committee of 1926, a group of public-spirited women, restored Historic Strawberry Mansion and opened it to public as an historic house museum the following year. The Historic Strawberry Mansion celebrated its Grand Re-Opening and Dedication in October 2013. Tours of the house are available now.

Flowing and Growing in the Right Direction

PPR has been working closely with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) on the development of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) projects within PPR owned & operated properties such as recreation centers and city parks. Examples of GSI are tree trenches, bio swales, rain gardens, flow through planters and sub surface infiltration basins/pits. The GSI is part of PWD’s long term “Green City, Clean Waters” plan, developed to meet federal regulatory obligations while revitalizing the city. Because the recreation centers and city parks have seasonal programming, the PWD meets with each recreation center leader to understand all of the uses at each site before moving forward with the design process. PPR staff also inspects proposed GSI locations to ensure that impacts to onsite trees will be avoided. Once PWD initiates the design process, it will usually take 2-3 years before the GSI will be constructed at a site. PWD is committed to maintaining all of the GSI that are constructed on park properties.

Connecting Kids with the Outdoors

• “Whoa. That bird looks like it’s right in front of me!” (using binoculars for the first time)
• “I love can fishing!"
• “Can I touch the snake?” (finding a baby water snake along the creek)
• “This is the best trip ever.”
• "Wow, those turtles are so cool!"
• “It’s just like the Hunger Games.”
• “This is AWESOME.”
• "I love touching worms."
• “We can climb the ROCK?!”
• "This is so peaceful." (talking about walking in the woods)
• “I want to bring my mom and brother here.”

Broad Street Run Preview

What does it take to “run” the Broad Street Run and make sure 40,000 runners cross the finish line or at least get to City Hall? We’ve compiled a list of items and the numbers the BSR has amassed to become one of the Top Ten largest races in the country.

575 Port-a-potties.
10 Dunkin’ Donuts locations along the race route, the exclusive coffee provider for the BSR.
5 members needed to be eligible for the Team Competition Division.
11 water and Gatorade stations along the race route to keep you hydrated.
$3,000 award for the top male and female finisher.
6,742 runners registered in 1998.
12,177 runners registered in 2004.
35 minutes to take the Broad Street subway from starting line at Broad and Olney to Broad and Pattison. 20 minutes if you catch the express.
91 degrees in the year 2000 for the hottest BSR, 37 degrees in 1986 made it the coldest.
34 years the BSR has been chugging along.
85,000 pieces of discarded clothing along the race route which has been collected and then donated to local shelters for men, women and children.
45:14 the best time for male finisher Patrick Cheriuyot in 2007 (which was also the fastest 10-miler ever recorded in the USA!)
53:07 the best time for female finisher Catherine Ndereba in 1999.
50,000 people are expected to pass through the BSR Expo at Lincoln Financial Field on race weekend.
4 hospitals along the race course. In the medical tent: 40 cots and stretchers. 12 wheelchairs. 100 chairs. 15 medic units.
10 bike teams (medics on bikes) 6 skate teams (medics on skates). 15 Army medics.
24 Army soldiers trained in combat “lifesaving” stationed along the route to recognize runners in distress.
3 water buffalos (the mini water tank stations, not the roaming ones).
1 and only 1 Race Director Jim Marino.

Energy-saving Tip of the Month

Clean the coils on the bottom or back of the refrigerator several times a year to keep the unit operating properly.

Tell Us Your Story!

Through the stewardship of our natural and cultural resources, the structured activities at our bustling recreation centers and the preservation of our city’s rich history, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation connects people to new pathways in life.

Let us know how you or someone you know embodies PPR and “Find Your Path” by sharing your story. If you can you answer one or more of the following questions, we want to hear from you!

• How did you “Find Your Path” to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation?
• Tell us how you’ve grown within the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department.
• Can you describe how PPR helps Philadelphians “Find Their Path”?
• What are 5 words that describe what Philadelphia Parks & Recreation means to you?

Please fill out our Find Your Path story form with your answer(s).

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