MARCH 2018

Dear Staff:

Now that we’ve reached the end of February, I can almost feel the anticipation buzzing in the air for the return of outdoor activity to our recreation centers and parks that comes with springtime.

But first, I want to thank our Operations and Program staff for successfully navigating us through another tough winter season: on the programming side for engaging kids and adults alike with indoor activities that keep their minds and bodies active, and on the maintenance and skilled trades side for tackling every winter storm with gusto, not to mention the hard work of hosting the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Victory Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This sure was a season to remember!

And speaking of the Parkway, the base that connects our grand avenue to Center City, a.k.a. LOVE Park, is taking shape more and more each day. The day before Valentine’s Day saw the return of the LOVE sculpture to the park (read more about that below), and we are working hard to make sure that the space is beautiful and functional as the warmer weather returns. Stay tuned for fun and exciting things happening in the park that you can check out when your duties bring you downtown.

Finally, I’ve been excited to begin sharing Our Path to 2020: A Strategic Plan for 2018-2020 with you at city-wide meetings, hosted by our deputy commissioners. Feedback sessions started this week and will continue through mid-March. Please reach out to moria.miller@phila.gov if you have not received an invitation. I hope that this plan and its goals, objectives, strategies, and action steps will be helpful as we build a system that better serves the needs of our employees and the citizens of Philadelphia.

Yours in service,

Kathryn Ott Lovell

A New Website for PPR!

We are thrilled to share that a new Philadelphia Parks & Recreation website launched earlier this week. The website, built in partnership with the Office of Open Data and Digital Transformation (ODDT), is mobile-friendly and prioritizes commonly used forms and search tools.

One of the key features of the new website is its “Finder” application, which lets website visitors view PPR activities and locations on a map, search for specific phrases, and enter an address or ZIP code to sort options based on what’s closest to them.

Visit the new PPR website and see what’s new!

It’s Maple Sugar Season!

Now that maple sugar season has begun, PPR environmental centers and partner organizations are celebrating with Maple Sugar Days in February and March. At Maple Sugar Day, participants learn every step in the maple sugaring process, from tapping the tree to creating the final maple product.  

View our list of upcoming maple sugar events

Winter Date Ideas

Although recent weather has been deceiving, it IS winter. If the cold weather returns and you’re feeling cooped up, share these fun winter date ideas with your partner!

PPR Celebrates Black History Month

This year, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation celebrated Black History Month in several ways. A few highlights include:

• We compiled a list of parks and recreation centers named after black community members and leaders
• Staff members at Kingessing’s Francis J. Myers Recreation Center organized “My Super Hero is Black: Super Hero Week at Myers,” culminating with a screening of Marvel’s Black Panther movie for youth who attend recreation programs in the area.
• Our Visual Arts team hosted a Black History Month art contest for children in our programs.  More than 27 recreation facilities participated.

2017 Infographic

Can you guess how many children participated in our after-school programs last year? Or how many community events our Park Friends groups hosted in neighborhood parks? Check out our 2017 year-end infographic for a look at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s 2017 by the numbers.

The Return of LOVE!

On February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day, the LOVE sculpture made its triumphant return to LOVE Park with a crowd of onlookers that stood in the chilly temperatures for more than an hour to witness the spectacle. With an occasional “Eagles” chant as a backdrop, workers very carefully unloaded LOVE from the back of a flatbed truck and lifted it into place on its new podium with a forklift. Learn more about the sculpture’s history and restoration, then view photos from the “LOVE on the Move” event, hosted in partnership with the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

Job Opportunities

Our latest job opportunities are below. Remember to check our Employment page regularly for new positions as they become available.

• Ecosystem Management interns (May-August 2018): Help protect Philadelphia’s trees from the Emerald Ash Borer, an insect pest introduced from Asia.
• Social Media Associate (March-December 2018): Help grow and maintain PPR’s social media platforms!
• Summer Art Camp staff (late June-August 2018): Work at one of PPR’s summer art camps, which run for six weeks in July and August. Teach children ages 7 through 17 years old drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and more!
• Lifeguards (June-August 2018): Keep swimmers safe at one of our 70+ pools this summer.

Featured Winter Programs

Winter is an awesome time for programming at recreation centers and playgrounds! Explore a small sampling of winter programs at our facilities across the city.

Forbidden Drive Named PA Trail of the Year

Speaking of “love,” on Valentine’s Day Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that Forbidden Drive, located in Wissahickon Valley Park, was selected as 2018 Trail of the Year!

Each year, the Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee designates a Trail of the Year to help build enthusiasm and support for both large and small trails, and raise public awareness about the value of Pennsylvania’s trail network.

Read more about Forbidden Drive’s selection as 2018 Trail of the Year

2018 City-wide Talent Show Auditions

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Police Athletic League are gearing up to host a city-wide talent show for kids ages 9 through 18. Auditions are happening March 1-8 at locations throughout the city.

There will be two semi-final competitions, and the finals will be held at Venice Island Performing Arts and Recreation Center. The five best performers will receive full scholarships to the Parks & Rec Young Performers Theater Camp– a value of $350!

Find an audition location near you.

Schuylkill River Trail Updates

• Earlier this month, our partners at the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) were awarded $183,750 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for enhancements to the new Bartram’s Mile trail and greenway. Project elements include installation of an irrigation system and maintenance facility and contextually sensitive additions to site landscaping. View the complete list for awarded Philly projects.


• On January 31, the South to Christian portion of the Schuylkill River Trail opened to the public. Trail users can access this new segment from the Boardwalk at South Street and from the new CHOP plaza. Learn more about this segment, as well as other SRDC developments.

Beach Volleyball Courts Planned for West Fairmount Park

After years of meetings with City and neighborhood interest groups, a site for a beach volleyball amenity has been proposed for West Fairmount Park, and the organizing team has been given the approval to begin fundraising. The proposed location is near the Philly Pumptrack at Parkside Evans Playground (5300 Parkside Avenue). In addition to PPR, partners on the project include the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, Philly Sport Leagues, and Philadelphia Volleyball.

The project began with an idea from a resident at a Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission (PaRC) “Pitch your Passion” event. Benefits of beach volleyball include being easy to learn, being relatively inexpensive for individuals to play, serving as an excellent workout, and bringing people together for fun in the great outdoors.

The project, named Philly Beach, intends to provide courts, nets, and other equipment to users. To learn more or donate, please visit phillybeach.com and like us on Facebook.

Unity Cup Soccer Updates

• Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Office of Immigrant Affairs have partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring the Soccer for Success program to Philadelphia this spring! Philly’s version of the program for children ages 6-12, an outgrowth of the Philadelphia International Unity Cup, is called the Unity Youth League. The 2018 season starts on March 18. Find a Unity Youth League location near you and learn how to register your child.


• Team info sessions are ongoing for the 2018 Unity Cup tournament. The next one will be hosted on February 28 at the Municipal Services Building from 2-3pm. See a full list of Unity Cup info sessions and learn more about the tournament.

Horticulture Center Forest Restoration Project

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation has selected the forests surrounding the Horticulture Center, one of the jewels of the Philadelphia park system, as the focal point for a major restoration effort. The Horticulture Center facility and grounds, which include an arboretum, are historic and provide the setting for horticultural excellence in our park system. Unfortunately, the native forests surrounding the site are being lost.

Learn about our project aimed at restoring the area surrounding the Horticulture Center to a regionally native forest along with a significant increase in plant diversity.

Star Players 2018 Season

The Star Players, an adult performing arts group organized by PPR, are set to have a spectacular 2018 season. This year, the group will take audiences from Hollywood to Broadway, with performances of A Night at the Movies in June and 42nd Street in October. For updates, including how to audition for the shows, visit the Star Players Facebook page or contact Bill Arthur, producer and director, at 215-685-2891 or starplayers2013@gmail.com.

18th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition for City Employees & Families

On February 15, Mayor Kenney and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy hosted a reception for the annual National Arts Program exhibition in City Hall. A member of the PPR family, D’nae Harrison (daughter of Chevelle Harrison), won Best in Show!

In total, 12 Philadelphia Parks & Recreation employees and family members have artwork on display in the exhibit. 

View the list of participating PPR staff and family, get a look at some of the art, and find out when you can visit City Hall to see the artwork in person.

A Tiny Bit of Summer in the Winter

For most kids, Fridays in the winter months are not filled with days in a swimming pool… but not so for the children at McVeigh Recreation Center (400-64 E. Ontario St.)!

Over the past five years, from December until March, 15-20 youth from McVeigh pile into a City van every Friday afternoon and make their way to the Pickett indoor pool located at Wayne and Chelten Avenues in Germantown. Once there, they are taught how to swim by the pool staff.

Continue reading about McVeigh’s swimming trips to Pickett pool

Staff Updates

In the last month, PPR had two great park “Friends” leave the department: Barbara McCabe, Director of Strategic Engagement, and Patty-Pat Kozlowski, Director of Park Stewardship. Barb is now enjoying well-deserved retirement, and Patty-Pat is pursuing the opportunity of a lifetime.  We wish them both well!

Customer Service Corner

Theme for February: Recognize that we are all in the customer service industry.

Southwest Airlines says, “We are all in the Customer Service industry, yet we just happen to fly airplanes.” No matter what, continue to remember and find your way back to the citizens of Philadelphia being central to what we do.

The Dirt

This month’s edition of The Dirt is dedicated to our winning Philadelphia Eagles!

• A (long-ago) graduate of Picariello Playground’s Tot Recreation program was in Minneapolisas an employee of the Eagles. John Smyrl, Jr. (pictured above) works in the video department for the Birds and gets to attend all games (home and away, including the Super Bowl). After Tot Rec at Picariello roughly 27-28 years ago, John went on to grade school at Christ the King, Archbishop Ryan High School, and La Salle University, followed by an internship with the Eagles, which led to a full-time job. His mom Lorraine Smyrl (though not a Tot Rec teacher while he attended) has been a Tot Rec head teacher at Picariello since 1999.


• Several PPR staff members were in attendance for Super Bowl LII, including a few as volunteers for the team. Can anyone guess who?


• A little PPR trivia submitted by John McBride: The Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles have ended a long drought by winning their first league championship since 1960.  Before that, the Eagles won two titles in 1948 and 1949, when their home games were at Shibe Park (21st and Lehigh Avenue), later known as Conny Mack Stadium. Often, Eagles Coach Greasy Neale found the field at Shibe Park to be so bad that he would take the team across Lehigh Ave to Funfield Recreation Center to practice. Funfield is still there, only today we know it as Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center. (Source: The Eagles Encyclopedia, written by Ray Didinger and Robert Lyons)

Social Media Report

As spring approaches, the amount of content we have to share just keeps growing! From the triumphant Eagles Super Bowl win, to the return of the LOVE sculpture and promise of innovative park projects coming up this year, our social media followers enjoyed many exciting updates in February.

Check out this month’s social media report

Neighborhood News

North Philly

• Wister Playground: Quesha Turner won the Wister Playground Black History Month Contest with this creative interpretation of an African mask (above). Congratulations, Quesha!
• Belfield Recreation Center hosted a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Fair in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January. View photos of the event.
• Shuler Chess Club member Keith Whittaker, Jr. met Police Commissioner Richard Ross at the PECO/ASAP Checkmate Violence Tournament in January. Here’s the photo of their meeting!
• Olney Recreation Center hosted a clean-up in honor of the MLK Day of Service.  Morning volunteers were served a hot breakfast, courtesy of the Olney Eagles Athletic Association Exec Board.  Following the clean-up, the afternoon was spent playing scrimmage basketball games. Here’s a photo of some of the players.
• Feltonville  Recreation Center Leader Curtis Johnson created an arts & crafts project to help the students get excited about returning to school after a long winter break and a few snow days: create your own emoji to match your personality!  See this creative art project and read more about the students’ return to school.
• Rivera Recreation Center will host a showcase of the Mighty Writers’ Pilot Program, sponsored in part by Dranoff Properties and with generous grants from the Knight and Barra Foundations.  Join them on Tuesday, March 6 from 5:30pm - 7pm as they celebrate the kids in the program, build on their momentum and learn how they plan to teach as many kids as possible to think and write with clarity at Philly rec centers across the city.  Learn more at https://mightwriters.org.

Northwest Philly

Hillside Recreation Center organized a trip for the Tot Rec program to visit the Wissahickon Environmental Center.

Northeast Philly

• Katrina Smith, lead Tot Recreation teacher at Lackman Playground, has been working hard to get students ready for February– a month when so many wonderful things—like Black History Month and Healthy Heart Month-- are happening for the tots. Find out more about how Katrina engages with her English language learner tots at Lackman. 
• Watch a video recap of the District 2 tumbling meet.

Central Philly

Center City’s Russell Byers Middle School uses Lloyd Hall as its home court for basketball. Pictured above is the team and its cheerleaders on a weekend in February.

South Philly

PPR’s District 7 Tumbling Qualifier Competition was held on February 2 at Murphy Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. It was an exciting night with all eyes on one tumbling mat, making it high pressure for these fearless competitors. Read more about the South Philly tumbling event.