MAY, 2013

Dear Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Colleagues:

“Much appreciation should also be directed towards our dedicated and committed department staff. Our Parks and Recreation staff continues to provide great work in the form of high-quality programming and care of our natural assets and hundreds of facilities. Just last week, the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) recognized the department’s work with several statewide awards at their annual award banquet, including two excellence in programming awards, a leadership award, and an award for the Carousel House and their special populations basketball league.”

This statement was the opening of my testimony to City Council at our recent Budget hearing as both a personal recognition and a reminder to Council Members of the significant contributions that you all make to the quality of life within the city. Council Members, in return, publicly acknowledged the high level of staff competency and commitment that has become the benchmark of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. The remainder of our testimony was as well received as my opening statement and I view Council’s positive reception and support during our hearing as a direct consequence of your actions. Thank you.

And speaking of exemplary work and commitment, I know many of us are involved in the upcoming Broad Street Run which is such an incredible accomplishment by our department. Given what recently happened in Boston, I know there are heightened concerns among runners and spectators but I feel assured that all will go well due to your planning and dedication.

Community Organizing Training

A series of leadership trainings kicked off on April 16 at Gustine Recreation Center (north region) and April 17 at Hawthorne Culture Center (south region). 54 recreation leaders are participating in the trainings, which focus on how to expand and strengthen Recreation Advisory Councils, recruit additional volunteers, engage with the community more strategically and develop an action plan to increase impact.

Coherence Projects Update

On April 3, coherence project teams met with our consultants to refine their action plans and timelines. Further training will take place on April 26 at Gustine Recreation Center.

In the meantime, teams continue to develop their projects. For example, the Community Engagement team is interviewing external leaders from organizations with reputations for strong community engagement to get a sense of their best practices. Team members will also participate in the rec leader community organizing trainings mentioned above to review what skills could be adapted for department-wide trainings.

Annual Summer Training Day

On April 5, 180 recreation leaders gathered at Pelbano Rec Center to receive training on topics ranging from aquatics to specialized camps to behavioral health in preparation for the upcoming summer season.

Branding Update

Our consultants have proposed three brand promise concepts and are busy creating the visuals to convey each idea. We will present the potential brand identities to department leadership and staff in June and hope you are able to attend a feedback session to let us know your thoughts and preferences. We will email presentation date(s) and location(s) as soon as they are confirmed.

Budget Hearing

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation received a warm reception from City Council on April 8 during its annual budget hearing. Council members gave accolades to the department, citing improvements in their districts and feedback received from happy constituents. Many thanks to partners like the Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, as well as the many Park Friends groups and advisory council members, who showed up at City Hall to support us.

We’re working on getting video on the hearing; in the meantime, you can read the full testimony from Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis (PDF).

PPR Receives Statewide Recognition

On March 26, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation received several awards at the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society 66th Annual Conference. Awards included:

Excellence in Programming

Service Awards

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.

LOVE Your Park Events

Have you marked May 11-18 in your calendar? With so many LOVE Your Park Week events planned, there’s bound to be one in your neighborhood. Here are a few highlights:

• LOVE Your Park Service Day and Kickoff (May 11)
• 11th Annual Ridge Runners Car Show (May 11, Gorgas Park)
• I’ll Always Love My Momma Oldies Dance Party (May 12, Campbell Square Park)
• Ribbon Cutting and Fishing Contest (May 14, Pleasant Hill Park)
• 6th Annual Centennial Celebration (May 16, Horticulture Center)
• Recreation Centers and Playgrounds Spring Open House (May 18)
• Party in the Park (May 18, Clark Park)

Recreation Centers and Playgrounds Spring Open House

May 18 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn more
See List of Open Houses

Funded! Rivera Recreation Center Community Garden

Many thanks to the 50 “citizinvestors” who helped us reach our $2,163 goal to build an intergenerational garden at Rivera Recreation Center.

Learn more about the Rivera Recreation Center Community Garden project.

Spring TreePhilly Yard Tree Program Success!

This season we had a record 60% pick-up rate on average at each TreePhilly yard tree giveaway location. In total, we gave away approximately 2,000 trees to almost 700 people, and we will probably distribute 2,400 trees total by the end of the season.

Summer Camps

Visit our Camps page to learn about this year’s lineup, including:

• Sports Camps
• Adventure Camps
• Arts Camps
• Environmental Camps
• Special Needs Camps
• Neighborhood Day Camps

Grand Celebration & Ribbon Cutting Planned for Pleasant Hill Park & Fish Hatchery May 14th

In 1683, William Penn was so smitten with the riverfront of his newly claimed land called “Penn’s Woods” (later becoming Pennsylvania), that he started construction of his home Pennsbury Manor on the banks of the Delaware River. He envisioned fellow colonists following suit where they too could enjoy life, business and recreation on the banks of the river.

In alignment with Penn’s vision, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) awarded Pleasant Hill Park $318,000 in funding for ongoing development projects geared toward providing both greater access and increased recreational opportunities along the Delaware River.

Pleasant Hill Park is a 35-acre park, fish hatchery and public boat launch, managed by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, that is situated on the Delaware River in the East Torresdale neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013, in conjunction with Love Your Park Week, a grand celebration and ribbon cutting is planned to showcase all the new construction, designs and hard work.

Read More

Dell Music Center Season Preview

Start your weekends under the night skies at the Dell this summer, enjoying a variety of national artists! The Dell Music Center will kick off its 41st season of the Essence of Entertainment concert series on Thursday, July 11 and continue every Thursday evening through August 29.

This summer will feature artists like Chaka Kahn, Israel Houghton & New Breed, Fantasia, Jeffrey Osborne and legends like The Bar-Kays and The Dazz Band. Tickets are reasonably priced, ranging from $25 to $60. There is free parking and not a bad seat in the venue.

We offer season tickets (which include premium seats for the 8-concert series) for $300.00 per person. As a season ticket holder you will get the best seats in the house, the convenience of one-stop shopping, and a significant savings of more than $84 dollars.

The full season line-up will be announced this month. For more information, visit http://www.mydelleast.com or call (215) 685-9560. We look forward to seeing you this summer at the Dell, “Where the Stars Take Center Stage.”

March Madness Competition Results

Congratulations to American Legion Recreation Center, winner of the March Madness video contest. After four weeks of voting, American Legion finished on top with 38,671 votes. You can view the winning video of youth answering the question “What does a Recreation Center mean to you?” at http://replicacreative.com/marchmadness.

Replica Creative will unveil a custom Creative Wall Graphic at the rec center on May 1.

Spring Art Show

The 41st Annual Spring Art Show has been on exhibit in the West Gallery at the Free Library’s Central branch (1901 Vine Street) for the entire month of April. This year there are over 300 2D and 3D pieces on display in 22 cases, from artists that range in age from 2 to 92, as well as our Special Population from our Recreation facility participants.

This is our second year in partnership with the library, and the first in which we have included the Mural Arts Program and Arts & Artists Outdoors (A2O) as well.

Each work of art will be judged by a panel, and the public can vote by ballot now through April 30 too. All winners will be honored, and everyone will be invited to join us for an award ceremony to be held at the Carousel House on June 6, 2013.

View more pictures of the Spring Art Show

Wheel Fun Rentals and Tours

Shawmont Trail

Hissey Park in Kensington Selected for Mural Arts Mural Site

PhillyRising and community members selected Hissey Park in the Kensington area as one of the sites for an installation of a mural made possible through a small grant received by the City of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program. Individuals at the Mural Arts Program have begun meeting with community members at Iglesia del Barrio as part of their community outreach process to determine the theme of the mural. The children who attend the afterschool program at Iglesia del Barrio are creating pieces of artwork that the Mural Arts artist is planning on incorporating into the mural. Additionally, the Mural Arts Program plans to work with MIMIC (Men in Motion in the City) to incorporate graffiti art from the teens that they work with into the mural. The painting is scheduled to begin in May 2013, where the community will paint in a large event.

Tree Top Adventure Course: What is it?

You may have heard that PPR has been discussing the idea of establishing a Tree Top Adventure Course in the Wissahickon Valley. There have been numerous questions about this proposal and if you would like more information, please go to http://treetopadventure.weebly.com/

Katie’s Komets Go to Kentucky

The Katie’s Komets wheelchair basketball team traveled to Louisville, KY on April, 17 to compete in the NWBA 2013 National Tournament after qualifying in their regional tournament last month. The Komets were represented by two teams in the National Tournament-prep team, who play on 8-foot nets, and the NIT team, who play on 10-foot nets (both teams ages 18 and under).

Katie’s Komets play their home games at the Carousel House in West Fairmount Park, and are funded by the Katie Kirlin Fund, which provides financial support and fosters participation in wheelchair sports for disabled children in the Delaware Valley. This is the second consecutive year the 10-foot team has qualified for the National Tournament, and the program is starting to gain a reputation as one of the elites in the NWBA Junior Division, behind coaches Paul Dauphin and Keith Newerela. The prep team is ranked 9th in the country.

Over 85 teams and 800 athletes competed in the 2013 NWBA National Tournament this year.

Deer Management Program Update

On March 29, Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis announced the completion and results of the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation deer management program for Winter 2013 and rescinded the temporary curfew for the West Fairmount Park, Cobbs Creek Park, Wissahickon Valley and Pennypack Park areas of the PPR system.

Implementation of the project began in January 2013 and was conducted on 11 nights over the next 10 weeks. In total, 238 deer were removed: 50 from West Fairmount Park, 86 from the Wissahickon Valley, 19 from Cobbs Creek Park, and 83 from Pennypack Park. As a result of the project, nearly 6,000 pounds of venison was distributed through local food banks to feed needy people in the Philadelphia area.

The project was conducted with safety as a paramount concern and carried out with the utmost efficiency and minimal inconvenience to the public. There were no incidents of injury and the public’s respect for the temporary 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew was evident and appreciated.

The amount of deer removed represents a significant step toward reversing the impact of deer overpopulation on the vegetation in these forests and reducing the number of deer-vehicle collisions on Philadelphia roadways. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will continue to monitor the deer populations in all of its park areas and take the necessary actions to control those populations using the most viable methods available at that time.

Call for Bands: Summer in LOVE Concert Series

Ready to share your musical talents with the masses? Sign up to become a performer in the Summer in LOVE 2013 Concert Series.

Perks for bands include:

• Free on-site parking near stage
• 16 x 16 concert stage with full PA system and sound technician
• 15 x 10 full sun shade canopy
• Social media marketing through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We will be launching complete concert schedules on all sites, as well as photos and videos of performances.
• Welcome Center available for bathroom breaks, changing and freshening up

The program begins with a $20 registration fee for every date a band requests, up to a maximum of 3 gigs. Please note that our concert series runs May 1st thru October 31st, every Monday - Friday.

Learn more about performing in the Summer in LOVE Concert Series.

Wissahickon Valley Hiking Tour for Staff

Grab your water bottle, lace up your sturdy shoes and join fellow Philadelphia Parks & Recreation staff for a fun morning of exercise and socializing in the beautiful Wissahickon Valley. The Employee Social Activities Team invites all PPR staff to a “Wissahickon Valley Hiking Tour.” Beginning at Houston Playground, we’ll hike through the beautifully restored Houston Meadow, then follow the creek along Forbidden Drive to the historic Valley Green Inn. There, we’ll pause for morning refreshments and head back to trails for a return trip. The hike will include scrambling over rocks, hiking through a rhododendron canopy, discovering a little of the amazing cultural history, and spotting some of the park’s nesting birds.

So you think you might not be in shape for the whole hike? Arrange with a friend to leave one car at Valley Green and enjoy just the one-way, “downhill” version of the tour!

Length of tour is 4.5 miles round-trip.

For information and to register, call Wissahickon Environmental Center at 685-9285.
Limited to 30 people. $5.00/person. You must register in advance by June 5. Staff should get prior approval from their supervisor to attend (if during normal work hours).

Tour coordinators: Debbie Carr (Director of Environmental Education), Trish Fries (Wissahickon Environmental Center), Bill Salvatore (Houston Playground).

Day Camp Opportunities

Kids Fest at the Dell

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Dell Music Center

Ridge Avenue & Huntingdon Drive

Philadelphia, PA 19132

Enjoy rides (including water rides), a rock climbing wall, entertainment, and music.

Ages 6-13 years old.

Tickets: $5.00 per person (includes lunch and rides). Please make checks/money orders payable to: PP&R Special Recreation Services Advisory Council.

RSVP no later than July 12. For more information, call Terri Kerwawich at (215) 683-3683.

Download the Kids Fest flyer

“Green City, Clean Waters” Programs

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department is offering FREE programs for summer camps located in a Green City, Clean Waters neighborhood.*

Programs include “Greener Bubbles,” where children become chemists, learning how to make simple natural cleaning products that can keep harmful chemicals OUT of our water supply, “Stepping Into Nature,” and much more.

Download the flyers for more information:

Clean Water & You

Nature Ramble

Stepping into Nature

To schedule a program, call:

Pennypack Environmental Center (215) 685-0470

Wissahickon Environmental Center (215) 685-9285

*You will be contacted by May 6, 2013 if your Recreation Center/Playground is located in a Green City, Clean Waters neighborhood.

Clementon Park and Splash World Outing

July 30: Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4

August 6: Districts 6, 7 and 8

End of summer outing tickets to Clementon Park are $25 per person.

For ticket information, contact your recreation leader.
Tickets include: theme park rides from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; water park rides from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Fishing Program

At $50 per group of campers (up to 50 children), your trip to the Fish Hatchery this summer will include:

• Fishing rods and bait for 50 children
• Basic fishing and safety instruction
• Arts & crafts project with “fishy” theme
• Large park area for picnic lunch and games
• NEW Playground area

Learn more about this opportunity

PPR’s Valerie Arhondakis Finishes Boston Marathon in 3:58:03 and has a Story of a Lifetime.

13 minutes. For the rest of her life, PPR’s Recreation Programming Coordinator Valerie Arhondakis will remember those 13 minutes up in Boston. As she crossed the finish line at the 117th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2013 with a race time of 3:58:03, little did she know that only 13 minutes later an evil devastation would change everyone’s life at the Boston Marathon that day.

Val and her father were blocks and blocks away and 13 minutes from the finish line when the first bomb went off at the Boston Marathon. She already had her medal around her neck, her proud poppa already handed her a bouquet of flowers when all hell broke loose.

During the 117th Boston Marathon on April 15th two bombs exploded, killing 3 people and injuring 183 others. The bombs had been placed near the finish line, along Boylston Street. They were detonated at 2:49 p.m., 13 seconds apart. No warning was given and no claim of responsibility was made for the bombings. The FBI led an investigation and released photos of two suspects, brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Continue reading Val’s story

Gearing Up for the Summer Season

After 36 years in public service, Celeste Skipworth-Reid remains open to new challenges. Take, for example, the processing of 1,200 summer seasonal employees.

Following the retirement of Lenora McNeely this winter, Celeste added supervision of summer seasonal staff processing to her stable of responsibilities, including payroll clerks, benefits, staff safety incidents, new hires and interviews. Summer seasonal staff processing isn’t new to Celeste—she handled day camp processing at M.L. King Rec Center years ago—but the amount of summer seasonals she’s now responsible for processing (Seasonal Maintenance Attendants, summer food employees, Recreational Specialty Instructors, pool staff and day camp employees, to name a few) is much larger.

Luckily, Celeste is not alone. She credits her 7 reliable seasonal staff members, nearly all returning veterans to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, for their attentive work. “With the volume of employees that we hire and range of terms (some 3 months, some 6 months, some 6-9 months), the seasonal staff and permanent payroll staff do a great job of processing them and paying them. They’re very supportive, and they’re right along with the other seasonals… just like you want to get paid, so does everyone else.”

Continue reading about summer staff processing

March 2013 New Hires and Retirees

Please welcome:

• Yadira Curet, Rec Leader Trainee
• Alton Willoughby, Park and Recreation
  Facility Caretaker I
• Paul Biederman, Park and Recreation
  Facility Caretaker I
• Joseph Di Giovanni, Park and Recreation
  Facility Caretaker I
• Robert Harris, Park and Recreation
  Facility Caretaker I
• Christopher Johnson, Tree Maintenance Worker

Fond farewells:

• Warren Sothern, Rec Leader 2
• Joseph Carapucci, Semi-skilled Laborer
• Willie Coleman, Rec Leader 2

Summer Staff Training Dates/Locations

Districts 3 and 4

Gustine Recreation Center

Tuesday, June 25

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

District 6

Athletic Recreation Center

Tuesday, June 25

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Districts 1 and 2

Bridesburg Recreation Center

Wednesday, June 26

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Districts 7 and 8

Guerin Recreation Center

Wednesday, June 26

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

What Would You Like to See on PPRInfo.com?

PPRinfo.com is a website for staff that can be viewed from any computer with internet access. Content includes business forms, staff contact lists, district boundary maps, special projects and news. Please visit the site today and let us know what documents or information would be helpful for you to access on pprinfo.com by emailing.