Dan Efroymson (R), leads a group of about a dozen people on a short birdwatching trek around the Friends Hospital grounds. Almost everyone came equipped with a pair of binoculars. Photo by Bill Achuff.

Birdwatching isn’t exactly what comes to mind when you think of Friends Hospital and the property around it, but Saturday marked another Love Your Watershed event with the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed, drawing nature-lovers and environmentalists to the property for a tour.

Participants left with a flier full of ideas for incorporating eco-friendly practices into their lives:

1. Install a rain barrel at your home to catch rainwater for your use. Rainwater can be used to water lawns and gardens.

2. During rain, avoid high water usage activities like washing dishes, flushing the toilet showering and laundry. Avoiding these activities will lesson the load on the sewer system and alleviate overflows.

3. In winter, use less salt on driveways and sidewalks. Instead use wood/coal ash or sand for traction

Below, check out our slideshow with photos from Bill Achuff and Jewell A. Newton. continue reading »

The Northeast is home to just one of the city’s public health clinics: Health Care Center 10 at Cottman and Bustleton.

But a report from health-economics experts at the University of Pennsylvania says changing demographics in the 19111, 19120 and 19124 ZIP codes has created a gap. The report recommends adding a health care center somewhere around Lawncrest. continue reading »

Students from Camelot Schools’ Excel Academy South serve the lunch that they prepared to homeless residents of St. John’s Hospice in Center City. Photo courtesy of Camelot Schools.

Warm corn muffins.  Steaming bowls of chili. Potato salad. Macaroni and cheese. It was the perfect lunch for a crisp November day and a special treat for the homeless residents at St. John’s Hospice in Center City, prepared and served by culinary arts students of Camelot Schools’ Excel Academy South.

“Community service is an important part of our program,” said Kevin Marx, the school’s executive director.  “This is our first time doing this, but we will be doing more meals like this.  And not just at shelters, but at nursing homes, too.”

“The kids were really excited about coming here,” added Lari Luckenbill, Excel’s culinary arts teacher. “I couldn’t bring the whole class, and it was difficult narrowing it down to 15.”

The students prepared the meal in their state-of-the art kitchen at Excel South, located on the campus of Friends Hospital in Northwood. They transported the food to St. John’s, where they heated it up and cheerfully dished it out to the residents. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Actor Tony Danza’s stint as a teacher at Northeast High school for the 09-10 school year is the subject of the new A&E show, Teach: Tony Danza, which premieres tomorrow. You can read an early review of the series here.

Keep reading for news on a doctor under fire for illegal sales of prescription drugs, an update on Friends Hospital, and more.

continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Friends Hospital updated on its recovery-oriented inpatient psychiatric care unit last night. The unit at the Northwood facility opened in January. Its goal is for each patient to leave with a new, self-written life plan. The life plan will be different than normal in that it will incorporate continued therapy with each individual’s interests, support systems, hobbies, strengths, community connections, and aspirations. It focuses on positive psychology based on hopes and dreams, not just symptoms, medication, and counseling appointments.

Keep reading for news on program cuts from Mayor Nutter, an advanced math class and more. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Aquan Spearman will soon go to trial after being charged with the sexual assault of three eighth-grade girls from Cooke Middle School one year ago. The assaults took place in December 2007 and January 2008, though Spearman is still awaiting trail for committing statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl in June 2006 in the Northeast.

Keep reading for news on a Washington High football player, police news and more. continue reading »

Northwood Civic Association President Barry Howell recaps the group's progress since the last meeting.

Northwood residents voted unanimously last night to back up a decision made by the Northwood Civic Association to allow a new school on the property of Friends Hospital.

Civic Association President Barry Howell led the meeting, at the end of which, the 20 residents in attendance supported the association’s backing of Camelot School’s new Excel Academy. Already built but waiting for finishing touches, the facilities are located on the south side of the Friends Hospital property in the old crisis center of the Webster building.

Todd Bock, senior vice president for education services at Camelot, a private company that oversees several other schools in Philadelphia in addition to Excel, addressed residents’ concerns about the schools. Many feared the school could bring more unruly teenagers through the neighborhood.

“This is not Shallcross,” Bock reassured attendees, who fear having their own version of the Parkwood-based remedial discipline school, which hosts students who’ve been expelled from other schools for things like weapon possession. (Members of the Parkwood Civic Association contacted Howel praising the Excel Academy, which Bock stressed is not the same as Shallcross).

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With September upon us and summer almost over, it’s time for civic association meetings to start up again. First up is Northwood, tonight from 7 to 8 at St. James Lutheran Church at Pratt Street and Castor Avenue.

The topic at hand will be the group’s position on the proposed Accelerated High School, which, if plans move ahead, will be on Friends Hospital property.