From left: FOPP President Linde Lauf presents Holme Circle resident Joe Little with a certificate of appreciate for his clean-ups. Neighbor Elsie Stevens helps present the honor. Photo/Elsie Stevens

Holme Circle resident Joe Little, of Mower Street, was presented a certificate of appreciation during the Friends of Pennypack Park monthly meeting Thursday at the Lafayette-Redeemer Home on 8580 Verree Rd.

The certificate was awarded mutually by the neighbors of Holme Circle and the Friends of Pennypack Park for Little’s continual efforts in independently removing trash and litter from the park’s Holme Circle area these past several months.  continue reading »

Solis-Cohen (A) and Pollock (B) schools are two of Philadelphia's top 12 feeder schools for Masterman High School. Image/Google Maps

Getting into the  Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Center City isn’t easy.

It’s the 45th-best public high school in the country, sends most of its graduates to four-year colleges and attracts students from all over the city. Including Northeast Philadelphia.

As part of an in-depth report on Masterman and its accessibility, the Public School Notebook found the top 12 School District of Philadelphia feeder schools that send students to Masterman’s at the fifth grade level – the easiest way to guarantee a spot in the high school. continue reading »

Columnist Stacey McCarthy has the week off. Today, we’re running her post from this time last year.

Q: I am so excited! I make settlement on my first home in Holme Circle on Friday and I don’t know how to get the bills in my name. I want to make sure I have all my bases covered, so I want to call the utility companies asap. Who do I need to call? And will the seller’s bills already be paid off?

A: Congratulations! Owning your first home is very exciting. One thing you shouldn’t have to worry about is the seller’s utility pay-offs. The title company you use to make settlement will make sure the seller’s utility bills are paid up. continue reading »

A rendering of the building proposed for the Sisters of the Hole Family of Nazareth, as presented at Wednesday's Holme Circle Civic Association meeting. Photo/Elsie Stevens

As part of its annual Rite of Spring, the Holme Circle Civic Association invited candidates seeking office in the April 24 primary election to its “Candidates’ Night” Wednesday. Joining them were presentations from the Friends of Pennypack Park and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Presenting their platforms were four candidates all seeking election for the position as their district’s state representative. continue reading »

Northeast Philadelphia's 8th Police District

Capt. Leonard Ditchkofsky has two goals for the 8th Police District – help people feel safe and bring property values back up.

The plans were met with a round of applause from Holme Circle Civic Association members Wednesday night. Ditchkofsky, the new captain, stopped by the meeting following a district PSA 1 meeting.

“I’m very happy to be here,” Ditchkofsky said after being introduced by Community Relations Officer Rudy Muller. continue reading »

The Stokes House at 2876-80 Welsh Rd. in Holme Circle. Photo/Shannon McDonald

There are major developments happening in Holme Circle. Or at least there will be.

The Stokes property at 2876-80 Welsh Rd. has a new owner, though he insists whatever is to come for the property isn’t happening any time soon.

John Parsons of BSI Constructors was at the Holme Circle Civic Association meeting Wednesday night to deliver the news of no news. BSI has purchased the home from Samuel “Buzz” Stokes to, as Parsons put it, “help a family friend.”

Stokes was unable to care for the rambling property and instead decided to attend to his legal fees accrued in the corruption trial for former Pa. Rep. John Perzel, in which Stokes pleaded guilty to helping divert state money to Perzel’s political funding. BSI has hired Perzel, Stokes’ brother-in-law, as a consultant. You might recognize Parsons for his work at Island Green Golf course, numerous charter schools and the Holy Family University proposal for Liddonfield.

“Termites have taken over that property completely,” Parsons said. The spacious lot once compromised many of the surrounding neighborhood before the Stokes family sold off portions of it for development in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Now it’s limited to a single home facing Pollock School and Winchester Swim Club with property that backs up to the 2800-block of Walnut Hill Street. And it’s decaying. continue reading »

Surveillance footage of the Jan. 25 pharmacy robbery in Holme Circle. Image/Philadelphia Police

Northeast Detectives are on the hunt for a suspect wanted in a series of robberies, the most recent of which took place in Holme Circle.

On Jan. 25, the suspect held up the pharmacist at Circle Pharmacy on the 2800-block of Holme Avenue, fleeing the scene with multiple medications. He was last seen around 7 p.m. jumping over the fence at the rear of the property, and is wanted for several other robberies that began Dec. 10. continue reading »

With repairs to the Holme Avenue Bridge complete, the Holme Circle Civic Association has turned its attention to the rest of the avenue, specifically, the Circle.

Serving three major roads and connecting the pockets of Winchester Park and Ashton, the Circle has seen better days. By PennDOT’s estimate, 40,000 vehicles pass through it everyday, prompting the HCCA to want a better impression form the neighborhood.

Talks of a beautification project began late last year when the bridge reopened, but HCCA members Joe Razler, Elsie Stevens and Mike Gould are now weighing their options for first steps.

“We haven’t set a fixed dollar amount yet to raise,” Gould told members. continue reading »

Q: I made an offer on a property in Holme Circle that is a “short sale.” It has been six months and still NO REPLY from the seller’s bank! The real estate agent told me it could take awhile, but now I feel like she is not doing enough. Is she giving us the run-around? How do I know if the bank ever really got my offer? How long is this really supposed to take?

A: Despite its name, a “short sale” is anything but short. The short part of short sale means the seller is not paying off the entire loan, and lenders don’t easily approve of that. For the buyer, it would be more accurate to call it a “Take-forever-and-even-then-you-might-not-get-it Sale.” That is the main reason why these homes are priced much less than others in the market. continue reading »

The re-opening of the Holme Avenue Bridge was one of the main discussion points at the October Holme Circle Civic Association meeting. Photo by Stephen Schultz.

The Holme Circle Civic Association held its annual “Meet the Candidates Night” during its monthly meeting on Wednesday at St. Jerome’s School Hall.

The local candidates in attendance were City Councilman Brian O’Neill and Democratic challenger Bill Rubin; Democratic at-large Councilman Jim Kenney represented by his aide, John DelRica; Republican candidates Denny O’Brien and Michael Untermeyer; and Republican candidate for City Commissioner Al Schmidt represented by his aide, Steven Boc. Each candidate was given five minutes to expound on their platforms culminating with questions from the 40 member audience. continue reading »