The boundaries of PhillyRising's Lawncrest initiative. Image/PhillyRising Collaborative

Lawncrest residents have identified three plans for action within the neighborhood as part of the community’s involvement with PhillyRising.

PhillyRising, an initiative out of the city’s managing director’s office, targets neighborhoods with chronic crime and quality of life issues and brings community organizations and city agencies together to try to solve them. The program is entrenched in several neighborhoods, including Lawncrest and Frankford.

Following two initial community meetings, Assistant Managing Director Manny Citron drafted Lawncrest’s “Action Plan” based on feedback from the more than 50 people who gave their input. continue reading »

Three congregations around the Northeast have agreed to participate in the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the Northwest Philadelphia-based organization that enlists the help of churches to act as temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness.

Faith Lutheran Church at 4150 Woodhaven Rd., Rhawnhurst Presbyterian at 7701 Lorretto Ave., and Oxford Circle Mennonite at 900 Howell St., will begin taking in families starting in August. continue reading »

The 2011 Lawncrest Fourth of July parade rolls down Rising Sun Avenue toward the rec center. Photo/Bill Achuff

With less than two months to go before Lawncrest’s annual Fourth of July celebration, organizers are working to finalize the events and secure donations.

The 97th annual festivities are being organized once again by the Lawncrest Community Association’s Fourth of July Committee, which has chosen “A Community United” as this year’s theme. continue reading »

The 2011 Lawncrest Fourth of July parade rolls down Rising Sun Avenue toward the rec center. Photo/Bill Achuff

With less than two months to go before Lawncrest’s annual Fourth of July celebration, organizers are working to finalize the events and secure donations.

The 97th annual festivities are being organized once again by the Lawncrest Community Association’s Fourth of July Committee, which has chosen “A Community United” as this year’s theme. continue reading »

The owner of 542 Levick St. wants to open an accounting business on the first floor of the residential property. Image/Google Maps

The house at 542 Levick St. in Lawncrest is three stories and zoned residential.

If owner Chandler Le gets his way, the Zoning Board of Adjustment will vote later this month to approve a variance allowing Le to operate his accountant business from the first floor of the home.  Currently vacant, the house would be converted to accommodate Le’s business on the first floor, while Le and his wife and children would live on the second and third floors.

Though Lawncrest Community Association members voted 26-11 last night to support Le’s plan, members had several questions about Le’s intentions and the future of the property.

Members approved the plan with three provisos: continue reading »

From left: City Council members Maria Quinones-Sanchez, Mark Squilla, Kenyatta Johnson, Marian Tasco, Darrell Clarke and Bill Greenlee. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Can a City Council budget hearing be called such if only six members attend? Last night was Northeast Philadelphia’s turn in a series of meetings Council is holding to take public testimony about the Fiscal Year 2013 budget.

President Darrell Clarke led the hearing and was joined by a mostly silent but present 1st District Councilman Mark Squilla, 2nd District Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, 7th District Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, 9th District Councilwoman Marian Tasco and Councilman-at-large Bill Greenlee. continue reading »

Lawncrest dog owner Kris Cheung (right) takes her dog to the unofficial dog park in Lawncrest. Photo/Maryline Dossou

This is the second in a two-part series about how youth organizations interact with city and private agencies. Read Part One here.

On Apr. 25, the residents of Lawncrest assembled at a community meeting to discuss an ongoing issue affecting both the youth athletics and local dog owners. For the past three years, neighborhood athletic association’s little league team and the dog owners have been using the same baseball field at the Lawncrest Recreation Center for very different reasons.

The problem began when participation in youth sports within the athletic association started dwindling, leading to the eventual disintegration of the AA approximately 10 years ago. Since then, dog owners took to entering the gated field and letting their dogs run around. Over time, the space became an unofficial dog park.

Once the AA started back up again three years ago, dog owners were faced with having to find a new place to walk their dogs, but they continued using the field. In late 2011, the children started using the field again, causing concern among parents. Lawncrest parents Brad and Crystal El have been outspoken in their advocacy for the dog park for the safety of the children. continue reading »

Philadelphia’s City Council members will be in Northeast Philadelphia next week for a public hearing on the city’s budget.

The doors of St. William’s parish hall, 6234 Rising Sun Ave., will be open to the public, and residents are encouraged to give their public testimony.

“Please come and show your interest,” Tasco encouraged attendees of the March Lawncrest Community Association meeting. LCA meetings typically draw 80 to 100 impassioned residents, many of whom Tasco has been working with on specific neighborhood improvement projects. The meeting will be open to the general public and starts at 6 p.m. continue reading »

Philadelphia Councilwoman Marian Tasco, seen here at the 2011 Rising Sun Avenue Clean-up, announced City Council will hold a public budget hearing in Lawncrest. File photo/Ian Romano

Philadelphia City Council is coming to the Northeast.

On Tuesday, May 8, Council will hold a public budget hearing at St. William’s School in Lawncrest. Ninth District Councilwoman Marian Tasco made the announcement last night at the Lawncrest Community Association meeting. continue reading »

An evacuation drill has been scheduled at the U.S. Navy Depot for the week of March 19. Image/Google Maps

More than 6,000 people work at the U.S. Navy Depot in Lawncrest, and sometime during this, they’ll be pouring out onto the streets for an emergency drill.

Mark Mroz, community relations officer for the 2nd District, said SEPTA, police and the media have been notified of the drill, but residents should be warned too, as the drill will shut down streets around the facility.

The purpose of the drill is to see how long and evacuation would take if there should be an emergency. The drill will take up to 24 hours to complete, and no specific date has been set. continue reading »