UPDATE — (10:20p.m. Aug. 3) — Ron Larkin, 38, surrendered to police Monday. Larkin is the boyfriend of 54-year-old Dorothy Flora, who shot Flor and her son after a domestic dispute.

UPDATE — (3:50p.m. Aug. 2,) — The Philadelphia Inquirer has confirmed the pair was mother and son, Dorothy Flora and Shane Ferguson. The suspect has not yet been found.

Police are investigating a double murder in Frankford, which they believe was prompted by a domestic dispute. continue reading »

Frankford residents ask questions at the Dec. 3 Civic meeting about the proposal for the new Frankford Y.

A starry-eyed plan for reinvigorating the century-old Frankford Y has now lost the support of the civic association to whom the proposal was first presented.

Northwood Civic Association President Barry Howell, who presided over the November meeting of his neighborhood group that featured the announcement that a for-profit group would purchase the cherished, nonprofit community center, stood up at Thursday night’s Frankford Civic Association meeting and addressed the issue aggressively.

“I sense a rat,” Howell said, to chatters of approval from the 16 residents and 10 Frankford board members in attendance. “They fed us Disney World, but this ain’t Disney World.” continue reading »

Anthony Bannister, a partner in the company that is purchasing the Frankford Y, addresses the Nov. 17, 2009 Northwood Civic Association meeting.

A for-profit development company has agreed on terms to purchase the New Frankford Y, as announced at Tuesday night’s Northwood Civic Association meeting. The Y closed its doors back in May after 68 years as a neighborhood hub.

Portraying himself as well-connected and well-funded, a young and charismatic quarter partner in the Frankford Development Corporation said they plan to reopen the Y as the Frankford Community Center by September 2010.

“The place brings such a rich, beautiful element to the neighborhood,” Anthony Bannister told a dozen residents and the civic board inside a well-heated classroom at St. James Lutheran Church. “I’m not afraid of Frankford. You just need a vision, and I can see it.”

continue reading »

The crowd awaits the Northeast Phily Idol contestants. Photo courtesy of the Frankford Gazette.

The 2009 Frankford Festival was this weekend – a nice treat after having been rained out the weekend before.

Held at Overington Park at Leiper and Overington streets, the festival featured live music, a petting zoo, a moon bounce and perhaps most anticipated: the Northeast Philly Idol contestants.

For coverage and more more photos from the Frankford Festival check out the Frankford Gazette’s story and slideshow.

Frankford residents are worried the owner of 1734 Harrison St., whom they say is currently housing 29 people, is disregarding zoning laws. Photo by Christopher Wink.

Roughly 10 people showed up for last night’s Frankford Civic Association meeting – an unusually low turnout, as some attending members mentioned – to hear the latest on several zoning issues in the neighborhood.

Four properties in the neighborhood are all on the group’s list of ongoing, resolved and upcoming zoning issues. continue reading »

By Shannon McDonald

An early morning fire in Frankford on Saturday left two people dead, one a 7-year-old boy. The flames broke out around 6 a.m. when a resident of the three-story home on the 43oo-block of Leiper Street was cooking and failed to turn a burner off.

The fire department was called at 7:30 a.m., and was under control 30 minutes later. But not before a woman and a young boy died. Five others, including a 1 -year-old, were taken to the hospital with injuries, and are expected to recover.

Investigators said the house – which was home to eight relatives – only had one smoke alarm with  no batteries.

By Christopher Wink

In 1941, the New Frankford Community Y opened its doors. Today, 68 years later, it will close.

The center, a big brown mansion with an addition that includes an indoor swimming pool, is self-funded, depending largely on state grants. One grant for a cool $200,000 never came through last year. Employees haven’t been paid for a month, as reported by 6ABC. continue reading »

Courtesy of 6ABC.com

By Shannon McDonald

The driver of  a Honda was traveling on Leiper Street toward Orthodox in Frankford when he or she rear-ended a Ford pickup that was parked. The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

Further information about the driver and cause of the accident has not been released. It is unclear whether charges will be pressed.