Animal remains were discovered Friday (A) and a body was found Sunday (B) in two Northeast Philadelphia parks. Image/Google Maps

Police in the 8th District has a busy weekend tracking gruesome discoveries in two different parks.

Sunday, a body was found floating in the creek of Poquessing Valley Park in Parkwood. The body of the young Latino male was found around 1 p.m. off the 3500-block of Vinton Road. Authorities don’t believe the death is suspicious.  continue reading »

Terri Drobish and son Alex. Photo by Daniel Drobish.

Friends and family of Theresa Drobish, who went by Terri to those close to her, are still reeling from her untimely death in late September.  Drobish was walking with her young son Alexander on the southbound sidewalk of Roosevelt Boulevard near Strahle Street when she was struck by a Toyota Camry that had been forced off the road by a Ryder truck, which drove off after the accident and never stopped.

“It’s such a tragedy,” said Tina Burke, Drobish’s instructor and adviser at the Omega Institute in New Jersey. “Terri  always had a smile on her face and overcame many obstacles to get to where she was. She was an excellent student, always going above and beyond.”

Drobish had finished her schooling to become a surgical technologist and had just completed her externship at Wills Eye Surgery, which is right across the street from where the accident occurred. She had been enjoying the sunny weather with her son earlier that day at Pennypack Park before heading to her workplace for her last evaluation. As she was walking down the sidewalk, everything changed. continue reading »

What if we told you something happened in Northwest Philadelphia near Fairmount Park? Would you know where to look to find that news story. You wouldn’t, but you also wouldn’t see a mainstream news outlet report something so vague.

Why then, do the media insist on using Pennypack Park as a geographic identifier? Case in point: NBC10 and Philly.com.

Back in September, a horrific crash on Roosevelt Boulevard left a child injured and a mother dead. The media were all over it, rushing to be the first to the scene. And in that haste came these reports: “on the boulevard in the area of Pennypack Park.” continue reading »

Pennypack Park's stage flooding during Hurricane Irene. Photo by Tom Price.

Tonight’s British Invasion concert scheduled in Pennypack Park has been canceled due to flooding sustained during Hurricane Irene.

The plan right now, according to organizers, is to reschedule for either Sept. 7 or Sept. 21. continue reading »

Mare Carrie relaxing in her stall at Solly Stables

The stable sits between two twin homes where Tabor Road meets Solly Avenue in Fox Chase. Tim Martin has worked at Solly Stable for almost 20 years. He is currently the Head Hostler for the stable, which he said was built in 1955. Located at 1140 Solly Ave., the stable is currently managed by The Solly Stable Riders Association a nonprofit for The Fairmount Park Commission. continue reading »

A police composite sketch has been released of the man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 24 year old woman near the Pennypack Park concert series site last week. See it above.

The man, estimated to be between 25 and 35 years old is white, approximately 5’9″ with a fair complexion and thin build. At the time of the attack, he had reddish close-cut hair with a light mustache and beard.

He was allegedly driving a newer model white pick-up truck with a ladder and ladder racks in Tacony when he picked a woman up and drove her to the attack site. Read more about the attack here.

A similar assault allegedly happened in mid July on the 8000-block of Cresco Ave.

The area of Pennypack Park near the concert state will be spray for mosquitoes Thursday night.

Weather permitting, the city’s Department  of Public Health will apply mosquito-control treatments tonight to parts of Pennypack Park.

The targeted area gets a lot of use — the stage area where the park holds its Summer Concert Series.  Spraying will begin this evening in the park between Rhawn Street, Welsh Road, Cresco Avenue and Pennypack Creek, and that part of the park will closed then.

The department’s Vector Control staff will apply an aerosol mist that kills mosquitoes on contact, helping to prevent the spread of West Nile Virus. Anvil 10 + 10, a synthetic pyrethroid, has no residual effects and no ill effects on humans, according to the Department of Public Health. continue reading »

Police officers are investigating an alleged rape in Pennypack Park early Wednesday morning.

A woman tells authorities she was walking on the 8200-block of Cresco Avenue around 2:45 a.m. when she was approached by a man who punched her and dragged her into the park near the concert stage. continue reading »

Mike Bobby, John Duffy and Steve Phillips keep watch on Fox Chase

They are the eyes and ears of the Fox Chase community. Since 1995 The Fox Chase Town Watch has patrolled the streets of Fox Chase, alerting police to incidents and making note of ongoing problems that need police attention. Steve Phillips, current president of the Watch, has been a member since 1995. Membership is open to residents 18 years and older.

Members receive training, but rule No. 1 is to remember as a member you are not a law enforcement officer. Phillips became involved after the death of Eddie Polec, “Witnessing the death of Ed Polec has been my motivation for the last 17  years. I said to myself, this will not happen again, and that is why I do this.” continue reading »

A scenic view of the Pennypack Creek

The Pennypack Environmental Center sits on the palisades of the Pennypack Creek just off Verree Road on the northern edge of Fox Chase. The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guides offer a historical overview of the center and the gallery contains numerous examples of wildlife that populate this section of Pennypack Park. Adjacent to the center are the Verree House and servants quarters that are the only remnants of Verreeville, a small mill town that once dominated the area. continue reading »