Phil Grutmacher reviews Lawncrest's top zoning issues at the January Community Association meeting. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Last night’s Lawncrest Community Association meeting began with a word about burglaries from 2nd District Community Relations Officer Mark Mroz, ended with a $49 50/50 ticket and was interrupted by  a birthday cake for dedicated LCA member Peg Kramer.

But the meat of the meeting was zoning. With no guest speaker plan, President Bill Dolbow breezed right through the agenda and let Phil Grutzmacher take the mic to discuss zoning. Five proposals were reviewed, but the first is a site that’s been a thorn in the LCA’s side for months. continue reading »

L to R: Jeanette Newman with son Jordan, St. William's fifth grade teacher Kathy Mcdonald, and Summer and Kenny Rivera at the annual Grove Cleanup in Lawncrest. Photo by Stephen Schultz

With Lawncrest’s Veterans Day ceremony scheduled for Friday morning, residents took to the Grove this past Saturday to beautify the area around the rec center and library.

The annual Grove Cleanup brought volunteers out on a bright, sunny day to rake leaves and pick up trash in the are off of Rising Sun Avenue. continue reading »

Northeast Lion Rich Wilson at the eyeglass drop off box located in Lions Park, Fox Chase

It sits adjacent to sidewalk on the Oxford Avenue side of Lions Park. Painted bright yellow with blue lettering, it’s the N.E. Lions Eyeglass drop-off with, three large Lions International insignias.

We recently helped out a reader who accidentally dropped her Blockbuster rental in the box on Rising Sun Avenue, wanted to know more about the boxes.

To learn more about them and the Lions Recycle for Sight Program, we talked to Richard Wilson, former president of the Northeast Lions. continue reading »

Essay contest winners and their parents celebrate with Mayor Michael Nutter and GNPCC President Al Taubenberger. Photo courtesy of Rising Sun Plaza.

Rising Sun Plaza honored 16 Northeast students last lost month in its annual My Mom’s/Dad’s the Greatest Essay Contest . Students ranging in age from 8 to 18 were chosen for their creativity and originality in essays acknowledging their parents’ dedication by supporting their belief that their mom or dad is the greatest.

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This is the first in a two-part look at zoning in the Northeast. Read the second part here.

There are 10 day cares on the three city blocks of Rising Sun Avenue between Robbins and Fanshawe streets. My Little Doves by Hellerman Street is the newest addition.

Lawncrest residents are concerned about the number of daycares on Rising Sun Avenue. Photo by Ian Romano.

Many residents said they are angry about their zoning board’s approval over the site.

“Someone needs to decide when enough’s enough. We’re going overboard now,”  said Lawncrest resident Cherylann Wharton.

Residents said they were left out of the decision. Their concerns about the day care were made clear at the April 19 Lawncrest Community Association meeting: they don’t want any more traffic. continue reading »

Hugh Campbell, a 45-year-resident of Burholme, thanked Matt Taubenberger for sweeping up trash Saturday.

Campbell said he can’t shop at the stores on Castor Avenue because there is too much trash.

“It’s good to see a couple of young fellas cleaning up,” Campbell said. “I’m a product of New York City and left because it was so filthy.”

Taubenberger and a group of college students took part in Philadelphia’s spring cleanup by packing mulch into the street trees and sweeping the sidewalks on Burholme’s end of Rising Sun Avenue. Councilwoman Marian Tasco joined volunteers on the Lawncrest end of the street.

“One of the things that I really hate and see all the time is people throwing their trash right on the ground,” said Taubenberger, who plays an active role in the neighborhood as part of the Business Association. “I think when people walk by and see us cleaning up they realize how hard it is to keep the street clean and they try not to litter.” continue reading »

Friday – Police raided Lawndale Coin and Collectibles Friday morning, as it’s an apparent front for stolen jewelry and metals. Authorities believe owner Robert Snyder has been receiving stolen goods there, including items from 55 burglaries for which the perpetrator  was arrested in October. Snyder insists the Rising Sun Avenue store conducts legitimate business. continue reading »

More than 60 local residents turned out for the vigil held out front of Glatz Jewelers on Rising Sun Avenue.

A preacher is standing on a street corner in a white jacket with a megaphone. He is wearing an “I Love Jesus” cap and spouting his message loudly to oblivious passersby on Rising Sun Avenue in Lawncrest.

“I was an alcoholic. I was a drug addict. But I found Jesus and Jesus’ message changed my life,” said Jimmy Gardner, 52, an aspiring Bible teacher from North Philadelphia. “Only in Jesus can we all see the error of our ways and can we find salvation.”

An older woman with sleek gray strands pulled back into a bun ran over to him holding her pink jacket closed with her right hand, informing the megaphone preacher that he was disrupting the vigil for a murdered jeweler being held across the street.

So touched was the megaphone preacher, and so apologetic for his disruption, he joined the others in prayer.

“We are all God’s children,” Gardner said.

The vigil was held Saturday in honor of William Glatz, hosted by pastors from several local churches in front of his former jewelry store, in response to the man’s shocking death during a robbery attempt on Oct. 21. Glatz was 67. continue reading »

The Rising Sun Avenue corridor has gone through a drastic change in the eyes of the people who have lived there all their lives.  A community that once was solely described as a close-knit, working class residency is now suffering from a spate of robberies, violence and an overabundance of trash and unkempt houses.

Kathy Wersinger of Councilwoman Marian Tasco’s office is a 55-year-resident of the area and believes the problem to be renters.

“People that rent houses for a profit and don’t worry about the condition of them as long as they are receiving their monthly check,” contribute to the decline in quality of life, she said. continue reading »

Obina Onyiah has been charged. Image courtesy of philly.com.

UPDATE (Nov. 12, 2010 at 11:26 a.m.) — Obina Onyiah has been charged with the murder of Glatz. The 27-year-old Frankford resident escaped from the crime scene in a car driven by another suspect, who is still on the loose.

UPDATE (Nov. 9, 2010 at 11:36 a.m.) — Authorities are questioning a second suspect whom they believe in connected with the robbery and homicide at Glatz Jewelers.

UPDATE (Oct. 26, 2010 at 10:22 a.m.) — Police say an arrest is imminent in connection with those responsible for helping Kevin Turner escape from prison. The suspects will face charges involving Turner’s escape and the murder of William Glatz.

UPDATE (Oct. 22, 2010 at 12:29 p.m.) — A photo of the missing suspect has been released.

William Glatz, owner of William Glatz Jewelers in Lawncrest is dead today following a shootout in his store yesterday morning.

Two men attempted to rob 67-year-old Glazt in his store on the 6400-block of Rising Sun Avenue around 11 a.m. Thursday. Glatz exchanged gunfire with the suspects and sustained a bullet wound to the chest. He died later at Einstein Medical Center. continue reading »