Next month, Parkwood Civic Association members will do something they haven’t done in about a decade: Hold an election. At their March 19 meeting at St. Anselm’s R.C. Church, members nominated candidates for president, vice president, treasurer, recording secretary and zoning officer. The election will be conducted at the association’s April 23 session.
According to Bill Neveil, vice president, longtime president Mike Hatala and treasurer Joe McCarthy have seen work and business demands on their time increase in the past year and can’t continue in their board posts.
Neveil and Marge Philippi were nominated for president. John DelRicci and Neveil were nominated for vice president. Philippi was nominated for treasurer. Sarah O’Neill was nominated for recording secretary. Lou Farinella was nominated for zoning liaison.
Neveil said he would bring a copy of the association’s bylaws to the April meeting. He added that only association members will be allowed to vote, but that residents can join April 16.
Also, on March 19, civic association members heard from state Rep. Ed Neilson (D-169th dist.) and from Lisa Spadora of the Nextdoor website.
Neilson talked about his City Council candidacy. Neilson, who was first elected to the state House to fill Dennis O’Brien’s seat, currently is the Democratic Party’s candidate to fill Bill Green’s at-large seat. Green left Council to become head of the School Reform Commission, which opened up an opportunity for Neilson, whose House district is being absorbed by other Northeast Philly legislative districts.
If elected May 20, Neilson said, he would probably take office in June to complete the remainder of Green’s term, which runs to the end of 2015.
“We will have four elected councilmen within two miles,” he said. “That will give us a great seat at the table.”
Spadora said Nextdoor is a California company whose website, www.nextdoor.com, helps communities to set up private online networks. Before Nextdoor was set up, she said, “There was no network online for neighborhoods.”
Nowadays, many people don’t know more than a handful of neighbors. Nextdoor, she said, lets people connect with others in their own neighborhoods. They can get the word out quickly about an upcoming event, or tell others about a breakin.
“It’s a free tool,” she said, “and it’s private.” Everyone who uses a specific neighborhood site must verify residency, Spadora said. Neveil said association members will take part in the April 5 spring cleanup. Residents who want to volunteer should meet at 9 a.m. outside the offices of state Sen. Mike Stack, 12361 Academy Road.
The next meeting of the Parkwood Civic Association will be at 7 p.m., April 23, in St. Anselm R.C. Church’s hall, 12670 Dunks Ferry Road. ••
