Care for our public parks
As the weather warms, many citizens — including myself — enjoy walking through the many parks that Philadelphia has to offer. These parks are filled with fresh air and an escape from the bustling city. While walking through one of the trails in Pennypack Park on Pine Road, I could not help but notice the amount of litter spread out along the trails.
I couldn’t help but take a closer look but it seemed as if most of the trash has been there for months. No one has even come close to cleaning this park up. Thousands of people go through the parks daily, but rarely are they ever cleaned. This is a growing problem. Our city does not fund such an important part of our environment.
As residents of Philadelphia, we have a right to petition for more funding toward this problem, so we can have cleaner parks. This would also create jobs and raise the economy in our city.
Philadelphia is filled with about 6,000 acres of parks. These parks stretch out through the city and are split between the Fairmount Parks, Pennypack and other smaller systems. While it may be unreasonable for all of the parks to be maintained, the most publically used areas should be kept clean and fixed up.
Volunteers are the ones who usually tend to this problem. These are potential jobs the government could create if they established infrastructure around this area. People could be hired to clean the parks and maintain them to the city standards.
“Safe, clean and Ready to Use” is one of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreations key core values, however, they are not doing much in terms of keeping the parks clean. As residents of the city, we have a right to tell the city officials that we need policies regarding this issue.
Michael Simankin
Bustleton
Dems love to raise taxes
I have to laugh when I hear people complaining about the soda tax. What did you expect?
It was a Democratic mayor who raised our real estate taxes twice in two years. It was a Democratic mayor who raised the sales tax “temporarily” and then decided to make it permanent. And this mayor is another typical tax-and-spend Democrat.
It is never good for the taxpayer when one political party is allowed to dominate elections. The Democrats have an automatic pass in Philadelphia and they know it. Wake up, people.
Randy Barnett
Somerton
Bidding farewell to the Northeast Peanut League
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Borrowing a line from William Shakespeare, my tenure with the Northeast Peanut League has come to an end. This is a bittersweet moment as I reflect upon my life with the league and the many children and people whose paths have crossed with mine.
This is the 37th year of the Northeast Peanut League (NEPL) and as in previous years, it continues to be filled with many highlights and challenges. I’ve been president of this league since 2003 and my term will end in September, 2016. Prior to this position, I’ve served as Baseball Commissioner, member of the Board of Directors, President of the Lansing Knights Youth Organization and Athletic Director/Registrar (since 1992) of the Lansing Knights.
Needless to say, the experiences that I have encountered have been full of excitement, highs and lows and opportunities for growth both professionally and personally. The most rewarding of these opportunities has been confirming my love of the sports and the various interactions I’ve had with people. These people have been from all walks of life, background and cultures. Life is so full of wonderment, and the precious gift that can be received from it begins and ends with people.
The NEPL is comprised of 300+ baseball and softball teams. There are also 150–200 basketball teams in the league. The staff consists of dedicated men and women who devote their time, energy and expertise. Their commitment to the league fosters a family atmosphere and not only teaches our youth about the game, but how to sharpen their interpersonal skills and development. My sons were members of the league and I can see where their development was enhanced by this association. It has been a privilege to work with everyone and an honor to have their support. Without the support of these people, my job would have been difficult and we would not have been able to fulfill our organization’s mission. To all, thank you for your service and for being you!
Finally, I am appreciative of being able to be a part of this fine organization. It is bittersweet in parting, but know that I will cherish this experience and will always hold fond memories in my heart. Thank you and may the NEPL continue to uphold its mission in serving our communities and youth. Always remember, “Ain’t nothing like it anywhere!”
Francis J. Connelly
President, Northeast Peanut League
