People Acting To Help wants to move its headquarters to Cottman Ave.
People Acting To Help presented a plan at last week’s Burholme Community Town Watch and Civic Association to move its headquarters to 1907–25 Cottman Ave.
PATH is presently at 8220 Castor Ave. (at Emerson Street).
The nonprofit agency, which provides mental health care, has outgrown its current site and wants to move into the former Firstrust Bank property at Castor and Cottman avenues. That branch closed last year.
Attorney Dan McElhatton, a former city councilman, delivered the presentation. Betty Andl-Petkov, PATH’s longtime CEO, also addressed the crowd.
PATH came to Burholme as a courtesy, as the Rhawnhurst Civic Association is the official registered community organization. The Burholme Civic voted 10–2 to support the PATH plan.
PATH wants to build a four-story addition and a structure for children, and include some green space. The agency has 550 employees, through most work in the field.
City Councilman Brian O’Neill supports the plan. PATH has also relayed its plan to the Castor Bustleton Cottman Business Association.
PATH will present its plan again on Thursday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rhawnhurst Civic Association meeting at Rhawnhurst Presbyterian Church, 7701 Loretto Ave.
PATH is scheduled to go in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment on June 20. If the agency wins approval, construction will take two years.
In other news from the May 10 meeting:
• Lt. Ron Janka and community relations officer Mark Mroz, of the 2nd Police District, spoke of a recent murder in a home on the 2000 block of Vista St. Two teenagers were arrested in the shooting death of another man. A drug-related robbery preceded the murder. The police officials also mentioned that thieves are removing tires and rims from Honda vehicles.
• Civic association members approved a proposal from the owner of a home at 7317 Whitaker Ave. to expand a daycare for up to 12 children, ages 3 months to 12 years old. The owner has removed poison ivy from the back yard, but the children will still go to Jardel Playground to play.
• Ryerss Museum & Library, 7370 Central Ave., in Burholme Park, hosted the meeting. The park will host showings of the following movies: Beauty and the Beast (June 20, 9 p.m.), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (July 18, 8:30 p.m., same night as Parks on Tap), The Lego Batman Movie (Aug. 15, 8 p.m.) and Coco (Oct. 6, 7 p.m.). The museum will be open two hours before the movie. Pre-movie activities will also include games, refreshments and face painting.
• The Food Trust’s Night Market will return to Cottman and Rising Sun avenues on Thursday, May 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. Hip-hop recording artist Freeway will perform at 9 p.m. At Rising Sun and Tyson avenues, there will be music, a juice bar, free health checks and a screening of Freeway’s documentary, Think Free. The evening will also include a performance by the alternative rock band Stealing From Thieves, caricature drawings, children’s activities and a WHYY listening booth.
• State Rep. Jared Solomon will hold a free shredding event on Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wissinoming Park, 5773–5945 Frankford Ave. Call 215–342–6340.
• The civic association donated $100 to the effort to have the Trinity Church, Oxford parish house included on the national historic register.
• Burholme Community Town Watch and Civic Association will meet on Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. at Wesley Enhanced Living, 7040 Oxford Ave. ••
